In this installment of On the Shojo Beat, Isaac Hale proves once again he’s man enough to read shojo… and enjoy it. The series: Ai Yazawa’s addictive rock-n-roll soap opera NANA, a staff favorite here at PCS.–KD
NANA, Vols. 9-11
By Ai Yazawa
Published by Viz
Rating: Mature
If you look at the back of any book in Viz’s Shojo Beat line, you should see a funky little thought bubble stretching from the book’s title that says: “The Real Drama Begins in…”. This is a great marketing catchphrase, but it’s a little disconcerting seeing titles like Vampire Knight, Absolute Boyfriend, and NANA put on this same pedestal. That’s like comparing an apple to an orange to a Buick—or, as they used to say on Sesame Street, one of these things is not like the others.
Since the first issue of Shojo Beat magazine, NANA has been the label’s high point, setting a standard against which most other shojo releases seem pretty tame.. Despite NANA’s massive popularity in Europe as well as Asia (Japan’s bestselling shojo/josei manga ever), NANA has had a far rockier journey here in the US. Amid tepid sales and a slowing stateside release schedule, Viz decided to drop NANA from the magazine lineup and release it only in the graphic novel format.
Despite a release schedule that is agonizingly slow in comparison to its foreign counterparts, Viz has continued to put out regular and high quality releases. In volume nine for example, Viz opted to include a bonus story that Ai Yazawa drew about the humble high school origins of Trapnest and Blast. This extra is a real treat, and it warms my otaku heart to know that Viz is still giving NANA its full commitment despite sometimes disappointing sales. Additionally, each volume of NANA has included an extras section as well, which is always a treat.
Since the bombshell of volume eight where we find out that Hachi is pregnant, the drama and depth of NANA has ascended to a new tier. In volumes one through eight, Hachi and Nana unite and a seemingly solid social framework for the rest of the series unfolds. After volume eight though, it becomes increasingly clear that the first eight volumes were merely setup for the series’ true drama: the interaction of the members of Trapnest and Blast and the wild card in their midst, Hachi.
Throughout volumes nine, ten, and eleven, the reality of NANA as we’ve come to know it is turned on its head. Romantic realities are rattled; hopes and aspirations shattered and reformed overnight, and the lines of camaraderie and friendship are redrawn. With Hachi’s child on the way, Hachi becomes more and more consumed by her impending life as a mother and drifts away from her tried and true friends of Blast. Though Takumi treats her well for the most part, it is obvious that Hachi is making a very painful transition that could burn her bridges should her life with Takumi fall through.
The most rattling relationship change has been between the series namesakes, Nana Osaki and Nana “Hachi” Komatsu. Through the first eight volumes the two develop a bond that stretches beyond friendship and is absolutely paramount to the two women. As circumstances force them apart though, their bond is not broken. Nana Osaki pines for Hachi constantly, and they both weigh heavily on the other’s heart and mind. Even as it begins to appear that their paths are destined to be irreconcilable, the two women never forget for a moment that they are doing everything with the strength they garnered from each other.
Indeed, despite the Nanas’ separation, the series’ homoerotic tension only increases. Aside from a couple of jokes being made about Nobuo and Shin (yeah… no), Nana Osaki all but admits to having a romantic (or something even greater?) fixation with Hachi. She admits that Hachi fulfills her in a way that Ren does not. When Hachi leaves to live with Takumi, Nana descends into despair and begins having panic attacks. Despite her immense sense of loss, Nana does everything with Hachi, her new lease on life, in mind. With these ever-mounting homoerotic undertones and Ai Yazawa’s apparent infallibility in this series, I can only hope that these tensions can be resolved in a realistic and decisive fashion.
Despite all its laurels in the otaku community, NANA has yet to receive the attention it deserves in the American market. As it has done since its inception, NANA humanizes interpersonal relationships in a profound way that no other comic I’ve ever read has achieved. And with the first eight volumes being only the leaping off point for this already emotionally turbulent ride, we can be sure the best is yet to come. My hat is off to Ai Yazawa for creating the best shojo/josei title I have ever read. Accept no substitutes: the real drama begins in NANA.
Volumes nine, ten, and eleven of NANA are available now.
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