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Ai Yazawa’s Nana is a timeless classic in the world of shoujo anime. As if tied by fate, two women—Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki—cross paths on a train, each looking to forge their own identity in the city. Komatsu seeks to pursue a life without relying on romantic validation. Osaki seeks to pursue her music career as a singer in her punk band, the Black Stones. The pair eventually become roommates in a story plagued by friendship, romance, trauma, ambition, and adulthood. But what raises this series to the next level is Yazawa’s ingenious use of fashion to convey each protagonist’s personalities, inner conflicts, and character development.
Nana’s creator, Ai Yazawa, blends fashion and storytelling in all of her works. Yazawa’s interest in fashion was sparked at a young age, leading to her enrollment as a fashion design student at university. Though she eventually pursued a life as an author, her background in fashion design gives another layer of depth to her stories.
NANA OSAKI STYLE ANALYSIS
Nana Osaki, with a strong desire to make it big in the music industry, is ambitious and charismatic, yet guarded and vulnerable. This is shown throughout her outfits, which are strongly influenced by the 90’s grunge and Vivienne Westwood.
A common motif throughout all of her outfits is her Vivienne Westwood armour ring. As armour is protective in nature, this compliments well with her guarded personality and rough past. She was abandoned by her mother at a young age, and thus, has felt alone for most of her life. Nana Osaki’s harsh punk style serves to hide her vulnerability from the outside world, instead forging a new, independent path for herself.
Aside from the plaid skirts and chain accessories, one of Nana’s most iconic pieces is her red heart jacket: a velvet blazer from Vivienne Westwood’s “Red Label” collection in 1999.
Shoujo protagonists often follow a certain formula: the awkward yet relatable heroine in need of saving by the male protagonist. These heroines are weak and despite shoujo manga being catered towards the female audience, they aren’t strong role models for females to look up to. With Nana Osaki’s punk style and strong will, non-conventional to the typical feminine heroine, she breaks the mold of shoujo protagonists and elevates the genre.
Cover art by Alexandra Fomina
THE ORCHID 