It may surprise many people that a manga that began in 2000 is not only still popular but is more beloved than ever by its fandom. Nana is frequently praised not only for its aesthetic and emotional intensity, but for how deeply its characters invite audience projection. Rather than serving as fixed archetypes, the characters in Nana operate as emotional mirrors, reflecting different ways of loving, coping, striving, and failing. Us viewers admire and love these characters because we see facets of ourselves in them.
This phenomenon of identification is central to Nana’s long-lasting appeal. Fans also find that the character they relate to most shifts over time, mirroring changes in their own values, relationships, and sense of self. In this way, Nana functions less as a static story and more as an emotional framework through which viewers interpret their own lives.
Artwork by Image sourced from Nana (© Ai Yazawa / Madhouse). Used under fair use.
Identification, Projection, and Emotional Resonance
Identification in Nana is driven by the series’ refusal to moralize its characters. No one is purely right or wrong. Instead, each character represents a distinct strategy for surviving adulthood and growing through intimacy and ambition. Viewers are able to project their own fears, desires, and unresolved conflicts onto these characters, often gravitating toward those whose coping mechanisms resemble their own.
Because the narrative foregrounds emotional consequence rather than resolution, identification tends to be less aspirational and more confessional. To relate to a Nana character is often to recognize a part of oneself that feels unfinished, contradictory, or vulnerable. This self-projection into the Nana universe extends beyond identifying with specific characters and into relationship projection as well, leading to many fan-made, self-assessment tools, like my own Nana Soulmate Quiz.
Character-Specific Identification Patterns
Since these characters act as mirrors that we hold up to pieces of our own psyches, the character that we each identify with most can reveal very impactful insights about ourselves.
Nana Osaki
Fans who identify with Nana Osaki are often drawn to her fierce independence and emotional intensity. She represents the desire to be self-defined, untouchable, and uncompromising, while simultaneously fearing abandonment and emotional exposure. Viewers may project onto Nana Osaki their own struggle to balance vulnerability with self-protection, especially in creative or romantic pursuits. Her guarded tenderness resonates strongly with those who equate emotional control with survival, yet secretly long to be understood without having to explain themselves.
Nana Komatsu (Hachi)
Identification with Nana Komatsu often stems from her emotional openness and longing for connection. She embodies romantic idealism, but also the pain of wanting stability in a world that does not consistently offer it. Fans who relate to Hachi frequently recognize their own tendency to prioritize love and belonging, even when it comes at personal cost.
Hachi’s character invites empathy rather than judgment, allowing viewers to confront the fear that devotion, softness, and need are weaknesses, while simultaneously affirming their legitimacy.
Ren Honjo
Ren is often identified with by viewers who resonate with self-destructive tendencies and the pressure of creative ambition. His character reflects the fear that love and success are mutually exclusive, and that personal worth must be constantly proven through achievement or intensity.
Fans drawn to Ren may project feelings of inadequacy, emotional dependence, or the belief that pain is inseparable from passion. His arc captures the danger of defining identity solely through external validation.
Reira Serizawa
Reira represents the contradiction between public adoration and private loneliness. Viewers who identify with her often relate to the pressure of maintaining an idealized image while suppressing personal needs. Her fragility beneath confidence speaks to those who feel trapped by expectations, whether imposed by others or by themselves.
Reira’s character highlights how emotional repression can coexist with vulnerability, making her a powerful point of identification for viewers navigating performance, perfectionism, and emotional isolation.
Supporting Characters and Alternative Reflections
Characters such as Yasu, Shin, Junko, and Takumi provide additional avenues for identification that are less overtly romantic but equally revealing. Yasu often resonates with those who assume emotional responsibility for others, while Shin reflects premature maturity and guarded trust. Junko’s practicality appeals to viewers who value emotional boundaries, and Takumi embodies the desire for control as a defense against vulnerability.
These characters expand the emotional vocabulary of the series, allowing fans to see themselves not only in love stories, but in power dynamics, friendships, and moral compromises.
Why Identification in Nana Endures
What distinguishes Nana from many coming-of-age narratives is its refusal to resolve identity into a single, stable form. Characters change, regress, repeat mistakes, and contradict themselves, much like real people do. As a result, identification is rarely fixed. A viewer who once saw themselves in Nana Osaki may later recognize aspects of Hachi, or vice versa.
This fluidity encourages ongoing self-reflection and discussion within the fandom. Loving a Nana character often means acknowledging uncomfortable truths about oneself, which is precisely why the series continues to resonate so deeply.
Some fans engage with this process through fan-created tools, such as personality-based analyses that examine character identification. One example is my own Which Nana Character Are You Quiz, which focuses on thematic and emotional alignment.
