_LAST QUARTER_ is a manga by Ai Yazawa, one of the most influential shojo mangaka, best known for her works _PARADISE KISS_ and _NANA_. Her stories are characterized by strong characters, deep emotions, and an often melancholic atmosphere. Last Quarter was serialized in the shojo magazine Ribon from April 1998 to June 1999, and it stands out with its blend of romance, mystery, and supernatural elements, setting it apart from her other works. In 2004, the manga was adapted into a live-action film. It wasn't until 2024 that Last Quarter received an English release by Viz Media, making the work accessible to a new generation of readers. The edition will consist of two volumes. HOW WAS _LAST QUARTER_? The story begins with Mizuki, a high school girl struggling with her family situation. Her mother has passed away, her father has started a new family, and Mizuki feels uprooted. Seeking solace, she encounters Adam, a mysterious British guitarist, one night. Adam, marked by grief and possibly drug addiction, lives reclusively in an old villa in Tokyo. There is an immediate attraction between Mizuki and Adam, not just because of his music but also due to the melancholic aura surrounding him. What initially seems like a classic romance quickly turns into a tragic story. Mizuki plans to leave for England with Adam, but before she can reach the agreed meeting point in Shibuya, she is hit by a car. The panels, drenched in black, depict a silent city under the moonlight - Yazawa masterfully uses visual techniques here to seal Mizuki's fate. But this is not the end of her story. Mizuki awakens in a strange, boundless world. She barely remembers her previous life. Only a name and a melody echo in her mind: Adam. She finds herself unable to pass through the mysterious gate before her. Instead, she meets Hotaru, a young girl searching for her missing cat, Lulu. What begins as a random encounter unfolds into a supernatural detective story. For Hotaru, after an accident, awakens in a hospital and realizes that Mizuki was more than just a dream. Together with her friends, Hotaru sets out to solve the mystery of the ghostly young woman in the abandoned villa. As Hotaru and her friends gradually piece together Mizuki's story, a profound drama about loss and unfulfilled love unfolds. Why can't Mizuki leave the villa? Is Adam real or just a product of her desperate longing? Why does she wear a ring with an engraving that doesn’t match her name? Yazawa skillfully guides readers towards the truth without losing the emotional depth of the story. Her narrative style shifts between different perspectives and timelines. What may seem confusing at first unfolds into an artfully woven whole by the end. Visually, Last Quarter remains true to Ai Yazawa's unmistakable style: characters with large, expressive eyes, a masterful balance between dark and bright scenes, and a strong attention to detail in clothing and settings. Particularly striking is the visual contrast between Mizuki's dark, tragic world and the brighter, more playful scenes of Hotaru and her friends. This stylistic dichotomy reinforces the feeling that Last Quarter is not just about a single story but about two different worlds, eerily linked to each other. Viz Media has released the series in a large format, with two color pages at the beginning of the volume. IS _LAST QUARTER_ WORTH READING? Anyone expecting a classic shojo romance with Last Quarter will be surprised. Ai Yazawa skillfully combines romance with mystery and a profound, almost poetic look at loss and memory. The story is permeated by an unrelenting melancholy that never quite disappears, even in the more hopeful moments. PRODUCT EMBED | LAST QUARTER GN VOL 01
