This past Friday, the Little Tokyo Flea Market broke away from its typical schedule. The reason? The community event was preparing for the NANA Night Market, a special celebration of “NANA,” the hit manga and anime series created by Ai Yazawa, a Japanese manga artist.
Although the night market occurred in the flea market’s usual location, Little Tokyo Galleria, the event was transformed with the vendors’ appreciation for the series. Food vendors served a variety of items, such as themed lemonade and custom cookies, tattoo artists drew iconic panels from the manga onto attendees’ skins and clothing vendors presented pieces inspired by the series’ signature romantic and punk-rock style, referencing Yazawa’s appreciation for English fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. To add to the Westwood aesthetic of the market, accessory vendors displayed vintage watches, bracelets and rings.
“Nana is one of my favorite anime, so I am definitely influenced by the way I find my pieces,” said Eliza Andrada, a clothing vendor.
Artist vendors sold a variety of merchandise, such as prints, stickers and charms, all of which explored NANA’s stories and themes. Although the series presents a simple beginning, two women who share the same name move to Tokyo at 20 and form an unlikely friendship, it soon dives into the reality of adulthood, demonstrating the struggles that come with crushed dreams, drifting relationships and loss of identity.
“I feel like the somber element of this friendship that is slowly drifting apart is a very specific feeling that I’m trying to evoke in my artwork. Like happy but sad,” said Kait Ting, an artist vendor.
Another aspect that made this event special was the attendees’ fashion. On top of sporting bags with decorative pins displaying chibi doodles from the manga, many attendees dressed in a way that paid respect to the two main protagonists of the series, Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu.
Those inspired by the former expressed a gothic, punk-rock aesthetic through leather jackets, eccentric piercings and platform boots. Those inspired by the latter showed a soft, romantic look through layered tops, endearing hairstyles and pink tights. Some attendees paid homage to the series’ supporting characters as well.
“I’ve seen Junko outfits and stuff,” said Leilani Beese, an attendee. “And I’m just happy that it’s not just copy and paste Nana. It’s an actual appreciation for the series.”
The packed venue and the attendees’ fashion reflected not only how much love and appreciation the series has earned but also how much its themes of friendship and adulthood have resonated with its audience.
“I love the show. It’s so real. All of the characters are really realistic and complex, and I love the way they interact with each other,” said Dani Macahilig, another attendee.
Despite the fact that the manga has been on a hiatus for over a decade, the NANA Night Market attracted a lively crowd of on-theme attendees and detail-oriented vendors, demonstrating its continued relevance to fans across communities.
“I feel like NANA is one of those stories that you see whenever you’re younger, and you’re like, ‘I wonder if my life is gonna turn out like that.’” Beese said. “And then you start growing up, and you start connecting more with the characters.”