Prelude: Adapted from a popular Shojo manga (romantic comic books that target young, female readers), Nana 2 was a box office hit in Japan and Hong Kong this year.

Although diehard Nana fans will enjoy the second instalment, the replacement of heartthrobs Aoi Miyazaki and Ryuhei Matsuda with the less famous Yui Ichikawa and Nobuo Kyou may deter less loyal viewers.

The story: The film picks up where the first one left off. Hachi (Ichikawa), who wants nothing but a sweet boyfriend, switches from job to job in search of her true calling.

Meanwhile, her best friend and flatmate Nana (Nakashima) reuintes with her boyfriend Ren (Kyou), and is about to hit big time with her punk band Black Stones.

Things get rocky when Hachi has to choose between two handsome young rockers, one of whom is in Nana's band. Nana and Ren's relationship is also tested as their secret romance is exposed by tabloids and TV gossip shows.

Can Nana and Hachi's friendship weather these changes? And can their dreams remain intact in the face of all these life challenges?

The music: Music plays an important role in the Nana films. Nakashima has released a new album, The End, under the name of Nana.

The album includes the Nana 2 theme song - composed and produced by Takuro (the guitarist and songwriter in Glay) - as well as Glamour Sky, the hit song from the last movie.

The newcomer: Ichikawa joined the showbiz ranks in 2001 as a model for magazines and adverts. She also hosted TV shows and appeared in various music videos.

She made her film debut in the horror flick The Grudge. She went on to star in a number of films such as School Daze (2005), an offbeat comedy, and About Love (2005), a romance. Hachi is her biggest movie role to date.

Why bother: The music, the fashion and Nakashima.

Cross-cutting: Bend It Like Beckham. A fun film about the friendship between two girls, who fight against stereotypes to realise their football ambitions. It stars Keira Knightley and is directed by Gurinder Chadha (Bride and Prejudice and The Mistress of Spices).