There's not a nano-second of this movie that's not perfection. If you want to see the most vivid incarnation of the pure magic of Judy Garland, this is your movie. If you want a great musical and a joyful jolt of pure Americana, this is your movie. If you want one of the greatest depictions of the intense, sometimes surreal, otherness of young children, check out Margaret O'Brien's glorious turn as the delightfully twisted baby sister, Tootie. If you want all this and something that delivers a surprisingly astute and nuanced picture of the ups and downs of family life, this is also the movie for you. One of my favorites, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
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When avid shojosei readers consider what it is exactly that makes Takumi such a despicable character, his maltreatment of Nana ‘Hachi’ Komatsu tends to come to mind. Those used to the loyal, single-track mindset of the average manga love interest are appalled to discover Takumi’s deceptive nature. Lies come naturally to Takumi; he does not mind who he treads on if he gets to step up to where he wants to be. Readers pity Nana and root for her freedom. But there’s more to things than the standard portrayal of abuse, I think. I’d like to briefly ramble about their dynamic. This may or may not be coherent. Here goes.
Some will have no trouble calling Nana naive, and Takumi is amongst them. Their first ‘meeting’ is one of convenience. Takumi’s looking for a fun pastime, Nana gets to be with her celebrity crush and distract herself from her loneliness. Takumi takes advantage of Nana’s ‘freshness’— most who encounter the lovable Hachi see her as pure and somewhat dim. Nana is a pup loyal to her masters, and her masters often refuse to consider the possibility of sharing her. Nana clings to others and doesn’t let go; her presence is taken for granted by them and accepted as a fixture in their lives. Though a one-night stand is all Takumi is interested in, and though he promptly forgets about her as soon as he drives out of the hotel, when he is reminded of Nana’s existence his first instinct is to go see her right away. Nana is like a belonging of his that he’s discarded long ago— he thought he didn't need it anymore, but now that it’s in front of him he may as well take it again. It’s his, isn’t it? And Nana doesn’t refute his advances. Maybe it’s because her own reasons for being with him are selfish too. She wants to fill in the void of her loneliness. She wants to be held and given attention and Takumi is offering to do those things.
Nana is aware that he’s not good person; she knows his words are petty and his attention is fleeting. But Nana doesn’t want to think about the future. She wants to think about the now. She’s an act first, think later kind of girl, and it’s that mindset that causes her half the trouble in her life. Nana wants the present feelings and experiences that make her happy and bubbly— this is not to call her a hedonist, but there’s something she’s constantly searching for, something she believes will make her feel whole. She thinks it’s the drug-like sensation of love. Nana has gone through crush after crush until she lands herself with an affair with an older, married man (Takashi Anno) and her distant boyfriend Shoji. What both of these earlier romances have in common is that they serve to fulfill Nana’s desperate fantasies. She craves intimacy. She does her best to believe wholeheartedly that what she and Takashi have is honest— she spots his wedding ring, but ignores it. She’s a highschooler here, but there’s a mature understanding of just how harmful their affair is. But again, she ignores it because she so badly wants to erase anything that weighs down the high she gets from someone else’s attention.
Nana dances on the border between reality and delusion. She’s aware of both, but neglects one in favour of the other. She wants to believe that Takashi Asano is his real name. She does not want to believe that her first time was his taking advantage of her. When she crosses paths with him again in Tokyo, there isn’t a trace of resentment. Somehow, it seems that she’s still a little obsessed with him. Shoji is who Nana at first considers to be a fresh start. She wants to have him as a friend and nothing more. But ideas of a fulfilling relationship consume her, and she hopes she’ll find one in him. Things, of course, do not last. Shoji cheats and Nana is crushed— but what exactly was it that Nana was heartbroken about? Shoji complains that Nana didn’t seem to care about him. Nana rushes of to room with a girl she’s just met, Nana flirts with the owner of the furniture store, and her friend Jun is a closer confidant. Maybe what Nana wanted in Shoji was not fidelity, but his unconditional affection. She doesn’t want to take things slow and build up the groundwork for a lasting relationship. She just wants to cash in immediately for that love she craves. Shoji couldn’t measure up, so she doesn’t want him anymore.
When Takumi comes into the picture Nana has given up the pretences. In her mind, she reminds herself repeatedly of the truth; he doesn’t love her. But Nana also tells herself later that she doesn’t really mind if she’s not his number one— she just needs to be some kind of priority. She chooses Takumi because he was the only one who stuck by her when she discovered she’s pregnant. When it seems as though her closest friends want nothing to do with her, it’s Takumi holding her hand and providing solutions. This isn’t exactly the unconditional affection Nana had in mind, but it’s the closest she’s gotten to it. Not even Nobu, who she dates before she makes things official with Takumi, measures up to this ideal. Nana feels like it’s often her doing the pampering in her and Nobu’s relationship. She doesn’t hate it, but his lack of assertiveness isn’t what she wants. She wants her dreams enabled. Takumi gets them a fancy apartment and lets her decorate it however she likes. She gets to name the baby and he accepts her suggestions pretty quickly. Nana is satisfied with this. She’s getting spoiled like she always wanted to be. Maybe this is the fulfillment of her childhood dream of marriage.
But of course, Takumi is in fact the worst of her boyfriends, and his command of any situation is a clear indication of his manipulative tendencies. He is a serial cheater, he is a liar, he dismisses Nana’s protests during intimacy multiple times, he doesn’t seem to have it in him to tie himself down to one person. As a teenager, he was notorious for his string of girlfriends, many dumped and abandoned the moment they tried to hold onto him.
A girlfriend winds up pregnant; she wants an abortion, he goes along with it. But he’s not happy that she’s decided without him. It’s not like he wanted the baby but if anyone’s making the big choices it ought to be him, no? This lack of power bothers him. Perhaps that’s why he’s quick to claim Nana’s baby even without being sure if the baby’s really his. It’s hard to believe that he did this out of the goodness of his heart. Takumi considers himself a responsible man, but even this noble virtue is twisted by his desire for control. To him, it’s whatever he says that goes.
The only thing that’s changed since Takumi’s teenagehood is that his want of keeping people close has strengthened. When normally he would have palmed off Nana with abortion clinic fees, he finds himself offering to marry her. It’s Nana’s loyalty that makes him want to keep her. She lets him think of what to do. He tells her to move out and she does. He suggests marriage and she agrees. She listens to him and lets him take charge. Her readiness to stick by him suits him.
This is a call-back to their one-night stand— it’s all about what’s convenient for the two of them. They are both selfish individuals. It’s all about what they want in a relationship. Nana wants to be taken care of, Takumi wants to take care of someone. The concern is that Takumi wants to own Nana, and Nana has never expressed a want to be owned— but their life together is enough for the time being. Nana is very aware of Takumi’s cheating, and doesn’t really think very highly of him anyway. It’s enough that he gives her what she considers to be enough. What Takumi likes is the home Nana has built for him; coming from a broken family, he has always somewhat desired a place to come back to, a place to relax and be himself. Without happy familial bonds, he wants to feel needed. And Nana needs him.
Now, to answer the title of this post: just how toxic are Takumi and Nana? Throughout this post, I have avoided directly addressing the issues that make their relationship as well as the character of Takumi so deeply despised by the NANA community. Yes, Takumi commits sexual assault and is a serial cheater, but I think even without those incriminating actions there is still something insincere about them. That’s what I wanted to focus on— the conditional, transactional nature of their relationship. Both Takumi and Nana consider only their own needs; they do not tend to worry much about each other at all. If Nana thinks about Takumi while he’s away on tour or band business, it’s usually only to entertain the suspicion of his infidelity. If Takumi says he misses her, it’s probably only because he actually “misses (her) boobs,” as Ren teases.
Takumi and Nana are no lovers. They are certainly not soulmates. They are simplicity and convenience, and that’s where the toxicity lies. The hallmark romances of the shojosei genre are ones that idealise lovesick devotion and forever-togetherness— Takumi and Nana defy those traits in a manner that draws readers in at the same time it repulses. But the toxicity is in line with Ai Yazawa’s theme of realism in her manga. She wants to portray the concept of a harmonious yet unhealthy relationship. Two people can get along while being bad for each other (of course, Takumi is the one that’s bad for Nana rather than vice versa). And that’s what makes them so incredibly fascinating to me!
Currently playing Mistonia's Hope -The Lost Delight -. The protagonist is interesting and intelligent. I am still on the common route and feel quite invested in the plot and all its mysteries.
Just got the Heavenly End for Koharu and it was very anti-climactic tbh…. Like… The School Ghost Stories and Urban Legends had high action and this just felt so flat…
HOWEVER, I know this game has a sequel. They could do a lot to improve Misa and Koharu’s relationship and build more on Koharu’s backstory. Piofiore’s sequel definitely gave me a change of heart about Orlok so.. Koharu has room for improvement lol.
On my second playthrough and doing the Urban Legends Route for the first time… I’m early in the game and have no idea how exactly Sena died (other than the narrative about him being sick). I HAVE A FEELING THIS GIRL KILLED SENA. 👀👀👀
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