Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. I've really been enjoying Nana, the widely popular manga series. Out of the volumes I've read thus far, Volume 8 is by far my favorite.


Description (from Goodreads): Nana K.'s happiness with Nobu is slipping through her fingers as an unexpected complication with Trapnest's bassist threatens to upend her entire life. And unlike her past romantic woes, the choice she makes now will change the lives of everyone around her.

Review: Volume 8 is a mature exploration of the different types of love we come across in our lives, ranging from friendship, familial, and romantic. Many readers who have commented thus far on my Nana posts have stated that this series gets darker and now I know why. Things aren't great for the Nanas, both individually and together.
  Nana K's naivete and boy craziness have thus far been served as a comic relief to the serious, career focus of her roommate. Now I can't help but wonder if her ditzy, charming personality is all a front. Normally, I either felt bad for her when her heart broke from being dumped and/or used or even rolled my eyes because of her stupid mistakes. In Volume 8, however, Nana K's carelessness comes to haunt her and as a result threatens to ruin everything that has worked so well for her. At the end of Volume 8, I was so very angry at her for breaking Nobu's heart, becoming co-dependent with the dirt-bag bassist, and making everyone, including me, so disappointed in her.
  Nana O. has a strong connection with Nana K. Some reviewers have often labeled their relationship as homoerotic, but I honestly don't see it that way. I actually see Nana O. and Nana K. being more like a family unit, where Nana O. is the caretaker who shines reality upon Nana K.'s daydreams. As I mentioned in Volume 7, Nana O. has started to feel possessive about Nana K. and I now I get a clearer picture of how she reacts toward Nana K. Nana O. holds on to people in fear of losing them due to her own abandonment as a child. With her own emotional scars so fresh, she slowly learns to trust people and make friends who mean more to her than they realize. So when Nana K.'s life takes a sharp detour from Nana O., their friendship is tested in more ways than one. Nana K's betrayal of Nobu is also seen as a betrayal of Nana O. and Blast.
 Learning more about Shin and the possible reasons why he has abandoned his family also continues the theme of familial love. Perhaps he finds some fulfillment with his physical relationship with Reira, but I'm not convinced that Reira actually likes him. I see Shin as being more of a convenience though they do spend time together and look cute as a couple. It's clear that Reira's heart is set upon someone else.
  I have to mention the illustrations in this volume. They are absolutely stunning. There is a series of panels where characters are either looking back at one another or receiving the same news at the exact same time. I've never seen panels that cinematic before. The emotional expressions they emoted on the page where exactly the ones that I had on my face when I read this volume. Nana O's internal dialogue where expertly placed to mirror both her and Nana K.'s inner turmoil.
 Volume 8 was a really emotional read. It took me a while to pick up the next volume. Normally, I pick the next volume up right away to see what happens next. This time my heart broke for Nobu. He really deserves someone who will treat him right and I really hope he finds this person as the series continues because it is evident that Nana K. wasn't good enough for him.  

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong sexual content, crude humor, and some language. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Nana Vol 9 by Ai Yazawa, Honey and Clover by Chica Umino, Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa