Seven of Seven

In this manga rendering of a popular Japanese anime series, we are introduced to the origins of the strange case of Nana Suzuki. Not too smart, not overly popular, and just cute enough, Nana was a totally ordinary ninth grader. Then, one fateful night, she unwittingly held a mysterious crystal up to the light of the full moon, and woke up the following morning split into seven different Nanas, each a little different than the next. Now there's Dynamic Nana, Sexy Nana, Crybaby Nana, Mean Nana, Smart Nana, Easygoing Nana, and Nana, the Original. Despite this sci-fi start to the tale, Imagawa's story is bubble-gum romance through and through. Most of the plot revolves around the seven Nanas fighting for the privilege of going to school so that they can be near the object of their affection, the blandly pleasant Yuichi. Tests must be taken, uniforms must be fought over, and mean girls must be battled. A few half-hearted hypnosis efforts are made to change Nana back into one person, but they're quickly abandoned. Instead, the reader romps with Nana as she makes Yuichi a special lunch and tries to keep the school administrator from twigging to her secret. Imagawa spices up the feather-light atmosphere with a surprisingly racy edge; Sexy Nana shows up in bondage gear at one point, short skirts flip up to show underwear at every opportunity, and the book closes with a nude co-ed hot-springs party. Artist Kunihiro has been set a fine challenge, depicting seven identical girls who are all slightly different. He generally rises to the challenge, but the abundance of meek smiles and huge eyes can be overwhelming. Seven of Seven is for those with a high tolerance for sweets only.