Manga Review: Nana by Ai Yazawa

Title: Nana

Original Title: NANA

Author: Ai Yazawa

Artist: Ai Yazawa

Year of Release: 2000

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Josei, Romance, Slice of Life, Tragedy

Status: Hiatus

Chapters (Translated in English): 84

Volumes & Chapters: 

21 Volumes in Total

Mangafox – Goodreads

Summary

Nana "Hachi" Komatsu hopes that moving to Tokyo will help her make a clean start and leave her capricious love life behind her. Nana Osaki, who arrives in the city at the same time, has plans to score big in the world of rock 'n' roll. Although these two young women come from different backgrounds, they quickly become best friends in a whirlwind world of sex, music, fashion, gossip, and all-night parties!

My Thoughts

Review covers 84 chapters 

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Katie’s Corner! Today I’m having a work, which has been on a hiatus since 2009. To say the truth in the very beginning of the story I got very bored, but I just wanted to know what really happened so I continued to read it. And oh my, I loved this story. I hate that the author hasn’t been writing, but she has her problems, therefore I can only guess what happened in the end of the story. But let me tell you why I both loved and hated this story.

This story is very realistic; I could even say it’s too realistic. The way the characters interact, live, the way their story or love develops. I have read similar stories, if you take Aoki Kotomi’s stories; they have these same feelings, the premonition that something bad is going to happen. It doesn’t help that the story is narrated with the tone of regret. As if we are reading a journal or something like that. And the feeling gets worse when we get to the future flashbacks, or if we say it correctly the whole story is a one big past flashback and the so called future moments are the real present time. But let me introduce you to our characters.

If you have read the summary you know that the story is focused on two girls, who share the same name, but their lives are absolutely different. However, they become best friends and they will have to overcome many difficulties together. Osaki Nana – a musician, a singer who is in love with the guitarist of a very popular band – Ren. If you ask me she’s the worst character ever, I mean she’s selfish: she wants to be with Ren, but at the same time doesn’t want Nana to leave her side and be with Takuma and the worst is that she wants Yasu to always be in love with her. She’s too self-centered and she just destroys everything in her life. Especially if my hypothesis is correct and the relationship between Nana (Hachi) and her first kid was ruined because of her. But let me talk about mother Nana – Nana Komatsu. In the beginning I thoughts she was plain stupid, I thought so even until the middle of the story, but somehow I changed my opinion of her. Mostly I didn’t get why she still stayed with Takuma, if she knew what an infantile person he was. But then I thought, she really did love him and no matter what you think Takuma did love her. He didn’t know how to handle women, he also cheated, but in the end he did return to her. What I really loved about him were his words when he thoughts that Nana was pregnant. I mean before, about a chapter ago he was so against kids, but as soon as he was in front of the fact he didn’t care if the kid was his or another guy’s he may not be an ideal man, for that he would need to understand women, but he was perfect in some ways.

The story is full of sadness and love, especially unfulfilled but at the same time fulfilled love. It makes you wonder if the life is really like that. You get to meet many different characters, and remember that all of them are damaged in some ways. Will they be able to become whole or will they get more damaged in the end? That’s for you to find out, as this story us fantastic in its way. You might get bored and confused, as there are many character and they talk a lot. I mean that they talk too much sometimes! Don’t forget that this story is on a hiatus, so when you are left hanging on the 84^th chapter, do not shout, I told you! But I do recommend you to read it. As I believe this story is one of the best realistic mangas I have ever read. Also if you have already read it, please, write your thoughts about what you think happened after the last chapter.

Enjoy it to its fullest and don’t forget to share your thoughts below! Stay tuned for more reviews as well as promos! Don’t miss your next favourite book or manga. Happy reading!

XOXO

Katie

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Manga Review : Paradise Kiss by Yazawa Ai

Title: Paradise Kiss

Original Title: Paradise Kiss

Author: Yazawa Ai

Artist: Yazawa Ai

Year of Release: 2000

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Josei, Mature, Romance, Tragedy

Status: Completed 

Chapters (Translated in English): 48

Volumes & Chapters:

Volume 1 Chapter 1-10

Volume 2 Chapter 11-20

Volume 3 Chapter 21-30

Volume 4 Chapter 31-38

Volume 5 Chapter 39-48

Mangafox – Goodreads

Summary

Yukari wants nothing more than to make her parents happy by studying hard and getting into a good college. One afternoon, however, she is kidnapped by a group of self-styled fashionistas calling themselves "Paradise Kiss." Yukari suddenly finds herself flung into the roller-coaster life of the fashion world, guided by George, art-snob extraordinaire. In a glamorous makeover of body, mind and soul, she is turned from a hapless bookworm into her friends22 own exclusive clothing model.
In this manga we meet characters from Gokinjo Monogatari like Mikako (and her little sister, Miwako - she's in "ParaKiss" staff) and Arashi father (only poster, but still) and new like Isabella.

My Thoughts

Review covers all chapters 

I actually stayed up all night to finish this manga. Why I chose it? No idea, I was roaming on youtube some of my favourite videos and somehow the video about thi manga came up. I liked it, and because it was made as an anime I made a tick in my brain to watch it some other time. Howeve, after getting back from my friend’s place at about 1 a.m. and starting with absolutely different book to read, something clicked in my brain and I said, I want to read this one right now. I started it, and when I finished it, it was already 7 in the morning.

Even though this manga was written about 15 years ago and depending that all old mangas have a really specific drawing, this one had a quite modern approach to many facial features. The story is about a girl who has nothing special and then she gets asked to be a model for a group of very extravagant cloths designers. The story has many ideas which are great for teens. It covers that period of our lives when we have no freaking idea as to what we want to do, and everyone is just saying: “Study, study, study, get into a uni and you’ll figure it out”. But what if we do not know what we want to even study? Well, meet our heroine – Yukari, she is just like all of us who did not know what we wanted to do when we were 17 or 18.

If you have read at least 2 shoujo mangas, there is a specific patterm. The girl always stays with the very first guy she falls in love with. Well, here’s your disappointment. The first time I saw breaking of that pattern in “Daytime Shooting Star”, but then I read Paradise Kiss and to my utter disappointment she doesn’t stay with George. But then here what I tried to think, wasn’t he her second love? Then the pattern wasn’t broken right? However, the first guy – Tokumori, he only saw her when she got pretty or something. So we can’t really say anything. And well even though I like the Yukari and George pair, somehow George was not a really boyfriend material if you ask me. I think I’m getting tangled up in my thought.

Why I think thus us a good manga? It teaches us, that not all of us know what our dreams are, and that we should not be discouraged by that. We can find them in quite abnormal situations, but my advice to you: If you found something that you like and want to do it your whole life. Try making that dream into a reality, but try not to go overbroad, but be who you are.

I hope you will get your own copy and it will give you some insight into a lifestyle of a highschool girl. It may seem that you will find yourself in Yukari. Enjoy 48 chapters of amazing life portrayed by Yazawa Ai.

XOXO

Katie

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