Nana Manga: What Is in Print and Where the Story Stops
Nana in English: 21 original single volumes, the ongoing 25th Anniversary two-in-one reissue, and the 2009 hiatus that explains why the story stops at Vol. 21.
Nana is the hardest buy on this list to explain in one line, because the story stops without ending. In English there are two print editions from VIZ: the original single volumes, which run from Vol. 1 to Vol. 21, and the 25th Anniversary Edition, a larger two-in-one reissue that began in October 2025 and is still coming out. Buy the singles if you want every collected volume now. Buy the Anniversary Edition if you want the nicer books and are happy to wait for them.
Why the story stops at Vol. 21
In June 2009, Anime News Network reported that Shueisha’s Cookie magazine had announced Ai Yazawa was putting Nana on hold due to a “sudden illness,” and that the series’ return “has not been scheduled yet.” The same report counted “NANA’s 21 current volumes” and noted an earlier hiatus from June to November 2007. VIZ’s English listing also ends at Vol. 21. We have not found an official statement since then that the serialization has resumed, so this guide treats Vol. 21 as where the collected story currently stops, not as an ending.
The two editions
| Edition | Books | Format | US list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original single volumes | Vols. 1–21, December 6, 2005 to July 6, 2010 | 5 by 7 1/2 inches, around 192 to 280 pages | $11.99 each; $251.79 for all 21 |
| 25th Anniversary Edition | Vols. 1–5 released; Vol. 6 announced for December 1, 2026; Vol. 7 for March 2, 2027 | 5 3/4 by 8 1/4 inches, 376 to 472 pages | $24.99 each |
The original singles
Vol. 1 is ISBN 9781421501086, 192 pages, released December 6, 2005, under the Shojo Beat imprint. Vol. 21, ISBN 9781421533087, came out July 6, 2010. VIZ’s Nana listing shows Vols. 1 through 21; the product pages for Vols. 1 and 21 list $11.99, and our catalog records the same price for every volume. These are the only English books that currently reach Vol. 21.
The 25th Anniversary Edition
VIZ’s fall 2025 announcement describes it as a “deluxe 2-in-1 omnibus edition” with “a larger trim size, with a refreshed design and gatefold flaps.” Anniversary Vol. 1 (ISBN 9781974758289) arrived October 21, 2025; Vol. 5 on September 1, 2026; Vol. 6 is dated December 1, 2026, and Vol. 7 March 2, 2027.
Two cautions. First, the product pages do not say which original volumes each Anniversary book contains, so do not assume Anniversary Vol. 3 is singles 5 and 6. Second, how many Anniversary books there will be in total has not been announced in anything we checked. VIZ’s own listing shows six; Simon & Schuster lists a seventh. Seven two-in-one books would hold the equivalent of 14 single volumes, short of 21, but no further books or final count have been announced.
VIZ also announced a limited Vivienne Westwood cover with sprayed edges, sold through Books-A-Million in the US, Waterstones in the UK and Westwood boutiques. It is a variant cover, not an extra installment.
Which to buy
- To read everything collected now: the singles, Vols. 1–21.
- To collect a nicer edition: the Anniversary books in order, knowing they have not yet caught up with Vol. 21.
- Already own some singles: finish the singles. Switching mid-story to the Anniversary books means matching chapters, because the books do not list their contents by original volume.
For the two leads before you start, see our essays on Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu.