Google sheet: NANA―ナナ― Vocabulary Sheet Please read the guidelines on the first page before adding any words.
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So I’ve read this week’s section.
That was a lot of fun, I had forgotten how many funny faces Nana can make . I really like the drawing style of Ai Yazawa.
I’ve read on my physical version without look ups and there were a couple of things I didn’t understand, too bad my translated copy is back at my parent’s house.
I’ll reread some time this week to see if I can figure out those parts or else I will ask here!
I also finished this week’s section. To no one’s surprise, I am not a big fan of the salary man (ex) boyfriend. But I like 淳子 ! I can’t remember if she keeps playing a role, but I hope we will see more of her in the future.
Finished this week’s section! I added some vocabulary to the Google Spreadsheet – mostly onomatopoeia and words related to adultery
But ahhh I love Nana so much Every single character is so wonderful. I had forgotten that this is where the story starts, and revisiting it makes me so happy. Yazawa’s writing is so beautifully touched with melancholy from the very beginning.
One thing that was tough for me is that, reading a physical copy of the tankobon volumes, some of the handwritten jokes/asides were suuuper hard to read – as in too small for my 31 year old eyes to comprehend So I think I glossed over a few of those, which I know is a loss because they are usually hilarious.
It’s tough for me to say how this was for my reading level. The first time I read it in Japanese was years ago and I know I glossed over a ton. This time, I was feeling like I was understanding almost every word/the nuances of the conversations, etc. But part of that I think may be informed by how familiar I am with the story in English? Either way, even if it’s informed by the English, I will still call it a win!
I am already so excited to keep reading and will have to resist the urge to read ahead.
Hehe true. Was surprised that it had furigana though, that helps a bit. Curious to read what you think when you get time for a proper session! (or multiple sorry ones)
Thank you (PS. please try to add the page number too! I will try to find them for those you already added)
I will do my re-read this evening and add things as well that I look up if they are not there already!
Agreed! Was really anxious before starting so now I’m so happy to see that I enjoy it so much!
I think I know which one you mean but feel free to post which page it is, then we can try to decipher together
Yay! You should definitely call it a win. I thought I knew the story by heart and didn’t understand some of the things so there you go
Here are some of the things I didn’t understand on my first read (the rest was only vocab, added them to the spreadsheet)
p.3
観光に来られてもウリがない
Didn’t get what “uri” was and didn’t find it on Jisho. Machine translation gives “Even if people come for sightseeing, there is nothing to sell.”, makes sense I guess, my Yomichan seems to agree:
Wasn’t sure what was happening here either, used machine translation.
それは一九九九年七の月．．．より４か月も早く
恐怖の大王があたしの頭上めがけて落ちて来た
より４か月も早く is “but four months earlier”? I’m not used to 早く being used that way I guess but makes sense
恐怖の大王 this is normal Nana (奈々) talk, if you’re confused don’t worry, the rest of the cast is too when ever she happens to talk like that outloud
p.11
紀香カットにしたのがいけなかったのかな．．．
I was confused by 紀香カット but seeing what we learn in the rest of the week’s assignment, this means “A Norika-haircut”. Totally legit to go to a hair salon and as for that cut apparently 『紀香ちゃんカット、してました？』
The art style is very nice. I like the way it bounces back and forth between goofy faces and big shining dramatic romance images when she’s retelling one of the stories of her infatuation. Good introduction to the character; I like her.
Wasn’t a hard read for me in the Japanese language side, but the digital version I have is pretty poor quality and I was kinda straining my eyes against it. Furigana is entirely a blur but luckily I mostly don’t need it. Thought about buying this physical but when I checked CDJapan I saw volume 1 only and didn’t want to get that then be stuck looking for another source if I continue.
I’m much older than your 31 years so yes my eyes are struggling too with the tiny writing - it’s (eye strain) what’s put me off reading physical manga in the past, but if Japanese can do it, I can give it a go!
Thank you SO much for adding the page numbers! I didn’t have my copy on me earlier when I was entering them (I was saving them in the Shirabe Jisho app as I was reading) and had meant to go back and add them. (Also weirdly my copy doesn’t have page numbers…?)
One example is the bottom of page 22, all the way in the corner. I think Nana is saying そんは言わない＿＿. I really can’t decipher the last word there, consisting of two kanji characters
Glad to know I am not alone! It’s such a rock and hard place too, because I know sometimes that digital versions of manga are just poor-quality scans where even the furigana is blurry – let alone handwritten kanji in the margins! I might just get one of those reading magnifying glasses so I don’t miss the jokes, lol!
YES! You are totally right, and that makes so much sense/fits in the context. I was so thrown off because I kept reading the second kanji as 車 which definitely could not make any less sense Thank you so much!!
Aah that explains! I didn’t find 瞳 during my reading, could it be a look up from somewhere else than NANA?
Not weird at all manga don’t always have pages numbers. I have both the physical and the digital version so I used the digital version for the pages numbers, that was easy enough. Otherwise, probably have to count from the pages where you know the numbers, like page 3, or it also appears page 22, not very convenient
Definitely a more challenging read than I expected. I’m more at ease with fantasy vocab than teenage girl romance talk at this point… Still very enjoyable though, I appreciate the more adult tone compared to most IMC book club picks so far. This feels more like the stuff I would normally read on my own.
Finished reading this week’s section! I had to split it into two reading sessions, it’s quite text dense.
p. 3
I also understood ウリ as “selling point”, so a regular town with no tourist attractions. The english version translates it as “There was nothing that really sold the town for tourism”.
p. 8
I read it as “that was july 1999…a whole four months earlier” - so saying that it was in march in a very roundabout way
p. 22
I was writing this and then I noticed that Daisoujou had already answered! Seems like それは言わない約束！- I didn’t remember 淳ちゃん, but she’s great, joking about Nana dating married guys
gonna write a personal email to bookwalker thanking them for finally providing a high quality manga lol - there’s no way I could read the Wall of Text otherwise
This was, very dense. So, trying to move onto the next panel when I don’t understand everything. I think I’m following okay enough, but like I had no clue why they were talking about cheating until seeing the guy’s ring, and rereading that panel to double check.
Not super grabbed by it yet, but I’m interested to see how things develop.
Every single character is so wonderful. I had forgotten that this is where the story starts, and revisiting it makes me so happy. Yazawa’s writing is so beautifully touched with melancholy from the very beginning.
(PS. please try to add the page number too! I will try to find them for those you already added)
Thank you so much!!
