Films A La Carte

On 26/08/202027/03/2023 By Nill NewtIn CinemaLeave a comment

Back in 2012, 16-year-old Nana Komatsu was a young model and still at school. She used to travel to Tokyo on week-ends for her photoshoots and did not consider an acting career then. In 2014, much to her surprise, she was asked to audition for The World of Kanako, the next opus from famous director Tetsuya Nakashima.

She was reluctant but encouraged by relatives and friends she went to the audition. She was hired right away after a brief interview and the rest is history now. She has starred in many films since then and worked with very different directors: Takahiro Miki, Bernard Rose, Akihiko Shiota, Martin Scorsese, Hideyuki Hirayama or Akira Nagai to name just a few.

A much sought after actress and known for being extremely versatile Nana Komatsu is most certainly one of the best representatives of the ‘Old School’ approach to acting in the Japanese film industry (and beyond). When nuance and subtle body language prevail over wordiness, when emotion is conveyed through the eyes, you’re ‘old school’ but there’s more to it, Nana Komatsu does have a few add-ons: a surprising ability to suddenly embrace rage and also a playful side which comes close to eccentricity.

Some films are available on NetFlix, Amazon Prime Video, U-Next, Mubi, Outbuster and other online services on a regular basis, you can get a few DVDs with English subs from Amazon USA and all the original Japanese DVDs and Blurays can be purchased from CD Japan.

The following ‘guide’ is not based on movie genres, alphabetical order or date of release but rather on her performance in each and every film. Going to the movies is like going to the restaurant somehow, also the actress has a solid reputation as a food loving person, so this presentation makes sense in many ways. Here’s the Menu right below: you’ll get appetizers only, i.e. trailers and short scenes.

The blogmaster’s choice (subject to change): ⭐ recommended ⭐ ⭐ personal faves

Outtakes from Senegal

On 21/03/2023 By Nill NewtIn Fashion, MagazinesLeave a comment

December 8 (2022): actress, model and Chanel Ambassador Komatsu Nana was in Dakar, Senegal, to attend the Métiers D’Art show and exhibition for Chanel, a premiere in Africa (see Métiers d’Art in Dakar on this blog). During her short stay there, Vogue Japan organized a photoshoot that was published a few weeks later, on February 1, 2023: Chanel-Dakar-Nana Komatsu.

The photographer in charge of the photo session was visual artist Djibril Dramé aka Gadaay whose agency (Sabali Inc) prepared the session with the Vogue team. I wrote a short interview article of Djibril Dramé for Blog Fascinant Japon, a very popular blog in the French language, dedicated to Japanese culture, art (past and present) and history: Vogue Japon au Sénégal. I’d like to thank Djibril Dramé for his time and generous offer of some HQ pics and outtakes.

see more: pics, clip

Chanel’s Japanese Camelia

On 19/03/2023 By Nill NewtIn FashionLeave a comment

Two weeks after the Chanel show in Paris (Paris Fashion Week, ready-to-wear 2023/2024 collections), actress, model and Chanel House Ambassador Komatsu Nana still is Chanel’s Camelia ! Articles, interviews, TV reports continue to flow at least in Japan, which hardly comes as a surprise since it was the first time a Japanese citizen got such international exposure at a fashion event.

see more: pics, links, clips…

Gratitude and Attitude

On 13/03/2023 By Nill NewtIn Fashion, UnsortedLeave a comment

Actress and model Komatsu Nana posted messages of gratitude in Japanese and in English on her Instagram account today. In a typical display of enthusiasm and humbleness she thanked the Chanel teams who put her at the center of the latest Chanel show in Paris on March 7. Whether it is on a film set or for a fashion event, the young star always care, her considerate manners and attitude explain why she is appreciated and loved by many professionals whether it is in the world of fashion or in the business of film making.

Read the full message in Japanese: Konichan7 (jp) or in English: Konichan7 (eng). Highlights: “I was just 18 years old when I first attended a CHANEL collection (…) I’m very grateful to CHANEL for finding me when I was nobody (…) I’d like to express my gratitude to you all (…) I was touched by the passion, care, and respect for each other among the reliable teammates (…) I love fashion and I’m glad to have that passion. It will surely continue to save me and always excite me in the future…”

Incidentally the number of her insta followers went up from 2.5 millions to nearly 2.7 in less than a week

Fashion Week 2023 Bonus Post

On 13/03/202313/03/2023 By Nill NewtIn FashionLeave a comment

On Tuesday March 7, actress, model and Chanel House Ambassador Komatsu Nana was celebrated big time in Paris as the figurehead of Chanel with a short film, her image paving the walls of the Grand Palais and her portrait on the giant camelias at the center of the show. Pictures and clips continued flowing during the days that followed, here’s a non exhaustive collection of those…

On Top of the World for Chanel

On 09/03/202309/03/2023 By Nill NewtIn FashionLeave a comment

On Tuesday 7, actress and model Komatsu Nana attended the Chanel show on the last day of the Fashion Week in Paris. Chanel put her at the center of the event as she was the heroine of a short film, Black and White Landscape, directed by world famous photographer duo Inez and Vinoodh.

For over 24 hours (since March 6 in the afternoon), Komatsu Nana‘s portrait and successive announcements for the teaser then the movie (see The Face of Chanel and Chanel x Nana Komatsu, The Movie on this blog) were displayed on all Chanel sites, worldwide. In the kingdom of fashion, this was no doubt a very significant breakthrough for the young House Ambassador. The actress (27) attended in the company of her husband, Japanese actor Masaki Suda. Below is a non exhaustive collection of pictures, clips and links.