As winter gives way to spring, Kazuki and Kanata can’t escape the dark cloud of his upcoming move. As their closest friends watch over them as they and others deal with their own love worries, what will happen to all these relationships as the school year draws to a close?
And, more importantly, as Love at Fourteen draws to a close.
This manga has introduced a lot of pairings, from confirmed couples to would-be to one-sided feelings, and as often happens in final manga volumes, the story jumps around to check in with everyone one last time. Outside of the short opening where Kazuki and Kanata don’t directly interact, we don’t see them until about halfway through volume 12, and they are the focus for the rest of the book.
The latter half is definitely more story-driven, as Kazuki and Kanata balance love, logic, and anxiety about their upcoming separation. Then there’s also the fact they’re still hiding their relationship (and their real selves) from everyone, so that limits their remaining time as well. Kazuki suggests they take some time apart to think about what they really want, and then they’re reconvene for a joint Valentine’s-White Day celebration for their final decision.
Romances thrive on happily-ever-afters, so readers will go into Love at Fourteen automatically thinking their relationship will work out okay. But seeing all the other couples also makes the whole long-distance thing seem like barely an issue. We have a lot of age gap relationships in this series, and if they can commit to someone who’s 14, then surely two 14-year-olds can commit to each other. True, not all of the other couples become official, but they all move in that direction if they aren’t already together. So it would make no sense for everyone else get closer to their beloved, but the main two end up apart. Their whole situation lacks a lot of tension.
Still, I enjoyed their friends Nagai, Shota, and Aoi worrying about Kanata and Kazuki, and their decision party and their final day at school is full of youthful silliness and emotion. If the cover makes you smile, then so will their ending and epilogue.
As for the first half, well, it’s hard to be as invested in everyone else as much as Kazuki-Kanata, and checking in on other couples is more about padding the volume than cheering for couples like Utsumi and Doi. As a reminder, Love at Fourteen is a spinoff of a yet-unlicensed manga about Shota and Akemi. As revealed in the author’s notes, post-Love at Fourteen, Mizutani launched two spinoffs featuring Nagai and Aoi respectively. So it seems like content that could have helped cement Nagai-Hinohara and Aoi-Haijima are being saved for those other series.
If you were hoping this means Love at Fourteen eases up on the skeeviness of these age gap couples, you’re going to be disappointed. Still, considering there’s an epilogue and we’ve been following them for a long time, readers of Love at Fourteen may expect a little more development, at least on the level as the secondary characters. Nagai’s chapter at least has him officially becoming motivated to enter the music industry, and throughout the volume, we also see him being a true part of the friend circle. Nagai certainly has come a long way since volume 1.
This helps keeps the first half of Love at Fourteen volume 12 from being incredibly boring. But the best way to describe this finale is like a newscast that promotes a story that captures your attention but saves it until well into the broadcast. Plus, who knows if English readers will ever read Game Over, Harmony, or Reliance, and that longing may bring down the happy ending for this manga’s main couple.