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NANA Project # 6, Vols. 11 & 12!

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Here’s a quick evening link to the newest installment of The NANA Project, a bi-monthly roundtable on the series with Danielle Leigh, Michelle Smith, and me. This month, we discuss volumes 11 and 12, particularly focusing on the ways Nana and Hachi’s roles in the story have changed.

Here’s a quote from me early on: “… I feel like we’re being taught a lesson about the nature of love, though I’m not entirely sure I like it. Hachi’s relationship is really a sham on so many levels, yet it offers her a kind of security she’s never quite had (even at home with her parents) … Meanwhile, Nana’s urgent love for/with Ren should make them both feel more secure (certainly that’s what everyone’s banking on), but instead it just feels dangerous, suffocating, and a little bit unreal.”

It was a great conversation and I hope you’ll join in! Read this month’s installment here or catch up on past Projects. …

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NANA Project Special Edition!

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The NANA Project takes on a special topic this month (or rather, last month a little bit late), following some internet brouhaha around pages that were removed from volume four of Viz’s edition of NANA.

Join Danielle Leigh, Michelle Smith, and me over at Comics Should Be Good as we hash out trademark law, fan entitlement, publisher negligence, translation, adaptation, the meaning of “censorship,” and the power of “love.” And don’t forget to flame us in comments.

We’ll return in June with discussion of volumes 11 & 12 of NANA. Meanwhile, check out our special edition here!

Presenting NANA Project #5!

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Today I’d like to point you to the latest installment of The NANA Project, in which Danielle Leigh, Michelle Smith, and I dig into NANA volumes 9 & 10! I can honestly say I have never had more much fun with this project than I did this time around, and that’s saying a lot. From Danielle’s introduction: “This time around we all discuss the harsh world of fame, Melinda and I then subject the character of Yasu to relentless psychoanalysis, while Michelle awes us all with her new “hair theory” of NANA!”

While participating in this month’s discussion, I was reminded more than ever just how emotionally resonant this series is and how true-to-life its characters are. I think the fact that the conversation gets a bit heated here in installment #5 is a real testament to that. Must performing artists choose between career and love? Is “want” an essential element of happiness? Check out NANA Project #5 for all this and more! …

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NANA Project 4!

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Nana-7For those who have been following The NANA Project or those who’d like to start, please join Danielle Leigh, Michelle Smith, and me over at Comics Should Be Good for our discussion of NANA volumes 7 & 8! Due to the events in these volumes, discussion revolves heavily around Hachi, Takumi, Nobu, and Nana, with just a teeeensy rant from Danielle on the subject of Ren and Yasu. These are a couple of pretty intense volumes encompassing events that range from euphoric to absolutely devastating, so you can imagine that the three of us have quite a bit to say. Fans of Takumi will enjoy Michelle’s near-defection to their side. Anti-fans will prefer my stubborn refusal to go along with. Either way, there is plenty to dig into, so please join us in comments!

For previous discussions, see Projects one, two, and three!

NANA, Vol. 19

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By Ai Yazawa
Viz, 194 pp.
Rating: Mature

The bit of future story at the beginning of this volume reveals a stunning amount of information about upcoming events and it’s not hard to see how things begin to derail as the volume continues. As Hachi focuses on getting Nana and Ren back together with the magic of Valentine’s Day chocolates, Reira abandons all her defenses in pursuit of her long-held love. Meanwhile, Ren is falling further into darkness all on his own. Shin is released on probation, but it’s a bittersweet moment at best as Nana lets out all her own anger and frustration out on him. Though Shin and Nana reach an inspiring agreement by the end, there’s a pervading sense that it’s all too late to change anything significant in their futures.

Fans of Hachi will have a lot of difficulty with this volume but since that is due only to Ai Yazawa’s incredibly insightful writing, it’s hard to complain even with the sensation of a rusty knife twisting in one’s gut. Also, even though it is an incredibly painful volume when viewed from Hachi’s point of view, there is also a sense of impending freedom if one can shake off the accompanying humiliation enough to get there. “No matter where Takumi went, even if he completely forgot about me when he was gone,” she says in one of the volume’s between-chapter narrations, “I thought I had to make a sanctuary for him to return to when he got tired. That’s the only way I could win.” It’s one of the saddest narrations in the series so far, and that’s saying quite a lot.

Yazawa is brilliant in this volume, capturing the feelings of each of these damaged characters as though they were all her. Even Yuri shows unexpected depths in this volume, as she’s finally face-to-face with a real break in her career which would upset the plans she’s made with Nobu. As painful a destination as everyone seems to be imminently headed for, this story remains so poignant and so real, it’s impossible to leave the road.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at PopCultureShock.

At PCS: NANA, Nora, & Rasetsu

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nora8Just a few quick links today to point out a few short reviews of mine over at Manga Recon this week. First of all, I checked out volume eight of Nora: The Last Chronicle of Devildom for a bonus edition of Manga Minis on Tuesday. With the huge advancements in character development made over the last two volumes, this volume pales a bit in comparison, but it’s still a solid end to the Fall arc, making way for the possibility of something greater than what the series has offered up to this point. If Nora and Kazuma really can change their fate, that will be an exciting goal to pursue and will hopefully keep the series on the upward track it discovered a few volumes back.

I came in to Nora a bit late as a reader (something that is suddenly very much related to a recent Twitter conversation on the question of whether or not individual volumes of manga can/should be able to bring a new reader into a series at any point) and one thing I must give the series credit for is just how easy that was to do. The story’s characters are always exactly themselves–no more, no less–which not only makes them unusually hospitable to newcomers, but also makes it all the more thrilling to watch them grow. I look forward to seeing more of that as the series continues.

nana19Also, in today’s installment of On The Shojo Beat, I review the latest volumes in two series, the first being volume nineteen of NANA, a long-time favorite of mine as you all surely know. This was a rough volume for me emotionally, thanks to my strong identification with a particular character and the serious pain she’s got waiting on deck for her right now. I’m struggling to avoid spoilers here (I even tried a bit in the review itself, though it was pretty rough) so suffice it to say, “ouch.” There’s a strong sense of impending doom for everyone in the series at this point, one way or another, but Yazawa always avoids that hopeless soap-opera rut in which it is obvious at all times that nothing good can ever really happen for anyone. Along with the sense of impending doom is a small voice suggesting that perhaps, after everything has exploded and the dust has finally cleared, it might actually be a better world for the survivors of this little universe. The story may be dramatic and filled with tragic misfortune, but its characters are ultimately in charge of their own destinies and there is never a complete lack of hope for any of them.

rasetsu3Lastly, I review volume three of Rasetsu. I was a bit harsh on this volume, I’ll admit, but I really feel strongly that if it is going to survive on its own, independent of the series it spun off from, it’s going to need to cut the cord–the sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned. Though Yako is certainly doomed to carry around sadness over the loss of his first love for quite some time, it’s more important to develop the story’s new characters than it is to come back to that issue over and over. It can’t be allowed to drop, of course, but there are much more subtle ways of handing it than what we see in this volume. I have some level of fondness for this series so far, so I’m really rooting for it to come into its own. Hopefully we’ll see that happen over the next few volumes!

So, check out these reviews and more over at PCS’s Manga Recon!

NANA Project #3!

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nana6Just a couple of quick links this morning as I sit in the Salt Lake City airport waiting for my flight home. First of all, the third installment of the NANA Project is up, in which Danielle Leigh, Michelle Smith and I discuss volumes five and six of NANA. In this installment, we focus heavily on the addition of Trapnest to the regular cast of characters, and particularly Hachi’s involvement with Takumi. If you’re new to the Project, check out our discussion of volumes one, two, three, & four and please, join us in comments!

In other offsite news, check out my review of Kamichama Karin Chu, volume 4 in this week’s manga minis, and look for my review of the second volume of Rasetsu soon in an upcoming On The Shojo Beat column to be posted over the next couple of days. (ETA: Rasetsu review is up!)

Homeward bound!

NANA, Volume 18

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NANA, Volume 18
By Ai Yazawa
Published by Viz Media

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After a quick opening set in the future, where Hachi, Yasu, Nobu, and Shin contemplate how best to track down Nana whom they’ve determined must be in England, the story returns to the present where everything is finally coming together the day before Blast’s tour is ready to launch. Nana is pumped, her voice is solid, she’s got Hachi in her corner, and even her home life with Ren, newly returned from recording overseas, is humming along nicely. Unfortunately, Shin’s personal turmoil is taking a toll, driving him into the arms of sugar mama Ryoko, with whom he gets arrested for marijuana possession, causing the tour to be canceled at the last minute. The rest of the volume focuses mainly on the aftermath of this–how the members of Blast will move on, particularly Nana, whose newly re-established easiness with Ren collapses quickly under the stress. Meanwhile, Takumi tries to figure out how to help Reira deal with the situation, finally addressing her relationship with Shin in a realistic way, in a scene that is tied closely to the Takumi-centric side story included at the end of the volume.

One thing that is particularly striking in this volume is that the forced breakup of Blast and subsequent events places Nana in an isolated enough position that the gap between the present and the future narration suddenly seems much less wide than it has up to this point. Also, with implications made about Shin in the opening “future” chapter (in which Yasu tells him he should be grateful his agency let him back in the business) being explained in this very volume, it really feels like the series of events immediately related to Nana’s eventual disappearance are finally unfolding before our very eyes.

There are a few really interesting reactions amongst the characters here in this volume, which feel unexpected and completely realistic all at once. Displaying just how well-suited she is to Yasu, Miu, tasked with giving the news to Hachi and Takumi, is the voice of reason, dispensing rock-solid advice to Nana (and harsh truth to Takumi) when it is most needed. Takumi, usually poised to step up in any kind of crisis, actually seems rather sad and helpless when he’s faced with the demise of Blast, despite the fact that it isn’t even his band. He is unusually warm throughout this volume, watching other people’s worlds falling apart around him, and his offer to help Reira find a place where she can meet up with Shin after he is freed is almost touching. “It’s not your fault. I drove you to it. I drove Shin into it,” he says to her with uncharacteristic emotion and candor. “But I didn’t mean to take away your happiness. I didn’t start Trapnest to do that to you guys!”

Almost comical is the reaction of the sleazy press guys, who seem to feel somehow hurt by the whole situation, as though they have an actual stake in the success of Blast whose members they’ve tormented with threat of scandal since the beginning. Nana waffles between selfish (if understandable) anger, regret, raw ambition, and abject terror over the prospect of being on her own as a performer. That she is eventually able to recognize that Yasu’s pain over it all must be as great or greater than her own and is able to actually act on that realization (by determining to go solo to keep not just herself but Blast in the public consciousness) is a huge sign of growth for her.

This entire volume contains enough emotional complexity to inspire an essay almost as long as the volume itself, but perhaps the most compelling bit of all is the Takumi side story at the end. He’s always been a character who is pretty easy to hate, particularly for readers who identify strongly with Hachi, and though the side story does not ease any of that Hachi-related resentment (and in fact, makes it quite a bit worse) it does humanize him in a way I would not have thought possible, making sense of his actions, even the worst ones (perhaps especially the worst ones). This side story, more than any of the others that have been included so far, is crucial to understanding the deep disfunction at the core of Trapnest and provides a huge amount of insight into Takumi, Reira, and even Yasu, and how their mutual history continues to shape the present.

The more I examine the way Ai Yazawa has conceived and developed these characters and the complex web of love and pain that binds them all together, the more impressed I become. This series remains fantastic and utterly addictive in the best way possible.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

CSBG NANA Project Continues!

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nana-4Fitting very nicely into my Girls Only Week, part 2 of the Comics Should Be Good NANA Project featuring Danielle Leigh, Michelle Smith, and me is up this morning! In this installment, we discuss NANA volumes three and four, focusing on Nana and Hachi, Hachi and Shoji, and finally addressing some of the less fantastic aspects of the series’ English adaptation.

I mentioned recently on Twitter that I think a good English adaptation has a real sense of place so that the sensibility of the original language comes through for the reader. The early volumes of NANA really fall short in that area, and we talk a bit about why. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this round of conversation for me, however, is that I found myself actually defending Shoji, which is not something I’d have ever expected, especially considering my strong identification with Hachi.

So head on over and join us in comments! (Or click here for our discussion of volumes one and two if you missed it!) Can’t wait to see you there!

Tears and Manga

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So, I picked up volume four of Pluto earlier this evening, anxious to dig in to the latest volume of my favorite manga series this year. My plans were dashed less than a chapter in, however, when I became so emotional that I actually had to put it down. Since this volume is new, I’ll avoid any details. Suffice it to say this was a fairly small incident (relative to the scope of the work as a whole) that just happened to hit me unusually hard. This isn’t a fatal issue, of course. I’ll pick it up again once I feel I’ve recovered, perhaps in a less vulnerable moment. Nor is it a criticism of Pluto, by any means. I want to be moved deeply by fiction. That’s why I read it. It’s a powerful testament to the craft of both Tezuka and Urasawa that the series is able to affect me so strongly.

hachi-tears-smWhat this experience brings to mind now as I remain here uselessly in my chair, not quite ready to pick up anything else, is other moments in manga that have brought me to tears. …

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News: CSBG NANA Project Debuts!

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First, a quick link to a review of mine in yesterday’s Manga Minis, for volume six of Nora: The Last Chronicle of Devildom from Viz Media.

Today’s real news, however, is the debut of the Comics Should Be Good NANA Project! Inspired by an unexpectedly passionate exchange in the comments of one of Danielle’s recent reviews, CSBG’s Danielle Leigh, Michelle Smith, and I have started a monthly roundtable in which we will discuss the manga in-depth. We’ll tackle two volumes a month with Danielle at the helm (no spoilers for future volumes!) and if this first installment is anything to go by, it is guaranteed to be fantastic fun, at least for us. :) Please come on over and join us in comments!

If you are not yet one of the converted, check out my post, Why You Should Read NANA for additional information on the series.

News in Brief

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Reviews have been appearing here in short bursts lately, but I should be back to a more rigorous schedule soon. Shouldn’t the summer be relaxing? :) A few short items:

– For those curious about my non-manga-related activities, I have joined the staff at Act Too Studio, coaching young singers and actors alongside two incredible teachers who also happen to be my parents. I’m pretty excited. Here is some information about us, and here is a page full of people saying we (and by “we” I mean mostly my folks) are great. We are also developing our website as we go, so if that’s your kind of thing, keep an eye out for new content!

– Just yesterday, I got myself on the list to review 801 Media titles, so look for a little more yaoi content here from time-to-time! They also introduced me as a new reviewer in their blog!

– As a testament to my deep love for Yen Press’ One Thousand and One Nights, my review copy of volume eight arrived on my doorstep just yesterday and was immediately pushed to the front of the line (and believe me, it’s become quite a long line). Don’t miss my review!

– On a very different note, I reviewed a new volume in another of my favorite series this week–volume seven of Mushishi. I suppose the contrasting nature of these two series should put aside any lingering worry I might have about this blog not representing me (or my tastes) fully. :) ETA: Also, translator William Flanagan has linked to my review on his Facebook page, filling my fangirlish heart with glee!

– The ever-fabulous Danielle Leigh posted a shojo round-up a day or two ago, and we ended up rambling on together in comments about NANA. Look for more of this to come. /cryptic

I wonder how much of this actually constitutes “news”? Ah, well. More reviews tomorrow!

NANA, Volume 17

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NANA, Vol. 17
By Ai Yazawa
Published by Viz Media

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“But now I just want one thing… the courage to face things once more.”

This volume begins in the future timeline, with Hachi meeting Shin at apartment 707 during the Christmas season where she discovers an envelope left in the mailbox containing photos of Nana singing in a faraway club. The scene is unexpectedly moving and it put tears in my eyes right from the beginning of the volume which never truly disappeared. Though much of this book focuses on the storyline begun in in the volume sixteen regarding Nana’s biological mother and the related Search exposé, what this volume really does is bring Nana and Hachi back together–something guaranteed to fill my heart with joy. Having been manipulated by the Search reporter into confronting Nana’s mother (though this confrontation is ultimately fruitless), Hachi first spends some time hiding out at her parents’ house in shame, but once the story finally hits she runs straight to Nana’s side, much to everyone’s relief. This volume also takes a surprisingly frank look at Mai’s past, including how she became “Misato Uehara,” and delves more deeply into the complicated relationships between the members of Trapnest, focusing on Reira in particular.

…

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NANA, Vol. 15

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By Ai Yazawa
Viz, 200 pp.
Rating: Mature

After Search’s cruel delivery of a suggestive photo of Ren and Riera at the end of volume fourteen, this volume opens with the fallout from that and Takumi’s brilliantly manipulative efforts to keep the photo out of the papers. Unfortunately, the ramifications of the photo run deeper than that and Nana and Ren’s relationship continues to unravel further. Hachi and Takumi finally get married (thanks to Takumi’s manipulations) and Yasu and Miu begin to solidify their relationship as well. All of this brings Nana’s abandonment issues to the fore as she watches the most important people in her life drifting further away from her. Shin, too, feels the effect of the Search incident as Reira, suddenly aware of how vulnerable her world is to scandal, suggests they stop seeing each other. The appearance of the Search photo highlights how fragile everyone’s world is and how far a single act of thoughtlessness or cruelty can reach.

The expressive genius of Ai Yazawa’s art is what really makes this volume shine, elevating what could easily be trite soap-opera to the realm of top-notch fiction. Her ability to use panel layouts and close-ups to get to the heart of her characters is unmatched. The art feeds the complexity of the characters, transforming them into something that almost feels more real than “real life.” It’s not the art alone, of course. Yazawa resists letting any character fall into pat categories like “good” or “evil,” giving full dimension to each of them and their rich, complicated, gray-shaded world. Even manipulative, controlling Takumi, who frames everything in terms of protecting own interests, is not a clear-cut villain any more than Nana and Hachi perfectly virtuous heroines.

There is an interesting scene early in the volume, where the folks at Search mull over the power that they wield, finally determining that if Ren and Nana break up because of what they print, then the breakup was “meant to be.” “The strength of their bond will be tested,” says one writer, determined to justify the paper’s actions as some kind of righteous social experiment. The lengths to which people will go to justify their own poor behavior is a fascinating (if horrifying) study, and it is this type of insight into humanity that makes Yazawa’s writing so powerful.

Though it is clear that much of the story’s real drama is yet to come, this is a strong volume in an exceptional series that continues to be both beautifully crafted and extremely compelling.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at PopCultureShock.