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Last Quarter - Original Edition [下弦の月 /Kagen no Tsuki] #2
Last Quarter, Vol. 2
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?
Mizuki is trapped in a crumbling mansion, bereft of memories except for the time she spent with Adam. Hotaru and her friends have been working from her fragmentary recollections to discover what happened. Will Mizuki be reunited with Adam?
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?
Mizuki is trapped in a crumbling mansion, bereft of memories except for the time she spent with Adam. Hotaru and her friends have been working from her fragmentary recollections to discover what happened. Will Mizuki be reunited with Adam?
270 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 1999
10 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
About the author
Ai Yazawa
297 books3,178 followersAi 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
July 14, 2025
“Many problems of the human heart can’t be contained by reason. When we figured that out, it was too late.”
The above quote is a moment from the second and final volume of this English-language edition version of Ai Yazawa’s wonderful manga masterpiece, Last Quarter. It is about love and death, and the world between. At it’s bare bones it is about a group of middle-school kids attempting to solve the mystery of a young woman who may or may not be a ghost, and help her move forward. But it ends up being so much more.
I won’t rehash too much of the first marvelous volume, and try to limit spoilers here, but if you’re reading this, I will assume you’ve either read, or read about, the first volume, so be forewarned.
The transition from 17 year old Mizuki falling in love with a drug-addicted guitar player and rock star, and the vague tragedy that ensued, to middle-schooler Hotaru and her friends has already been made in the first volume of Last Quarter. Hotaru has a deep connection to the girl who doesn’t remember her name or how she came to be trapped in the mansion, because Hotaru met her while looking for her cat, at the fence between our world and that which lies on the other side.
After enlisting the help of her best friend Sae, and boys Tetsu (hilarious) and his friend Miura to help her, Hotaru discovers she is the only one who can actually see and speak with Mizuki. The inevitable conclusion is of course drawn by everyone, and the group of four band together to discover who the young woman is, so they can help her move on.
As I stated in my review for volume one of Last Quarter, while the story sounds rather scary or tawdry when written out in black and white, and the juxtaposition between the two worlds too stark to meld, Ai Yazawa does a remarkable job with narrative and illustrations in making this a lovely, compelling read. In the end the manga ponders weighty spiritual questions, yet arrives there with tenderness and humor, making Last Quarter quite remarkable.
Once the kids discover who the girl they’ve named Eve is — because her rock star obsession was named Adam — this story is only just beginning. A revelation about a band called Evil Eye, a girl other than Mizuki, and an error in judgement in regard to what’s really going on make the final volume of Last Quarter a real page turner.
“I don’t want to just drive her out. I want to help her get safely into Heaven.”
It’s extremely rare to run across a story this beautiful that is as laugh-filled and charming. Each of the kids has their own distinct personality and backstory over the course of the narrative thanks to Yazawa. Some charming middle-school crushes and friendships are also explored along the way.
The interactions of the sweet Hotaru and her friends is in turns heartfelt and charming in Last Quarter; it is also, quite often, laugh out loud funny. Yet there is something tender and touching about it all, because Yazawa has given life to the children, making them seem real and easily identifiable to the reader. Perhaps due to the children being funny and real, the more serious and mysterious aspects seem real as well. Mizuki’s family comes more into play in the second volume, especially Mizuki’s boyfriend Tomoki. A moment of betrayal and indiscretion in the past takes on emotional hues of understanding and regret.
What happens to the lost? Is there a way back if we love enough, and want to come back? Ai Yazawa explores these questions in such a compelling and fun way that it sometimes masks just how brilliantly it has been accomplished in this manga. Moreover, Yazawa was brave enough as a writer to risk making Mizuki’s story anti-climactic; Yazawa shows us, rather than tells us, what happens in the lives of Hotaru and her friends post-mystery.
This story, while incredibly entertaining, is also a journey. Yazawa smartly — yet surprisingly — allows the reader to enjoy the destination once we arrive, which only endears us more to Last Quarter, giving us closure to Mitsuki’s story, and Adam’s.
I was tempted to quote lyrics from the song, Last Quarter, which end the story, but I don’t want to spoil anyone’s enjoyment of the florid and lovely finish to this very special story. Anyone who reads Ai Yazawa’s Last Quarter will most likely be returning to it at some point, as I will. Highly recommended!
The above quote is a moment from the second and final volume of this English-language edition version of Ai Yazawa’s wonderful manga masterpiece, Last Quarter. It is about love and death, and the world between. At it’s bare bones it is about a group of middle-school kids attempting to solve the mystery of a young woman who may or may not be a ghost, and help her move forward. But it ends up being so much more.
I won’t rehash too much of the first marvelous volume, and try to limit spoilers here, but if you’re reading this, I will assume you’ve either read, or read about, the first volume, so be forewarned.
The transition from 17 year old Mizuki falling in love with a drug-addicted guitar player and rock star, and the vague tragedy that ensued, to middle-schooler Hotaru and her friends has already been made in the first volume of Last Quarter. Hotaru has a deep connection to the girl who doesn’t remember her name or how she came to be trapped in the mansion, because Hotaru met her while looking for her cat, at the fence between our world and that which lies on the other side.
After enlisting the help of her best friend Sae, and boys Tetsu (hilarious) and his friend Miura to help her, Hotaru discovers she is the only one who can actually see and speak with Mizuki. The inevitable conclusion is of course drawn by everyone, and the group of four band together to discover who the young woman is, so they can help her move on.
As I stated in my review for volume one of Last Quarter, while the story sounds rather scary or tawdry when written out in black and white, and the juxtaposition between the two worlds too stark to meld, Ai Yazawa does a remarkable job with narrative and illustrations in making this a lovely, compelling read. In the end the manga ponders weighty spiritual questions, yet arrives there with tenderness and humor, making Last Quarter quite remarkable.
Once the kids discover who the girl they’ve named Eve is — because her rock star obsession was named Adam — this story is only just beginning. A revelation about a band called Evil Eye, a girl other than Mizuki, and an error in judgement in regard to what’s really going on make the final volume of Last Quarter a real page turner.
“I don’t want to just drive her out. I want to help her get safely into Heaven.”
It’s extremely rare to run across a story this beautiful that is as laugh-filled and charming. Each of the kids has their own distinct personality and backstory over the course of the narrative thanks to Yazawa. Some charming middle-school crushes and friendships are also explored along the way.
The interactions of the sweet Hotaru and her friends is in turns heartfelt and charming in Last Quarter; it is also, quite often, laugh out loud funny. Yet there is something tender and touching about it all, because Yazawa has given life to the children, making them seem real and easily identifiable to the reader. Perhaps due to the children being funny and real, the more serious and mysterious aspects seem real as well. Mizuki’s family comes more into play in the second volume, especially Mizuki’s boyfriend Tomoki. A moment of betrayal and indiscretion in the past takes on emotional hues of understanding and regret.
What happens to the lost? Is there a way back if we love enough, and want to come back? Ai Yazawa explores these questions in such a compelling and fun way that it sometimes masks just how brilliantly it has been accomplished in this manga. Moreover, Yazawa was brave enough as a writer to risk making Mizuki’s story anti-climactic; Yazawa shows us, rather than tells us, what happens in the lives of Hotaru and her friends post-mystery.
This story, while incredibly entertaining, is also a journey. Yazawa smartly — yet surprisingly — allows the reader to enjoy the destination once we arrive, which only endears us more to Last Quarter, giving us closure to Mitsuki’s story, and Adam’s.
I was tempted to quote lyrics from the song, Last Quarter, which end the story, but I don’t want to spoil anyone’s enjoyment of the florid and lovely finish to this very special story. Anyone who reads Ai Yazawa’s Last Quarter will most likely be returning to it at some point, as I will. Highly recommended!
May 19, 2025
beautiful
December 19, 2025
YOUTUBE VIDEO REVIEW: https://youtu.be/tNomvK5-YEA
"Somehow we got so caught up in putting the pieces together that we missed something crucial. Many problems of the human heart can't be contained by reason."
It's been several days since I read this volume, and I still have been thinking about it and the impact it had on me personally.
I'm not quite sure of what to say, but if the first volume was all mystery-solving, this second volume was the pieces coming together, but the impact on the characters not being what they expected it would be. There were so many times I found myself emotional, and I confess that one line near the end made me cry because it was the perfect way to wrap up this story.
While I felt Hotaru was the main female lead in volume one, in this volume, it focuses so much more on Mizuki. The way her life spoke to me in that I am far more loved than I even realize (and I don't mean that in a boastful way!) really hit me when it had been such a rough day when reading this. When she started realizing why she wasn't with Adam, it hit my heart hard, and I couldn't help but feel divided in her getting her memories back, but also what that would mean for the new friendships she's made.
And speaking of, these kids were AMAZING characters! I loved seeing them grow, learn, grieve, celebrate, and ultimately come together as a friendship that will not be easily broken. They are some of the most compelling characters I have read, and I am sad that my time with them is over because of how much I came to care for all of them.
This is a series I would highly recommend to those looking for a supernatural mystery that isn't what it seems and completely captivates you with the heartfelt storytelling. I read this series by way of my library, but it's one I wouldn't personally mind owning!
"Somehow we got so caught up in putting the pieces together that we missed something crucial. Many problems of the human heart can't be contained by reason."
It's been several days since I read this volume, and I still have been thinking about it and the impact it had on me personally.
I'm not quite sure of what to say, but if the first volume was all mystery-solving, this second volume was the pieces coming together, but the impact on the characters not being what they expected it would be. There were so many times I found myself emotional, and I confess that one line near the end made me cry because it was the perfect way to wrap up this story.
While I felt Hotaru was the main female lead in volume one, in this volume, it focuses so much more on Mizuki. The way her life spoke to me in that I am far more loved than I even realize (and I don't mean that in a boastful way!) really hit me when it had been such a rough day when reading this. When she started realizing why she wasn't with Adam, it hit my heart hard, and I couldn't help but feel divided in her getting her memories back, but also what that would mean for the new friendships she's made.
And speaking of, these kids were AMAZING characters! I loved seeing them grow, learn, grieve, celebrate, and ultimately come together as a friendship that will not be easily broken. They are some of the most compelling characters I have read, and I am sad that my time with them is over because of how much I came to care for all of them.
This is a series I would highly recommend to those looking for a supernatural mystery that isn't what it seems and completely captivates you with the heartfelt storytelling. I read this series by way of my library, but it's one I wouldn't personally mind owning!
March 11, 2022
Ohh this is getting excellent, THE ENDING?!! Loving these children detectives lol! So invested in every character, there’s depth, there’s humor, beautiful art, typical ai yazawa praise as I must
January 24, 2023
« Est-ce qu’il existe en ce monde des mots assez forts ou assez porteurs d’espoir pour la retenir ici ? Moi j’en connais pas. »
September 26, 2023
It's getting weirder and more mysterious. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Up until now I was used to drama and everyday stuff (and I liked them all. She knows what she's doing) from the creator but this whimsical story is so well done and refreshing.
November 11, 2024
while the initial volume was confusing, the plot was better executed in this second and final volume, although everything was not necessarily resolved. of course, ai yazawa’s art remains beautiful
this was a depressing paranormal romance with suicidal thoughts/behaviors and abuse of drugs.
this was a depressing paranormal romance with suicidal thoughts/behaviors and abuse of drugs.
February 15, 2022
4.5/5
The mystery deepens, and it's excellent stuff. The four kids are all so likeable and well-developed, and this has hooked me not just due to the mystery and storytelling aspects, but also because I genuinely feel a connection to the characters and want to see how their individual stories unfold. Jumping right into the final volume!
The mystery deepens, and it's excellent stuff. The four kids are all so likeable and well-developed, and this has hooked me not just due to the mystery and storytelling aspects, but also because I genuinely feel a connection to the characters and want to see how their individual stories unfold. Jumping right into the final volume!
May 5, 2024
o moj boze alez to bylo dobre, co tu sie dzieje?????? AUTORKA MA LEB JAK SKLEP
November 14, 2025
i NEED to listen to the song now 😣
May 4, 2025
The conclusion of this supernatural tale about a wayward soul is drawn out a bit too much with angst and other emoting, but it works well enough and kept me engaged through to its (anticlimactic) ending.
Ai Yazawa's work is always worth a look.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Act 8. Life -- Act 9. Remember -- Act 10. True -- Act 11. Sayaka -- Act 12. Fault -- Act 13. Wish -- Act 14. Heaven -- Act 15. Over -- Act [16]. Last Quarter -- Illustration Gallery
Ai Yazawa's work is always worth a look.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Act 8. Life -- Act 9. Remember -- Act 10. True -- Act 11. Sayaka -- Act 12. Fault -- Act 13. Wish -- Act 14. Heaven -- Act 15. Over -- Act [16]. Last Quarter -- Illustration Gallery
December 28, 2017
Après un premier tome étrange qui repoussait les limites de la réalité pour virer par moments dans l’onirisme, cette suite continue dans l’enquête menée par Hotaru, accompagnée de Sae, Masaki et Tetsu.
En s’attachant aux recherches des collégiens sur la véritable identité d’Eve, on apprend énormément de choses.
Même si on savait déjà qui était vraiment Eve, les personnages le découvrent eux aussi et n’arrêtent pas leurs investigations puisqu’ils veulent aussi en apprendre plus sur Adam.
Et on entre là dans de véritables révélations puisque ce qu’ils découvrent est vraiment surprenant et entraîne l’histoire dans une autre direction.
L’amour tient toujours une place importante mais l’histoire de Mizuki cache aussi tout autre chose de bien plus fantastique et plus complexe que ça à quoi on peut s’attendre au départ.
L’histoire est soutenue par un graphisme toujours aussi réussi et je trouve que cette série est bien trop oubliée dans la liste des œuvres de Ai Yazawa.
En s’attachant aux recherches des collégiens sur la véritable identité d’Eve, on apprend énormément de choses.
Même si on savait déjà qui était vraiment Eve, les personnages le découvrent eux aussi et n’arrêtent pas leurs investigations puisqu’ils veulent aussi en apprendre plus sur Adam.
Et on entre là dans de véritables révélations puisque ce qu’ils découvrent est vraiment surprenant et entraîne l’histoire dans une autre direction.
L’amour tient toujours une place importante mais l’histoire de Mizuki cache aussi tout autre chose de bien plus fantastique et plus complexe que ça à quoi on peut s’attendre au départ.
L’histoire est soutenue par un graphisme toujours aussi réussi et je trouve que cette série est bien trop oubliée dans la liste des œuvres de Ai Yazawa.
June 11, 2023
Un second tome onirique qui nous transporte dans une enquête, voire même une chasse aux fantômes. Mais qui est réellement Ève/Mizuki/Sayaka, et pourquoi sont-elles liées ? J’espère le découvrir dans le troisième et dernier tome avec nos quatre chers écoliers, bien déterminés à résoudre ce mystère
January 11, 2025
Oh this ending had me crying lmao
Genuinely loved this ending and the journey this short series took me on. I really enjoyed the framing of the narrative and the characters as well.
Genuinely loved this ending and the journey this short series took me on. I really enjoyed the framing of the narrative and the characters as well.
November 4, 2019
The kids were able to unveiled who Eve actually is but things got a bit complicated that it was expected. I still love the dynamic between the 4 friends. The humor always come at the right time.
June 4, 2025
She can’t write anything bad….the story is so beautifully done and the way she writes betrayals are just beautiful!!
June 20, 2025
I AM SO INVESTED. SO GOOD.
August 25, 2025
Seriously what the hell Ai Yazawa literally bawling my eyes out. It was really, really good though.
September 28, 2025
I once again have no words. So, I’ll just put this quote:
“Are there any words in the world with enough power or hope to make her stay? Do those words even exist?”
“Are there any words in the world with enough power or hope to make her stay? Do those words even exist?”
October 9, 2017
بعجبني التفكير المنطقي المتسلسل في التحقيق، ما في مجال لي كقارئة أعترض أو أعتقد انهم بيتجاهلوا بعض الحقائق عشان الكاتب ما عرف يرقعها
December 8, 2025
(4.5) I’m such a sucker for ai yazawa’s storytelling and art style!! Seriously, it’s always a pleasure to read her work. This one’s got mystery, supernatural vibes, and that unexpected twists. Can’t believe last quarter is still so underrated
February 9, 2025
i read vol. 1 in october around halloween and finished vol. 2 today, a few days before valentine’s day — the perfect reading benchmarks, i think, for a story all about time passing and resetting. in the phases of the moon, in falling in love, reincarnation…
anyway ai yazawa’s art is pretty and stylish as always, and last quarter plays w the same ideas she revisits in more popular manga like nana (music, fashion, young love, loneliness, subverting japanese societal expectations, etc.) that’s why i rec her books and anime to gals who otherwise (fairly) associate anime with ugly ex bfs. yazawa keeps it universally appealing and heart-exploding.
this one is unique because it’s also a patrick swayze-type ghost story, with sex appeal & friendship and just enough mystery to keep it achingly spooky. it’s cozy like if someone as fashionable as greta gerwig directed a phantom of the opera adaptation. i’d describe this type of soft paranormal romance as “early morning supernatural.”
rly enjoyed this! 🕸️👻👻👻👻👻☁️🌤️🌨️
anyway ai yazawa’s art is pretty and stylish as always, and last quarter plays w the same ideas she revisits in more popular manga like nana (music, fashion, young love, loneliness, subverting japanese societal expectations, etc.) that’s why i rec her books and anime to gals who otherwise (fairly) associate anime with ugly ex bfs. yazawa keeps it universally appealing and heart-exploding.
this one is unique because it’s also a patrick swayze-type ghost story, with sex appeal & friendship and just enough mystery to keep it achingly spooky. it’s cozy like if someone as fashionable as greta gerwig directed a phantom of the opera adaptation. i’d describe this type of soft paranormal romance as “early morning supernatural.”
rly enjoyed this! 🕸️👻👻👻👻👻☁️🌤️🌨️
January 14, 2025
I never turn down an Ai Yazawa manga or a story of a girl in between life and death.
This last volume and conclusion to the story were heartbreakingly beautiful, eerie, and so, so bittersweet. Ai Yazawa's talent to weave fated encounters into the raw, everyday life always leaves me breathless. I took this volume out of the library as soon as I could get my hands on it. This is one of those forgotten classics, and I'm extremely grateful they're being translated now.
Without spoiling anything, I'll say I loved how she used moon phases to open portals for the departed... don't we all wish we could get or give those who left us a second chance like this?
What I would give to listen to Evil Eye's Last Quarter song as Ai Yazawa imagined it... I'm on a mission to find the movie adaptation.
This last volume and conclusion to the story were heartbreakingly beautiful, eerie, and so, so bittersweet. Ai Yazawa's talent to weave fated encounters into the raw, everyday life always leaves me breathless. I took this volume out of the library as soon as I could get my hands on it. This is one of those forgotten classics, and I'm extremely grateful they're being translated now.
Without spoiling anything, I'll say I loved how she used moon phases to open portals for the departed... don't we all wish we could get or give those who left us a second chance like this?
What I would give to listen to Evil Eye's Last Quarter song as Ai Yazawa imagined it... I'm on a mission to find the movie adaptation.
March 19, 2025
A really cool premise let down by the lack of character and plot development. I didn’t feel the romance or the drama. I actually felt bad for the band of middle schoolers who wasted their time trying to solve a “mystery”. What a let down.
August 24, 2015
เป็นพล็อตที่สลับซับซ้อนและสนุกมากกก
ความทรงจำทับซ้อน ผีสิงผี อะไรประมาณนั้น
ไอยาซาว่าเป็นนักเขียนที่ไอเดียบรรเจิดมากค่ะ ชอบบบบ
ความทรงจำทับซ้อน ผีสิงผี อะไรประมาณนั้น
ไอยาซาว่าเป็นนักเขียนที่ไอเดียบรรเจิดมากค่ะ ชอบบบบ
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October 13, 2022makes sense now IM SO SAD
October 27, 2024
ay bu kadından böyle biş beklmezdim asla bu nee çok iiii
January 12, 2025
What a great story, and the art was as usual beautiful.
January 17, 2025
Bittersweet ending. But made perfect sense.
Can’t really say too much without spoiling so I’ll just leave it that.
Can’t really say too much without spoiling so I’ll just leave it that.
March 20, 2025
Ai Yazawa speaks directly to my soul 🌙
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews