MANGA REVIEW | "Fly Me to the Moon" - Volume Eighteen
Cars are quite the useful tool. They take us faster than our legs can move, and go longer distances than the human will can travel. They also happen to assist in the art of romance, as they’re the perfect hiding spot for smooches and other lewd things. Naturally, this is what pushes Nasa to get his driver’s license in the eighteenth volume of Fly Me to the Moon.
Plans to decrypt Toriko’s mystery files are put on hold, as the tech to do so is far too expensive for a newlywed couple. But the appearance of Toriko’s daughter Shiori add some new mystery to the mix, as she gives Tsukasa a key to the Kyomaru Estate. There she can be reacquainted with her past, something that Nasa himself would like to experience. However, in order to get to the estate, someone’s gotta take a long drive.
With Tsukasa’s experience with driving being kind of perilous, Nasa volunteers to be the one to learn how to operated an automobile. Usually, anything involving tests are a cinch for Nasa, as even the most complicated exam is child’s play to him. But Nasa learns quickly that the ability to drive requires patience, concentration, and a mind that doesn’t always go into the gutter whenever his wife does something cute. As as result, Nasa takes on his greatest obstacle yet!
I can easily relate to Nasa’s vehicle woes in this volume of Fly Me to the Moon. Driving is one of the most stressful things on the planet, as one cannot even predict what the other drivers on the road are thinking. The look on Nasa’s face after his first class was how I was every time I was behind the wheel, which is one filled with exhaustion and stress. (It’s why public transportation is my only means of commuting, outside of walking.)
But Nasa’s got another reason for wanting to drive, outside of reaching the Kyomaru Estate. He wants another avenue to get hot and flirty with Tsukasa, who doesn’t quite dismiss such an idea. Quite the contrary, while Nasa’s learning the art of vehicular operations, Tsukasa becomes more open to being a bit more frisky. Whether it’s learning what kind of underthings would make Nasa smile to matching pajamas, Tsukasa starts inching closer towards becoming more comfortable with intimacy.
There are some good laughs in the eighteenth volume of Fly Me to the Moon. The downside is that there’s not much in the plot department. Even author Kenjiro Hata admits that a couple of chapters could’ve easily been just bonus material, but perhaps a chapter deadline was looming at that time. Hopefully next time around, the main narrative of Fly Me to the Moon will get back onto the beaten path, especially now that a certain someone’s got their license!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
