As an avid anime watcher, there was something about the anime “Nana” that stuck with me more than other anime shows that I have watched. Something about the anime was hard to forget, whether it was the fashion, soundtrack or relationships between the characters.
If you look up what “Nana” is about, it is a story about two girls who happen to share the same name. However, there is something more personal that makes women all over the world connect with the anime. It explores what it means to be a woman figuring out who she is and who she wants to become.
The story of Ai Yazawa’s “Nana” follows two young women, Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki, as they navigate the start of adulthood after moving to Tokyo. Nana Osaki is pursuing the dream to be a successful musician, while Nana Komatsu is searching for love and somewhere to belong.
One of the most meaningful aspects is that neither of the main characters showed one single version of womanhood. Nana Osaki, for example, represents independence and the desire to be taken seriously, while Nana Komatsu represents the vulnerability of wanting to be accepted and loved. Nana Osaki struggles with abandonment, insecurity and the fear of being alone, while Nana Komatsu struggles with being emotional and making decisions that might leave her worse off. It makes young women feel seen to watch characters struggle with the same things that they do.
The anime is more realistic than most, perfectly encapsulating what it is like to be a young girl approaching adulthood and having to figure it out all on your own. The anime does a great job at depicting themes such as toxic relationships, bad life choices and trauma.
It can feel directionless while going through life, so it can be comforting to see characters be in the same boat. While watching “Nana”, I also connected with the characters. As someone who has recently turned 20, I could identify with a lot of the struggles that they go through. It felt linear to me to see two imperfect girls entering their twenties and I could even see myself in the characters.
In fact, people all over the world find a deep connection to “Nana”. Even while I was in the Czech Republic this summer, I was surprised to find out that there was a Nana-themed cafe in Prague. When I went, it was packed with like-minded young people who shared the same interest in the series. I thought it was beautiful to see so many people connected by the anime that I also love.
Beyond the individual struggles of the characters, one of the most significant parts of “Nana” is the friendship between the two main characters. Although they are different, they both find comfort in one another, showing the importance of female friendship during important transitional periods in life.
“Nana” resonates with women because it doesn’t try to show a perfect version of womanhood, embracing the messy part of discovering who you are. There is something about the series that allows women to see themselves through the characters on screen. Even after 20 years, the timelessness of the series reminds us that none of us have to have everything figured out right away.
