In the graphic novel "NANA" by Ai Yazawa two girls named Nana; Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu; who are complete strangers meet on a train heading to Tokyo to pursue their dreams. Osaki moves to Tokyo to make her band the BlackStones or BLAST make it big, and Komatsu to make a life for herself and be closer to her boyfriend. When they separate after getting off of the train they never expect to see each other again they both end up renting and living in the same apartment; number 707, which is ironic because in Japanese the word nana means 7. From this point on Osaki and Komatsu's friendship begins to grow. In literature as in life, friendship is important, in "NANA" without the friendship between Osaki and Komatsu there would be no story.
While the friendship between Osaki and Komatsu begins when they move into the apartment it does not become concrete until they purchase the famous strawberry drinking glasses. The moment the glasses enter the story they become objects of significance. For instance, they are the inspiration for Osaki's nickname for Komatsu, "Hachi" which is a common dog's name in Japan and also means 8 in Japanese. "You're like a puppy dog... Down Hachi! If you behave I'm gunna buy a toy for you!" When the strawberry glasses inspire Osaki to give Komatsu the nickname Hachi it is evident to the reader that the two have warmed up to each other. From the time that Osaki and Komatsu buy the glasses and on, the drinking glasses represent Osaki and Komatsu's friendship. A few chapters later when Osaki takes one of the glasses to use it she asks Hachi if she can use a glass, "You can use them but please be careful!... It's sad to see paired things be torn apart." Komatsu saying this in a way, reperesents that she is not exactly fragile and will not break from a little wear and tear, like the glasses a large event, or dropping the glasses will shatter them and their friendship. The connection between Osaki and Komatsu is solid and complete when the glasses become a part of their lives.
When Komatsu's boyfriend Shoji, the boyfriend that Komatsu moved to Tokyo to develop her relationship with, breaks up with her because he cheated on her with another girl. A new stage in Osaki and Komatsu's friendship begins. As Komatsu suffers from the breakup she recieves a surprise from her mother, two tickets to a concert for her favorite band Trapnest, that she purchased prior to moving to Tokyo. Unbeknownst to Komatsu, Ren, Trapnest's guitarist is Nana's exboyfriend and her band, the BlackStones ex-bassist, so when Osaki and Komatsu go to the concert and Komatsu learns about their relationship she helps to push them back together from where they left off before Ren left Osaki's home town. Osaki should have told Komatsu about her and Ren and way before they went to the concert. While Komatsu's intentions were good trying to bring the two back together she didn't realise she was figuratively pushing the glasses a little closer to the edge of the table. When Osaki and Ren patch things up Trapnest and BLAST become friendly rivals who occasionally meet up to play Mahjong. After one of their first meetings Trapnest's bassist, Takumi sees Komatsu on the street and asks her to go to a hotel with him. Komatsu's decision to go with Takumi was a bad one. It was the begining of her and Osaki's slow but steady falling apart of their friendship. Osaki was staying at Ren's house for most of the summer and Komatsu did not tell Osaki about her affair with Takumi until she broke it off with him to start a relationship with someone she really cared about. When Osaki found out the information she appeared to be a little hurt. As the two of them were not in 707 as often anymore the strawberry glasses begin to be neglected which both Osaki and Komatsu seem to be doing to each other. As their relationship slowly begins to dissipate the story becomes slow and depressing this shows that their friendship keeps the story upbeat and exciting.
Osaki and Komatsu's friendship was completely distraught when the symbolisim of their friendship; the strawberry glasses fell off the table and shattered. When Komatsu learns of her pregnancy from Takumi's baby she is confused and not sure what to do seeing as how she started a relationship with one of Nana's band mates and isn't sure what to tell him or what to tell Osaki after not telling her about Takumi until it was over between them. However Takumi forces his way into Komatsu's apartment locks her in the bathroom and calls Komatsu's current love interest and Osaki and tells them both that she is pregnant without her consent. Takumi is a complete sociopath with no respect for Komatsu's emotions. He is the reason for the destruction of Osaki and Komatsu's friendship. After Osaki runs to her bandmate Yasu's side for guidance she returns to 707 to face Komatsu. Komatsu does not say anything and lets Takumi do all the talking "We are going to get married" he says flatly. Nana becomes angry when Takumi and Komatsu leave the room Osaki's anger leads her to slam the table with her fist which causes a strawberry glass to fall off the table and break;when she sees this she becomes distraught and out of desperation grabs the second glass and break it aswell the two glasses lay together broken in the shape of a heart "No need to be sad anymore... perfectly stacked together... beautiful." This was the end of Osaki and Komatsu's healthy and wonderful friendship the moment the glasses broke. They were both deeply sadend when learning of what happened. Osaki completely forgot about breaking the glasses until she was told by Ren. When readers find the symbol of Osaki and Komatsu's friendship was broken many readers feel the story has been shattered into pieces much like the glasses.
Osaki tries to start the friendship anew with new strawberry glasses but things are never really the same again. A tragic event leads Osaki to the UK and Komatsu is presently on a search for her. "NANA" is my favorite graphic novel of all time I feel a great connection with it and most of it's characters as many other fans do as well. As you can see the friendship that blossoms between Osaki and Komatsu makes the story precious, touching, and a part of many people's lives.
View User's Journal
Sir Hamilton's Little thoughts and All of the Above
Somewhere at 1am It's good to be in love
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||
