NANA

For those of you who haven't been privy to all of my obsessing in the past few years, here's a big one. Two years ago I fell in love with a manga called "NANA". Written by Ai Yazawa, "NANA" details the relationship between two young girls, both of whom are named Nana, who meet on a train to Tokyo and end up becoming roommates and best friends despite their differences. There is Nana Osaki, the hot punk rocker who hopes to hit the big time with her band Black Stones. Then there is the yin to her yang, Nana Komastu, the cutesy girl who moved to Tokyo to be nearer to her boyfriend.

It's a Japanese soap opera with good fashion sense. The movie version of NANA arrived in Japan in Sep. 05, followed by NANA 2 last December. I was fortunate enough to get to attend the international premiere of NANA 2 at the IFC Center in New York with lovely Leah. Actresses Mika Nakashima and Yui Ichikawa were in attendance. It was so surreal to watch two actors for two hours and then have them magically appear (dressed in character) right before your eyes. Beautiful! The first NANA film is by far the superior film, but the second one is lovely, too, if you go along with the weird cast changes that occurred and the incessant crying. The first movie was a massive hit in Japan and spawned all sorts of merchandising as well as an anime. NANA may not be everyone's cup of tea. It's certainly a girlie thing, but the story is captivating and human, and I totally obsessed for a good year over this corny stuff. I still love it and will love it forever. For the best and most comprehensive Nana fansite, visit www.nana-nana.net.