Product Description

Based on the popular manga by Ai Yazawa, NANA follows the adventures of two girls both named Nana. While they share the same name, they couldn't be more different. Nana "Hachi" Komatsu follows her boyfriend to Tokyo in hopes to make a new start, while Nana Osaki, who arrives in the city at the same time, is a punk rock beauty who has an ambition to make it big in the world of rock and roll. Although these two young women come from different backgrounds, they quickly become best friends.

English subtitles

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42186 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-04-08
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Animated, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: Japanese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 114 minutes

Customer Reviews

Based on the engaging manga (Japanese comics) by Ai Yazawa
Based on the engaging manga (Japanese comics) by Ai Yazawa, Nana is a dramatic, live-action Japanese movie with English subtitles about the lives of two women, each named Nana. Nana "Hachi" Komatsu has come to Tokyo with her boyfriend in the hopes of starting afresh, while Nana Osaki has arrived in Tokyo chasing her dream to make a name for herself in rock 'n' roll as a pop music idol. Despite the women's radically different backgrounds, motives, and personalities, they become best friends as they adapt to the difficult challenges of life in a bustling, unfamiliar metropolis. An upbeat, engaging story of the supportive bond between female friends during the best of times and the worst of the times. 114 minutes, color.

Light-hearted fun with a side of Tokyo Cool
To read the synopsis, and from watching the first 5 minutes or so, you might be put off this film by how trivial it appears. And, well, it IS a trivial movie. Not much happens and you know how things will end in the end but that's part of its charm. It doesn't take itself too seriously and at its heart is a very sweet tale of friendship between two quite different young women. Basically, the 3 star rating is for people who, like me, are interested in Japan and the Japanese music scene. In the same way that a lover of Japan would have had a greater appreciation for Lost in Translation than the average cinema goer. Personally, I'm ordering the sequel, aptly titled Nana 2, but if Japanese culture (particularly J-rock) doesn't do it for you, you'd be best looking elsewhere.

introducing Nana and.....Nana
First let me just say, Mika Nakashima, who plays rocker Nana is HOT!

I've been a fan of movies from Japan since I saw Ghost in the Shell a few years ago. I've seen and enjoyed Azumi the female Ninja, Last Quarter, a ghost story, and the Pulp Fiction inspired Shark Skin Man. So I was about 10 minutes into Nana when I realized that I was watching a "chick flick" or Shojo as its called in japanese.

As you may know Nana is about two girls who have nothing in common, except they both have the same first name. And they have one other very important thing in common. They both find out how difficult love can be.

The two Nanas are both played by great actresses. Aoi Miyazaki is the spoiled Nana who has nice clothes and shoes and hair and seems to get jobs because of her looks. And rocker Nana is Mika Nakashima, a singer in real life, who as I mentioned before, is HOT!

Rather than outline the story, which has already been done in other reviews, I'll just say I liked Nana enough that I am now waiting for Nana 2 to be released in the US.

I always hate it when the original actors don't return for the sequel and Nana is no exception.

The guy who plays rocker Nana's ex-boyfriend, Ren won't be in the sequel, which is fine since he can't act. Nor is Aoi, the Nana with the huge smile. Normally missing 2 original actors would really turn me off, but actress Mika, rocker Nana, is going to return. She does such an excellent job of portraying her character that I could not imagine anyone else in the part.

Although the ending of Nana has a satisfactory wrap up there are also some unanswered questions which leave room for the sequel.

The end to rock Nana's story was not what I wanted for her, but I am glad to say that rocker Nana herself questions her own actions as well.Nana