Manga, like any other storytelling form, draws us in by giving us characters that we find ways to care deeply for and feel along with them through happiness and despair. Both of these series have had long-standing praise for their manga and anime adaptations. One of these series has even been made into two live action films! So let’s look into the stories of Nana, Nana, and Nanami.
Nana
Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki couldn’t be different despite having the same name. One is always seeking romance and a settled life while the other is seeking fame and fortune. They share one other important distinction: They are both moving to Tokyo and by a series of odd circumstances are now sharing an apartment together. Nana Komatsu is moving to Tokyo to follow her friends who already live there and also regain her romance with her boyfriend who left a year earlier. Nana Osaki is moving because the band she is a part of, the Black Stones or “BLAST”, loses their bassist to a more popular band and she wants to continue with the Stones, rather than become just a rockstar girlfriend.
Both Nana’s couldn’t have more drastic reasons for moving to Tokyo, but over time, the two grow into more than just roommates, but to friends and confidants. As the pairs lives become more intertwined, we see what happens when completely different life goals can sometimes be overcome by the most unexpected circumstances.
We Were There
Nanami Takahashi is encountering one of the most difficult challenges of a teenager's life: fitting in at high school and finding her place in the world. In the midst of finding new friends, she meets Motoharu Yano, the popular kid whom she grows from dislike to falling for him. Yano however, feels he can’t return her or anyone else’s feelings due to the death in a car crash of his last girlfriend, Nana Yamamoto, a year before. Nanami is determined to help him recover from the sadness that he is experiencing, but quickly discovers that the situation is more complex than she could have anticipated.
As we see these characters grow, other friends in the picture have their own problems to solve that only further complicated Nanami’s and Yano’s budding relationship. Yano’s best friend falls for Nanami, Nana’s sister has a past with Yano, and even a new friend named Akiko causes a rift in the relationship between the two. Even through all this, Nanami and Yano still find a way back to each other and grow stronger through happy and sad moments over the years.
Nana at 21 volumes is a series that hasn't finished yet, but is on hiatus, so more volumes could come soon! We Were There is a completed series at 16 volumes. Stop by a branch to pick up a copy or place a hold today!