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Last Quarter
First tankōbon volume cover
下弦の月 (Kagen no Tsuki)
Genre	Mystery Romance Supernatural
Manga
Written by	Ai Yazawa
Published by	Shueisha
English publisher	NA: Viz Media
Imprint	Ribon Mascot Comics
Magazine	Ribon
Demographic	Shōjo
Original run	April 1998 – June 1999
Volumes	3
Live-action film
Directed by	Ken Nikai [ja]
Written by	Ken Nikai
Music by	Kuniaki Haishima
Studio	Shochiku
Licensed by	Geneon Entertainment
Released	October 9, 2004 (2004-10-09)
Runtime	112 minutes
Anime and manga portal

Last Quarter (Japanese: 下弦の月, Hepburn: Kagen no Tsuki) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōjo manga magazine Ribon from the April 1998 to June 1999 issues. A live action film adaptation was released on October 9, 2004.

Plot

Facing struggles with her father's re-marriage and cheating ex-boyfriend, 17-year-old high school student Mizuki Mochizuki falls in love with Adam, a British musician, one night under the full moon. Captivated, Mizuki begins avoiding her family and friends to spend time with him in secret at an abandoned mansion. Two weeks into their relationship, Adam tells her that he will be leaving by sunrise, and Mizuki decides to run away from home to follow him. While crossing the street to him, Mizuki is hit by a car.

At the same time, 5th grade elementary school student Hotaru Shiraishi is also hospitalized from a car accident while looking for her pet cat Lulu and dreams of a girl who helped her look for her. After being discharged from the hospital, Hotaru's search leads her to finding the girl at the abandoned mansion and discovering she is a ghost, with Hotaru being the only one who can see her. The girl has no memories of her past life other than Adam and she is unable to leave the mansion. With the help of her classmates Sae Kayama, Tetsu Sugisaki, and Masaki Miura, Hotaru assists the girl with recovering her memories. The four children nickname the girl "Eve" due to her searching for Adam and they communicate through Hotaru's interpretation and Eve writing in Sae's notebook.

Miura initially identifies Eve as Sayaka Kamijo, but Hotaru states they look nothing alike. Sugisaki and Miura are then able to identify Eve as Mizuki, and the children learn that she is alive but in a coma, leading Hotaru to the conclusion that she will awaken if she is able to meet Adam again. They manage to identify Adam based on a song written by his band, Evil Eye, that Eve plays on the piano, only to learn that Adam had died in 1979, before Mizuki was born. At the same time, Eve begins recovering memories of another person.

The children soon discover that Adam's girlfriend was Sayaka, who died at age 17 from illness, leading them to realize that Sayaka has possessed Eve. Miura concludes that the only way to have Sayaka leave Mizuki is to give her closure by revealing Adam's death. Once Mizuki tells Eve the truth, Eve vanishes and reappears at the street where Mizuki's accident took place, while Mizuki's body takes a turn for the worse. Hotaru chases down Eve and convinces her that she is loved by her family and friends, giving her resolve to live. Once Eve disappears for good, Mizuki wakes up from her coma after Adam leads her out of her dreams.

At the end of the series, Mizuki returns to her normal life with no recollection of what had happened, and the children bury Sae's notebook inside the abandoned mansion. Through a monologue, Adam reveals himself to be a wandering spirit searching for Sayaka after his death, and he had managed to lure her during a moon cycle after she had possessed Mizuki; during their time together, he had also fallen in love with Mizuki. While she ultimately had been unable to follow him due to her willpower to live, Adam states that he will continue to watch over her.

Characters

Mizuki Mochizuki (望月 美月, Mochizuki Mizuki) / Eve (イブ, Ibu)

Portrayed by: Chiaki Kuriyama (film)

Mizuki is a 17-year-old high school student who has recently been struggling with her father's re-marriage and infidelity from her ex-boyfriend. After meeting Adam one night, she is drawn to him in an instant and quickly falls in love with him, spending two weeks with him every night in secret. When she attempts to pursue him as he is leaving, she is hit by a car and falls in a coma, awakening with no recollection of her past other than Adam. After meeting her, Hotaru and her classmates nickname her "Eve" and decide to help her recover her memories. However, they later learn that Sayaka Kamijo's soul has also possessed her, which leads her into confusing Sayaka's memories as her own.

Hotaru Shiraishi (白石 蛍, Shiraishi Hotaru)

Portrayed by: Tomoka Kurokawa (film)

Hotaru is a 5th grade elementary school student. She meets Eve while in a coma after a car accident taking place around the same time as Mizuki's while looking for her pet cat Lulu. Throughout the series, she befriends Eve and becomes dedicated in helping her recover her memories. Hotaru has feelings for Miura, but she later finds herself in love with Sugisaki.

Sae Kayama (香山 沙絵, Kayama Sae)

Sae is Hotaru's classmate and has been best friends with her since she saved the latter from being bullied in 3rd grade. She is strong-willed but she also comes from a strict family. Throughout the series, she becomes impressed by Miura and develops feelings for him.

Tetsu Sugisaki (杉崎 哲, Sugisaki Tetsu)

Sugisaki is Hotaru's classmate who comes from a family of doctors, with his father treating Hotaru at the clinic while she was in a coma. He is on the soccer team and has a cheerful personality. He finds himself falling in love with Hotaru throughout the series.

Masaki Miura (三浦 正輝, Miura Masaki)

Portrayed by: Motoki Ochiai (film)

Miura is Sugisaki's best friend and an attractive boy from class 1 who Hotaru initially is infatuated with. His parents are actors and he lives with his father after their divorce. He is level-headed and logical, but he is also noted by Sugisaki to be curt and disregarding of other people's feelings.

Tomoki Anzai (安西 知己, Anzai Tomoki)

Portrayed by: Hiroki Narimiya (film)

Tomoki is Mizuki's ex-boyfriend who cheated on her with her friend Aya. Tomoki reveals he is still in love with Mizuki and regrets what happened in their relationship.

Adam Lang (アダム・ラング, Adamu Rangu)

Portrayed by: Hyde (film)

Adam is a mysterious man with blond hair and blue eyes who Mizuki meets one night under the full moon. He is from London and is the lead singer of the band Evil Eye. Hotaru and her friends eventually learn that Adam died in 1979, presumably from drug addiction, after being distraught from the death of his girlfriend, Sayaka.

Sayaka Kamijo (上條 さやか, Kamijō Sayaka)

Portrayed by: Ayumi Ito (film)

Sayaka was Adam's girlfriend and pianist, and they met when she was studying abroad in England. She died at age 17 from an illness, and her soul later possesses Mizuki after being drawn to Adam's song.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, Last Quarter was serialized in Shueisha's monthly shōjo manga magazine Ribon from the April 1998 to the June 1999 issues. Shueisha collected its chapters in three tankōbon volumes, released from December 7, 1998, to November 15, 1999. It was republished in a two-volume aizōban edition on September 17, 2004, and a two-volume bunkoban edition on March 19, 2013.

In February 2024, Viz Media in licensed the manga for North American distribution in English, publishing the bunkoban version of the manga.

In 2022, Yazawa stated that she had initially moved on from using dip pens and brushes to illustrate manga after the conclusion of Neighborhood Story in 1996; however, she mentioned that she returned to using those tools for Last Quarter, as she felt that they helped convey the mood of the story better.

Volumes

Tankōbon edition

Aizōban edition

Bunkoban edition

Film

A live action film adaptation, written and directed by Ken Nikai [ja] and distributed by Shochiku, premiered in Japan on October 9, 2004. It stars Chiaki Kuriyama as Mizuki, Hyde as Adam, and Hiroki Narimiya as Tomoki. Additional cast members include Tomoka Kurokawa as Hotaru and Motoki Ochiai as Miura. The film's theme song is "The Cape of Storms" by Hyde. A music video for the song was filmed and featured in the film to promote the Japanese release of the English version of Hyde's debut studio album Roentgen (titled Roentgen English in Japan). The film grossed ¥247,000,000 at box office. The film was licensed by Geneon Entertainment for North American distribution in English, and it was released on DVD on July 4, 2006. The film saw several changes from the manga, such as making Mizuki, Hotaru, and Miura older.

Reception

Editors at Anime News Network reviewed Last Quarter favorably, praising the artwork, storytelling, and tone. Sequential Tart stated that the story became more interesting after Hotaru's introduction.

For the live-action film adaptation, Anime News Network panned Hyde's acting and the film's cinematography.

References

1. ^ Fobian, Peter (December 15, 2015). "FEATURE: Monthly Mangaka Spotlight 6: Ai Yazawa". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
2. 矢沢あい「下弦の月」が文庫化、表紙イラストは描き下ろし. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 6, 2013. Archived from the original on August 8, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
3. 下弦の月. Mangapedia [ja] (in Japanese). Voyage Group. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
4. ^ 下弦の月 1. s-book.com (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on January 20, 2004. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
5. ^ 下弦の月 3. s-book.com (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on January 20, 2004. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
6. ^ 愛蔵版／下弦の月　―Last　Quarter―. s-book.com (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
7. ^ 下弦の月 集英社文庫 (コミック版) (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on August 1, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
8. Mateo, Alex (February 2, 2024). "Viz Media Licenses Trillion Game, Otaku Vampire's Love Bite, Spider-Man: Octo Girl, X-Men, More Manga for Fall 2024". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
9. ^ "Last Quarter, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
10. Kawayuka, Yayoi (August 5, 2022). 「登場人物のことは全員大好き」――『天使なんかじゃない』『NANA』作者・矢沢あいさんインタビュー（後編） ["I love all the characters": interview with Ai Yazawa, the creator of Tenshi Nanka Janai and Nana (final part)]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
11. 下弦の月 2. s-book.com (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on July 12, 2003. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
12. "Last Quarter, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
13. ^ 下弦の月〜ラスト・クォーター (in Japanese). Japanese Film Database. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
14. ^ 下弦の月/ラスト・クォーター [Last Quarter]. Cinema Today (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
15. HYDEが歌う「下弦の月〜ラスト・クォーター」テーマ曲、ビデオクリップが36時間限定公開に [Theme song sung by Hyde for Last Quarter will have a video clip released for a limited time for 36 hours]. RBB Today [ja] (in Japanese). October 14, 2004. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
16. 2004年度 日本映画・外国映画 業界総決算 経営/製作/配給/興行のすべて [2004 summary on the Japanese and foreign film industries: Everything about management, production, distribution, and exhibition]. Kinema Junpo (in Japanese). No. 1423. Japan: Kinema-Junposha. February 2005. p. 152.
17. "Last Quarter". Geneon Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 20, 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
18. ^ Martin, Theron (October 30, 2006). "Review: Last Quarter (live-action)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
19. Santos, Carlos (May 2, 2006). "RIGHT TURN ONLY!!: The Melancholy of Kanji Sasahara". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
20. Santos, Carlos (July 24, 2007). "RIGHT TURN ONLY!!: Light Yagami and the Deathly Notebooks". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
21. Silverman, Rebecca (February 25, 2014). "RIGHT TURN ONLY!!: Sweet Days". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
22. Silverman, Rebecca; Cormack, Kevin; Moore, Caitlin (October 21, 2024). "The Fall 2024 Manga Guide: Last Quarter". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
23. Martinson, Patti (October 7, 2024). "Last Quarter Vol. 1". Sequential Tart. Retrieved December 3, 2024.

Further reading

• Inoue, Kaoru (October 14, 2020). 矢沢あい『下弦の月』は名作か否か？　評価が分かれる難解な物語を解説. Real Sound [ja] (in Japanese). Blueprint Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022.

External links

• Last Quarter (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

• Manga series
• 1998 manga
• Ai Yazawa
• Manga adapted into films
• Mystery anime and manga
• Romance anime and manga
• Supernatural anime and manga
• Shōjo manga
• Shueisha manga
• Viz Media manga