If you've watched the previous movie, the first thing you'll notice is a number of cast changes. It's pretty hard to miss the fact that the main character is a completely different person. It's something you might forgive in a TV series, but it's hard to believe that the same actors and actresses couldn't be gathered together to work on just one more movie. This is especially true because the acting required here seems so straightforward (once again, seems like it could be played side by side next to the animated series with little noticeable difference).
At least now Shin - replaced by a new actor as well - seems more like a middle schooler than a middle-aged man. And again, it's difficult to say whether the characters hold their own in this movie, or whether the background you'd get from watching the anime or manga are the only thing holding it together. Now, it's difficult to say anything here that isn't a spoiler, but for one, it seemed like the relationship between Hachi and Takumi went way too fast. It's delicate enough when you've got several episodes to explore it, but when it's crammed together like this, Hachi really doesn't seem to have the motivation she's supposed to have in order to fall for Takumi.
It felt like a lot was passed over when choosing what content from the manga to include in Nana 2, though again, this is quite understandable. But then you'll miss Shin's super-inappropriate relationship with Reira (not to mention his extremely super-wrong "day job"). Also, you may not realize that Yasu does more than light cigarettes and wear sunglasses at night. Oh and you may not realize just how big of a creep Takumi is - a big creepy, creep creep.
I think the main thing that bothered me about this movie versus the last movie was the fact that it did not feel like you got to know Nana's feelings as well as you should. At least in the anime, at this point the focus shifted to Nana's inner monologue and you discovered that she actually felt possessive of Hachi, and had beat herself up a bit for doing so. Hachi and Nana both felt as if they had grown out of touch with each other, but did not realize the hidden feelings they had for one another. This whole situation seemed a little lost and muddled in this movie.
This movie is pretty much only for people who watched the first movie. Think of it as the second season in a TV series rather than a movie sequel designed to top its predecessor. And again, you're probably going to enjoy this movie much more if you at least watched the animated series first. Special features are once again just a collection of trailers, and some of the actor bios are completely identical to the ones included with the first movie. If you had any idea who or what Nana 2 was about before you read this review, chances are you'll enjoy it. If not, you can safely pass this by.
