Nana: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Nana: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

A unique slice-of-life anime.

Nana is an entertaining romantic-drama with a unique spin on the slice-of-life genre. Created by Ai Yazawa, Nana is a impressive anime series with a lot to offer fans. The anime was first broadcast on Nippon Television Network in Japan. Nana features animation production by studio Madhouse (Trigun, Cardcaptor Sakura).

The series is produced by an eclectic team of collaborators: Manabu Tamura (Death Note, Elfen Lied), Masao Maruyama (Birdy the Mighty, Claymore), and Toshio Nakatani (Hunter × Hunter, Berserk). The animation is produced by Kenji Nakamoto (Hanayamata, No Game, No Life) and Satoshi Yoshimoto (Azuki-chan, The Story of Saiunkoku). Nana is a well-produced anime with a good team assembled.

Fate sometimes works in mysterious ways. Sometimes strangers who one might not have ever met before become more than mere acquaintances: destiny has a way of working magic on you. This combination of circumstance and fate begins with an unlikely bond between two girls who meet unexpectedly on a train: aspiring musician Nana Osaki (Romi Park) and the sweet-and-innocent Nana "Hachi" Komatsu (KAORI). Both girls find themselves in different stages of their unique lives.

Nana Osaki is determined to find success as a musician – with her goth style and unique voice key to her drive. Nana “Hachi” is seeking a better relationship with her distant boyfriend. Could moving closer be the ingredient she needs to help their relationship prosper? These girls are almost identical in age – yet so different in other ways. One is a bubbly dreamer and one is a radical rebel. Yin and yang. The tale of two Nana's is one that will take audiences on an unexpected journey.

The series is so successful, in part, because of the lead characters. One of the main reasons Nana has found so much acclaim as a unique anime creation is the fact it has memorable lead characters that audiences can easily identify with. The story explores the way in which people connect with one another. The way that an individual can grow and develop alongside someone else – someone who initially seems to be a polar opposite but actually isn't so different after all. Both Nana Osaki and Nana "Hachi" Komatsu are key to the success of this series.

Passionate dreams.

The animation on Nana is impressive. The series features animation direction by Kunihiko Hamada (Cardcaptor Sakura, Texhnolyze) and Michiyo Suzuki (Paranoia Agent, Tenchi the Movie - Tenchi Muyo in Love). This is a beautiful looking series with a unique visual aesthetic. There is a lot to appreciate about the series stylistic flourishes.

The character designs by Kunihiko Hamada are key to that success. Hamada, working as both animation director and character designer, has a key understanding of the production. The efforts explored on Nana are exquisite. There is a sense of Hamada having a perfect understanding of adapting these characters.

The cinematography by Yukihiro Masumoto (Black Lagoon, Blade of the Immortal) is another reason for the success of the series. Masumoto has a keen visual style. Nana is a production that showcases both the grim realities of these characters lives and the beautiful fantasy inhibited at the same time. With a grounded approach to the material, Masumoto manages to showcase the raw world with a compelling eye for cinematic wonder.

The score by Tomoki Hasegawa (Mysterious Girlfriend X, Wedding Peach) is essential to the series. The music added a lot of energy to the production. The score by Hasegawa manages to imbue the anime with character themes. There is a sense of dramatic weight to the music. The compositions help to tell the story – and bring audiences closer to the characters. A superb job.

Written by Tomoko Konparu (Kimi ni Todoke – From Me to You, Dear Brother), Nana is a well written series with a unique concept and approach. The fundamentals of the series are effective: exploring the differences (and similarities) of two seemingly different girls with the same name. The concept works wonders and Konparu delivers on audience expectations with a solid story.

Directed by Morio Asaka (Cardcaptor Sakura, Chihayafuru), Nana is worthwhile. Aaka is one of the more gifted filmmakers working in anime. Nana is a nice showcase for the director's unique visual finesse and style. The series is evocative and well- stylized. There is a sense that a lot of thought went in to the development of the anime. There is a nice sense of world-building as well. Asaka continues to be an impressive animation director with this compelling drama.

Nana: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Nana is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The video-quality is average but a slight step up over regular standard-definition material.

Sentai does a better job upscaling material than some competitors often do. Nana showcases the good upscaling capabilities of the label. The picture-quality is somewhat soft (which is source-inherent as one of the limitations of the material) but it looks clean and well-defined. Line art looks decent. The encoding is worthwhile and there isn't much to disappoint in regards to compression. Though this is certainly not a tack-sharp presentation, Nana looks reasonably good in upscaled high-definition. Color reproduction excels.

Nana: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The lossless, high resolution audio tracks sound impressive. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The music is well integrated in to the sound mixing. The track does a solid job of showcasing the soundstage. The track isn't as refined or as engaging as a 5.1 surround sound mix might have offered but it is a reasonably clear and engaging track nonetheless.

Nana: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animations (HD, 4:21)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 16:48)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Clannad (HD, 1:32), ef ~ a tale of memories and melodies (HD, 1:32), Beyond the Boundary (HD, 1:31), and No Game, No Life (HD, 1:32).

Nana: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Nana is an entertaining slice-of-life drama with a unique take on a tale of opposites. The story is about the yin-and-yang of two girls (who have more in common than each originally might think). The series has outstanding animation and impressive production values. Directed by the great Morio Asaka (Cardcaptor Sakura), Nana is well worth checking out. The Blu-ray has a solid video-audio presentation. Recommended.