In manga artist Waka Hirako’s My Broken Mariko, a new work of josei manga (or Japanese comics designed for mature women), Tomoyo, a young professional woman, is shocked to learn that Mariko, her closest friend, has committed suicide. But Tomoyo also knows Mariko has secretly suffered physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her father since she was a child. In this 8-page excerpt, Tomoyo decides to avenge the unnecessary death of her friend and honor her life by stealing Mariko’s ashes from her abusive father and taking her friend on a final journey together to memorialize her life. My Broken Mariko by Waka Hirako will be published by Yen Press in September.