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"Surrounded by mountains my home town is neither big nor little. It isn't a big city or a tiny village way out in the country. There was nothing that really sold the town for tourism. I was the middle of three daughters. Left to my own devices by parents who were neither rich nor poor I grew up quickly. I was just about to graduate from an average, local all-girl high school."
—Nana, the opening of the manga.

"Nana – Nana Komatsu ", also simply called Prologue 1, is the first prologue, and overall chapter of Nana. This chapter was published in the first issue of Cookie towards the end of 1999.

It details part of Nana Komatsu's life in 1999, before she encountered Nana Osaki in Chapter 1. The chapter also works as a stand-alone story.

Plot[]

Introduction[]

Nana Komatsu grew up in a small town in the mountains as the middle of three daughters from middle class parents. Nana ventured out and grew up quickly to avoid her average, small-town life. Her graduation from an "average" all-girls school soon approaching.

In March of 1999, Takashi Asano, who Nana was seeing at the time, informs her of his transfer to Tokyo. Nana assumes that they will see eachother, but Takashi says goodbye before she has a chance to reply. Even though Nana knew their relationship had no future, and that she should not cry for him, she does anyway. She confides in her best friend, Junko Saotome for support, who is tough on Nana, but still comforts her anyway.

"Looking back, my high school life started and ended with love"
Nana Komatsu

At the graduation ceremony, Nana looks back on her high school life that was full of unrequited love. The first being Nana's art teacher, Mr. Okamoto, the crush lasted for a year but nothing came of it. However, Nana did become friends Junko through the class, gaining a possible life-long friendship, and a interest in art. Seizing the next opportunity, Nana confesses to Mr. Nakamura, who worked at a video store, getting Nana interested in movies. Nothing came of that or the next two, Mr. Kawasaki, the chef, and Yoshida, the pizza boy.

Takashi-waiting

Takashi waiting for Nana.

Nana moves onto to Takashi Asano, meeting when Nana nearly passes out from a diet at a movie theater. Nana becomes attracted to him, and tells him she works at a restaurant down the street. After two weeks, Nana sees Takashi waiting for her in front of her workplace. Choosing to ignore his wedding ring, they begin an affair. Nana claims that she had truly loved him. However, she also realizes she knew nothing personal about him.

Art school[]

Junko and Nana enroll into a nearby co-ed art school. Junko questions Nana's intentions and concludes that Nana is there to find a boyfriend. They find their first class, when Junko is greeted by an old friend, Shoji Endo from middle school in their class, who Nana is instantly attracted to. Shoji introduces Nana and Junko to his friend, Kyosuke Takakura from high school.

"I better hurry up and get drunk, so I can loosen up a little."
—Nana Komatsu

At Junko's apartment, she and Nana have a conversation about Shoji. Nana believes that Junko likes him until she explains to Nana about having male friends. Hearing this Nana decides vehemently to only be friends with Shoji and Kyosuke. To become friends with the guys, Nana gets drunk and ends up telling them about her history with love. Everyone laughs as she tells the stories, however Nana starts crying when she starts Takashi's part. That same night, Shoji reveals to Junko that he is interested in Nana.

The next morning, Nana wakes up and discovers Junko and Kyosuke making out. Junko and Nana head to school, and Junko confronts her about Takashi. Nana promptly denies any feelings for him. Junko drops the subject and tells Nana she will help her with Shoji. Nana refuses her help, stating Shoji is an "important male friend". In class, Shoji asks Nana to a movie, which triggers a memory of takashi and Nana cuts her finger. Talking in the infirmary, Nana decides to find a new love, whilst Shoji is treating her finger.

"I must fall in love. Heaps and heaps and heaps of love, and I'll banish my pathetic former self to darkness."
—Nana Komatsu
Shoji-finds-Nana

Shoji finds Nana at a night club

She begins this quest for a new love at a night club sometime later. Shoji finds her there staring at DJ Matsushita. He asks her why she has not confessed to Matsushita, and she calls the DJ a "enemy to all women". Together they meet up with Junko and Kyosuke, where they all decide to visit the beach for vacation.

Beach vacation and Tokyo[]

That first night at the Sea Side Hotel, Nana excuses herself and Shoji to leave the room to Junko and Kyosuke. In the room, Shoji questions why Nana did that and informs her that he is man, and like all men, he has certain impulses. Nana realizes what she has done and becomes extremely disappointed in Shoji. Nana cannot return to the other room, leaving Shoji to prove to her that he can refrain himself. Shoji recounts the events to Junko the next day, giving her an opening to tell him that she is leaving for Tokyo to study art. Reasonably shocked, Shoji asks Kyosuke about it, who tells Shoji that he will be going too.

Nana does not take the news well at all. Shoji reveals to her that he also wants to go to Tokyo, and at that moment she makes the move as the others. Nana studies tirelessly, unfortunately not being accepted into a single art college. Junko and Kyosuke are both accepted into their shared first choice college. Shoji, not being accepted either, decides to move to Tokyo anyway and attend a community school, until he is accepted. Nana complains that she cannot move to Tokyo, and comes up with many irresponsible solutions. Shoji snaps at Nana and asks "What am I to you?". He unintentionally leaves her standing on there on the sidewalk. It registers in Nana's mind how much she relies on Shoji, when she has no idea where the hotel is. Seconds later, Takashi discovers Nana, she starts crying harder. At the hotel, both Shoji and Junko become concerned and go to search for her separately.

Takashi takes Nana to a restaurant and tells her the directions to her hotel, when an coworker spots the two. Happy to know that he atleast did not lie about his name, Nana tells him to stop cheating and says goodbye. Shortly after, Nana receives a phone call from Kyosuke, who tells her that Shoji is in love with her. Shoji finds her just as she comprehends her feelings for him. The two are forced to share a room, and slowly talk out their problems. Nana finally comes up with the semi-responsible plan of staying home and earning money until she can move to Tokyo. Shoji asks to have sex, which she replies with "if you say I love you". He becomes embarrassed and thinks that he could say it if he pretended to be someone else. Nana tells him, she only wants to do it with him. Shoji hugs and kisses Nana, and through his actions she takes this as an "I love you". They have sex as Junko wonders in the other room if they made up.

A few months past, and Nana is shown working at a video store with Nakamura. She appears head-over-heels-in-love with Shoji, even thought the relationship is now long distance.

Character appearances[]

Behind the scenes[]

  • Nana Komatsu's prologue is about ninety-pages long, making it around twenty-nine pages longer than Nana Osaki's.
  • Nana tells Junko, "Don't say cheating!" and "it makes it sound like a country song!". This is a reference to the many country songs centered around cheating. In the original Japanese version manga, Nana says something along the lines of "Don't call it adultery, cause enka stinks!" Enka is usually considered 'old' in Japan, and adultery can be though of as an old-fashioned word.
  • Norika Fujiwara is mentioned, when Nana comments that she got her hair styled to resemble Norika's.
  • Junko calls Nana a teenybopper in the English Viz Media version, and a kogal in the Japanese version.
  • Again in the Viz version, Nana informs Takashi that she will not stalk him "like in Fatal Attraction.
  • Takashi Asano is the first smoker seen in the series.
  • Nana mentions her hairdresser, Isono to which Junko thinks "Is his first name Masuo?". This is found to be an error in the bonus pages of volume 2. A reader had sent in a letter that "But I think Masuo's last name is Fuguta." Masuo Fuguta is a character from the popular Ribon manga, Sazae-san.
  • The hotel room Nana and Shoji stay in is room 707.
  • Nana points out to Junko that all the men she has fallen for were older than her. She questions why, and claims to not have an electra complex.

See also[]


Nana
Volumes

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21

Chapters

"Nana – Nana Komatsu" | "Nana – Nana Osaki"
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30
31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57
58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84

Extras

"Naoki" | "Nobu" | "Takumi"

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