From the back cover:
Moving to Tokyo, Nana Komatsu is hoping to reinvent herself as someone whose fortunes rise and fall independent of the vagaries of romance. Arriving in the city at the same time, Nana Osaki has plans to score big in the world of rock’n’roll. Even though they come from different backgrounds, these two young women quickly become best friends. What follows is a thundering blast of sex, music, fashion, gossip, and all-night parties.
Anxious to get into a Tokyo groove, both women are on the prowl for a funky and cheap place to live. But inexpensive apartments in Japan’s capital city are hard to find. Thank goodness each Nana has a clique of cool friends willing to help out. Too bad these friends are a little wiggy!
Review:
Again with the sex, music, fashion, gossip, and all-night parties! At least the first three were decently represented this time.
This series is so interesting—sometimes it feels like nothing has really happened because it flows along without dwelling for ages on a topic, but when you look back you see much has occurred. The girls find and decide to share an apartment, Nana K. gets a job at a cool vintage shop, Nana O. demonstrates some unexpected skills, Nana K. reflects that something is still missing from her life, Nana O. stages an impromptu concert on the kitchen table…
My one big complaint is the number of times the series breaks the fourth wall. It happens a lot, mostly in little side comments, but once in an important scene where Nana K. is trying to explain to Shoji why it’s so important that she live on her own. I find that sort of thing disruptive rather than amusing, and I hope it gets phased out soon. The translation’s also slang heavy (“For reals?”).
On the other hand, I absolutely love how Yazawa uses slightly-blurred images of real buildings, sidewalks, or shops as backdrops for her characters. This might not be a new idea, but it still looks really cool.
I’m definitely starting to get into this series now. I was a little worried after the first volume, since it had a boring patch, but my fears have been allayed.
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