How Nana Makes You Hate Yourself

This video was probably the biggest passion project I’ve ever made.
If there’s one thing you take away from it, it’s that I love this series and I’d probably have a heart attack if it ever came back! 😂
I genuinely think NANA is one of the greatest and most important pieces of media ever made, and I hope people keep talking about it forever. Thank you for watching this absurdly long Nana Video essay!
Edit: The Yasu Analysis and Nana theory are now up on my Patreon, if you're interested feel free to check it out: www.patreon.com/UncleHuss1

Nana is like watching walk towards a cliff and you can’t do anything about it, but watch them fall 😭

I will forever love Hachi. She is a fool and she makes so many wrong decisions. But all because she wanted to be loved so bad. In a way, I am also her.

As a long time Nana fan, thank you for this video. That intro was absolutely beautiful. Also, I appreciate hearing a guy express such fondness and sympathy for Hachi. I feel like when men watch this show they tend to think Nana is cool but Hachi is stupid and the worst. This series has many layers and the character are very flawed but they feel so real. I think you captured that perfectly, good job.

If takumi has 0 haters im dead

"Hey Nana" tears are flooding the Earth....

Nobu and hachi breaking up because of her pregnancy always breaks my heart and makes me want to pull my hair out 😭😭

I’ve never seen someone understand hachis character this well it shocked me. I feel like you perfectly showed her deep self hatred especially when she found out she was pregnant and described the events leading to her picking takumi so well I’m stunned 😭 like this interpretation of her is exactly how I’ve been looking for in an analysis of nana thank you sooo much 🥹

reading every relationship hachi had was like looking in a mirror. i instantly loved hachi and identified myself in her emotions. it was an understanding that hachi is just like me fr. people hating on her hurts … she is just a girl wanting sum love. this manga hurt my stomach because my worse fear is being in a loveless relationship with kids. So, hey Nanas, thanks for the advice.

I hope Hachi and Nana end up meeting again and living together forever. They were always the happiest and the best versions of themselves together. 😢

This video made me realize I don’t hate Hachi because she’s annoying, I hate her because I hate myself for being EXACTLY like her…I grew up on shōjo and romantic movies and plots in tv shows, it’s kinda brainwashed me into obsessing over having the exact same situations without realizing the consequences of prioritizing a fantasy over the reality of how terrible men, no, people really and truly are. Now I’m isolated, unable to talk to people yet obsessed over making any connections that just end up being empty like me

i don’t want this to sound backhanded at all, but it’s refreshing to see someone (especially a man) understand hachi and the rest of the nana characters so well. hands down the best anime/manga analysis i’ve seen :-)

That video’s literally the most beautiful love letter to NANA I’ve ever seen. You made me cry all along. Thank you for the hard work.

Holy moly, that intro gave me chills

I'm an atheist woman in my twenties and Ai Yazawas work is kind of a secret Bible. Nana taught me alot about the struggles you face into adulthood, see how life makes people tear themselves apart back to back trying to become who they're meant to be, that it's not so much about making choices but more about the choices making you. More importantly it made me realise how much we're in this shit together, each person is an island and words are the only way to build bridges. If you think about it everything terribles that happens in Nana is because of bad communication, hurt and pent up feelings. Everyone has a story and even those who seems like there's nothing wrong with them always have shit going on, i'm thinking characters like hachi, nobu or Miu, for exemple. They're normal people, but even so called "normalcy" has its perks and downs. A broken heart, a dream, a shitty husband. It's always important to try and think about what lead to those. So when the aftermath happens you can think/say "i get why you acted like that" or "i dont get it" but without real judgment, just because we play the same game.
Saying all that with the yasu pic is crazy work ngl 💀

I’m a twin, and me and my sister both found this manga at the same time. I will always think of us as Nana and Hachi, only this time they get their happy ending. This story means everything to me and I believe it’ll open the eyes of generations to come about the importance of love, human nature, and how the things that matter to us shape our lives. For Nana it was music, for Hachi it was love, and they were able to be each other’s rocks through everything even when it ended so cruelly.

Im so happy people are still talking about Nana.

I watched Nana when I was 12/13 and read the manga up until like my sophomore year of high school and usually I forget things overtime. Nana has permanently stayed with me and I don’t think I have the heart to reread or read watch anything because the manga is not finished Nor is the show. The show is literally so raw and so real.

This literally made me cry. I love that people still cherish and remember Nana. Thanks!

It’s only been posted for 36 minutes but I can already tell you this is the best video essay on Nana on RUclips.

When I read Nana so many years ago, I just felt so deeply sad and angry, and I didn't know where to put those feeling since I didn't have anyone to talk to about how emotional this series is. I've avoided it for a few years until just now when I saw this video. Thank you for making such an amazing video about Nana, and making me remember why I loved every moment of reading it even though it left so many clashing feelings!

i went to the all the best art exhibit in 2022 and it honestly brought tears to my eyes to see all the people there who loved ai's work and clearly were influenced by it. there were people dressed in the fashion of either hachi or nana, lots of people wearing vivienne westwood, and so many different age groups. some women had kids with them, looking all around at the art, and i pictured them in their teen/early adult years, reading or watching nana. it really just felt like the influence and love that ai's works brought to people hadn't faded at all over the years T_T my biggest heartbreak though was that the strawberry glass merch was sold out omg

37:19 bro when u said ud let it out in ur native language i did not expect to hear something i understand THE SNORT IM ACTUALLY CRYINGGGHJRDJSBKL 😭😭

Nana it's such a heartbreaking yet beautiful story that gives you this kind of hope in love while tearing it apart, but just it's idealized image. That last quote really stuck in my head, beacuse it's true, we'll end up hurting each other by our flaws, but what would be for love if we can't past through those broken glasses and persist in being kinder, in still loving.
This series makes me so emotional, good vid.

I WANT THE PART ABOUT YASU
On a more serious note though I really appreciate the work, time and energy you put into this video. I got emotional at parts and I’ll need to reread the manga now.
I first watched the anime back when I was 13, a naive and judgemental child and I obviously didn’t understand the complexity of the characters, just judged them based on their actions in the moment. But growing up I realized that my life has so much in common with theirs and it helped me realize who I was in my early 20s. So Yazawa is truly a genius :’) and I hope she knows that and doesn’t beat herself up for the hiatus.

God, between this and the 3 video essays on the queercoding of the two girls (which are amazing videos btw), we Nana fans are eating good and still not over it

Nana is my favourite anime. I have no idea how, because I can not relate to the characters much personally. But something about watching the series episode by episode, one a day, captivated me. When it was over I just knew nothing I had watched and have since watched has matched it.
I personally do not like manga, but my relationship with the Nana manga is interesting because I have been getting information about it piece by piece throughout the years, and it feels like rumours more than facts.
I prefer the ending to the story we have now, because honestly, most relationships in our lives just... end one day. Very rarely do we get a big Finale where we fully close a chapter on a person or even things like hobbies. One day, you look at that instrument you swore to play every day, and realise it has been untouched for 10 years. One day, you see walking around town that person that you thought you could not live life without, and remember the last time you talked to them was an argument that felt so important at the time and now you can not remember. It is better to enjoy life by cherishing the moments we know where happy, fulfilling, real, instead of endlessly chasing the next one on the off chance it is an even greater high.

This video is peak, one of the best Nana videos I have seen, and very refreshing for someone to understand and empathize with Hachi

The intro is peak cinema

Nana reminds me of my best friend who I don’t talk to anymore. I swear to god this is the most painful thing I went through, anytime the opening comes next on my playlist I have to skip it. Anyone else? I miss her everyday but our lives went into such opposite directions I just can’t talk to her.

I DID NOT EXPECT YOU TO BREAK INTO ARABIC WHILE CURSING OUT TAKUMIIII WHAAAAT?!?!!!

Pausing the video to insult Takumi is so real 😅

52:36 ohhhh I was so ready for the Naoki breakdown section because his backstory genuinely gave me pause
Loving this video, I can tell how passionate you feel about the work of nana/ai yazawa. It’s refreshing and reminded me why I love this series so much

I have distinct memories of an argument with friends about Hachi choosing Takumi over Nobu. We were the only anime nerds at our rural school, so my friend group and I only had each other to read manga with. And everyone was hating on my girl for making a logical financial and security based choice. When my friends were furious that she would pick a scumbag like Takumi over sweet and understanding Nobu.
I don't even remember his girlfriend's name, but she became our enemy as the series went on. We all still hoped that Hachi and Nobu would have their love, because in 2008-ish we never dared to dream that Hachi would be allowed to be with Nana. But I still think about how a bunch of teenagers still in high school were so infatuated with a series that felt so far and away from our little rural town.

Thank you so much for this video ♥️ the time, effort, energy put into it is evident and it made me emotional. Hachi is my favourite character in the series and to hear you talk about her with such compassion and empathy is very refreshing and it’s great to see someone actually understand her character. As a nana fan I really appreciate this video so much it has intensified my already profound love for nana, looking forward to your future uploads ☺️♥️♥️

This video is AN HOUR LONG?? It feels like it’s been 20 minutes max. This was an amazing video!

Youre so cracked dude Ill come back once I actually finish Nana but thank you for your love and dedication to this series cause it really does show in your intro and the way you speak of it

The motion graphics in this video are so good! Especially in the intro, keep up the AMAZINGGG work!!!

I just finished watching and reading NANA for the 7th time and then the best video essay on the topic drops?!
Your thoughts were really interesting and I could have listen to you for even more hours. I'm really interested in the cut out part of Yasu and the theory of Hachis children too!
I have learned so much, especially about Ai Yazawa, so thank you for that!
Also, your video editing and all the special effects are sooo good! ♥

lmaooo 37:22 i didnt expect to hear ya 5ra ibn el kalb at a nana review video😂😂 ai yazawa has really united us all

A comment for the algorithm and to say that this is perhaps my favorite video about nana, maybe it's just recency bias but you seem to understand exactly what I love about it, everyone are just people doing what they think is best and hurting others and themselves along the way. It's a masterpiece

Such an amazing video and especially coming from a guy this is so refreshing and interesting! I've seen some bad analyses here on RUclips of men bashing Hachi and it made me afraid of watching these types of videos but you are such an insightful creator that really wears his heart on his sleeve and is so respectful

22:08 dude I’ve been waiting SO LONG for the 2nd book of last quarter to come out. Cannot find it literally anywhere else except at Barnes and noble. It’s so good so far.
Aw man…guess I gotta watch nana again…

This vid is great! Now I want/need to read 'last quarter of the moon', 'Paradise Kiss' and of course 'Nana' ! Thanks for you're passion, time and background info you put in it!

beautiful editing man, don't stop. First time i've seen someone put so much effort into the visuals of a video essay in a long time.

this video is so peak, i read nana over the course of several months if not years. it made me cry, it made me laugh. it made me hate, it made me love. nana is truly a masterpiece. your analysis is amazing, i wish more people would read Nana.

this show struck such a resonate chord with me and i don’t think i’ll ever connect with something so personally ever again :,) this was such a wonderful video

This intro is so amazing that I almost cried, the animations is incredible, the song, the narration... forget what I said, i'm gonna cry now

this is literally the best video essay I've ever seen and it was not drawn out like you said, everything you said was amazing thank you

I remember watching nana for the first time and I related so much to hachi. Watching her arch hurt so badly because I could see how easy it would be to make those decisions that she did. It really made me reevaluate a lot of my life. I love this story so so so much it’s truly beautiful and life changing.

Oh my goodness, this video was absolutely amazing! I haven’t cried more since watching the show. Nana truly transformed my life. It was such an incredible anime that reminded me to continue loving myself. AND THOSE AROUND ME. Of course. Thank you to both of the Nanas. All the characters were so well-developed, and I genuinely hope Nana makes a comeback. However, most importantly, I hope the author improves their writing skills. Amazing work here. I'd love to see more content like this soon!

Initially I was pissed off by hachi’s weakness but eventually I started feeling it until I realised that I am more like Hachi. Strong in my own vulnerable way

Watched the anime last year and read some of the manga and man, it made me sad in an unique way lmao i couldnt even finish the manga bc i knew it was going to be too much for my heart. Wonderful video, it made me appreciate ai yazawa's writing skills even more. And I very much share your sentiments regarding Takumi and Reira

Started reading Nana because of your mmv, now I find myself sobbing at 2am after volume 21. Thanks for the push, I will now be watching this.

i love nana so much. i first watched the anime when i was probably way too young to fully understand it. and i've come to rewatch it so many times now in my 20s. it has had such an impact on how i view people and my personal friendships. i feel that it has made me hold my friends closer and appreciate my flaws.

I found your channel via this video and I wanted to say thank you. Your ability to talk about and dissect such an amazing story brought me to tears throughout the entirety of the video. Nana is one of my favorite anime’s and your insight made me appreciate it even more. I love how you captured the emotional depth and complexity of the characters, especially the way you broke down their struggles and growth. You’ve definitely gained a new subscriber! Keep up the incredible work!

Thank you so so so much for this video. I saw your post on Reddit and rushed here to watch it. I first saw Nana almost 17 years ago, and it’s been a huge part of my soul ever since. I have Nana’s lotus tattooed right under my heart. I’ve re-watched and re-read Nana 20+ times throughout these years. I would really love to watch more videos on Nana from you. Just like the manga and the anime, I wished your video never ended. Great job. I’m definitely checking out Patreon if there’s more there 😅💜

i cant believe this video only has 35k views this is so underrated omg....i can confidently say that this has been the best nana analysis ive watched so far, good work!!1!

dude the editing here is so incredible, you did great!

I haven’t seen this video yet, but I feel like I’ve been avoiding NANA content for awhile after finishing the manga. I relate to Hachi in so many ways. Usually I see people liking or talking about Nana more. I really like NANA too. Sometimes I wished I was more like NANA but I’m more like Hachi. NANA is such a special story that really impacted my life in such a deep way. I have bpd and I think the story really talks about codependency in a realistic way and what that can do to people. I’m so thankful for a story like NANA and I learned to be grateful for my relationships and the people I have in my life way more from seeing Hachi in the third person and NANA too. It’s okay to accept we feel lonely and want to be around others, just remember to tell them how you actually feel and don’t be afraid of being vulnerable and be kind to the people you love

I kept trying to convince a friend to give nana a shot, they didnt want to because theyre not interested in girls being in bands or romance, I always tried explaining how its just so much more but was never able to properly put it into words.. you just did exactly that. like god watching this video was like rewatching nana, i got chills down my spine not far from the beginning and they didnt leave till the end of the video, amazing work I must say

i love how you like edited the manga art and explained every character. you explained it perfectly and this video truly is amazing bro keep it up!!

You cursing Takumi in your native language cracked me the heck up. 😂 I hope someone can translate...

Omg glad to see there are still NANA fans out there 😭

Oh man that ending, i crieeddd ahaha that manga means so much to me and always will, it makes me feel so warm and happy to see people still (and most especially a dude) appreciate it for the masterpiece that it is.

As a die hard Nana fan I have never seen anyone give it the accurate breakdown it deserves with so much thought and nuance and care for the characters honestly well done I thoroughly enjoyed this thank you.

amazing video, had to watch it over different days bc it made me cry so much, great job😭

I was waiting for the last line from the beginning and it hit perfectly when it came! I find that despite being so different (nominally) from Nana and Hachi, I am them and they are me

Thanks! This was a beautiful video on Nana!

Nana is my favourite anime by far, it truly stayed with me. Such a great video, you hit all the points. love! x

Thank you for this video. Finally, a perfect analysis and someone that understood it from top to bottom. You rock dude

great video!! nana is one of my favorite anime’s and it’s so nice to see someone so smart make such a brilliant video!! ^^

The random cussing in arabic was satisfying😭🙏🏻 i thought it skipped to another video cus i was listening while washing dishes it had me confused lol youre so funny man thank you for the video i enjoyed it so much!!

This is an amazing video, thank you so much for all the effort you put into your analysis. You managed to put into words perfectly why this series feels so realistic and genuine.

A NANA video on my Birthday is more than fate it’s destineeee😭🥹💖💖💖 first time on your channel thank you so so so so much! I watch the anime once or twice a year since I was 12 I’m 25 today2/9🥰💖

this might be one of the best videos i’ve seen on youtube in a while from the editing to your beautiful commentary. thank you!!

God damn this tugged at my heart and was such an amazing analysis ❤️❤️ hoping to see more videos from you !

damn, I watched the whole thing and everything you mentioned really captures what Nana is really like.

I will never relive the feeling of being 14 and watching Nana at night whilst listening to the soundtrack and maladaptive daydreaming living it

Nana beautifully captures a wide range of emotions for its characters and portrays love in both a beautiful and heartbreaking way. This artistic approach resonates with me deeply, even though it makes me cry every time. I truly love it.
Thank you for your video!

I just love how unbelievably real and relatable this manga is. It’ll forever be iconic for that reason 🖤

My favorite anime. Favorited this video, I love this anime and manga so much - it set the standard for anime for me. The story and characters🩷

this is such an amazing video, I haven't stopped thinking about it for days and felt the need to come back and leave the comment, thank you for showing the love to the series that like you impacted me so much, probably more than any piece of media ever has or ever will. you did a great job.

the story of Nana and Hachi is one I keep recommending to others even though it's "unfinished"... Hachi is a character one I can relate so much even though she lives such a different life than me. Ai Yazawa has such a unique and human way to create charaters. I hope one day we can read the "end" of Nana but more than this I hope Ai Yazawa is well

When the anime came out and I watched it and it became a part of my heart forever.
I cried and smiled a lot ahh, Yazawa Ai is amazing. 🍓🍓

this is the first video i hav seen of this creator, and OH MY GOD this video is amazing like the way you explain the emotions and the funny parts. this video is amazing

THE KING HAS RETURNED

Excellent! I’ve been thinking about reading this manga for awhile. I just ordered the first volume from Amazon. Thank you

finally a good nana video on youtube

*Smells air*
"Someone cooked here!"

"Whilst nanas posessive nature has her constantly running away from her problems and things she cant controll"
"Nana has this all or nothing mentality where if someone cant give 100% to her-"
Hah same..
"In other words a very severe case of avoidant attachment"
Oh.
(This is the 3rd time this week i think the universe is giving me a sign.)

Nana is quite shocking to me when I first watched it cause no modern anime does anything like Nana. I can relate whan nobu going through cause pretty much same shit happened to me.

watched nana post breakup and it stuck with me since last september,loved the video i stayed intrigued the whole time

The edits, the commentary, the deep dive….. this was a beautifully made video ❤

37:21 took me so off guard; I didn't have a clue your native language is Arabic. However, it warms my heart to see other people obsessively in love with NANA and consider it one of the finest pieces of media ever made, and I share the same opinion. Nothing touched my heart and influenced me like NANA did when I first saw it about seven years ago, and I still go back to it to this day.

This video is amazing and thanks for making it , No other manga can compare I almost hate that I read it because nothing else can reach the level it is and every time i reread I fill different first read it as an 18 year old , now 35 year old and everything hits different yet still amazing very few works have the longevity and can stand the test of time. And I was a haichi hater at 18 now I absolutely understand

i remember starting it and thinking wow it's really bubbly and positive the first few eps and as it progressed it became more depressing and depressing it gave me a terrible feeling to the point i just dropped it :(

This was SO SO beautifully done. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings with us, it was beautifully vulnerable and raw. I LOVED this!

Gorgeous video, finally I feel ready to commit to the suffering that is NANA (the Chapell Roan AMVs helped, too...). I first heard about it from a friend in middle school where she gave away how it ended and I thought, "why the hell would I want to read something that bleak?" but now I'm at a point in life where I think it's what I need, even if I don't want it. The ability to write characters who you empathise with and loathe at the same time is something I'll always really appreciate as the mark of a superlative writer.

I KNEW that quote was going to be the one you'd pick for the outro 😭so beautiful I started bawling immediately