Will Nana anime ever return? Renewal status explored

The Nana anime aired from 2006 to 2007, focusing on two ostensibly opposite women who are both named Nana. After encountering one another by chance, it turns out they had rented the same apartment in Tokyo. They become friends but risk losing each other in a whirlwind of romance and rock and roll music. Drama inevitably ensues in their lives.

Most fans of the series likely know that the Nana anime does not actually cover all of the volumes of the manga currently released. The single season released only covers up to Volume 12 out of the twenty-one volumes. This begs the question: will the Nana anime ever resume? The answer is probably not.

Disclaimer: [This article will contain spoilers for the Nana manga and anime.]

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Nana anime: Is the return inevitable or unlikely?

Screenshot of Nana episode 1. (Image via Studio Madhouse) Fans remain waiting for Nana to conclude, both in manga and anime form. (Image via Studio Madhouse)

Nana anime ends with the reveal that the series is actually just one of the Nanas, also called ‘Hachi,’ reminiscing on those early years in Tokyo. In the manga, once this is revealed, it is used to elaborate on what happens in the future. So the manga splits between these future reveals and the past, while the anime is more squarely focused on the past.

This leaves a lot of content on the table for the Nana anime to explore if it were to return. However, there’s one big issue that comes up in terms of adapting that content: the manga isn’t complete either. After going on hiatus in 2009 due to health issues, author Ai Yazawa has yet to return to the field.

As of 2022, during an exhibition for the series in Tokyo, she had this to say:

"This exhibition is dedicated to everybody who supports me and keeps reading my work. I am terribly sorry for making everyone worry since I have taken a long hiatus from NANA. I feel like my body has been recovering little by little while preparing for this event as well. Not only that, but I would love to keep working on my manga while taking care of my health from now on. Please look forward to when that time comes."

Having been recovering since 2010, the life of a mangaka is not an easy one. Many mangaka suffer illnesses and physical injuries due to the grueling work schedule it requires. Most fans of Nana would likely put Ai Yawaza’s wellbeing over further chapters of the work, no matter how much they desire a new volume.

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Nana anime likely won’t return

While it isn’t impossible for an anime to finish and have an ending different from the manga, with examples such as the original Trigun and Full Metal Alchemist animes coming to different endings than the manga, it may be more difficult with Nana.

Both of the former were shonen-based, but Nana is a more complicated drama series. There may be greater scrutiny on any sort of original ending or less of a desire to see it animated, with no big action set pieces to be seen.

Furthermore, the lack of content for over a decade for Nana likely also results in an unlikely return for the series. While dedicated fans are likely excited, with no way to pull new fans in, studios aren’t going to be certain that new seasons of the anime will be successful.

This isn’t to say a return is entirely impossible. Recently, several other decade-old anime, such as Tiger & Bunny and Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, have revealed surprise second seasons. But hopes are not very high for the Nana anime.

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Nana anime ultimate fate

Fans of the Nana anime and manga will have to continue waiting. (Image via Studio Madhouse)

At the end of the day, the Nana anime does not have much hope for a return. It is a canceled anime released over a decade ago for a manga that in itself is incomplete. So long as the manga is incomplete, a second season seems unlikely, and the manga’s return is rather unlikely for the foreseeable future as well.

Until the day Nana returns, fans will wait with bated breath to see what Ai Yazawa has in store for them. No matter how long it may take, the fans of the original anime and manga will see what is in store for the Nanas.