Shoujo Nana by Ai Yazawa

[baboysai]

heads up guys. CD scanlated chapter 80 already

I haven't read it yet though >.<

 

[Misury]

Spoiler

it just gets more frustrating and depressing with every chapter. I love it.

 

[duchess of dork]

Spoiler

ren's death seem fishy, though. im beginning to have this ridiculous idea what if its just some genius and conniving way of letting ren get a quiet exit from the limelight?

and why the hell was ren's clasped hands had a guitar pick on it?it may seem logical to others since hes a trapnest member but i see it in a way like some mild but heartless taunt to embittered nana....

i sympathize shin ,damn reira and taku #~.~>...

every important character has a mixed emotions towards one another...take for example miu towards nana and shin towards reira, nana o towards ren and nana k towards taku...*sigh* this manga's emotional plot is as good and as complicated as real life...@,@!!! but thats what makes it the best!!!

 

[baboysai]

what's wrong with Taku? he was just being responsible and taking care of things while the rest were too depressed to do it. And when he finally stopped to rest, that's when Yasu reminded him of things... I thought it was rather brilliant. I think it was his way of dealing with the situation...

 

[Misury]

Spoiler

the thing with the plectrum in his hand was, in my opinion, not meant to hurt nana's feelings or anything. the only thing that hurt was probably that the bandname trapnest was engraved on it, that was the point. that trapnest took ren away, forever now. I foung it touching that they put that between his fingers, because he has, after all, tried to protect his hands so that he could still play the guitar, no matter what. I think that was just something that really mattered to Ren and was part of his personality, something he was good at, maybe the only thing.

I wonder what is his gift for nana.. I really have no idea. What I would like to see is some kinda song-collection that he wrote just for her, since she once said to him not to write songs for any other woman. and this never left his mind. that was something I could think of, but it doesn't match really the box.. anyway.. we'll see, nect time, I hope.

 

[baboysai]

his gift to nana was probably the key to his necklace? nah, come to think of it, it was nana's gift to him, so she should have the key to that.

fuu... just guessing anyway.

 

[goal]

I have recently finished reading the manga and wanted to discuss it with all the other readers out there. I loved reading this because I enjoyed reading the realistic angle given to Tukumi and Hachi. Their story and character development was the most fun for me.
Let me discuss a few things from my perspective.
First Hachi's lovelife: Asuma Takashi was probably the guy she lost her viriginity to. As the previous guys she talked about in the opening chapter ,she didnt even interact with. He wears a tie and she points out to tukumi that she liked guys in tie. Then we see in chapter 57,page 43 that tukumi shows up in the future to see satsuki and hachi and is wearing a tie(chapter 72, page 8). That makes me feel he still wants Hachi to be into him!!!
Shoji and Nobu gave Hachi their 100% attention but she ended up neglecting them at one point or another. She would prefer to do things with Nana over spend time with shoji and she would prefer tukumi over nobu. She gets attracted to a bit colder, self-absorbed guys like asuma takashi or tukumi. (I can relate..i like that kinda guy myself and so i really enjoyed tukumi's character. I just find bad-guys turn good (fall in love) and then happy endings the perfect READ!!
So Hachi in the end has the kids, has the husband, and also is working. So her character development is pretty good over the chapters.

Now lets talk about Tukumi. His mother died when he was about 17/18. He avoids/dislikes his father. And his sister was taken away when he gotmarried. You never see him laughing or happy. He didnt even shed a tear on his mother's funeral, so he has oppressed him emotions and because of his difficult childhood is cold and practical. You only see him laughing with Hachi. Hachi makes him laugh time and time again. The first time he visits Haschi;s parents he tells them that he is attarcted to people who are energetic and outgoing ( chapter 37 ,page 21). So basically he likes the livelihood of Hachi and enjoys it and plays around with her and jokes around with her.
He has never had a sense of close family, so what Hachi offers him is his own family. Something which he will want and crave for even more than his work in the future ( my prediction!). That will make him happier than he has even been.
As tukumi and Hachi's marraige progress we see that Tukumi looks forward to coming home. At onepoint he was telling Ren that his workplace is a load of machines and his home is his residence with Hachi and he wanted to go home. Hachi pampers him, takes care of him,makes him great meals. All these things he has never had before and cherishes/will miss when he doesnt have them. Although he does lie to hachi and manipulate her when he needs to to suit himself,he does also during or before lovemaking express his true feelings to her. he clearly tells her she is the one he truly loves and there is no mistake about that.

Now about him cheating. Well this was the lifestyle he was leading. He enjoyed being the charmer and his looks meant he could be with anyone he wanted. So when Hachi was pregnant he offered to do all he could. This marraige proposal didnt come for a conventional moment, it was a spur ofamoment thing because she was pregnant and he was doing what was best. So to expect he would change his lifestyle immediately would be wrong. Especially if this is a selfish, cold and calculating man.

I would like to point out When he learnt Hachi was pregnant he wasnt shocked or upset. He was still being calm and gentle.(that means he wasnt upset about it coz it wa shachi and he wanted her to be his , anyway). As soon as she said she might not have the baby or went on till the point of saying it might be nabu's he got upset and locked her and then ofcourse did what he could to get nabu out of the equation. He even saw the picture of hachi and nabu and said "so u love him that much" meaning that he didntcare if hachi loved nabu or she wanted to be with him. he was willing to do everything he could, in order to keep hachi.

Now the question is, what were his feelings for hachi at this point?
Well after the second time they sleep together he realised the spirited side of her and he had seen her cooking side and also her tears for him....he liked the attention hachi gave him and he decided he wanted nana all to himself. But as a lover, ofcourse. But he was not exclusive with his other lover ( amongst others...), who was the tv actress..as he applauded her for probably sleeping with the producer to get a good role. SO Hachi was already different and more special than his other lovers. He also made out time for Hachi when he was very tired (the fourth time they slept together on the 29th of July). He also always picked up when hachi called (he checks the number first before answering). He didnt mind declaring to all his group that he was dating Hachi (he probably would have not went to her again if he didnt feel something strong with hachi coz hachi was loved and cared by nana,ren,yasu, shin and nobu.) Also when he was on tour with ren, he asked him even though its not a lot of the time but when he does think of her he misses her. WHy? and Ren tell him he probably loves her. His reaction was to act surprised, then think and then declare that he couldnt wait for the vacation to end( to he could see hachi again).
All this leads me to believe he had strong feelings for Hachi. He wanted to keep her and so he was happy to see nana say yes to marraige. This was he captured her.
But ofcourse he didnt intend for the marraige to be complete and thats why the writer shows their seperation in the future a consequence of the lack of his devotion to their marraige. All he needs to do is realise it and devote himself to his marraige and family, and he will have it all )

Another aspect (My favourite) is his sexual nature with Hachi. Hachi is not the hottest woman but very cute. He was attracted to that cuteness so he called Hachi up after theit first meeting. She was his fan and therefore "easy". He welcomed it. The second time he enjoyed it even more and wanted to make her his exclusive lover. So she would be there for him when he wanted. He didnt care for Hachi's feelings, he just enjoyed the attention and the desire Hachi had for him. The way she ran to him, looked at him and cried with desire(especially during sex...he loved it) and he saw she was naive, innocent and also realised all he wants is the bed with her. He wanted this to continue.
Now any other girl probbaly didnt cry like Hachi. And then all that combined with her vibrant personality,her ability to make him laugh, giving him his kids and family and enduring his cheating and still smiling...all this will turn in love ,dont you think?

One think i dont understand is. Tukumi being calculated and cunning as he is, Is hachi the only one he disnt use a condom with? Coz he is such a player...he must have had to take cuation. He knew Hachi was someone he wanted for the long run so he allowed himself to be careless the fourth time?

Let me know what you think of my review and if you recommend anyother mangawith a sexy guy like tukumi who develops a love interest and has a happy ending pleaseeeeeeeeee let me know. CIAO

 

[baboysai]

One think i dont understand is. Tukumi being calculated and cunning as he is, Is hachi the only one he disnt use a condom with? Coz he is such a player...he must have had to take cuation. He knew Hachi was someone he wanted for the long run so he allowed himself to be careless the fourth time?

hmm I never really thought about that before. Good point. ^^ We all just probably assumed that since he was a jerk by nature he'd just go and shoot it whenever and where ever he pleases. But he's supposed to be calculating and smart, so he should have used condoms 100% of the time. That is unless, he didn't care if he got hachi pregnant because he already considered it? Then again, that for me, is really OOC for him.

So my best guess is that it was really an accident. The times when he probably has the urge and suddenly makes Hachi do it, or like when he's angry (probably similar to the time at Reira's birthday). As smart as he may seem, he's not perfect after all.

What makes me wonder is why he never thought of withdrawing if ever he didn't feel like putting on condoms

 

[duchess of dork]

^^very good and very articulate point of view, goal-san. id like to believe your idea, but i cant help entertaining my other thoughts...cant think on an idea singularly. i just doubt taku's real feelings towards reira though, cunning and liar as he is.

---

What makes me wonder is why he never thought of withdrawing if ever he didn't feel like putting on condoms

_____________

 

[Misury]

oh my god, how much can one write only about Takumi? haha..

but I agree on most points, I think Takumi really loves her and in the "future-chapters" (or is it present? anyway) it seems that he cares about his family most and wishes everyone to be happy, he really has changed, that's what I like about him the most.

I actually thought Nobu was the perfect guy for Hachi, but now I've changed my mind and I really wish Takumi and her every happiness. The only thing what I'm not sure about are Hachi's feelings towards Takumi, because she doesn't follow him to England. But I guess again, it's because of Nana..

 

[goal]

Thanks for reading my rather long post guys. I enjoyed Tukumi's character coz thats the sort of guy i enjoy romancing in mangas.
If you have any other comments about nana i would love to discuss it with all the nana fans out there.
When it comes to tukumi and reira.I have this to say. His conversations with Ren are most revealing.We learn he has no feelings for her, but has always looked at her as his sister. Has always been aware that she loves him but put on an ignorant act. And his aim is to use reira's great voice. If you look at chapter 71 page 13, you read the thoughts that go through tukumi's head before he says to her "reira to me you are more special than anyone else", he tells himself to come up with a solution to fix reira's loneliness as now she even might not get togetehr with shin. So my point is, he was lying. but he does care to not deprive her of her happiness (chapter 72 page 30) which he feels he ends updoing no matter what way he chooses. He feels guilty for it and considers it his biggest sin( trapping his sister).

I have a question.In chapter 74 page 8, when we see a glimpse of the future, when naoki says if nana is found then hachi will come live with tukumi and Ren, we see a "thud" near tukumi.Is the author saying that tukumi's heart skipped a beat there??

Lastly, I want to talk/discuss about the possessive nature of Takumi. He wanted to make hachi his. When he found out she was pregnant and was dating nabu he wanted to have sex with her and claim her back. Same thing at reira's b-day party. He noticed hachi glancing at nobu and nabu's girl at the [arty and he didnt like it. So first chance he gets after the party is over he claims her again.

 

[duchess of dork]

hey goal-san. thanks for washing any of my doubts left about taku... i always liked to think him jealously possesive that way...what you posted were also my initial ideas about the characters, but hachi being a bit jealous towards taku's attentiveness over reira's whereabouts has given me other ideas too.. that what if taku was just covering up his real feelings towards his 'sister'? and hachi as naive as she is, is the perfect choice for this cover-up? but i dont doubt that the story will come out good..

and about the chap 74, i think you got way too carried away with your romantic idea, goal-san. its just the pot making thudding noise.

 

[goal]

haha okay. When you say about tukumi covering up his feelings for reira I can see one part in the anime where Hachi is watching the actress tukumi has cheated on her with and she says doesnt she look like Reira? hmmmm. That got me thinking.
But Tukumi is not one to hide his feelings. Reira has always been available. He could have had her and she would have sung. Ren proposed to Tukumi that for the sake of the band he should just make Reira his woman but Tukumi didnt do that coz a) he didnt have those feelings and b) he had Hachi now. So if Tukumi really had other feelings for Reira therre was nothing stopping him.
He lieks to get what he wants, he is not the sort to hold back.IF you also see his expressions from the time Reira gave him the valentine chocolates and confessed Tukumi did not seem happy one bit about it. He was also upset Shin couldnt be the prince to rescue his sister because Reira wanted to be one of hismany lovers than be shin's. He did it out of duty/work. In the last conversation Tukumi has with Ren he says, "Reira is part of work".

 

[LoveKururu]

Is there no chapter this month?

 

[Misury]

It's coming out on the 26.2. in Japan. But no, I guess there wasn't one in january.

 

[baboysai]

yep, there wasn't any for january. CD announced that the chapter would come out feb.

 

[dei_kun]

Dammit, I'm about to read the 80. I don't want Nana ends!!! I can't read any chapter without remember it.

The last chapter I tought I finally acepted Nana was about to end, but Now I realize I dont.

PD: I's frustrating. ¬¬'

 

[baboysai]

well, it won't end that soon anyway. I'm guessing it'll still reach chapter 100 at least.

 

[Nami]

I wish they can move over the death part and move on to another part of the stories. The last few chapters have been talking about nothing but how the group came to face reality with the death. I just can't really read about it anymore. I mean, one of my favourite characters die

I'm more interested to see how the relationship for the rest of them develop, esp, now we know why Nana O went to UK, I want to know what happen to the rest of the group. Did they split ways? Did Reira and Shin patch back? They almost did during that last chapter (or the last last chapter) *cant remember* This break is torturing.

 

[baboysai]

well Nam-nam, I do think that the new chapter will have moved on past the death. That last chapter 82 was the final, judging from the panels, and the drama, etc. I mean, if the new chapter were still about the death, or the grief, it would be dragging it too much. And I trust Yazawa-sensei to know that