Nana

Nana (ナナ, Nana) is a shōjo manga series by mangaka Ai Yazawa, serialised in Cookie published by Shueisha. There is an anime adaptation, as well as two live-action films. The first twelve volumes of the manga series have cumulatively sold over 22 million copies.The manga derives its title from the name of the two main characters, both of whom are called Nana. What sets them apart, however, is the stark difference between their lives. One Nana comes from a small town, following along with her friends and boyfriend, looking for a goal to obtain, while the other Nana's goal is set on making her dream and band, Black Stones, among the best. The two Nanas are brought together in what has become a major success for Ai Yazawa and the shōjo genre.[citation needed]
Nana is presently being released in North America by Viz Media. It ended its serialization in the August 2007 issue of Shojo Beat and was replaced by Honey and Clover. It will continue, however, to be released in tankobon (graphic novel format). The manga has also been adapted into a highly successful live-action film with a sequel released on December 9, 2006, and an anime adaptation that premiered on April 5, 2006. The anime adaptation has subsequently been announced as licensed for release in North America by Viz Media. In 2003, the manga won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo.
There are currently nine volumes available in the United States. The tenth volume has a May 6, 2008 release date scheduled.

Plot synopsis
Nana Osaki is a punk singer who wants to debut with her band as soon as possible to leave her ex-boyfriend, Ren Honjo, behind. Nana was the lead vocalist in their old band with Ren, and they lived together as lovers. When Ren is offered a chance to debut in Tokyo as a replacement member of the popular band Trapnest (TraNes for short), Nana chooses to cultivate her own band, Black Stones (BlaSt for short) instead.
Nana Komatsu, the other Nana, is called Hachi (after Hachikō) as she has weak mental characteristics that resemble a puppy. With a habit of falling in love at first sight, Hachi has always depended on other people to help her. When her friends and then boyfriend leave for Tokyo, she decides to join them a year later after having saved enough money.
Nana and Hachi meet in a train by chance, both on their way to Tokyo. After a string of coincidences, they come to live together in an apartment numbered 707. Despite having contrasting characters and ideals, the Nanas like and respect each other.
While the Black Stones begin to gain popularity at live gigs, other issues need resolving, especially in the areas of romance. The story of Nana revolves heavily on the romance and relationships of the two characters as one seeks fame and recognition while the other seeks love and happiness.

Characters

The characters in Nana have complex personalities and their own histories, which sometimes intertwine with one another. The importance of each character grows in the manga as the story progresses to many dramatic heights and falls. The two main characters in particular, Nana O. and Nana K., support each other greatly, as evidenced both in the story and in the narration, which is done by either Nana at the beginning and end of each volume.
Other important characters include Hachi's friends and ex-boyfriend, who she followed from her hometown to Tokyo, the members of Nana O.'s band (Black Stones), and the members of the band Trapnest.

Film

Nana has been made into a film which was released on September 3, 2005. The film stars Mika Nakashima as the punk star Nana Osaki, and Aoi Miyazaki as Hachi (Nana Komatsu). The DVD edition was released on March 3, 2006. The film did quite well at the Japanese box office, grossing more than 4 billion yen, staying in the top 10 for several weeks.

Nana 2, the sequel to the first film, was announced right after the first debuted. However, on August 4, 2006, Toho stated that shooting would begin mid-September and that the film was to be released on December 9, 2006. Aoi Miyazaki and Ryuhei Matsuda were not be reprising their respective roles as Nana Komatsu and Ren Honjo; as such, their roles were assigned to Yui Ichikawa and Nobuo Kyou, respectively.
Two new singles were released under Nana starring Mika Nakashima and Reira starring Yuna Ito.
However, the sequel was a let-down for fans and company, it only peaked #4 at the Japanese Movie Rankings, and had much more bad press than any good.
The film had its international premiere in New York City on December 15, 2006. It opened for a single showing at the IFC in Soho. Both Mika Nakashima and Yui Ichikawa were present.

Anime

Nana has been adapted into an anime series, directed by Morio Asaka and animated by the studio Madhouse. The first opening and third ending songs are sung by Anna Tsuchiya for the band Black Stones as Nana Osaki, and Olivia sings the second opening and first and second endings for the band Trapnest as Reira Serizawa. The first DVD release was on 2006-07-07. The anime series was intended to be equal to the manga and it was adapted until the 12th tankoubon to avoid original anime fillers. Accordly to Junko Koseki (editor of Nana in Shueisha) and Masao Maruyama (president of Madhouse) a second season is probably going to be aired once the manga series is finished.