Filming has recently finished on “Nana 2”, the sequel to last year’s hit movie based on the popular manga of the same name. Scheduled to open on December 9, it again stars singer Nakashima Mika (22), who shares the top billing this time with up-and-coming starlet Ichikawa Yui (20). Nakashima is the only surviving member of the original cast, which included young stars like Miyazaki Aoi, Narimiya Hiroki, Matsuda Ryuhei and Matsuyama Kenichi. But director Otani Kentaro is confident it will surpass the more than ¥4 billion it pulled in at the box office. Despite the recent evening chill during the final shoot by the Arakawa River in Tokyo, Nakashima donned her leather and miniskirt punk look, while Ichikawa was in a summer yukata. Both were in tears when Otani presented them with bouquets to mark the end of filming. The story of female friendship is similar to that of the first movie, about a chance encounter of two girls with the name Nana. Ichikawa started out as a in-up girl and made her movie debut in ther 2003 horror hit “Juon” (re-made as the Hollywood hit The Grudge). She has also appeared in several TV dramas and released a few pop singles. Nakashima is one of the most popular young female vocalists in Japan. Her debut album True (2002) was a million seller and she’s already released 20 singles.