Anime News Nina
is a webcomic created, written, and drawn by Robin Sevakis and is found on the Anime News Network website. Beginning in October of 2007, the comic follows the day-to-day experiences of Nina, a "news elf" who has just been assigned by ANN to learn everything about anime and considers it her "reason for living". Needless to say, Hilarity Ensues, as is expected with the often unpredictable world of anime, manga, their fanbase, and everything else associated with it. Joining her on her "mission" are Kevin, a somewhat stereotypical fan (though certainly better than other types) who is well-versed in otaku culture, and Paola, who is somewhat of the more "straight man" compared to Kevin though she certainly has her quirks as well.
Beginning as a weekly comic, it eventually turned into a three-a-month release, but long hiatuses are fairly rare and often are filled by guest-written/drawn strips. Robin's work as a whole is well-praised by the fans on ANN. The series ended in October 2013 after 6 years and well over 100 comics.
Tropes:
- Acid Reflux Nightmare: Kevin attributes the strip suddenly developing a trippy purple background (and their clothes into Unmoving Plaid) to Nina binging on expired grocery-store sushi and Gankutsuou
- Animesque: Well, duh....
- Arch-Enemy: Seth the Indie Comics elf considers Andy the Superhero Comics elf as this.
- Art Shift: Usually when referencing another series.
- Berserk Button: You name it, manga cows, ignorant non-fans, mean people on Pictochat, increasing prices of stamps, etc., all of them have set Nina off big time. Kevin and Paola both have their moments as well.
- "Blind Idiot" Translation: Kevin accidentally buys a bootleg that inevitably has this sort of "quality". Nina can't resist watching it and as a result her speech becomes just as nonsensical.
- Cassandra Truth: The doctor is not amused by Nina honestly telling her what Myoopi's poop is candy
- Clothing Damage: Parodied here.
- Crash-Into Hello: Subverted here and here.
- Curse Cut Short: In the strip with the Mermen ornaments, Nina cuts off Kevin's confused reaction.
- Daydream Believer: Megan believes she's Miaka from Fushigi Yuugi.
- Death Glare: "The Guru", also known as Bill, is a master of this trope.
- Double Standard: Kevin is guilty as charged.´
- Fangirl: A whole slew of them attack Nina when she fails to recognize voice actor Jerry Morgan.
- Felony Misdemeanor: Nina, Seth (the news elf of indie comics) and Andy (the news elf of superhero comics) put aside their differences and unite to stop a movie version of The Family Circus from being made.
- Grand Finale: This strip.◊
- Hot-Blooded: Nina uses this to try to convince the post office employee that she can find a way to stop the increasing price of stamps. It doesn't work.
- Hypocritical Humor: Kevin laments the over-marketing of zombie products...only for the comic to end in a panel so full of Zombie Tropes even somebody who is only familiar with the fringes of zombie tropes can recognize them.
- Jerkass: Jerry Morgan.
- Memetic Mutation: In-Universe example. Kevin tries to explain the phenomenon to Nina.
- Moe Anthropomorphism: Parodied here.
- Mundane Made Awesome: Nina shows even scars caused figurine-opening, of all things, can be made "epic".
- Nightmare Fuel: In-Universe example. Myoopi experiences this when he sees a pinata smashed to bits.
- Nipple and Dimed: Inverted. Apparently, an attraction for a Neon Genesis Evangelion theme park is Asuka's nipple...just the nipple.
- Not Distracted by the Sexy: Shown here. Nobody seems to notice career women wear Fanservice-y clothing.
- Only Six Faces: Parodied.
- Otaku: Nina shows how even people like her can be "well-rounded".
- Pretty Boy: Asleep on Valentine's Day, Nina has a dream of Kevin in a very pretty form. Upon awakening, she curiously goes to visit him, unfortunately she forgot she's now back in reality.
- Salaryman: Nina mistakenly assumes one of these is just a cosplayer.
- Shōnen: Ultimate Mop Daisuke DX is a parody of this, along with its many traits.
- Shojo: Nina shows how it's done.
- Shout-Out: No big surprise, it IS a webcomic focusing heavily on anime. Neon Genesis Evangelion, Mushishi, Berserk, Ah! My Goddess, Initial D, you name it, it's been referenced.
- Show Within a Show: Ultimate Mop Daisuke DX. Has become very popular and frequently "discussed" on the forums, to the point of practically becoming a non-character version of the
Ensemble Dark Horse. - Small Name, Big Ego: Jerry Morgan.
- Spiritual Successor: In June 2016, ANN launched Vice and Luna, another webcomic about mythical creatures working as ANN employees.
- Take That!: One plotline deals with Hollywood making a movie out of The Family Circus. Nina, who has never heard of it before, reads one comic and goes berserk upon being told it's been like this for over 50 years.
- Ceci's attacks are apparently powered by this trope.
- Ceci's attacks are apparently powered by this trope.
- The Talk: Nina mistakes Paula's question regarding her origin (since, you know, Nina is an ELF) and begins to do this.
- Voice Actors: Jerry Morgan is not exactly the shining example of these guys to say the least.
- And now, Nina's trying to become one herself.
- And now, Nina's trying to become one herself.
- Yandere: Megan is definitely a version of one.
- Yaoi Fangirl: Grandma Rosa. Secretly.
- Your Head A-Splode: Nina begins her training to achieve this skill here.
