Movies / Animé and Toons

Nana: Uncut Box Set 3

By Chris Zimmerman
May 20, 2010 - 15:58

Nana Komatsu doesn’t know what she wants out of life. At 20 years old, she has saved up enough money to move to Tokyo with her boyfriend who attends art school. While on the train heading toward the city, she meets a punk rocker, also 20 who shares the first name of Nana.

Nana Osaki is determined to make it as a singer, opting to achieve success on her own rather than lean on her ex-boyfriend Ren, the lead guitarist for one of the most popular bands in Japan. When they reach Tokyo, the two girls go their separate ways until running into each other while searching for an apartment. As fate would have it, they both become interested in the same loft, prompting them to rent it together.

Volume 3 opens with the two Nana’s enjoying success in different areas of their lives. Komatsu finds someone who confesses their love for her in the form of Nabu, a member of Osaki’s band. At the same time, the other Nana’s band is soaring, playing to sold out crowds, attracting the attention of one of Japan’s biggest record companies.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t last as the contract the band signs is only temporary. The company’s rep see’s little value in the band, causing the producer to lose interest in them. Meanwhile, Komatsu finds out she is pregnant and that the father most likely isn’t Nabu but another member of the band, Takumi.

There’s plenty of drama to be found here as this set houses some of the most powerful episodes of the series. The two characters are realistically portrayed and easy to identify with, suffering from real world situations that one wouldn’t normally see in an animated program. The series is reminiscent of a skillfully crafted movie rather than a typical anime.

If there was ever an anime that would appeal to everyone, Nana is it.

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Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12