Thoughts On... Talentless Nana

Hey there. I'm a huge anime fan. Some might even say I'm an otaku type person (like the posts on my Otaku Box don't give it away. lol) so I watch a lot of anime. I'm been thinking of continuing my Thoughts On... series based on anime series that I recently watched. I originally thought of doing per episode but that's just going to be too much and because the Fall anime season just ended, I figured that this would be the best time to give thoughts on an anime series where the season just ended. So for the revival of Thoughts On... series, let's talk about the Talentless Nana. But before I do, let's get some technicalities out of the way. This post will contain spoilers for the Talentless Nana anime series (Fall anime season 2020) so I suggest you catch the series before you read the rest of this post. You have been warned, friends! Here are my thoughts on... Talentless Nana.Oof! What a series, huh?! I'm a huge fan of the psychological and thriller genre of films and shows and Talentless Nana fits the bill perfectly. Talentless Nana, the anime, is based off the manga of the same name and I believe that it is still ongoing. Because the anime series doesn't cover the full story, I expect there to be additional seasons of Talentless Nana to air in the future. A show that leaves me wanting more is always a plus in my book.

At first, this show gave me My Hero Academia vibes: a classroom full of kids with super powers, known as The Talented, are there to learn how to use their powers in an effort to eliminate the, "enemies of humanity." But then... it happens. One of the students is killed and one of the other students, Nana, killed him. Then, we are given Nana's inner thoughts. She is not talented, she does not have any super powers, and she is there to eliminate the, "true", enemies of humanity, the Talented. And she does this all while keeping up the façade that she is a Talented student, just like everyone else.

This moment... right here. You can't kill Kyouya, Nana so what are you going to do next?

During the first few episodes, the show plays out as a, how is Nana going to take out the next student, type of show. Which is pretty cool, since this is a great way to get you familiar with the school, staff, students, and Nana. Once Nana attempts to kill student, Kyouya, the show really starts to take off. Kyouta's power is immortality and after surviving his assassination attempt, he knows someone just tried to kill him. Kyouya starts to suspects Nana. He feels that Nana is lying to everyone. Kyouya is out to prove that Nana is full of shit and is the killer picking off students. This game of cat and mouse just got pretty intense.

I really LOVE the idea of inner monologues and Talentless Nana does an exceptional job of using them to full affect. One big thing that usually gets left out of anime adaptations is the inner thoughts of characters so I was extremely thrilled to see the screen imbued with a red hue and Nana voicing her thoughts. It is simply brilliant. But studio Bridge took it one step further and added an imprint of Nana's real facial reaction coupled with her inner thoughts. It's a great way to showcase how Nana is putting up a front for everyone else but we, the viewer, see her real expression. Great use of visuals to enhance the story, Bridge!

Nana smiles at Kyouya but you can see her real expression hiding underneath the mask

But this isn't all murder mystery, will he or won't he, catch her. There is a strong story behind all of this. Nana is taking orders from somebody. Who sent her? Why are the students a threat? What is motivating Nana? Can Nana change her ways? What is motivating Kyouya? Will he find out what happened to his sister? There are hints of so much more going here! There are many mysterious happenings and characters in Talentless Nana that it keeps you tuning in. The kids and I tuned in every week to see what would happen next. The show does an excellent job ending each episode with a subtle question or mystery that it begs a discussion afterwards. We would bounce off theories and what not off of each other trying to piece together the clues left for us to figure it out. 

And then there's Michiru. Oh man... Michiru. This show had me guessing the whole time about Michiru. Is she good, is she bad, is she on Nana's side or is she messing with Nana? While watching the show, you start to think like Nana and start to second guess what other character's intentions are. The show does a wonderful job of putting us in Nana's shoes and we, the viewer start projecting Nana's paranoia to other characters. Michiru's relationship with Nana in the last couple of episodes exemplifies this. The seeds of the relationship are planted early and it's this relationship that has Nana starting to second guess her mission. How can Michiru be an enemy of humanity, with a potential kill count of 1.5 million people, when her power is the power of healing? As a matter of fact, each time Michiru heals, her own life is shortened! How can she potentially kill 1.5 million people if using her power could potentially kill her? 

Nana thinking of taking out Michiru

These are the types of questions that will have you on the edge of your seat as you watch the final episodes of this show. It's what makes this show so good. SO GOOD! And that that last episode had me like, whoa! And even then, the show ends on a cliffhanger that begs for additional episodes to me made!

Talentless Nana is one hell of a ride. The psychological aspects makes it wonderful, the thriller moments make it great, and the character development puts it over the top. Because the anime didn't finish the whole story, I'm currently looking for the manga so that I can read what happens next!

What did you think of Talentless Nana? Did you find it as enthralling as I did? Let's hear it in the comments, friends! Later!