Manga Mondays: Nana Vol. 11

It's Monday and time for Manga Mondays! 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'm about half way through Nana, the widely popular manga series, and am a bit sad to see it end.

Description (from back of the volume): With the tabloids still out for blood, Nana O. and her Blast bandmates move into a weird dorm building run by their agency. But they've barely got enough time to settle into their new digs because their crammed schedule has them running from music studio to TV interview. The stress of band life and dealing with a disintegrating Ren have started to take their toll on Nana O. If she collapses now, will she ever get back up?

Review: Volume 11 starts a second story arc and kicks off with the characters plagued by self doubt including and not limited to relationship doubts. Nana K. is kept to the background while Nana O. is uncomfortably on stage. As Blast begins to kick off their promotion of their first single, Nana O.'s panic attacks start to become more alarming. She is beginning to feel insecure of her singing as her music producer tells her that he can fix her flaws using computers and mixers. Added to that pressure is the distance of both Ren and Nana K., both of whom Nana O. has developed strong attachments to.
  Similarly, Ren seems to be tearing at the seams. He has lost his passion for Trapnest. I don't think he is starting to hate music, but rather he's getting burnt out from all the financial aspects of being in a band. He feels trapped by the band's responsiblity and yearns for the freedom to do what he really wants, which is to make music freely. He distance himself from Nana O. because he can't comfort her while he is also unsuccessfully dealing with his own band issues. He seems how musters up the courage to ask Nana O. to marry him, believing she is the only anchor that can hold him up. Like in typical manga fashion, we are still waiting for an answer from Nana O.
  Meanwhile Blast seems to be rolling with the punches with their music label. They are now living in a dorm run provided by Gaia Records. Their dorm is in a shady area next to a place called a "lover's quarter" building. Is it a residental building for porn stars? Prostitutes? I'm not really sure, but we are introduced to two characters, a porn star and the other a supposed small actress (or is she? what is she up to?), both seem to be interested in Nobu. Nobu, however, is still heart broken over Nana K. 
  After a few "downers" of an ending, Volume 11 ends with a hopefully note as Blast plans on reuniting with Nana K. at a fireworks festival.

Rating: 4 stars

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

If you like this book try: Nana Vol 12 by Ai Yazawa, Honey and Clover by Chica Umino, Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa