MANGA REVIEW | "Last Quarter" - Volume One
It’s been twenty-five years since Ai Yazawa introduced readers to the world of Last Quarter. Her follow-up to Neighborhood Story, the manga takes a much different route than one about high school fashionistas. What begins as a mysterious love story evolves into something totally different. As a result, Last Quarter showcases just how much of a master storyteller Yazawa is!
The story begins with Mizuki Mochizuki, a high schooler who’s become smitten with a musician. Named Adam, the British guitarist often finds himself alone in his mansion, still distraught over the death of his previous girlfriend. His turmoil doesn’t just come from lost love, but also what appears to be a heroin addiction that’s made his personality unpredictable. Nonetheless, it’s the music and sadness from Adam that draws Mizuki towards him.
At first, Last Quarter begins with Yazawa’s trademark romance. It’s the kind we would come to see later in the likes of Paradise Kiss and Nana, with plenty of drama (and sometimes tragedy) sprinkled throughout its narrative. Seeing it’s what Yazawa does best, the chemistry between Mizuki and Adam feels grounded, even with the red flags it presents. However, the narrative is quick to show that Last Quarter is no love story in the making.
Instead, Mizuki finds herself alone in the mansion, with no memory of why she’s there, how she arrived, or just about anything about her. All she can remember is Adam, alongside a song he had written. This is where Last Quarter’s real story begins, one that takes the form of a supernatural detective story. And the new star of this tale is a young girl named Hotaru.
Mizuki and Hotaru first cross paths in the world in-between life and death, near some mysterious gates. At the gates are both Adam and Hotaru’s cat Lulu, the latter of whom Hotaru was seeking. But an accident occurs, leaving her in the hospital for three weeks. Even after the incident, Hotaru seeks her beloved pet, which leads her to a mansion where a similar cat is found. And there, Hotaru once again crosses paths with Mizuki. Just one problem: Mizuki — who has no idea who she really is — cannot leave the mansion.
That’s when Hotaru gathers her friends Sae, Tetsu, and Miura to aid in the mystery. Only Hotaru can see Mizuki, who is dubbed “Eve” by her friends. Naturally, the friends think Hotaru might be a little loopy, as they have no way of seeing Mizuki. That is, until they see Hotaru’s hat floating about, forcing her friends to realize that she speaks the truth.
Right there is when Last Quarter starts feeling like a detective story. The four friends attempt to find any clues regarding Mizuki’s identity and reason for being stuck in the mansion. From the ring Mizuki gives to Hotaru to old newspaper clippings they found, the pieces of the puzzle are slowly put together. It’s a mystery whose pacing is done very well, and while the reader already knows who Mizuki is, they still find a way to make each clue found all the more fun and exciting.
It also helps that the story is filled with Yazawa’s trademark sense of humor, even with its dramatic parts. Hotaru and her friends are kids, after all, so seeing them react to ghosts, bad pictures, and any sort of silliness feels right at home with what we’ve come to expect from Yazawa. Her art style is also presented in a way similar to Neighborhood Story and her other works, as it can go from being drop-dead gorgeous to dorky in an instant.
Those who never experienced Last Quarter when it first came out will be in for a surprise. This isn’t the usual beautiful romance-filled story we usually expect from Ai Yazawa. It may start out as a tale of new love, but its pivoting to a ghost mystery story leads it to being one of the author’s more unique stories. Volume One sets up that mystery well, and while readers may know the true situation right off the bat, it doesn’t take away from just how stellar and entertaining Last Quarter is.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
