NANA – 17

Summary:
Hachi feels stupid for not having noticed how similar Nana and Ren were. She can now feel the weight of those two’s history together. In the time leading up to leaving for the concert, Hachi has been reading all her old articles on Trapnest to gain more insight. Her mind recently has been filled with thoughts about Nana and Ren. Still, she does plan to find a boyfriend after all this so she can stop remembering Shouji. As Hachi finishes her makeup, she sees Nana waiting for her at the doorway. Hachi wants her to wear something better, but Nana insists that it’s just a Trapnest concert. On the train ride, Hachi thinks about how the distance between the two is slowly getting smaller. They are met at the train station by Hachi’s older sister Nao, and the drive home leads them past Hachi’s old art school, evoking memories of Junko, Kyousuke, and Shouji.
Nao asks Hachi about her living with Shouji, but Nana quickly clears it up by explaining that she is the one Hachi lives with. Hachi is glad that Nana came with her because there are too many memories for her to be able to have come alone. At home, Nana gets to meet Natsuko and Nami, Hachi’s mother and younger sister, respectively. After getting the who-Hachi-is-living-with matter cleared up with her family, Natsuko apologizes to Nana for any trouble her daughter has caused. Nana says that that’s not the case because Hachi is cheerful and kind; being with Hachi encourages Nana to go on. In Hachi’s room later, she asks Nana about what she just said and Nana claims that it’s how she really feels. Nana seems so impressed with Hachi’s family that Hachi asks Nana about her own mother. Nana admits that she doesn’t remember her mother and even says that maybe her mother is dying somewhere. She lived with her grandmother, so she yearns a bit for something like Hachi’s family.
Hachi starts crying because this was something so ordinary for her that Nana didn’t have. But she’s glad that they’re actually having this talk because Nana doesn’t speak about herself. Nana admits that she’s never had an intimate female friend up until now, but she’s willing to tell Hachi anything she asks about. She just doesn’t want Hachi to be lonely. Hachi starts laughing at this because she feels like Nana is acting like a man. She even says that Nana is like a boyfriend rather than a friend because Nana makes her heart beat so fast. As for Nana’s willingness to reveal anything, Hachi asks the question that’s been on her mind: does Nana still like Ren? Realizing that Hachi knew all about it, Nana figures out that’s why Hachi brought her here. For doing that, Nana says thank you to Hachi. That night, the two arrive at the concert hall and Nana goes off to smoke. Hachi knows that Nana never gave her answer, but even without hearing it, she knows what it is.
Staring at a poster of Ren, Hachi thinks that if it were a simple desire where Nana were able to thoughtlessly say “love,” then she would have already gone to see Ren. She remembers what Nobu said about how Nana chose to protect her pride instead of becoming happy as a woman. Inside the auditorium, Hachi realizes how their seats are right in front of the guitarist’s spot. It’s almost time for the concert to start, but Nana still isn’t here. She’s actually still outside, smoking her Black Stones and thinking about when she, Ren, Nobu, and Yasu first decided on their band’s name. Nana was the one who had suggested that they name themselves after the cigarettes and Nobu had shortened it to Blast. As the concert starts, Hachi is getting worried since Nana still hasn’t shown up. But just as things are getting noisy, Nana appears at her seat, and Trapnest takes to the stage soon after. Hachi prayed repeatedly that night for the fate that awaits Nana to be happy. As the two hold hands, Hachi starts to cry and notices that Nana is too. In retrospect, the hand that connected to hers without her noticing, Hachi thinks that she wanted to hold that hand for a long time, for forever.

You can see how much Nana wanted to be at the concert by how she ran to her seat at the last minute. And you could tell by her tears how much seeing Ren moved her. Whether she admits it or not, she is still in love with him. Her not being able to answer Hachi seems to me like she’s in denial. But getting to see him again is just the first step in her rekindling their relationship. This is all part of Hachi’s plan (without any insidious implications).
They did a pretty good job with the Trapnest concert in terms of giving the band a cool entrance. Either there was some good sound mixing or they got Olivia to come in and sing a little pain again because it did a sound a little different. And in a way, a little pain is such a perfect song for that moment.