Seven of Seven

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Seven of Seven
七人のナナ
(Shichinin no Nana)
Genre Adventure, Comedy
TV anime
Director Yasuhiro Imagawa
Studio A.C.G.T.
Network Flag of Japan TV Tokyo
Original run January 10, 2002 – June 27, 2002
Episodes 25 + 1 Special
Manga
Author Yasuhiro Imagawa (story)
Azusa Kunihiro (art)
Publisher Flag of Japan Akita Shoten
Serialized in Shōnen Champion
Original run November 08, 2001 – May 25, 2002
Volumes 3

Seven of Seven (七人のナナ Shichinin no Nana?) is an anime TV series created by Yasuhiro Imagawa (Giant Robo, Virgin Fleet) and produced by A.C.G.T.

The TV series premiered January 10, 2002 on TV Tokyo and finished in run on June 27, 2002, totaling 25 episodes. A New Year's special episode was included in the seventh DVD volume (KIBA-745) released on October 2 of the same year. Due to production schedules, the manga adaptation, illustrated by Azusa Kunihiro, started serialization in Akita Shoten's Shōnen Champion on November 08, 2001, two months before the anime premiere. The manga ended on May 25, 2002 and collected in three volumes.[1]

Contents

[edit] Title

The title Seven of Seven or Shichinin no Nana is a pun, as the main character's name, Nana, means 'seven' in Japanese. It relates the premise of the series, where Nana has split into seven different sides of the personality due to a slight accident from an experiment her grandfather was conducting. In addition, Nana Suzuki's voice is also done by another Nana, Nana Mizuki.

[edit] Plot

After seeing a rainbow as a child and being mesmerized by its beauty, Nana's grandfather has been trying all his life to capture the beauty of a rainbow within a crystallized form. After years of failed attempts and crazy inventions, such as a VCR toaster and vacuum cleaning mouse catcher, he finally discovers a way to make such a crystallized rainbow. His plan would work by separating the light from a rainbow into its seven basic colors and then reforming it into seven colorized crystals. His experiment was working too and only needed few seconds in the microwave to be complete and finally fulfill his dream. That is when Nana, who was searching for the microwave in an attempt to use it to bake a chocolate cake for Yuichi, opened the door before the crystal had fully hardened and caused an accident.

Suddenly the crystal glowed and split into the seven colors of the rainbow, hitting Nana as one color and coming out of her in the seven separate colors of the rainbow creating seven different Nanas. Aspect of Nana's personality suddenly exist its own separate physical form, there is a giggly Nana, a sleepy Nana, a crybaby Nana, a slowpoke Nana, a grumpy Nana, and one who is a bit of a flirt, and an intellectual Nana, who all standing alongside the original Nana. However, they are all also the same Nana, and all share the same feelings for the boy Yuichi, which is clearly seen as their first thought is to finally make that chocolate cake which they try to do and are working and talking in perfect sync with each other, as if they were still just one person, that is until the cake is done at which time they start fighting over who will give it to Yuichi.

Each Nana grabs one of the crystals that formed from the one crystal her Grandfather was trying to harden in the microwave and realizes it gives her super powers, she can fly, has super strength and super speed. This leads to a chase between the original Nana, and the new six sides of her personality who are all fighting as they fly and destroy parts of town over who will give the cake to Yuichi. When they finally finish, they once again prove they are all parts of the same Nana as they are all too scared to approach him and hand him the cake.

The crystals also hold another power seen later on as Nana wears a costume from the anime she (and the other Nanas) loved as a child called the "Nana Rangers". While they are wearing the costume and at the same time carrying their crystals the prop costumes turn into the real "Nana Rangers" costumes allowing them at times to be Superheroes, and also all show themselves in public at once, since Nana and the others realize the danger of all being seen at the same time without masks or some way of hiding that they are all the same person.

After they had settled on their roles, 7 Nana also faces the fact that if the crystals are not reintegrated within a year after the split, all 7 of them will disappear.

[edit] Characters

  • Nana Suzuki - Nana in her original form, and the one form that remains even when the other parts of her personality split from her. Shy and very timid, and for as long as she can remember she has had a crush on a boy in her class called Yuichi, and yet has been scared to approach him and tell him how she feels, this has led to three girls, that actually turn out to be her friends as the story progresses, to tease and torment her as they try to vie for Yuichi's attention. She is also the only Nana to be called only "Nana". (The Blue Nana of Nana Rangers) Voiced by: Nana Mizuki (Japanese), Veronica Taylor (English)
  • Nanappe - "Hot tempered Nana" (Red Nana of Nana Rangers). She likes to fight and work out. Voiced by: Sumomo Momomori (Japanese), Veronica Taylor (English)
  • Nanacchi - "Happy Nana" (Yellow Nana). She likes movies, especially funny ones. Voiced by: Mai Asaki (Japanese), Veronica Taylor (English)
  • Nanarin - "Sensitive Nana" (Lime Nana). She likes video games. Almost anything can cause her to cry.Her power allows her to emit powerful sonic waves from her voice when she cries. Voiced by: Yukari Fukui (Japanese), Veronica Taylor (English)
  • Nanakko - "Slow Nana" (Orange Nana). This Nana has an affinity for fish (specifically, Billy related items). Nanakko takes a relaxed approach to life, even with approaching deadline, and speaks with a childish and congested voice. Voiced by: Madoka Akita (Japanese), Veronica Taylor (English)
  • Nanapon - "Strange Nana" (Purple Nana). She likes spiritual things. She also has the essence of feminine physique. At one time used her crystal to hypnotize the other girls, and eventually herself while trying to teach the original Nana hypnosis. Voiced by: Kaori Nazuka (Japanese), Veronica Taylor (English)
  • Jamanana - "Eighth Nana" (Black Nana). The evil version of Nana that first appears in the new year, planning on interfering with Nana's plans. Unlike other clones, Hitomi cannot differentiate her from the others. While she, like the other Nanas, wants Nana to succeed, the Eighth Nana is not beyond using less moral methods and sabotage to ensure Nana's success and believes that the only person Nana needs is her. She has proven to be more powerful than the other six Nanas combined. Jamanana has hypnosis ability, even without carrying the crystal. It appears that she came into being because of Nana's negative feelings and doubts. The black crystal that symbolizes her emerged when 7 Nana were depressed over Yuichi's interest with Tsukie, and the crystal in microwave oven was cracking. In Nanaranger form, Jamanana has white hair and wears a jagged red scarf, sharp ears and inward curving horns on the helmet, and does not need separate costume to transform.
  • Hitomi Onodera - Nana's closest and oldest friend, she tries to support Nana in her quest to tell Yuichi how she really feels. Her parents also own a restaurant which she and Nana go to each year and have a yearly party. She is also the one that seems to know Nana better than Nana knows herself and is easily able to tell which "Nana" is which after they split into the seven individual parts of the same personality. Hitomi has completely different looking eyes when seen without glasses, a feature Hitomi used to disguise herself. Voiced by: Miyu Matsuki (Japanese), Rachael Lillis (English)
  • Yuichi Kamichika - Nana's crush, he is really into photography and is continually taking pictures around town. He is also very smart and that is part of what scares Nana as she quietly tries to keep up with him in a way that will allow her to attend the same high school as Yuichi. Unfortunately, it may be that he's holding the torch for someone else. Usually kind and open, he comes to see Nana as a good friend. Voiced by: Akira Ishida (Japanese), Michael Sinterniklaas (English)
  • Mr. Handa - The vice-principal of Nana's school, he is really a nice guy underneath the gruff exterior, but also tries to push Nana and the other students very hard, as it turns out that is mostly for their own good. He defends Nana when she is refused even a chance to enter her chosen high school after the Eighth Nana hurts Tsukie, noting that while Nana was looked down upon by members of the honours class, she has since worked hard to become one of its top students and would not be so foolish as to throw it all away.
  • Mr. Maruoka - Nana's guidance counselor, he is another one that is trying his hardest to help the students and is actually a good guy too, but also one that comes off as slightly gruff and often at odds with Nana, who tends to daydream during class at times and has to work hard at studying to keep up with Yuichi. Hitomi has a bit of a crush on him because he put his jacket around her when she was cold during Christmas (Mr. Maruoka had no idea it was Hitomi), something she imagines her ideal boyfriend would do.
  • Megumi Hayashiba, Erino Kogarashi, and Motoko Morinuma - Three girls in Nana's grade who are initially tease and torment her all the time, but soon see how hard Nana is working and will stand up for her when they think she deserves some credit and attempt to support her endeavours to get into high school. The three girls have the worst marks in school, but want to enter the same high school and are impressed that Nana managed to move from their level to the honours class with Yuichi and Hitomi. Hayashiba, the leader of the group, is a childhood friend of Nana's and a very talented Japanese dancer who studies many Japanese arts, like ikebana and tea ceremony, Kogarashi is the sneaky girl who brags about people, and Morinuma is the girl with the fish lips who wears baggy pants all the time. Hayashiba eventually chose a Japanese dancing school, a different choice from Kogarashi and Morinuma, as a promise to her grandfather to become a maiko dancer. After the graduation, Morinuma went to a nursing school, Kogarashi entered a special school to became a cartoon voice actress.
  • Mayor - Owner of the 7 of Seven convenient store. Mayor lent the Nana Ranger costumes to Rokuzo (Nana's grandfather) when Rokuzo claims he had found 7 girls working for school festival. After the Nana Rangers had saved Mayor from a scooter gang, he gave them the costumes as gift.
  • Tsukie Kayano - A childhood friend of Yuichi and a seeming rival to Nana for his affections. She is currently in her last year at the junior high division of Yasaka Ōji and studies hard in obtain a good placement for when she moves to the high school division; Yuichi and Nana have both applied for the high school division, despite how difficult it will be to enter. Her focus on her schoolwork leads her to reject Yuichi's feelings for her and, after criticizing Nana for spending time doing things other than studying, gains the dislike of the trio of girls supporting Nana. Tsukie, brilliant and focused, is the reason why Yuichi is so smart - he wants to get into the same high school as her and studies as hard as he can, like Nana is attempting to do to stay with Yuichi. She loves art, but because members of her family have traditionally become doctors, she is expected to study medicine and go to university. After becoming friends with Nana, she decides to study art instead of medicine at her high school.
  • Rokuzo Suzuki - Nana's grandfather, who lives with Nana. He spent a lot of time on his research and did not pay much attention to Nana, which resulted in the incident that splits Nana into seven. He does care a lot about her and worries that his experiment might have dire consequences on Nana's well being. Many of Rokuzo's experients have ended in failure, including attempts of recombining Nana.
  • Mitsuko Suzuki - Nana's mother who lives in San Francisco for business reasons. She loves Nana dearly and wants her daughter to be as successful as possible. She and Yuichi run into each other in San Francisco without either of them knowing how the other is connected to Nana nor does Nana ever know her mother and Yuichi have met.
  • Goro Suzuki - Nana's father. He also lives in San Francisco. He is a bit of a pushover, but also loves Nana a lot. He is more sentimental than his wife, especially when he notices that both Nana and Grampa want to remain in their house in Kotomachi, but tends to go along with her wishes.
  • Melody Honey (Miss Honey) - A girl from San Francisco sent to Nana's house to help Nana improve her English, though she turns out to be a complete slacker who does not really attempt to tutor Nana. It turns out that Nana's mother sent Honey to Japan so Honey would be able to confess her feelings to a boy she knows in Japan. During her visit, she discovers the secret of the seven Nanas, but promises to keep it a secret. Nana runs into her again in San Francisco, when it turns out she is Yuichi's host during his home stay program.
  • Mary - During Nana's trip to San Francisco, Honey assigned Mary, a little girl whom Honey babysits regularly, to Yuichi and Nana as part of the home stay program. Mary tried to use Nana's crystal, but she could only create earthquake.
  • Billy - A fish mascot. It is usually seen as a fish pillow that Nanakko always carries. Billy also appears as other forms of merchandise, such as the keychain Nana gives Yuichi for Christmas. During Christmas, Nana even dressed up as Billy to avoid being recognized by classmates, her counsellor, and the vice principal because it was against school policy for students to take on part time jobs when they should be studying for entrance exams.
  • DJ 623 (Mutsumi Hojo) - The host of the Examinee #623 radio show. He gives advice on various topics, including good luck charms and studying tips. He appears in person in Early acceptance retracted! My love life and my exams are out of control? when Nana and Hitomi run into him on the train to school. Pleased to meet two of his fans, he asks them to send faxes during his radio show any time they want someone to know something. He is upbeat and quite friendly, with noticeably bright blue hair, and even has the nerve to rub Mr. Handa's head and remark it is like a mushroom.

[edit] Episodes

# Title Original airdate
01 "Nana times Nana is NANA?"
"nana kakeru nana wa NANA" (第１問！ナナ×７＝ナナ？) 		 2002-01-10
02 "Chaos! All seven of us go to school?"
"daikonran! shichinin sorotte gakkou he?" (大混乱！７人そろって学校へ？) 		 2002-01-17
03 "Do seven Nanas make one Nana?"
"Shichinin minna de hitori no NANA?" (七人みんなで一人のナナ？) 		 2002-01-24
04 "The birth of the exam hell squadron Nana rangers?"
"Tanjou! Juuken sentai NANA RENJAA?" (誕生！受験戦隊ナナレンジャー？) 		 2002-01-31
05 "Decision time! Yuichi's first-choice High School?"
(決定！神近君の志望校？) 		 2002-02-07
06 "Examinee n° 623! Late-night radio commotion?"
(受験番号６２３！深夜ラジオで大騒動) 		 2002-02-14
07 "Midnight snack munchies! A cook-off to help us pass our exams?"
(夜食モグモグ！料理勝負も受験のために？) 		 2002-02-21
08 "Confess your love in english! KO the american tutor?"
(英語で告白！家庭教師をやっつけろ？) 		 2002-02-28
09 "Sweet temptation! Love, secrets and crib notes?"
(甘い誘惑！恋と秘密とカンニング) 		 2002-03-07
10 "The dreaded F! Final exams are a must-win battle?"
(恐怖の赤点！期末テストを突破せよ？) 		 2002-03-14
11 "Have your cake and eat it too?"
(二兎追うものは二兎を得よ？) 		 2002-03-21
12 "Hot summer study retreat! Heartstopping test of courage and love?"
(真夏の集中合宿！ドキドキ恋の肝試し？) 		 2002-03-28
13 "Love & English conversation! A mid-air rendez-vous with Yuichi?"
(恋する英会話！神近君とお空の上でランデブー？) 		 2002-04-04
14 "Overseas study program! Chaos in San Francisco?"
(ホームステイで受験勉強！サンフランシスコは大騒ぎ？) 		 2002-04-11
15 "To each her own entrance exam! Who will catch the future?"
(それぞれの受験！未来は我が手か誰の手に？) 		 2002-04-18
16 "Cultural festival heartbreak! A 4-Handkerchief tearjerker?"
(恋散る文化祭！涙も枯れる大舞台？) 		 2002-04-25
17 "The day Nana disappeared... and reappeared?"
(ナナが消える日、出てくる日？) 		 2002-05-02
18 "Confession in the snow? Happy christmas from us all!"
(雪降る告白？ナナとみんなのHappy X'mas！) 		 2002-05-09
19 "New Year's Eve with the whole family! Panic! Mom and Dad return!"
(家族そろって大みそか！パパ・ママ帰国で大ピンチ？) 		 2002-05-16
20 "Passing grade guaranteed! Charms gone awry?"
(絶対合格！おまじないで大迷走？) 		 2002-05-23
21 "The missing pencil! There are 8 Nanas?"
(消えたシャーペン！驚き桃の木８人目のナナ？) 		 2002-05-30
22 "Showdown! Nana and Yuichi! Interview for early acceptance?"
(対決！ナナと神近君！面接試験で推薦合格？) 		 2002-06-06
23 "Early acceptance retracted! My love life and my exams are out of control?"
(推薦取り消し!!私の恋と受験はどうなるの？) 		 2002-06-13
24 "The day before the exam!! The last battle, Nana vs Nana?"
(受験前日!!最後の対決 ナナVSナナ？) 		 2002-06-20
25 "Acceptance announcement! Flowers blossom on the hill of hearts?"
(合格発表!!心の丘に花の咲く？) 		 2002-06-27
OVA "It's New Year's![2] 7x7=49 Nanas?"
(お正月だよ! 7×7=49人のナナ?) 		 2002-10-02
{DVD Volume 7)

[edit] In other media

Sgt. Frog

Sgt. Frog's mangaka, Mine Yoshizaki, created the character concept designs for Seven of Seven. As such, various crossovers exist between the series. The character of Mutsumi Hojo, who appears as "Examinee 623" and the host of his own radio program in 7 of 7, is a major character in Sgt. Frog. Melody Honey, a minor character in Sgt. Frog, appears as Yuurei-chan in episode 12 of Nana.

In addition, episode 89 of Sgt. Frog features a plot that splits Corporal Giroro into seven personalities, most of whom resemble Nana's split personalities. A segment of the episode featuring Mutsumi takes place at the cherry tree seen frequently in Seven of Seven.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Khan, Ridwan (September 2002). Seven of Seven. Animefringe. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  2. ^ The DVD-only special takes place after Episode 19: "New Year's Eve with the whole family". The broadcast on Fairchild TV in 2006 aired this episode the chronological order it took place instead of after the series.

[edit] External links

[edit] Official production sites

[edit] Reviews