MANGA REVIEW | "Fly Me to the Moon" - Volume Four
Kenjiro Hata gets how every guy thinks, even the sweet ones. Deep down, the kindest of folks will have their moments of pervertedness. There’s nothing wrong with having thoughts like that, so long as no harm is done. The temptation that Nasa feels for Tsukasa comes close to exploding in the fourth volume of Fly Me to the Moon, as the lovey-dovey couple experiences its first major setback.
After a successful meeting of Nasa’s parents, Tsukasa gets into tourist mode with some sightseeing in Nara. Soon the honeymoon ends, with the couple hoping to get back to normal life at their apartment. Just one little problem: their home’s been torched to the ground! Fortunately, Nasa’s kindness pays off with a new roof over his and Tsukasa’s head. As the two setting into their temporal home, a list of tasks must be completed in order to fully return to normal life.
Even with its cartoonish elements, Fly Me to the Moon does a great job showcasing some genuine human emotion & thought processes. This is first evident in Nasa & Tsukasa’s sightseeing adventure, as the wife tries her best to get her hubby to pose in the dorkiest ways. They have fun, albeit because they’re doing it together, which makes the experience all the more fulfilling. But it’s when they get home where they find some joy in doing the mundane things in life.
Of course, Nasa has his ulterior motives. Watching Tsukasa buying new clothes and underwear fills him with dirty thoughts, many of which he feels embarrassed about (although he definitely wants to appease his libido, with the permission of his wife). There’s both a silly and innocent vibe to Nasa’s perverted thought process, but it’s all showcased in a funny and relatable way. Tsukasa knows that her darling is a kind and thoughtful man, but she totally understands why he may come down with the case of the horny once in a while.
But it’s when the couple experiences its share of bad luck when they realize how strong of a duo they truly are. Even with almost everything lost in the blaze (save for a special wedding keepsake), Nasa and Tsukasa tread onwards to find a solution to their problems. Thankfully, Nasa has a good friend in Kaname, even if she makes fun of him when she catches him deep in naughty thought. The level of kindness that she bestows Nasa demonstrates the gratefulness she has for him, as she know just how much he has helped her in the past.
It may be fantastical, but Fly Me to the Moon is becoming quite the how-to manual for being the best couple possible. Even when they’ve dealt with their share of life blows, Nasa and Tsukasa find that so long as they’re together, they can tackle any problem head on. This is the kind of manga you can’t help but smile at from start-to-finish, with its fourth volume delivering more sweetness than a Halloween candy jackpot!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Gabrielle Dyer of VIZ Media
