Greenes Please don't spend money on this.

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

jmaruyama Based on writer/artist Yazawa Ai's best selling "Shojo" (girl's) manga series which ran in the Japanese publication "Cookie" (Ribon), "Nana" had all the makings and elements of a hit movie - A young and attractive cast (check), a cool music soundtrack (check), trendy fashion (check) and an overly romantic "chick" friendly storyline (check and check). It's the type of movie Hollywood producers dream of and I wouldn't be surprised if someday, it gets remade by Disney with "High School Musical" alumni like Vanessa Anne Hudgens or Ashley Tisdale.Yet, while Yazawa Ai's "kawaii" characters and melodramatic story does have its universal appeal and won many manga fans, the movie's success is in large part attributable to its magnetic and alluring star, Nakashima Mika.When she debuted in 2002, her powerful vocals and ethereal songs garnered many adoring fans and sold even more albums. With her lanky "Olive Oyl" figure and striking good looks it was not long before she found herself starring in a movie.In Otani Kentaro's (Travail, Avec Mon Mari) "Nana", Nakashima's first major film role, she plays it safe by portraying the title character of Ozaki Nana, a "sexy tomboy beanpole" singer who fronts the Japanese punk rock band "BLAST" (AKA The Blackstones), who are less like The Sex Pistols, Clash or The Ramones and more akin to Gwen Stefani and No Doubt than anyone else. Lead singer Nana and lead guitarist Honjo Ren (Matsuda Ryuhei) were longtime lovers since their garage band days in Hokkaido, up until Ren's fateful decision to leave Hokkaido for bigger opportunities in Tokyo, a move which literally broke Nana's heart. Two years later, wanting to follow her dreams of becoming a rock star, Nana decides to go to Tokyo as well to make a name for herself. By a chance coincidence she meets up with another young country girl who is also heading to Tokyo. The hopelessly cute Komatsu Nana (Aoi Miyazaki), with her long boots, girlish pastel colored wardrobe and giddy personality is the complete opposite of the brooding, dark Nana O., yet by uncanny coincidence they share the same first name and age. Nana K. is heading to Tokyo to be with her boyfriend Endo Shoji (Hiraoka Yuta) who is going to art trade school there. Nana K. and Nana O. part ways when they get to Tokyo but soon find themselves reunited again while out searching for an apartment. The two agree to share a modest, flat which by kismet/serendipity is on the seventh floor (nana kai) and is numbered "707" (Nana Hyaku Nana). Yet luck is not with Nana K. as she loses her part-time job with a small vintage furniture shop as well as her boyfriend to another girl, the squeaky voiced, Lolita-like Sachiko(Saeko). Nana O. comforts Nana K. and they begin to form a special bond and friendship. Nana O. even gives Nana K. the complementary pet name "Hachi" (eight). Nana O. also hits some rough spots. She reforms her old garage band from Hokkaido and begins playing at various small gigs. Yet Nana O. still can't forget her former lover Ren, who she discovers has since become a popular guitarist for the pop/rock band "Trapnest" fronted by Japanese- American vocalist Layla/Reira Serizawa (Hawaii local and J-Pop idol Ito Yuna), and it's up to Nana K. to help Nana O. by helping her get back together again with Ren.This is Nakashima Mika's movie and she seems born to play the part of Yazawa's spunky heroine. Nakashima's confident and natural acting style is fun to watch and she brings a lot of charm and likability to her role. She seems at home with her character's rough n' tough punk persona which is all the more amazing since her real life J-Pop persona is completely different.Miyazaki Aoi (Gaichu, Su-Ki-Da) is so darn cute in her role as naive Nana K. From her stylish girly clothing, to her all-too-sweet personality, she seems like a anime girl come to life. Yet Aoi makes it work and so the results are less irritating and contrived and more endearing and enchanting. She's the type of fantasy girl "otaku" boys would love to have as a girl friend. Matsuda Ryuhei (Akumu Tantei, Gohatto, Cutie Honey) is also good in his role as Honjo Ren bringing the necessary coolness factor to his rocker role. His scenes with Nakashima are genuinely romantic and they have the right chemistry. One can't help but want to see their characters hook up. The soundtrack for the film is awesome particularly the edgy "Glamorous Sky" produced by L'Arc En Ciel's front-man "Hyde" which has become Nakashima's signature song. Ito Yuna's tearful love song/power ballad "Endless Story" is also a definite winner and a personal favorite of mine.While Otani's "Nana" is no "Purple Rain", it does share a lot in common with Prince's movie and other rise-to-stardom films such as the brilliant film "Once". Nana O's struggle to find fame seems to play a backseat to the romantic elements of the story. At its heart, "Nana" is a fairy tale for the MTV reared generation - a story about beautiful people, falling in love and finding happiness and fame. While the music adds to the film's mood and tone,"Nana" isn't a film about the art of making music or the creative process.While manga purists may be find the movie's truncated story a bit irritating they can take some comfort at the 2006 anime TV series faithfulness to Yazawa's manga.I loved "Nana" and it is easy to see why both the manga and film adaptation has found such a loyal fan following not only in Japan but around the world. Its universal appeal is a clear testament about the power of love, music and friendship, which needs no translation.

DICK STEEL My curiosity was piqued when I saw many of the DVDs on sale at various shops recently, so was actually wondering what the movie's all about, until I chanced upon a copy (Special Edition too) at the Esplanade Library. In giving it a shot, I'm pleasantly surprised, at the story it told, as well as the eye-candy available of course.It contains an extremely strong story of friendship, of love and the falling out of, adapted from a popular Japanese manga of the same name, by Ai Yazawa. You might liken it to Feel 100%, as it touches on life, romantic love, and friends. This is the story with a theme primarily centered on Fate, of how two strangers sharing the same name Nana, be the same age, come to meet one night on a train to Tokyo for their own personal reasons, and how they grow to be best friends. The two girls can be so different from each other, one being a kawaii (cute) bimbo, while the other is a rock chick (which I thought was in the mould of Garbage's Shirley Manson) with her own rock band called Black Stones.While the narrative is forward moving for Nana Komatsu (Aoi Miyazaki), in following her objective to be in Tokyo with her boyfriend Shoji (Yuuta Hiraoka), Nana Osaki (Mika Nakashima, a real life singer) is in the city to try and achieve her big break for the band. However, flashbacks and the slow revelation of Osaki's backstory too revealed a romantic tangle she had with an ex-band member Ren Honjou (Ryuhei Matsuda), who now plays for a successful outfit called TRAPNEST.It's an account of the two Nana's romantic relationships with the guys in their lives, and how they encourage and support each other through turbulent times during the relationships. While Nana Osaki may be kawaii, her clingy puppy dog attitude may put some guys off, who might prefer the more confident Nana Osaki. But pride too is an obstacle, as I know from personal experience how two very ambitious persons can stumble unwittingly, and perhaps reluctantly sacrifice love for personal career.Before you dismiss this as a chick flick, I'd like to say I would think otherwise. It may look like one, but it's tremendously well made, with a well paced narrative. Perhaps having the manga serve as a source provided for richer characterization of the leads. The two actresses who play both Nanas too couldn't contrast each other perfectly, and all in all, it's a very pleasing, despite the down moments in the story, movie to watch.By the way, the sequel has already been filmed, and is pending a year end release. I don't suppose we'll get the opportunity to see it in the theatres here, so will have to cross my fingers for a quick DVD release.This Code 3 DVD Special Edition by Panorama Entertainment comes with 2 discs. The first contains the movie and a full length commentary by director Kentaro Otami as well as the two lead actresses Mika Nakashima and Aio Miyazaki. Listening to them during the commentary, they revealed which shots were kept close to the manga source, and which had to be changed for reasons ranging from aesthetics to form. No worries though, as the commentary comes with subtitles as well, in both English (though there were some grammar/tense issues with "shotted") and Chinese. Audio comes in a Dolby Digital 5.1, which allows for a truly rock-concert like atmosphere during scenes when the bands perform.The second disc is the feature disc, consisting of Making of NANA,(33mins 25s), follows the production from the 15-16 Jan 05 when filming began, including the director and cast interviews, as well as deleted scenes (filmed but not used in the movie) - Premiere Screening in Japan, 7 July (for obvious reasons) 2005 (3mins 10s), in Rippongi, with the director and major casts sharing their thoughts on the movie and of the characters they play. - Stage Appearance in Japan, 3 Sep 2005, (3mins 55s) with the director and major casts sharing their thoughts of the movie again. - Asia Premiere in Hong Kong, on 2 Oct 2005 (4mins), with a press conference attended by director Kentaro Otani, Mika Nakashima and Ryuhei Matsuda, and the attendance at the premiere screening complete with a cosplay contest. - Four theatrical trailers, without subtitles (Runtimes of 1min 48s, 30s, 20s, 34s) - Four TV Spots, without subtitles (Runtimes of 17s, 17s, 30s, 17s)

just_a_kid354 I loved this movie both Nana's were awesome! I love the rocker Nana! ^ ^ i love her. my idol. RN...did not except him to look like that no bu didn't impress me that much i read the manger the manger no bu is better sh J and all those other people are OK for their parts...HM....yeah even tho i didn't get it that much it was quite understandable cause of the manger >< love it! i just wished that it had English subtitles! T_T yeah... should make another movie that comes out from an anime i mean a manger. It was the best of the best. yeah i'm talking like this cause of the stupid spelling thing a lopper.. yes this should be 10 lines sigh

elise_skellington I am a great fan of the manga and to see the movie for me was not really a disappointment because I knew it would not be a great movie, and so it was... nevertheless, you can enjoy the movie because it is a great reproduction of the places in the manga (just like the apartment the two girls share), and you just cannot say that it is not faithful (plot, dialogues) but the characters are so boring because of the way they act... and you have in the movie the worst kiss ever (you'll understand when you'll see it!) and the worst way of walking (Nana, the "rebel" one) of the cinema! So if you are a great fan, it is better to watch the "anime" which is excellent.