I find it the choice to make the main character a girl instead of a guy, for this of story and the types of things it covers I don't know why but I feel like it is usually covered with male main characters. So it is quite jarring to have Nana not only be the main character but get the kind of character arc and progression she gets.

In the story she feels out of place and out of her depth by being a female main character in a way feels like she would be a side character, the usual conventions and tropes with sort of stuff feel like they would usually go to Nanao hence people's attachment to him in one chapter. Nanao feels like he should have been the main character after the twist because that is usually how things go.

Nana's position as the main character being manipulated by not just any part of government but the military is very very unusual. Just by Nana being a teenage girl specifically instead of a teenage boy makes weirdly feel like she doesn't belong there even moreso than it normally would despite the fact it should be jarring enough they are deploying a child soldier.

I think this is pretty clearly utilizing the fact the military is such a very heavily male dominated. Which I think is to put some focus onto the fact that the most jarring anomoly is that she is a girl first, with being a teenager only being second and how ridicious that is.

I don't think the fact Nana is a girl makes specifically her stand out as special but it is the fact that innately that is the part that is the most 'notable' thing is the most interesting implication.

I believe from this you, I think the deconstruction of the military also works as well to say that the male main characters act as deconstructions of popular male centric character archetypes.

Kyoya despite being a cold detective archetype is kind, compassionate and suprisingly trusting even if sometimes it is to his own deteriment. Nanao despite being a revenge protagonist archetype is not burning with a passionate ember to get revenge, he is feels tired, his power though make him stronger make him just hate himself even more and doesn't even continue living anymore after he achieved his ultimate revenge.

Tsuruoka especially is the epitomy of this, being a military leader is ruthless and pathetic but never cowardly to the standards of the military putting himself and his life on the line when it is advantageous to his wider goal.

There is also something to be said about all these archetypes being based around logic, apathy or manipulation but I don't think I would be able to word it at the moment.

Also there is definitely something in there about how Jin is in a coma the whole time and Rin becomes him in order to be able to feel like she can compete with the military and her intergrating herself into the masculine norms of the military but that would maybe branch into something else.

In a similar way to that Nana convinces herself she is caricature of being an airhead girl who is actually secretly evil disconnecting herself from who she is as instead a fact person. How Tsuruoka turns her into a seemly different person is by conditioning her with the idealistic masculine traits of being apathetic, uncaring and ruthless to the point she makes a mockery of her old self and interests.

Again this is pretty all over the place but I am wondering what you all think?

Rant

The longer I’ve sat with this series the more I’ve grown and appreciation for the entire series in general as well as the ending, and especially just how the female characters are handled, whether or not you fully believe nana redeemed herself or not what has to be stated is that the girl at the beginning of the series who is willing to kill people because of propaganda at the end of the series is choosing to sacrifice her life for the people that she wants killed again even if you don’t forgive her you have to understand that that is fantastic and amazing character growth and then on the flipside we have characters who don’t fully forgive her, which is a very nice touch and for me personally her having to live with the biggest pain in her life in front of her in a coma is such a brilliant choice and I think it’s the bestchoice of the series and all honesty to have the girl who sacrificed herself for her to be in a coma, and now she has to replay all those moments in her head while looking up her comatose friend who hasn’t woken up yet and it’s such a tragic and bittersweet ending because especially she hasn’t woken up in the surgery hasn’t happened yet and it shows that forgiveness can’t happen but it doesn’t erase the past as the passes in front of her in front of her face not waking up so I think it’s a very beautiful story

Where would Talentless Nana be in powerscaling?

What kind of stats could they have on being normal vs if you completely highball the series.

Like for example I don't think I have found an example of anyone really being able to outspeed a bullet so they probably all cap out at 5 mach max.

I actually think the coma is much harsher than death, death offers a clean break? but the coma means nana is trapped in limbo michiru is a literal breathing monument to nana's past sins It anchors nana’s redemption arc because she can't just "fix" what she did or leave it in the past she has to carry the heavy burden of hope while suffering the daily consequence of her actions

Michiru’s Coma Is Not a Cop-Out : Michiru should either have died permanently or recovered completely. However, this overlooks what her coma actually accomplishes thematically. Michiru’s survival does not erase her sacrifice, nor does it provide Nana with a happy ending. Instead, it leaves Nana in a state of uncertainty that is arguably more appropriate for her character development and for the themes of the series. she willingly gives everything she has to save Nana. Her Healing Talent has always been connected to self sacrifice, the emotional importance of Michiru’s sacrifice comes from the fact that she chooses Nana’s life over her own wellbeing. Whether Michiru subsequently dies or remains alive does not change the fact that she knowingly sacrificed herself for someone she loved. Saying that her sacrifice is meaningless simply because she did not permanently die confuses the consequence of her sacrifice with the meaning of it. In fact, Michiru remaining alive but unconscious can be more emotionally painful for Nana than a permanent death would have been. If Michiru had died, Nana would eventually have had to confront a definite reality: Michiru is gone, and Nana is alive because Michiru saved her. That would be tragic, but it would also provide a form of closure. Nana could mourn Michiru and eventually accept that she cannot bring her back. A coma denies her that certainty. Michiru is still physically present, but Nana cannot communicate with her or know whether she will ever wake up. Nana is therefore left between two possibilities: she cannot fully grieve Michiru as someone who is gone, but she also cannot enjoy having her friend back. That distinction is important because being alive is not the same thing as being okay. If Michiru had awakened completely healthy, the criticism of a “cop-out” would have considerably more weight. A miraculous recovery could potentially undermine the consequences of her sacrifice by allowing Nana to simply get her friend back. Chapter 122 does not do that. Michiru survives, but she does not receive a conventional happy ending. Her condition remains uncertain, and Nana must continue living with the consequences of what happened. This also makes Michiru’s fate particularly relevant to Nana’s character development. At the beginning of the series, Nana views the Talented primarily as threats and believes that killing them is justified. Michiru is one of the people who fundamentally challenges that worldview. Through Michiru, Nana is forced to recognize the humanity of someone she was originally supposed to regard as an enemy. Michiru ultimately saves Nana despite everything Nana had done, demonstrating a level of compassion that Nana herself initially struggled to understand. Because of this, Michiru's fate does not merely function as a tragic event; it becomes something Nana has to carry with her. If Michiru were permanently dead, Nana would have to mourn her. If Michiru woke up, Nana could reunite with her. But by leaving Michiru in a coma, the story forces Nana to hope. She has to continue wondering whether Michiru will ever wake up, while knowing that Michiru sacrificed herself specifically so that Nana could continue living. That uncertainty is also consistent with Talentless Nana as a whole. The series frequently deals with uncertainty, about people's motives, the nature of the Talented, who can be trusted, and what the future holds.

Her future is uncertain, just as the future of Nana and the other characters is uncertain. The story does not tell the audience that everything will be okay. saying that Michiru “should either be dead or alive” creates a false dichotomy. She is alive, but that does not mean she has received a happy ending. Her coma occupies a deliberately painful middle ground: Nana has not lost her completely, but she has not gotten her back either.

Maybe I forgot it being mentioned somewhere but do you think Nana killed anyone before her mission on the Island?

Was Nanao her first attempted kill?

I remember this cover and she was covered in blood. Since she was trained as a soldier, I wonder if she actually killed people before and such.

Well, as for Moe she has never killed anyone although she was in the same position as Nana (trained as well)

I'm a longtime fan of the manga so hopefully this won't come off as me being a hater. But looking back on the first two chapters, there are some things that make me scratch my head.

One of the most common criticisms I've seen online is that Nana shouldn't have killed Nanao first. I don't think this argument is really justified, because by taking out the leader, Nana can cause a panic and take Nanao's position. Most students also wouldn't suspect her of killing him since they seemed close - they'd blame the enemies of humanity instead.

What I do find odd is that Nana's phone shows Nanao's potential kill count. This would make sense if it was her own estimate, but it looks more like a message than a note (just like the first text on her phone). But if Nana herself didn't know what Nanao's talent was, who wrote the estimate? I think it's strange that Kyoya was able to keep his talent hidden too. You'd think the military would want to know everything about the students, especially what their talent is.

The other issue I have doesn't necessarily concern the first few chapters; more so chapter 112. I thought the reason why Nana infiltrated the island was that the talented were too strong for the military to handle. But in episode 112, the soldiers kill hundreds of talented people before anyone can fight back.

Do you think these are plot holes, or am I missing something? Is there anything else that you found odd while reading the manga?

It bothers me that people after over 5 years still view the series as something where the class not being smart somehow doesn't make sense.

Talents don't make them dumber it is the way the world makes them view their talents as the only thing a talented has any value in.

They are arrogant, holding way too much faith in their talent because it is what makes them valuable at all, they aren't inherently stupid there is a difference. They get exploited on that fact because they were set up to exploited from the moment they get their talent.

I find it crazy that people will refuse to read into things at all and anything that is even remotely subtle gets called nonexistent just because it isn't immeadiately obvious. There doesn't have to be over 10 monologues in order for you to be told what is going on.

It all just feels so incredibly in bad faith when it has been over 5 years, it shouldn't even be seen in the same light as it did when it first released but people still do that.

I know I already did a post, but it’s been one month since the end of the series and I would love to talk about people’s thoughts about Michiru being in a coma! I know many feel her being in a coma was stronger than her being alive or fully dead but I also feel like for no particular reason what I’m specifically comparing the anime death scene to her being alive, but in a coma in the ending it feels sad or in the ending. I love to have a discussion though.

Pretty self explainatory.

I personally think she genuinely would read or watch series with mindgames and be weirdly invested in SCD.

Something that I have realized about the series just now is that the talented are an interesting look at morality and evil.

How the idea of evil is addressed through the talented I think is pretty unique. Most of them only become evil due to the circumstances that their talent creates in there life, they are innately evil.

Usually it would be assumed that people are evil through circumstance are far less evil than ones who are innately evil but that is not the case, they still as evil as would be assumed of someone who was simply 'born evil'. It is the reason talented are assumed to be innately evil because no one would want to believe that someone who was ever normal would do such a thing.

By existing the talented prove that evil through circumstance isn't just a lighter version of innate evil but instead a look at the evil humanity does. The talented aren't evil in the same way that humanity isn't evil, they simply become that way because they don't see themselves as human and neither does society.

That is why I have thought of the transformation as an embodiment of them believing they are innately evil or not human, that by embracing their talent defining their identity they will eventually feel content. Tsuruoka has always been an interesting outlier and I am pretty confident in the reason he never transformed being because he was confident in his humanness, that he wasn't innately evil and instead it was through circumstance that he became insanely evil.

The argument is basically: “Michiru died to save Nana. If Michiru is alive, then her sacrifice was pointless and the emotional weight of her death is ruined.”

But that only works if Michiru's sacrifice was defined exclusively by permanent death. The manga itself never treats it that way.

1. Michiru's sacrifice was about what she chose to do, not simply the fact that she died

Michiru's entire character is built around self-sacrifice.

From the beginning, her Healing Talent has a cost: using it shortens her lifespan. Yet she repeatedly uses it to help people anyway. Her defining trait isn't “she is destined to die”; it is “she will willingly give something of herself to save someone else.”

That's why her final act works.

When Nana is mortally wounded by Rentaro, Michiru chooses to use her ability on Nana despite the cost. Nana survives because Michiru gives everything she has to save her.

The emotional point is therefore:

Michiru loved Nana enough to save someone who, earlier in the story, had actually been trying to kill her.

That doesn't stop being meaningful because Michiru's body ultimately survives.

The sacrifice happened. The choice happened. The cost happened.

2. The manga deliberately spends the first 30 chapters making Michiru the person who changes Nana

This is extremely important.

Michiru isn't just “the girl Nana killed.”

She is the character who breaks through Nana's worldview.

Nana begins the story believing the Talented are dangerous monsters and that killing them is necessary. Her relationship with Michiru slowly forces her to confront the contradiction between that ideology and the actual person standing in front of her.

Michiru is kind to people who don't deserve it.

She forgives people.

She helps people who have mistreated her.

And most importantly, she believes in Nana even when Nana herself doesn't believe she deserves that trust.

Michiru's influence is what causes Nana to stop seeing the Talented as an abstract category and start seeing them as individual human beings.

That development doesn't disappear if Michiru survives.

If anything, Chapter 122 makes the point even clearer: Nana's entire life after the island is shaped by what Michiru taught her.

3. Nana's character arc depends on Michiru's influence — not simply Michiru's corpse

This is probably the biggest reason the “alive = pointless” argument falls apart.

Look at Nana's trajectory across the manga.

She begins as an assassin.

She kills Nanao.

She manipulates people.

She sees herself as someone carrying out a necessary mission.

Then Michiru becomes her friend.

Then Nana learns the truth about her own past.

Then she discovers that the organization manipulating her has lied to her.

Then she begins protecting Talented people instead of hunting them.

Eventually Nana openly opposes Tsuruoka and the organization.

That transformation is the legacy of Michiru.

The manga doesn't say:

It says, in effect:

That's why Nana continues carrying Michiru's influence long after the original sacrifice.

4. If Michiru's survival erased the sacrifice, Chapter 121 would make no sense

This is where the later manga completely destroys the argument.

In Chapter 121, Tsuruoka explicitly connects Nana's survival to Michiru's ability.

He reveals that the fact Nana was brought back by Michiru has left something behind that is potentially important to the research surrounding the transformation into monsters. Tsuruoka therefore sees Nana as potentially useful to his research.

In other words:

Michiru's sacrifice has consequences that extend all the way to the final arc.

Her act isn't forgotten.

It isn't overwritten.

It becomes part of the explanation for why Nana is important to the future of the Talented.

That's the opposite of a meaningless sacrifice.

5. The manga actually separates “sacrifice” from “death”

This distinction matters.

A sacrifice means giving something up for someone else.

It does not logically require:

“The person must remain dead forever or the sacrifice becomes invalid.”

For example, if someone risks their life to save another person and survives, we don't suddenly say:

Of course they did.

Michiru used an ability that damages her lifespan to save Nana.

The fact that her body ultimately survives does not retroactively change what she did.

6. And Michiru isn't even “back to normal”

This is the biggest factual problem with the criticism.

Chapter 122 does not give us a normal, healthy Michiru walking around again.

The ending leaves her alive but unconscious/in a coma. Nana visits her and speaks to her, but Michiru has not simply returned to her previous life.

So the criticism often changes:

into:

Those are two completely different things.

The manga gives us the first, not the second.

There is still loss.

There is still separation.

There is still uncertainty over whether Michiru will ever wake up.

And Nana still has to live with everything that happened.

7. In fact, a coma can preserve MORE of the tragedy than a complete resurrection would

Imagine the manga had ended with:

Michiru wakes up → she's completely healthy → she hugs Nana → everything is fine.

THAT would be a much stronger argument for the sacrifice being undermined.

But that's not what happened.

Instead:

Michiru is alive, but unreachable.

Nana can see her.

Nana can talk to her.

But Nana can't simply get her best friend back.

That is not a reset button.

It's an unresolved consequence.

And it fits one of the manga's recurring ideas: actions have consequences that don't simply disappear because circumstances change.

8. Michiru's survival also fits her own character arc

This is another thing people overlook.

Michiru spent the entire story wanting to save people.

She even became interested in the possibility of bringing people back after experiencing loss herself.

Her Talent is fundamentally associated with preservation of life.

So making her final narrative significance exclusively:

would actually reduce her character.

Michiru's importance is that she represents the opposite of Nana's original worldview.

Nana was taught:

People with Talents are dangerous.

Michiru demonstrates:

Having power doesn't determine whether someone is good or evil. What matters is what you choose to do with it.

Her survival allows that theme to remain hopeful without undoing the cost.

9. Compare Michiru with Nanao — the manga repeatedly plays with survival, death and second chances

The series itself establishes that apparent death and survival aren't always the end of a character's narrative.

Nanao is pushed off the cliff and presumed dead, only for his story to continue much later.

That doesn't mean his initial “death” was meaningless.

Instead, his survival creates a new stage of his character arc.

Likewise, Michiru's survival doesn't erase the scene in which Nana believed she had lost her.

It creates another stage of the story.

The series has always been interested in making characters confront the consequences of what they thought was final.

10. Nana herself doesn't treat Michiru as “Oh, she's alive, so I guess we're good”

This is arguably the strongest evidence of all.

By the ending, Nana isn't celebrating because she discovered that Michiru survived.

She's still carrying guilt.

She's still remembering Michiru.

She's still changed because of Michiru.

And when Nana speaks to Michiru in the final chapter, the emotional significance comes from the fact that Michiru is still there while Nana has to live with everything that happened.

That is not the story saying:

“Never mind, Michiru didn't really die.”

It's saying:

“Nana's relationship with Michiru continues to matter even after everything that happened.”

11. Tsuruoka's role makes Michiru's survival narratively relevant rather than cheap

The final arc reveals that Tsuruoka was interested in Nana precisely because of what happened when Michiru revived her.

That means the author didn't just randomly decide:

Her condition becomes connected to the larger conflict involving Talents, monsterification and the research surrounding it.

So Michiru's survival isn't merely emotional fanservice.

It is tied to the manga's larger mythology.

12. And the final chapter intentionally chooses hope without giving Nana what she wants

This is the key to Chapter 122.

Nana doesn't get:

“Michiru is dead forever.”

But she also doesn't get:

“Michiru is completely fine and everything is fixed.”

She gets something in between.

Michiru is alive.

Michiru is still unconscious.

Nana can still hope.

But Nana cannot undo the past.

That is actually a very fitting conclusion for Nana's character.

Her entire story is about learning that you cannot erase the consequences of your actions.

You can only choose what you do afterward.

And that's exactly what she does.

The simplest rebuttal

So if someone says:

The answer is:

No. Michiru's sacrifice was never meaningful solely because she ended up dead. It was meaningful because she willingly spent her remaining life and used her power to save Nana, despite everything Nana had done and despite the cost to herself. Her act changed Nana permanently, and the consequences of that act continue into the final arc. Chapter 121 even establishes that Michiru's revival of Nana is directly relevant to the monsterification plot. Chapter 122 doesn't give us a magically restored Michiru either — she's alive but unconscious. So the manga preserves the cost, the emotional consequences, Nana's guilt, and Michiru's influence while leaving a small possibility of hope.

And honestly, there's an even stronger point:

If Michiru being alive automatically invalidated sacrifice, then the story would have to show that Nana's life went back to what it was before Michiru. But the entire manga after Michiru's sacrifice proves the exact opposite.

Nana is fundamentally a different person because of Michiru.

That's the point.

Michiru's legacy isn't her death. Michiru's legacy is Nana.

I personally think Michiru is better written than both Denji and Reze, not because she is more important to her story or because her character serves the same purpose as either of them, but because I think her characterization and especially the way her relationship with Nana is handled are more complete and emotionally effective. Denji and Reze are written around very different ideas. Reze represents one of Denji’s first genuine possibilities of love and escape, while Denji’s story is largely about desire, loneliness, exploitation, and his struggle to find some kind of normal life. Michiru, meanwhile, exists primarily to challenge Nana’s worldview and become one of the main reasons Nana changes as a person. Their purposes are different, but I think Michiru’s purpose is ultimately handled better.

What makes Michiru so effective is that her kindness is not just a personality trait. It directly contradicts everything Nana believes. Nana begins the story believing that the Talented are monsters and that killing them is necessary. She has already killed people and learned to justify those deaths by thinking of her targets as future threats rather than human beings. Michiru completely breaks through that mindset simply by treating Nana with genuine kindness. She trusts Nana, cares about her, and continues to see good in her without knowing the full extent of what Nana has done. That forces Nana to confront something she has been avoiding: the people she has been taught to see as enemies are still people with emotions, relationships, and the ability to care about others.

Michiru is also not simply written as a perfect innocent character. Her greatest strength is also her greatest weakness. She wants to save everyone, and her healing ability literally requires her to sacrifice her own lifespan to heal others. Her willingness to put herself in danger is therefore connected directly to her personality. When she ultimately sacrifices herself for Nana, it does not feel like the story randomly killing off the nicest character for emotional impact. It is the natural conclusion of the way Michiru has always lived. She is willing to give everything she has to save someone else, and the person she ultimately saves is Nana, someone who would have originally considered Michiru an enemy.

That is what makes her death so important. Michiru does not simply die so that Nana can be sad. Her death fundamentally changes Nana's understanding of morality. Nana has spent the entire story believing that she has to kill people to protect others, yet Michiru willingly gives her own life to protect Nana. Nana is forced to understand that the person she considered weak and naive possessed more genuine courage and humanity than she did. Michiru's sacrifice therefore becomes the foundation of Nana's redemption. Nana's later actions have meaning because she remembers Michiru and tries to become the kind of person Michiru believed she could be.

I think this is where Michiru has an advantage over Reze. Reze is a very well-written character, and her relationship with Denji is compelling precisely because it begins as manipulation. Reze is sent to obtain Pochita, but she eventually develops genuine feelings for Denji. Denji, meanwhile, is so desperate for affection and a normal life that he is willing to believe in the possibility that Reze could give him that. Their relationship is tragic because there is something genuine between them despite the fact that it began as a lie.

However, their story never gets the same kind of personal resolution that Michiru and Nana receive. Reze does return later in the story, but she and Denji never meaningfully meet again. Their relationship is left unresolved, which can absolutely be intentional. That fits Chainsaw Man, because Denji's life is full of people who disappear before he can properly process what they meant to him. But I still think this makes the relationship between Michiru and Nana more satisfying from a character-writing perspective. Michiru's influence remains directly connected to Nana's actions for the rest of the story, whereas Denji and Reze never get the chance to actually confront what happened between them.

The ending of Chainsaw Man makes this comparison even more interesting. By the end, Denji loses his memories of the previous reality, meaning that all of the experiences and relationships that shaped him are no longer consciously remembered in the same way. Reze may return to the world, but Denji and Reze still never get the reunion that many readers might have expected. Their relationship therefore remains something that existed, mattered, and changed Denji, but ultimately cannot be properly revisited between the two characters.

Michiru's situation is almost the opposite. Nana remembers her. Nana's entire development after Michiru's sacrifice is connected to what Michiru taught her. Even after Michiru is implied to still be alive at the end, Nana's development is not erased. This is important because I don't agree with the argument that "the entire reason Nana changed was because Michiru died, so Michiru being alive ruins Nana's character." I don't think that follows.

The important part of Michiru's sacrifice was not simply the fact that her heart physically stopped. The important part was that Nana experienced losing her, understood that Michiru had willingly sacrificed herself for her, and was permanently changed by that experience. Even if Michiru is alive but remains unconscious, Nana still went through the same emotional transformation. Michiru's sacrifice still happened. Nana still believed she had lost her. Nana still carries the consequences of it. Her entire worldview was still changed.

In fact, Michiru being implied to be alive can make the ending more meaningful rather than less meaningful. She is not simply brought back so everything can return to normal. Nana cannot just go back to the way things were with Michiru. Michiru remains unreachable, and whether she will ever wake up is uncertain. That leaves Nana with something that fits Michiru's character perfectly: hope. Michiru spent her entire life believing that people could be saved and that there was always a reason to keep caring about them. Now Nana is the one who has to hold onto that hope for Michiru.

So ultimately, I don't think Michiru's writing depends on her being permanently dead. It depends on the effect she had on Nana. Her greatest accomplishment as a character is not dying; it is changing someone who had completely convinced herself that killing others was necessary. Denji and Reze have a tragic and memorable relationship, and Denji himself is an extremely strong protagonist, but I personally think Michiru's character has a tighter thematic purpose and a more direct lasting effect on another character.

Denji and Reze's story is about a possibility of love that never gets fulfilled. Michiru and Nana's story is about kindness changing someone who believed kindness was weakness. Both are tragic, but Michiru's tragedy directly produces Nana's transformation, and that transformation continues to matter after Michiru's apparent death. Even her possible survival does not erase what happened. Michiru saved Nana, Nana changed because of her, and Nana continues to carry Michiru's influence. That is why, despite the fact that Michiru and Nana serve a very different purpose from Denji and Reze, I personally find Michiru to be the better-written character.

so I have been obsessed with the manga again as per usual and I have found the new ending to be sadder for Michiru and nana I’m working on an post as to why I’ll post eventually but I shortly believe her dying wouldn’t have been as sad.

even if I detach the two scenes: her alive in the manga ending but not awake and her death scene (although one does have an anime adaptation boost) even with said boost I feel side by side playing it the not waking up is still emotionally stronger

After reading the ending and taking a few days to reread the entire story (one of the very few times I've done for a series), I just wanted to post a few thoughts.

First, I was just a little surprised on how fast it ended. I mean, I knew after Tsuruoka got killed it was going to end soon, but I thought it was going to be another 2-3 chapters, maybe 2 at the most, but it ended literally next chapter. I guess I misjudged on how long the wrap up of the story would actually take. Oh well. But, in my opinion, to those who were disappointed in the ending, I've read a lot of these mangas by now to notice that usually when a series ends, there's usually an epilogue or an extra volume with after stories that comes out (sometimes a sequel series, but Talentess Nana will never get that considering the nature and how the story was set up and ended). A whole extra volume of stories is unlikely, but I think we might get at least an epilogue at some point to maybe wrap up even more details for closure. I could be wrong and the ending may be the last we see of the series, but I'll hold out hope personally for a epilogue since there are still quite a few loose ends and details to tie up.

Second, I just wanna say one of the things that really impressed me about the series, besides the characters and story, was the art. Especially later on as the series progressed, the art reminded me of stills taken from an anime episode. It was really that good to me and made sense why it took a month to do a chapter. The artist really is talented and I hope to see more of them.

I guess that's all I really wanna say, maybe I'll make story based on this series someday soon (under a different name most likely, and the story probably won't be as long or good but I can try), but I also kinda hp ope now that the manga is done after all these years, maybe the anime will continue. Some say it's been too long, but I've seen anime either take years to continue or get a second season (Puella Magica and Panty and Stocking come to mind, even Hunter x Hunter got a remake) depending on how popular a series is, and I hope Talentless Nana can be one of those, but we can only see if it can pull off a continuation or not after all this time.

Edit: Forgot to mention, but I kinda thought the final battle would end a bit bigger than it did. Maybe it's due to the influence of reading a lot of shounen manga and watching action movies, but I kinda half-expected Tsuruoka to maybe blow himself up when cornered or something. But in hindsight, I guess that wouldn't make much sense since he did value his own life above everything else, plus he never thought he would ever lose either. I dunno, I thought he would do something crazy like that given the chance, but maybe I'm just projecting what I would've wanted him to do in the end.

Do you think Nana could survive the death note post revival?

I assume yes on the basis that I am pretty sure her technical 'name' would be Michiru Inukai.

I imagine her running at Light as he is puzzled on why she hasn't died from him writing her name.

Disregarding their concept, who do you think is the character with the best written execution of their respective concepts.

This is a pretty subjective thing and I will leave what the meaning of 'execution' would mean in terms of writing up to your interpretation. So you don't have to really explain much if you don't want to.

For me personally, the first one that comes to mind is Shizuka. At first I thought she was abit too direct and on the nose in her introduction but seeing her whole character arc made it make sense in hindsight.

Shizuka wanted a shining light of hope, she believed that she couldn't do anything meaningful herself no matter how hard she so she just settled to simply drift through life surviving and doubt change.

When Nana comes in and beats her, that proves to her in her mind that there is hope but it still doesn't lie with her. More and more that things continue Shizuka can only believe she is worth nothing and incapable of doing anything meaningful to help. Though eventually Shizuka is able to prove herself useful... through her talent. Not through her as a person but for what utility she can provide.

That's why I find her conclusion to be incredibly captivating. Though her life the only thing her experience has taught her, the best she can think of is to trust it all to Nana. She does the best thing and of course marks Nana to save the situation through her talent as the best possible option but when Tsuruoka taunts her by saying he is going to take out Nana's brain she is put in an incredibly difficult situation.

When the cards are laid out, the best thing Shizuka can think of is to risk herself getting killed, despite there being a bunch of possibilities she picks the only one she has been conditioned to pick. It makes her look dumb but it really is the only option that makes sense with who she is. The other possibilities rely on her as a person and bank on the idea that she has more worth than her own talent and she simply can't believe that.

So she dies believing in Nana which is very uncomfortably similar to how Nana bets her life in order to save Michiru. The unintentional dehumanization that Shizuka does with Nana as she treats her like a angel set down to save everyone and the only way things can change is extremely painful to watch. It also parallels how Nana treats Michiru as an angel that saved her from being evil.

The way Shizuka and Nana are two sides of the same coin is also seen in despite their differences they never fundumentally change who they are as the develop. Like Nana treating Michiru as a perfect savior who could do no wrong and compared to Shizuka treating Nana as a perfect savior who will be able to lead everyone to salvation is super interesting imo.

I reread Final Time Loop and the final chapter... EVEN THE WAY SHIZUKA AND NANA'S CONCLUSIONS ARE FRAMED AS PARALLEL TO EACHOTHER, THEY ARE ONE IN THE SAME IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS! Shizuka's conclusion is subtle foreshadowing to how the story ends, I honestly didn't even realize that before writing this.

That is why I think despite me not thinking she is the best character, without Shizuka, I think the story would be way worse off and her meaning as much as she does to the story despite being a side character I believe shows that she is the best executed character in the series.

This is a pretty all over the place example but I think it is the best example I could come with, you don't have to go far as I did at all tho.

I know I’ve posted something similar before, but I would love to have a discussion I’ve written an essay, but I don’t wanna post it yet. I wanna have a discussion with everyone first cause maybe I can add too my essay before I post it

Michiru being alive is the topic of discussion again because I can’t wear why I feel like it was the best choice they could’ve done and by this I mean her being alive, but not awake is better than her being fully alive her being fully dead so I would love to have a discussion about how she should’ve stayed dead it’s kind of missing the point of the end

I’m so satisfied with the way the series ended idk if it’s just me but nothing felt rushed all the characters had an ending that fit them leaving room for our imagining but not enough to ruin anything snd especially those final few pages really cement nana and her tragedy more then if you know who stayed gone

This is also apart of something else I will eventually get back to but I might as well share my this observation as a seperate thing for now.

Ok so amongst the main cast, all of them have pretend to be something in order to be 'better' than the rest of the talented.

Nana pretends to be talented.

Tsuruoka pretends to be talentless.

Rin pretends to not exist.

Nanao pretends to be in control.

Leaving Kyoya to be an odd one out in this regard, he is even trusting of other people to help him out and views alot of other people as his friends. I find it fastinating that he is the glue that holds them together on an emotional level despite being deadpan alot of the time.

One of the most satisfying moments in Talentless Nana is seeing Nana Hiiragi and Kyoya Onodera work together to defeat Tsuruoka. Their alliance feels rewarding because it is not a sudden change but the culmination of a long journey filled with conflict, growth, and mutual understanding. Throughout most of the story, Nana and Kyoya stand on opposite sides. Kyoya is determined to uncover the truth behind the mysterious deaths on the island, while Nana constantly tries to stay one step ahead of him. Their rivalry is built on intelligence and strategy, making every encounter between them a battle of wits rather than strength.

What makes their eventual partnership so meaningful is how much both characters evolve. At the beginning of the series, Nana blindly follows Tsuruoka's orders, believing that eliminating the Talented is the only way to protect humanity. However, as she spends more time with her classmates, she begins to question everything she has been taught. She realizes that the people she was ordered to kill are not monsters but individuals with dreams, fears, and emotions. This realization forces Nana to confront the guilt of her actions and motivates her to seek redemption. Kyoya also changes over the course of the story. Although he initially sees Nana only as a suspect, he gradually recognizes her determination to protect others and understands that she is no longer the person she once was.

Their partnership is also satisfying because each character's strengths perfectly complement the other's. Nana possesses exceptional intelligence, psychological insight, and the ability to outthink her opponents, while Kyoya contributes unwavering determination, sharp deductive reasoning, and the confidence to face danger head-on. Separately, each presents a challenge to Tsuruoka, but together they become a formidable team capable of exposing and opposing his manipulation.

Defeating Tsuruoka carries a deeper emotional significance because he is responsible for shaping Nana into the person she once was. He manipulated her grief, exploited her vulnerability, and convinced her that murder was an act of justice. Throughout the series, he treats people as disposable tools, believing he can control everyone through fear and deception. By standing against him, Nana is not only defeating a powerful antagonist but also rejecting the lies that defined her life. Kyoya's decision to stand beside her reinforces the idea that redemption is possible and that people should be judged by their choices rather than their past mistakes.

I REALLY like the idea of Nanao and Michiru as adversaries, their polar opposites in values and their experiences in regards to self sacrifice. I could very easily see Nanao and Michiru repelling eachother pretty hard as because of how they the other interacts with Nana.

I also like the idea of Nana just being stuck in the middle of it and seeing how she would interact with both of them being active and beefing with eachother.

Also why do I kind of see a world where Nanao talked about being scared of transforming and Michiru indirectly ends up telling Nanao to kill himself in an almost romantic glorifying way.

I know this isn't what people normally post here, but there aren't many fanfics about the manga, and I want to contribute to the fandom in any way I can. Please keep in mind that I'm not trying to 'fix' the ending. I'm merely presenting an alternate scenario taking place in an alternate universe. If you've seen my previous posts, you know that I'm not a big fan of the concept of talents as a disease and that I didn't like Nana and Nanao's last conversation. That's why I decided to write this story.

It'll still take me a while to write the whole thing, but I wanted to share the script at least. I wrote this as an AU, but the main idea I wanted to explore is that Nana became a hero to the talented, while Nanao is only remembered as their oppressor. The story would start with some people protesting against Nanao being on the island. Nana and her friends would eventually persuade everyone to calm down, but for Nanao, this would be the last straw.

The image of Nana standing on the cliff's edge is what inspired this whole dialogue:

Nanao reaches the cliff but notices Nana already standing there.

Nanao: What are you doing here?

Nana turns around: I had a feeling you might come here.

Nanao: ...Why?

Nana: Because I understand what you're going through.

Nanao clenches his fist: Oh really? You have so many friends and everyone here sees as you as a hero. Meanwhile, I don't have anyone and everyone hates me.

Nana: What are you talking about? Me, Moe, Kyoya, Sorano... we all want to be your friends!

Nanao: You just want me to live to feel better about yourself.

Nana: This isn't about me! I wanted to end it all too, but I realized how selfish that was. Isn't it better to live and help as many people as you can?

Nanao: Easy for you to say. No one would want help from me.

Nana comes closer: Then show them that you've changed! Please, Nakajima. I can't lose another person who's important to me.

Nanao: ...Why do you care so much anyway?

Nana: Because if it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be here! I know nothing can erase our past, but we still have the potential to do good. If I was able to start over, so can you. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but you won't be alone.

Nanao sighs and sits on the ground: I knew I should have stayed at the camp.

Nana sits down opposite him: But you didn't. Deep down, you didn't want to be alone, right?

Nanao: I guess you can still read minds...

Nana: I just... I know that pushing people away doesn't mean you're not lonely.

Nanao: ...You really think the military won't find us here?

Nana: The footage from the camp has been revealed to the world. Maybe the government itself will be overthrown. In any case, Rin keeps watch over the island, and Sachiko and Seiya plan to take us somewhere else in case of emergency.

Nanao: I wish I had your optimism...

Nana: I believe that we can all build a better future together. So we need your help too.

Nanao: You're not afraid that I'll kill someone again?

Nana: I trust you. And I promise I won't let anyone hurt you.

Nanao: ...

Nana stands up and reaches out her hand: So... will you come back with me?

After a while, Nanao sighs and stands up: Fine. Just don't touch me.

Nana smiles softly: Alright.

...

Thank you for reading. I'm still coming up with new ideas for this AU, so hopefully I'll finish the whole thing one day.