Banana no Nana (Manga)



Nana of Banana is a not-at-all-serious comedy manga starring Nana and Ringo, two girls who are treated like dirt in their village because of their supposedly useless powers. In this world, the strength of your powers defines your status in society: Ringo's strong legs, which let her jump really high, are looked down upon by people who can, say, control water while Nana... Nana can manipulate bananas.

Both had been inspired by Ringo's father's tales of the magical land of Oz (not that one), and of the adventurer that found it. They vowed to go on an adventure of their own someday.

Skip to Present Day. Ringo is being bugged by Nana to go on the adventure they promised so long ago, but Ringo has lost interest and is focusing on her job, not to mention leaving the village to go on an adventure is heavily, heavily stigmatized. The village chief then floods Nana's house because she can. Nana decides to go on her adventure and gives Ringo a chance to join her. The chief isn't having any of that, so she sends people to take care of Nana and presents Ringo with a Sadistic Choice. Cue Ringo refusing, crying out for Nana who then arrives, having dealt handily with the Mooks.

We then see the very finest water vs. banana fight ever, and Nana wins because she is able to manipulate anything about bananas, including making a shield strong enough to deflect water attacks, and a sword.

But the chief takes Ringo hostage, demanding she "Drop the banana!"

Nana asks whether Ringo wants to go with her. Ringo responds by high-kicking the chief into the air. Of course, after that they can't go back home for fear of reprisals, so they take the opportunity to begin their adventure into their strange continent.

This manga provides examples of: "Nana: "What's with that pinpoint taste!?"
 * Action Girl: Nana can kick moderate amounts of arse, while Ringo kicks people in the face.
 * Alternate Character Reading: All the abilities.
 * Badass Normal
 * Battle Butler
 * BFB: Nana attacks a bird that's trying to eat them with a Big Fuckin' Banana..
 * Blessed with Suck: In exchange for very powerful water abilities, the village chief has to lie in a bath for 20 hours a day. If she doesn't do this, she'll die. No wonder she's such a bitch.
 * Blush Sticker
 * Conditional Powers: Part of the rules of superpowers here, and usually played for laughs. Nana has to eat a banana with the skin on every time she uses her power; Ringo has to wear a miniskirt all the time to show off her panties. It's that kind of series.
 * Cross-Popping Veins
 * Cute Little Fangs
 * Defeat Means Friendship: Hoshi Budou becomes Nana's maidservant. Sadly the process was not shown... yet. Then Morishiro and co. fixing their ways (they even plan to rebuy all the girls they sold) after Hoshi defeats him.
 * Disappeared Dad
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?: They don't even try to be subtle about this. Um. Er.
 * Dual-Wielding: When Nana gets serious, she dual-wields her bananas.
 * Enigmatic Minion
 * Fan Service
 * Flash Step
 * Fundamentally Funny Fruit
 * Gag Series
 * Genki Girl
 * Giving Someone the Pointer Finger
 * Heart Is an Awesome Power: Nana's "Banana Armour" lets her make anything out of them. Ringo's "Antelope Leg" not only lets her jump high but also run fast and kick like a mule.
 * Hoshi's power lets her do housework several times faster than the average person - which, since she wields a sword hidden within a mop, also lets her move incredibly fast in battle.
 * Improbable Weapon User: Take a wild guess. (Hint: They can also be used as a shield.)
 * In a Single Bound
 * In the Style Of: Try reading the first chapter in the style of Charlie the Unicorn. See how long you can avoid laughing when you hear "Adventure" or "I'm going on an adventure!".
 * Lampshade Hanging
 * Les Yay: Ringo and Nana would be Heterosexual Life Partners if Nana didn't keep saying how much she loves Ringo. And nosebleeding at Ringo's Panty Shots.
 * Ringo becoming jealous and switching to the tsun part of Tsundere when Nana imagines herself surrounded by maids counts too.
 * Subtext? What subtext?
 * Limit Break: Ringo is what is known as a Limit Breaker, a person who can, under certain circumstances, ignore their mental limits and use the fullest potential of their ability.
 * Lovely Angels: Ringo and Nana fit the mold surprisingly well.
 * Mix-and-Match Critters
 * Ninja Maid: Nana insists upon going to Maimai, the country of superpowerful maids, to find one for their party because... she wants one.
 * Ocular Gushers
 * Oh Crap
 * One Head Taller
 * Overly Narrow Superlative: "The very finest water vs. banana fight ever" (see above); there's also the garuda, a huge bird whose favorite food is "little girls who like bananas."


 * Punny Name: Nana's full name is Oba Nana.
 * Fun Fact, the O in Japanese means 'Honorable'. Her name is almost literally 'Honorable Banana'.
 * Put Down Your Banana And Step Away
 * Role Called: The protagonist's name is Nana. She fights with a banana.
 * Say My Name
 * Shout-Out: Nana hums the theme tune to Lucky Star.
 * Single-Stroke Battle
 * This Banana Is Armed
 * Tsundere: Ringo is repeatedly referred to as one by Nana (out of earshot, of course).
 * Unstoppable Rage: Make really angry, and she gets stronger (much stronger) and more violent. It's implied to be a rare special ability.
 * You Can't Go Home Again: Ringo kicked the village chief into the sky, effectively burning their bridges behind them. Mind you, it's not like they would particularly want to return to their village.
 * You Fail Logic Forever: Capture and sell off low-level ability users... in order to get the money for a revolution that will set them free. Riiight.
 * X Meets Y: Darker Than Black meets Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu meets The Legion of Substitute Heroes meets Hayate the Combat Butler.
 * Saki meets Darker Than Black meets Kino's Journey meets Charlie the Unicorn meets crack.
 * Zettai Ryouiki: Nana sports Grade B, but Ringo subverts this trope, as she wears tights. They both wore Zettai Ryouiki as little kids. Hoshi Budou's outfit is reminiscent of Zettai Ryouiki.