NANA #09

Hachi’s starting to realize that her relationship with Shouji is turning sour, so she tries to think of ways to show how much she loves him. However, it’s practically impossible for her to come up with any ideas since neither of them have the time to spend with each other, and with her job and empty apartment taking over her life at the moment, she has no other choice than to accept the fact that her relationship with him might not last that much longer. She was hoping that moving to Tokyo would bring them closer together, but in actuality it has torn them farther apart…

Nana’s tired of not having any furniture in the apartment and decides to build a table in the kitchen herself. She’s even whipped up an entire meal on her own as well, impressing Hachi with her skills in doing just about everything well (unlike herself). An unannounced guest arrives at the door, and it’s none other than our yummy Nobu who’s decided once and for all to pursue his dreams of becoming a musician. Even though Nana’s ecstatic to see her old friend, she doesn’t show it and instead tries to send him back home. However, he doesn’t want to have any involvement in his family’s business and is adamant about living out his life as a musician. Hachi immediately takes a liking to him and encourages him to stay for the night, even admonishing Nana for being so mean to him. I loved this scene because of the significance it holds. If you’ve read the manga, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

Ah, I feel like I’m finally starting to enjoy watching Nana again. I particularly loved this episode because it included one of my favorite scenes from the manga, and I felt that they did a really great job on it. Nana looked so natural and happy performing in their apartment that you can just tell that she really misses the excitement of performing on a real stage. Although I was satisfied with this animated rendition, I still couldn’t help but wish that we could’ve heard Mika’s voice instead. It just didn’t feel complete without hearing her beautiful voice as Nana…but beggars can’t be choosy. I think this is where the story truly begins as we delve into the lives of the two Nanas, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.