Does Artbook Nana Include Character Sketches And Notes?

If you've seen an artbook for a beloved series, you probably expect to find sketches, and the 'NANA' artbook delivers in that department. It tends to mix finished promotional art with a trove of preliminary character work: rough silhouettes, anatomy studies, outfit tests, and multiple facial expressions. There are also layout thumbnails and sometimes storyboard fragments that show how scenes were planned, which I think is as fascinating as the character pages themselves.

Beyond the visuals, the notes tend to be a blend of practical and personal. I’ve spotted color-callouts (like which shade of black for a leather jacket), notes about texture or hairstyle direction, and small diary-like comments where the artist mentions a mood or a song that inspired a piece. If you’re into deeper lore, some editions include short interviews or Q&A blurbs where the creator elaborates on motivations behind a character’s look. From my experience, those written pieces turn the sketches from mere pretty pictures into storytelling tools — you start to see how a character’s silhouette or wardrobe choice reflects their role in the story. It changed the way I appreciated tiny details in the manga, and it still makes me smile flipping through the pages.

Flipping through the pages of the 'NANA' artbook still gives me chills — and yes, it definitely includes character sketches and notes. The book usually opens with full-color illustrations and then moves into sections of line art, roughs, and turnarounds for the main cast. What I love most are the progression pages where a character’s hairstyle, outfit variations, and facial expressions are laid out side-by-side; you can literally see design choices being refined. Those pages often have small handwritten notes about colors, fabrics, or mood — little gems that feel like the creator whispering behind-the-scenes secrets to you.

In my copy there are also margin scribbles and alternate poses that never made it into the final manga panels. Sometimes those notes are practical (like a reminder about proportions or a specific eye shape), and sometimes they’re narrative, hinting at a backstory or personality tweak that explains a line of dialogue later on. If you're hunting for development detail, check for the model sheets — they’ll show expressions, height comparisons, and costume breakdowns. Also keep an eye out for short commentary sections where the artist talks about inspirations, music, or fashion references that shaped the characters. That context can change how you read certain scenes.

One caveat: different editions vary in translation and scan quality. The Japanese editions often retain more handwritten notes and small annotations, while some foreign prints simplify or omit them. Still, even a pared-down edition gives you a real window into character design and the creative process, and I always find myself poring over those sketches for hours — they're that addictive.

Mine sits on my shelf and every so often I pull it down for a nostalgia hit — the 'NANA' artbook absolutely has character sketches and lots of little notes. It’s not just polished art: there are rough drawings, multiple costume tries, and expression sheets that reveal how the artist experimented with personality through posture and face. The annotations range from technical tips about lineweight and color to breezy, candid comments about what inspired a look; sometimes you even get cross-references to particular chapters or scenes.

One quick thing I appreciate is how those sketches can illuminate why a character behaves a certain way — seeing a slouched pose or a deliberately messy hairstyle in the sketchbook suddenly makes a line of dialogue land differently. If you love dissecting character design or just enjoy seeing the creator’s thought process, those pages are pure gold. I still find new details every time I skim it, and it never gets old.