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REVIEW: NANA DVD Box Set 3+4


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vashfanatic



Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 3489
Location: Back stateside
PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2010 6:35 pm Reply with quote
ZenErik wrote:
So what if the characters make stupid decisions much of the time? That's what makes them easier to relate to and seemingly more human. Smile

Yeah, but it ends with them still stuck in those situations; that's my problem, I have no resolution! I understand that girls do these kind of stupid things every day - and I don't think Nana glamorizes their decisions - but it leaves me really unsure how much I want to buy this when it, well, hasn't actually ended. We're just left hanging, with them in their awful relationships, and I don't like leaving them there. I want them to get out, and honestly, if it the manga itself ends that way, I won't like it. I guess I just like happier endings than "girl stays with douchebag."
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ZenErik



Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 392
Location: Boston
PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2010 6:43 pm Reply with quote
I don't mind open endings, personally. You're free to speculate or make up your own ending. Or read the manga. Season 2 will come in a few years if Ai makes a full recovery and feels up to finishing the manga. Smile
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Megiddo



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 8360
Location: IL
PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2010 7:40 pm Reply with quote
ZenErik wrote:
I don't mind open endings, personally. You're free to speculate or make up your own ending. Or read the manga. Season 2 will come in a few years if Ai makes a full recovery and feels up to finishing the manga. Smile
That's not a guarantee. I'm still waiting for "Season 2" of Kare Kano for instance.
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JGonspy



Joined: 03 Feb 2005
Posts: 70
Location: Toronto
PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2010 8:36 pm Reply with quote
vashfanatic wrote:
ZenErik wrote:
So what if the characters make stupid decisions much of the time? That's what makes them easier to relate to and seemingly more human. Smile

Yeah, but it ends with them still stuck in those situations; that's my problem, I have no resolution! I understand that girls do these kind of stupid things every day - and I don't think Nana glamorizes their decisions - but it leaves me really unsure how much I want to buy this when it, well, hasn't actually ended. We're just left hanging, with them in their awful relationships, and I don't like leaving them there. I want them to get out, and honestly, if it the manga itself ends that way, I won't like it. I guess I just like happier endings than "girl stays with douchebag."


While I won't spoil anything specific, there is some resolution to a lot of the story already. If you remember how the last episode was a little different with the flash forward in time, there's actually quite a bit of that in the manga after that point. So while it doesn't spell out everything, it does give you an idea of what the future holds for certain characters and what the results of those decisions are.

Oh, and another reason to check out the manga is for the bonus stories which give you fairly lengthy background stories for certain characters. Naoki, Nobu, and Takumi all star in special stories that go into their past a little more. I'm not sure why the Naoki one wasn't in the anime (the other two were in later volumes) but hopefully the second season will take some time and tell these stories. Seeing how Trapnest first formed is really interesting.
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Fronzel



Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1906
PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2010 8:34 am Reply with quote
Megiddo wrote:
ZenErik wrote:
I don't mind open endings, personally. You're free to speculate or make up your own ending. Or read the manga. Season 2 will come in a few years if Ai makes a full recovery and feels up to finishing the manga. Smile
That's not a guarantee. I'm still waiting for "Season 2" of Kare Kano for instance.

In that case, wasn't there a serious disagreement between the author and the animation studio? I thought I read that somewhere.
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jenthehen



Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 835
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2010 10:19 am Reply with quote
NANA is just the best. I also think it's ridiculously naive to be harsh on Hachi's decisions. If you've never been IN the situation of making difficult decision in your life, then you really can't judge. I hate when people say that Hachi made *stupid* decisions - she was spoiler[in love with Takumi. Nobu wasn't willing to step up or give her any support when she needed it. Takumi was offering her everything she ever wanted - to be the housewife and mother and have a husband and family. AND SHE LOVED HIM. It may have been foolish to think he would change into a loving, perfect husband, but this happens ALL THE TIME. It's realistic. And in his own warped way, Takumi loved Hachi - or at least cared about her and the child enough to step up and support them (financially and to recognize them - i.e. marry her and be the father).] Nana doesn't make perfect decisions all the time either. The characters' flaws in this series is what makes it so wonderful. And Hachi is hardly a "whore" - she only has sex with 4 men from age 16/17 to 20. And she really just falls in love fast and hard - it's her personality and a realistic flaw. I don't understand all the snobby looking down on her that people do.

EDIT: Oh, and I think that the English dub is FANTASTIC. I realize that the original Japanese cast is amazing, but I thought that the English dub was perfect. To me, it was never awkward or weird. Hachi's voice matches the original PERFECTLY, and English Nana is actually more accurate based on the manga counterpart. The Japanese voice actress is amazing, but she has a more sultry, deep voice, as opposed to a tomboyish rocker, raspy voice like Rebecca Soichett does perfectly. All of the side characters sound great, too.
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rabrek



Joined: 06 Apr 2009
Posts: 188
PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2010 10:34 am Reply with quote
Zade wrote:
I don't think "untwining" is a word...

It's a legit verb. The OED lists usage going back to the early 15th century, and the American Heritage Dictionary deems it current usage. Yes, I have the OED bookmarked, because I am a language geek of long standing. Fear me.

I keep meaning to check out Nana, but lately I've been shying away from long series, whether anime or manga. No time anymore. Still, Carl's reviews have been persuasive. Seeing as the episodes are still up on Hulu, so I really should check out 2-3 and commit one way or the other...


Last edited by rabrek on Fri May 07, 2010 10:36 am; edited 1 time in total
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Megiddo



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
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PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2010 10:35 am Reply with quote
jenthehen wrote:
It may have been foolish to think he would change into a loving, perfect husband, but this happens ALL THE TIME.

Just because it's a common mistake doesn't make the mistake any less stupid.
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jenthehen



Joined: 23 Dec 2008
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Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2010 11:19 am Reply with quote
Megiddo wrote:
jenthehen wrote:
It may have been foolish to think he would change into a loving, perfect husband, but this happens ALL THE TIME.

Just because it's a common mistake doesn't make the mistake any less stupid.


But the realism is what makes the show so great - the fact that it happens all the time. Further, while it may not be the *best* decision, it's hard to say it's totally stupid. I mean, she DOES get a lot of money out of it (a great place to live, nice clothes, etc.) Smile
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MarthaC



Joined: 20 May 2006
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Location: U.S.A.
PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2010 11:41 am Reply with quote
Well, thanks to the thread, I now know that there isn't an ending to the Nana anime and I just don't have the interest to catch up on the story in the manga. I've been watching the first few episodes on the free Funimation on Comcast. So is it worth it to watch it anyway? What is the opinion out there? Confused
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CaptainAvatar



Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 381
Location: Saint Louis, MO
PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2010 1:59 pm Reply with quote
jenthehen wrote:
Oh, and I think that the English dub is FANTASTIC. I realize that the original Japanese cast is amazing, but I thought that the English dub was perfect. To me, it was never awkward or weird. Hachi's voice matches the original PERFECTLY, and English Nana is actually more accurate based on the manga counterpart. The Japanese voice actress is amazing, but she has a more sultry, deep voice, as opposed to a tomboyish rocker, raspy voice like Rebecca Soichett does perfectly. All of the side characters sound great, too.


Which makes the Viz release all the more frustrating for their choice to completely ignore the English viewer in not providing a signs subtitle track. And considering how much texting and other various messages pop up throughout, it starts to grate on you. You almost have to watch with the full subs on or you miss out on a lot. But yeah, this is probably my favorite dub from Ocean since Black Lagoon.
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jenthehen



Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 835
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2010 2:56 pm Reply with quote
snl67 wrote:
jenthehen wrote:
Oh, and I think that the English dub is FANTASTIC. I realize that the original Japanese cast is amazing, but I thought that the English dub was perfect. To me, it was never awkward or weird. Hachi's voice matches the original PERFECTLY, and English Nana is actually more accurate based on the manga counterpart. The Japanese voice actress is amazing, but she has a more sultry, deep voice, as opposed to a tomboyish rocker, raspy voice like Rebecca Soichett does perfectly. All of the side characters sound great, too.


Which makes the Viz release all the more frustrating for their choice to completely ignore the English viewer in not providing a signs subtitle track. And considering how much texting and other various messages pop up throughout, it starts to grate on you. You almost have to watch with the full subs on or you miss out on a lot. But yeah, this is probably my favorite dub from Ocean since Black Lagoon.


OH YES! I totally agree - it's absolutely ridiculous and stupid that they did not include the on screen translations for the English dub - did they not notice that a great deal of plot is shown through text messages or notes? That was really really frustrating!!! Luckily, I have watched NANA fansubbed, so I was able to just groan in a frustrated manner when that would happen, but jeez - I can't beleive how annoying that would be if it were your first watch-through.
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jenthehen



Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 835
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2010 3:05 pm Reply with quote
MarthaC wrote:
Well, thanks to the thread, I now know that there isn't an ending to the Nana anime and I just don't have the interest to catch up on the story in the manga. I've been watching the first few episodes on the free Funimation on Comcast. So is it worth it to watch it anyway? What is the opinion out there? Confused


The opinion out there is that an overwhelming majority of people (especially females) out there who have watched NANA LOVE it. Nearly everyone who has seen it puts it in their top 10 or, in my case, top 5. Trust me. It's THAT good.
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JGonspy



Joined: 03 Feb 2005
Posts: 70
Location: Toronto
PostPosted: Sat May 08, 2010 12:00 am Reply with quote
MarthaC wrote:
Well, thanks to the thread, I now know that there isn't an ending to the Nana anime and I just don't have the interest to catch up on the story in the manga. I've been watching the first few episodes on the free Funimation on Comcast. So is it worth it to watch it anyway? What is the opinion out there? Confused


Totally worth it. The ending does sort of leave things open, but in a way gives you a chance to fill in the blanks a little bit. It's somewhat vague, and obviously the manga takes the story further, but to me the anime ended right by wrapping up a crucial part of the story. Obviously not in a perfect box, but well enough I'd say.

Also, assuming Ai Yazawa recovers and the manga is completed, there will be a second season, so don't give up too much hope about being left hanging forever.
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Apollo-kun



Joined: 11 Feb 2010
Posts: 1213
Location: City 7, Macross 7
PostPosted: Sat May 08, 2010 11:47 am Reply with quote
Hm, so essentially, for an anime to be "mature", it has to unfold like a glorified soap opera?

I am huge supporter of anime and manga that tries to break out of the typical trappings of more mainstream stuff (things like "The Tatami Galaxy", "Honey and Clover", "House of Five Leaves", and pretty much anything by Naoki Urasawa within the past decade), but "Nana" has always seemed like an overrated excuse of emotional exploitation to me. The main themes echo those found in daytime soaps such as "General Hospital" and "Days of Our Lives"; everybody breaks down and cries about their meaningless problems, as well as actively engage in relationships that are obviously harmful to their mental health.

The only reason this show and the original manga are popular, in my opinion, is the fact that Ai Yazawa used two of the most popular Japanese female archetypes at the time and wove in teenage angst to pander to her mostly teen-girl audience. The characters all demonstrate the emotional maturity of thirteen year-old children, and make the whole gang in "Dragon Ball Z" look like responsible adults.

There are better examples of mature anime out there, and the fact that this is as popular as it is irks me as somebody cares about anime. I know many may disagree, but this one show which I am glad to see go.
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