Nana to Kaoru

This is one of those manga that is so special, considering its genre, everyone is waiting an anime adaptation.
(EDIT: Anime is a disaster. Really. Do not watch it.)
Outstanding ecchi, no-nonsense flow of plot, and no weeb-ass crap make this an addictive read, with no overratings whatsoever. My fellow MALers, I proudly present, somewhat underrated but exceptional, Nana to Kaoru.

If your imagination was tickled by the synopsis, then you're on the right track for all I understand about kinky preferences. That momentarily aside, this manga offers a lot of continuity, rarely any real closure of a chapter, and brilliant surprises that'll spring even the softest of y'all into action. The S&M itself is truly well presented here, could easily serve as a manual to anyone interested in S&M, or get you interested to begin with.

Exceptional fucking art. Lot of work is put into details, but especially facial expressions - mostly because they actually mean something to the plot itself. But man, them details. The surroundings, the clothes, the people - everything was made in details. Another thing that caught my eye is the fact that every character design is different - there isn't that much of a similarity among the females, like in many other manga or anime, where they usually simply change the haircut and eye shape, and consider their job done., so hey, kudos for trying and succeeding.

Characters are charming as all fuck, good god. It's like a perfect blend of anime and realism, you get the best and most charming of both worlds.
As for the supporting cast, they are not lacking personality either, nor are put in the corner - every once in a while, they get their 5 minutes of fame. Or shame, depending on the situation.

Warning, extremely hard to put down. While I wouldn't be afraid to put the "psychological" tag on it, it doesn't really go that deep, so you can still enjoy it without losing your sleep in any uncomfortable manner if YOU CATCH MY DRIFT HUEHUEHEU.


A must read for enthusiasts of fine ecchi.

This manga really surprised me. I have never been interested in S&M, and have a lot of the same prejudices as some of the characters, and the manga takes to time to show the intellectual and emotional development of someone who feels the same fears and apprehensions about it.
The manga is also a great breath of fresh air from the mussy shojo mangas. There is a great relationship underneath the plot line, but is also really genuine and sweet.

I may end up getting my boyfriend a ball-gag :)

Nana to Kaoru, oddly enough, is a look into proper, Real Life BDSM. It includes things you tend not to see, like the fact that it doesn't have to be about sex. Care and attention has been shown, not only for the idea of prep work, but the psychological aspects have been shown as well. There is no pain without wanting to go there, and limits are gradually pushed.

In short, this is a must read for anyone that has the wrong ideas about what BDSM is.

tl;dr: A manga focused around an incredible relationship with SM as a foundation.  

One of the core aspects of this manga was BDSM, which was really deep. Here SM is very much a window to the soul that does amazing things. It's still honestly hard for me to view real SM as this deep, but it's not like I know anything about the subject beyond what I learned here anyway, so what do I know. I ended up learning a lot, and there was a lot of variety to it so it never made things feel slow. I'd be interested in more works of fiction that approach the topic in such a manner, but I have a feeling that they'd be pretty different so I don't think I'm particularly going to search. The reason I'm so fond of the implementation here is because how it highlights the two main characters and their relationship worked incredibly well. I like characters that are terrible in a lot of ways but come through when it counts in a believable manner, so I really liked Kaoru. His insecurity and his feeling that anyone he truly loves he loves enough to not want them to be held down by him was something I very much sympathized with. His relationship with his mom was also pretty heartwarming. Nana too I liked, and could greatly sympathize with her feeling the pressure of needing to do well for others. But most importantly, I also really liked how they were together, considering they were very much opposites of each other, and that let them work so well together. The relationship itself and the relationship development was incredible. It was tremendously emotionally charged, with the SM being the core of demonstrating that by being windows into their soul. It was strange in that there was a relationship that slowly built to be stronger and stronger, evolving to be stronger than most romantic relationships, but it never officially became romantic. Once again to be clear, this wasn't the type of story where despite a lot happening there's no change in the relationship or characters are being annoyingly dense, but rather there was A LOT of relationship development and the characters never felt annoying, rather their relationship was just different. It's hard to explain though. It was parallel to being romantic in a sense while also under the surface clearly pushing things along that way. I can't really explain it, so I'll just say that ultimately the bond they had was just really amazing and one I was tremendously invested in. The ending was great in terms of setting up an opposite for Kaoru to show his good points, in that he remained a great guy even though it was so easy for him to turn into a wreck like the villain. It was also great to see his ability come through when it counts be taken to extreme with him coming out looking damn impressive which resulted in him finally getting acknowledged, and ultimately I think it served as a great end for his character arc. Similarly, I think Nana also had a solid ending, in that it showed that she had also grown and was more in tune with her feelings, no longer being dependent on Kaoru, but still remaining loyal to him. I don't think the ending went far enough in regards to their relationship however. I think it was perfect in terms of spirit and just a lot of the small things it did perfectly, but I felt it needed to have just a bit more impact. It clearly insinuates a lot, but I think it needed to be clearer in such a way as to give it more oomph. The art was also incredible, which combined with subject matter that really let it shine made it incredibly impressive. 

This manga is probably the most intricately drawn that I have ever seen. The care and detail the mangaka puts into leather and rubber straps is, well, astonishing.

As for the story, it's compelling enough to keep your interest and it gives you a very good insight into BDSM as it is actually practiced. I came at it with a little knowledge of the subject, but Nana to Kaoru is such an in depth and sympathetic exploration that it's almost an instruction manual. The female lead (with the reader along) is introduced to the subject bit by bit, never so much as to scare her off, just step by small step, until she finds herself doing and craving things she could never have imagined she would. Along the way, the reader is treated to an understanding of both the practices and appeal of BDSM. It's probably one of the best defenses of BDSM that I've ever read, in any media, so if that was the mangaka's original intent, I'd say he succeeded in it.

I don't think this work is going to convince someone who isn't already interested in the subject to try it, but it does answer lots of questions and gives an uninitiated reader a very honest view of BDSM. Of course, if you are interested in it, this manga is a gold mine.

Nana to Kaoru is a series that takes the mature theme of S&M, and masterfully applies it to the relationship between two childhood friends.

[9] : Art

The artwork of Nana to Kaoru is a selling point of the series. One of the main characters (Nana), certainly is drawn with all womanly charm in-tact, and is the subject of a majority of the series ecchi scenes. One thing that makes this artwork really stand out to me is the great use of shading. Due to the focus on a lot of equipment used in S&M, backgrounds are made I believe purposefully plain so that things remain coherent, given that many of the artistically busy scenes are also dialogue heavy. The well-done shading makes the panels feel full (but not cluttered), despite being simple.

[8] : Character

The characters in Nana to Kaoru are well developed. The motivations for their actions are clear with good build-up, and add to the romantic feeling embedded in the mature themed scenes. One of the downfalls to the characters of Nana to Kaoru is that they fit very generic models; Nana is the "idol school girl," while Kaoru is the average "loser-kun." Their back-stories are also not exceptionally special or original (as revealed thus far), and they even have the generic "childhood friend" aspect to their relationship. Despite these cliche frames to them, you may be surprised to see that I still award the overall character aspect of the series an "8." The main reason for this is because the interaction between these characters is so unique and well done, with amazing attention and approach to the different levels of tension, embarrassment, excitement, lust, anticipation, and thoughtfulness, that it really brings out the talents of the author / artist in ways not many other series I've experienced have.

[8] : Story

The setting for the series is a combination of more cliches from high school to the apartments where the children are almost always alone. Setting aside, the other aspects to the story are pretty special. The arrangement of the inner-dialogue does a great job at conveying the thought process' of two totally different mindsets in the same scene. It masterfully works the S&M theme of the manga into the story in a very informative way, really explaining the author's viewpoints on S&M, or at least the viewpoints he's decided to use for his work. Aspects that I often find left out of series dealing with S&M are incorporated very well (for example, where does one acquire the props, how are they prepared, what's the stopping-experience like, what kind of up-keep do the items need?).

[8] : Overall

If you're interested in a series that can give you an informative aspect to the mature S&M theme, giving insight to both the S and M mindset, while still providing you with a high school microcosm feel, full of romance and well drawn plot relevant fan-service, all while keeping your heart pounding, then it's only a matter of time before Nana to Kaoru creeps its way into being in your rotation.

When I picked up this manga I really didn't expect much, I haven't read manga in a while so I decided to do some light reading, something with no real plot and some ecchi to spend the time. Browsing through the adult section, this particular title caught my eye. BDSM in western culture is generally viewed as very dark and inhumane. While in Japan, there are practices such as shibari, a rope bondage, that is considered as art. It was a topic that I wasn't very familiar with and wanted to know more about.

After a bit of reading, I was heavily mistaken. What I expected to be some perverted, nonsensical, easy read manga, turned out to be one of the best romance story I've ever read. I guess I can understand why "Fifty Shades of Grey" was so popular. The concept of S&M is explained extremely well throughout the manga. The author does a very good job in depicting the physical and emotional aspect of the practice. But what really got me into the manga was the 2 main protagonists.

Kaoru and Nana are childhood friends that live next to each other and go to the same school. She is the perfect model student, good grades, good at sports, and the vice president of the student council all the while being praised for her good looks. Kaoru, on the other hand, is a failing student with his only passion being towards Nana and S&M. The relationship between the two is an awkward one. They used to be good friends but, after entering high school, Kaoru had a difficult time maintaining their friendship due to academical differences and differences in interest. That is until one day, Nana finds a leather piece used for bondage in Kaoru's room. Out of curiosity she tries it on and accidentally locks herself to the clothing that needs a key to open. With help from Kaoru she is able to get it off, but she finds enthrallment from wearing the leather piece. From then on, they start to develop a secret relationship as master and slave while trying to contain their true emotions from each other and from others.

Their methods gradually go deeper into the world of BDSM as their feelings for each other grow. She uses the practices as a "breather", a way of relieving stress, letting go of all her problems and letting Kaoru take full control. For Kaoru, he couldn't have asked for more. Being able to perform his beloved S&M to the girl he has always looked up to and secretly admired.

Stories of polar opposites attracting are nothing new, in fact, fairly common. Nana to Kaoru is no exception. When based strictly on romance there are tons of other better mangas. What makes Nana to Kaoru so special isn't the story of love between the two, but the way they portray their feelings for each other during their "breathers". During their breathers, it feels so real it feels so significant; the author makes you believe that S&M is the answer to all the problems. It is beautifully written and drawn capturing every emotion that makes you kind of want to try it out for yourself.

In conclusion, I loved this manga. I have not read anything like it before. I highly recommend it. I cannot wait until the next release and will be reading its somewhat sequel, "Nana to Kaoru: Black Label" the moment I get the chance. Whether or not you are a fan of BDSM, you will undoubtedly grow interest after reading this manga.

I was always hesitant about starting Nana to Kaoru. Not because of its S&M premise, but because I already had doubts about MC first chapter in, and whether he'd be able to actually do anything. Alas, in the end, I picked it up, and now my journey is over. And, if I'm honest, somewhere in this manga is a great story about young people exploring their sexuality and dealing with who they are, with some really powerful scenes, but, despite all that, this isn't a good story by any stretch.

The main problem with it is that it runs in circles. Although this is more prevalent in characters department, it also exists in the general narrative. Until the very end, the story is always in the 'push and pull' mode, meaning that very little development actually occurs over its 160 chapters. Starting with around the midway point in manga, the story slows down considerably to the frustrating levels, and more and more random points are introduced into narrative for the sole purpose of creating drama. Much like some characters, these plot points overstay their welcome and never really go anywhere, making it appear as blatant filler more than anything else.

As the story follows Kaoru and Nana, there were far too many times when the story wasn't about the two of them for considerable stretches of time. It's not as though there was no need to develop side characters, but the problem was that not even the main characters were developed at that point. The story attempts to introduce classic 'coming of age' elements into its narrative, but then uses them only to induce cheap drama rather than to actually deal with them properly. The main point here is the possible separation after graduating high school. It's a classic storytelling device when you want to give a shove to the character development, but here it's only used as means of creating dramatic scenes until the very, very end.

The best part about this manga is no doubt art. It's detailed, albeit inconsistent at times, and it really breathes 'story' in and of itself. Facial expressions were for the most part on point, proportions were adequate, and some panels simply oozed life on their own. Still, it's muddled with ton, and I mean TON of pointless speech boxes and bubbles that add nothing except distract from fantastic art. There isn't really much else to say, as one of the reasons I was able to finish this story is the art in the first place, so kudos.

As for the characters, they are definitely the worst part of the whole thing, while they should be the best. Specifically, side characters are an utter bother in this manga, and their influence on main duo, Nana and Kaoru, is anything except good. Much like certain plot points, they're used whenever the writer wanted to introduce cheap drama to increase the stakes of story.

Specifically, the secondary love interest(?) for our main guy is absolute chore to read about whenever she appears. She destroyed the dynamic between the main duo, and while her character served the classic role of giving 'the push' to the main duo, she was never a cause for any actual, positive change between the two. She was there to offset the gigantic tits of Nana, and to provide a few, cheap dramatic moments in storytelling.

While there are other side characters, very few of them, if any, get more than a chapter of development, making them all feel like static images rather than the characters. With that said, the central focus, for the most part, is about our main duo, let's get on them.

Nana is perhaps the best part of this manga, no doubt (and not just because of her huge oppai). Out of everyone, she receives the most development, which actually pushes her character forward rather than have her run in circles. She's actually a strong character who knows what she wants, and, when push comes to shove, is decisive about it (unlike someone else that I'll talk about soon). While I wouldn't call her character spectacular, considering those by her side, she really stands out by leaps and bounds.

Now, let's talk about the character that put the final lid on my enjoyment of this manga: Kaoru. There's a very simple reason why Kaoru just can't carry the show: it's because I simply can't see him as a Dom in a relationship. He's the exact opposite of what a Dom should be; cowardly, indecisive, afraid, insecure... while I'm not saying that a character with those characteristics is bad, it doesn't work in a manga of this type. There are about 2 times in the entire manga where he acts like a proper Dom, and even that is offset shortly after with his regret over those actions.

He's far too hesitant for a character that's supposed to dominate someone as strong as Nana, and, until the very end, he doesn't change much, if at all. He, perhaps, exemplifies the greatest problem Nana to Kaoru has: it's a by-the-books vanilla love story with S&M gimmick that works against it. Strip away the 'breathers', and you've got yourself your basic love story, that's all. Kaoru is a standard rom-com protagonist, Nana is a standard main girl, there's a love rival, far too much drama because characters can't voice their thoughts... everything, really.

S&M here is used as a means of 'binding' two leads together, and that's really it. While it does play part in some pretty decent character moments, for the most part it's a gimmick. One specific 'breather' stretches out for like 4-5 chapters where nothing actually happens. It's just an excuse to see woman act like dogs, and that's really it.

The hesitations of Nana can be somewhat excused, seeing as she's a sub, but with Kaoru it's impossible to overlook them. His character keeps spinning in circles for whole 160 chapters; 'Nana is mine', 'I can't stay by her side', 'I want to stay by her side', 'I don't', 'How do I tell her I love with without telling her because it's embarrassing despite all the shit we've been doing together', 'I can't tell her because I'm unworthy'... it just keeps going in circles, never stopping.

Hell, even when not faced with Nana but with other characters, he can't voice out a simple 'NO'. And there's the problem; in every day life, he's just a hesitant coward, which often sips over into their S&M sessions, and I'm left there wondering 'oi, is this guy really a Dom? I don't think so...'.

Despite all this, overall, I enjoyed my time with Nana to Kaoru quite a lot. Again, if all pointless drama filler was cut off, if side characters weren't all annoying to boot, and if main guy just wasn't who he was, this would have been a great manga. Alas, it is what it is. A box with a pretty wrap, but also pretty much empty inside.

You know... I wouldn't exactly say that it's the sweetest romance in the world (though it certainly tries to claim that title at times,) but it certainly is very interesting.

When I started it, there were only 3 chapters, and I was hooked enough to want to know more. I found out they weren't going to translate it anymore, and I refused to accept that. NtK has a special place in my heart because I was the one that pushed it out there to be picked back up again. I really do love this series. Each chapter keeps me wanting more. The only thing I really hate about this series is... I have to wait for new releases. And wait I do... this is not one of those that I add to "Watch list, read it as it comes up." I frequent the translator's site just hoping to read more. I don't often give 10s... but NtK is worth 10's across the board.

The characters are more real world than in other romances I've read. You have two kids that have been friends, but nothing more. They suffer too great a difference in looks and ability. Regardless of that, each of their seasons chips a little more of that wall away, and even gives the normally lazy Kaoru some motivation to self improve.

Ok... maybe it's not THAT realistic... but that's because most of us are lazy.

Pft... self improvement... that stuff is for losers.

Enjoyable manga series, please you must read the manga it s fucking awesome. Nana is a very good character y kaoru our lovely dumby protagonist.
This manga are more especific about erotism and bondage and it can show as a fetichist relationship with romants and comedia at the same time.

If I should say sometime to convice you I will say that this particular manga has a special feeling and it illustrate a firts bondage or BDSM relationship very well.
It 's starts describing kaoru and his parther as a shy couple introducing themselves at the fetichist. Together they will overcome challenges and discover their love attachment, as they discover their tastes they will find new friends with their same interests.