Two star-crossed lovers transcend time in this supernatural mystery from the creator of Nana!
Struggling to adapt to life with a new mother and sister after her father's remarriage, Mizuki meets a blue-eyed man playing guitar on the street in Shibuya and is powerfully drawn to him. How far will she go to see him again?
After a brush with death, young Hotaru meets Mizuki for the first time in a dream. The next day, Hotaru wanders into an abandoned mansion and comes face-to-face with the girl she met in her dream...
Ai Yazawa (Japanese: 矢沢あい, Yazawa Ai) is a Japanese manga author and illustrator. Her pen name comes from singer Eikichi Yazawa, of whom she is a fan. Yazawa started her comics career in 1985. She specialises in shojo manga (girls' comics). Most of her works have been serialised in the magazines 'Ribon', 'Cookie' and 'Zipper'. Yazawa's stories focus on young, often rebellious women and their relationships. The characters are always very stylish, and Yazawa herself is known for her sense of fashion. (She even attended a fashion school for some time after high school.) Among her most famous manga are Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai (I'm No Angel, 1992–1995), Neighborhood Story (1995-1998), Paradise Kiss (1999-2004), and Nana (2000-2009), the latter awarded a Shogakukan Manga Award in 2003. Some of these works have been adapted into anime and live action movies.
“I found myself here somehow. I can’t take a single step outside. Maybe…I’ll never be able to leave this place…”
That first California 49er who spotted tiny nuggets of gold swishing around at the bottom of his pan during the Rush could not have experienced more excitement than I did last night. The deeper I got into this first volume of Ai Yazawa’s Last Quarter, the more excited I became. This is a fabulous story in both conception and execution, and now I can’t wait to continue with the concluding volume tonight.
Last Quarter is multi-layered and there’s a mystery, but at its core Last Quarter is about the connection between a girl in her late teens named Mizuki, and an elementary school-age girl named Hotaru. That connection may lie in the fence separating the netherworld with this one.
The first volume opens up by telling readers Mizuki’s story. Mizuki is nice, and pretty, but like a lot of girls her age she is lost at home due to the vagaries of life within her family dynamic. Amidst the sadness and disquiet, Mizuki meets a true rock star by happenstance, and latches onto him as a vessel in which to pour out her loneliness, and satiate her need for love. He of course is a hedonistic druggie with violent tendencies, but she has fallen hard, and is willing to follow this self-serving man-child anywhere; even if it means abandoning her sister and running away from home.
While this may sound rather tawdry when spelled out in black and white — and it is — it rings true, and is handled well enough that despite one rather disturbing scene, it never goes too far — I would say PG as a rating, for context. But then something happens, a moment in time — one tragic, one more hopeful — when the paths of Mizuka and Hotaru cross, when Hotaru is desperately searching for her adored cat. At this juncture, that’s as far as I’m willing to go without spoiling anything, because this is a mystery.
Since Yazawa is friends with Courtney Love, and they have collaborated before, it is certainly easy to speculate on Yazawa’s inspiration for the male drug-addicted rock star, even if it is only sketchy.
Many have given the impression that the juxtaposition from that story-line, briefly given at the outset, to the kids is rather stark, and too much of a shift in tone, but I could not more strongly disagree. In fact, Last Quarter is all one story with different facets. There is a very logical and important reason for the transition to Hotaru and her friends. The transition from Mizuki to Hotaru is beautifully and logically handled, flowing within the narrative as simply another tentacle to Mizuki’s story. Hotaru has had a brush with tragedy herself, but come out the other side. But the connection between Mizuki and Hotaru has been made, and cannot be unmade.
The story is told gradually, with Hotaru discovering the old mansion, then returning with her best friend because of Mizuki, whom she has found there. What Hotaru doesn’t realize when she brings her best friend back is that it is only she who can see and converse with Mizuki; Hotaru will also eventually wear a ring given to her by Mizuka that only she can see.
While this sounds scary, it is more mysterious than frightening — again, a light PG. Once the two boys from school enter the picture and attempt to help Hotaru, and the girl they name Eve — Mizuki can’t recall her own name, only that of her rock star obsession, Adam — the story becomes that of these kids trying to solve the mystery of who Mizuki is and why she’s trapped in that house.
Ai Yazawa does a wonderful job of giving the kids very distinct personalities, slowly revealing they backstories, and their feelings for one another as they interact. Together they form a tight and endearing little group with a secret, and a real mystery to solve. It is charming and involving, and filled with humor. The narrative flows faster than you can turn the pages; I read all 270 pages of the first volume in one gulp last night.
Ai Yazawa’s artwork is delicious to look at, and the story is wildly compelling, even fun. Despite how the premise sounds when written out, there is almost a wholesome kind of feel to this story at this juncture, with lovable characters easy to root for, and a girl at the center we want better for than perhaps she wanted for herself. In other words, Ai Yazawa has made us care about all the characters, and anxious about how it will all turn out.
I can’t wait to continue this story tonight. Though I’m unsure of the ending, Yazawa has done more than enough in volume one to earn my trust as a reader. Though this author is famous for other works, those weren’t — at least on the surface — of real interest to me. I’m certainly glad I took a chance on Last Quarter however, as I’m finding it so extraordinarily enjoyable that I’m sure after some time passes, I’ll come back to it again; the highest compliment you can bestow upon a manga or graphic novel. Fabulous stuff, highly recommended!
"How can I prove whether it's a ghost or a hallucination?"
I would not say this is my favorite read of this year, but this is for sure one of the most engaging and surprising reads of 2025!
I'm not even quite sure what to say because I remember trying the first chapter a while back and really not liking it. I was scared for Mizuki and her getting wrapped up in this stranger that she declared was her lover. Everything about the situation screamed "danger" to me, but then the second chapter followed a completely different character who was so different from Mizuki that I didn't even know what to think! It felt like she was actually even the "real" female lad!
Honestly, from the start of this new character's introduction, the story ended up being a story of unraveling what appears to be a supernatural mystery. In fact, I think the quote I shared above really captures my own struggles of what the characters are going through because I had no idea whether what was happening was real or not.
But then you get near the end, and it's like everything you have learned alongside these characters has flipped everything upside down! I have no idea what is to come or if this series will even end on a happy note! I don't even know what a happy ending would look like, honestly! Is Mizuki seeing Adam really going to solve everything? Does he feel the same way about her that she feels about him? Has he moved on? Is he really alive? What has he been doing all this time?
I feel I have SO many questions (and these are just ones I think are spoiler-free!) because the story is amping up and I'm eager to read more and get answers!
An overwrought teen romance suddenly veers across lanes to become an elementary school haunted house mystery.
The story doesn't really play to Ai Yazawa's strengths in drawing fashionable and sexy characters, but I still enjoyed following along as the little group of fifth graders carried out their investigation into the supernatural.
I have the concluding volume ready to go from the library, so I should finish this series tomorrow.
Quello che sembrava un semplice manga, si è rivelato essere una storia piena di mistero e domande in sospeso. Il gruppo di ragazzini detective è fantastico. Il finale di questo volume lascia l’adrenalina nelle vene! URGE IL SEGUITO!
This took me a minute to really get into but once I did, wow I got hooked!
This is so different from anything I've ever read from this author and that took me by surprise. It's sad, haunting, mysterious and yet at the same time amusing and cute. I can't wait to read the next volume and find out what happens next.
i’ll forever be an ai yazawa girl. this was hauntingly beautiful and so distinct from the rest of her work. the artwork is absolutely breathtaking too.
Dopo un brutto incidente, Mizuki ha cominciato a vedere i fantasmi! Anzi, ne vede solo uno: quello di Eve. Per aiutarla, la piccola Mizuki decide di improvvisarsi detective insieme a un gruppo di bambini suoi amici.
Trovato in biblioteca e non ho resistito. Sinceramente la trama è stata una sopresa, l'ho preso a prescindere, perchè adoro la Yazawa, ma mi aspettavo una storia romantica, un pò strappa lacrime, che si c'è, ma c’è anche altro. All'inizio l'ho trovato un pò confusionario. Prima si parte con una cosa e poi arrivano Mizuki e i suoi compagni di classe, che sono troppo carini, ma la trama cambia, per poi ritornare in parte sui suoi passi. Si scusate sono un pò criptica, ma non voglio svelarvi nulla. A me è piaciuto questo scorpire le cose piano piano. Non vedo l'ora del prossimo volume, anche se so che piangerò.
Ah un'ultima cosa: mi mancava la Yazawa! ma non vi illudete, non l'ho ancora perdonata per non aver finito Nana.
Last Quarter is a supernatural mystery manga series by Ai Yazawa, and its title draws from the final phase of the lunar cycle, where the moon fades into a shadowy, uncertain state before disappearing into darkness. The first volume was quite confusing, and I didn’t know what to expect. But now I have already read all the volumes, and going back to reading this first one, everything does make sense.
Last Quarter is a story unlike anything Ai Yazawa has conjured up but still manages to retain the style she is renowned for. The story offers a blend of mystery and supernatural intrigue, wrapped in deep emotional layers. It revolves around Mizuki Mochizuki, a high school girl who meets Adam, a mysterious, blue-eyed guitarist. Mizuki becomes infatuated with him, and as the narrative unfolds, we shift focus to a group of four kids who discover the spirit of a girl in an abandoned mansion—this girl is revealed to be Mizuki’s ghost, with no memory except for her wish to meet “Adam.”
However, several mysteries surround this young girl that leave more puzzles in her memories. The unmatched initial name on her ring, the boyfriend that seems mostly just her imagination, and the parents that she never knew before and why she can’t leave the mansion?
“Grief is the price we pay for love”. This quote perfectly describes the story. I always love Ai Yazawa’s art style and her storytelling. While some parts of her stories are questionable, you can’t deny that she is a master of blending romance with deep emotional layers. The grief was well portrayed and explored; it was devastating. I ugly cried toward the ending, the story was well written. The poetic monologue, the yearning for lost love is so painful that I don’t think I can get over it.
Overall, the story still has its flaws, not perfect (because there’s a certain part that I wish Ai Yazawa could have left out), but still, I didn’t expect to love and enjoy this series that much. Solid 4 ⭐️
I'm not gonna lie, this one has me a bit confused...
The story is promoted as 'a supernatural mystery of two star-crossed lovers from the creator of Nana!', but this is not quite what one will find here. Most of the plot actually revolves around a group of young school children (I think they are 13) trying to solve the mystery of the ghost that only one of them can see... but is she a ghost or not?
And so the volume actually has a lot of cute and silly moments, with some typical young crush behavior, but it also gives a very dark vibe at times, especially when it comes to the mysterious character that is Adam, and everything that revolves around that ring with the wrong initials. I do actually think I know what's happening/going to happen here, and believe me, it's not pretty...
Over all, an enjoyable story, quite intriguing, but it needs to decide what it wants to be to actually be more engaging. Curious to see how volume two follows up...
This is Ai Yazawas least known manga series and it’s definitely more unique to her others, stepping into the supernatural and also having much younger subjects as her main characters. But it works so so well, she keeps the dark undertones and serious messaging; like mental health, drug addiction and broken families, but also manages to have some lovely comedic and heartwarming moments through her art style (also seen in paradise kiss and Nana).
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this series but I am so so excited to read the next volume
ai yazawa, your art style forever remains iconic, and your plots forever remain depressing 💗
this was an interesting first volume, although the first chapter was wildly confusing to me. of course, for me, ai yazawa’s unique art style saved the shakey first chapter.
Ai Yazawa doesn't miss. She's one of my all time favorite manga-ka, so I was very excited to pick up this series. Much like her other works, it has me feeling a heavy, melancholy feeling in my chest.I'm invested in the story, and willing to bet there will be a bittersweet ending.
I will say there are many moments where the first volume dips in quality for me, the first chapter was very slow paced and then the shocking thing at the end of it happens. Then we immediately follow a group of children…and they’re the main characters…don’t get me wrong the premise has potential, they could get some sad moments here but to have this switch is kind of odd. Also it’s kind of predictable what will happen if you pay attention, like the ex walking into the hospital room was so obvious. I will say I want to know more about Adam cause I feel like he’s gonna wind up being horrible and not even showing up. There’s so much more story they could’ve told before she got into the accident.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Non mi faceva male il cuore così tanto per una lettura - per un manga - da tanto, troppo, tempo. Non credevo che fosse possibile per me emozionarmi ancora così tanto. È una sensazione bellissima.
This is a good story. Not what I would expect from Ai Yazawa from what I have read of her stuff. Excited to get the next volume and see how the story ends.