MANGA REVIEW | "Fly Me to the Moon" - Volume Twenty-Three
Sometimes we take life for granted. After all, had our ancestors done anything even the tiniest different in their lives, we may not even exist. That thought plays as something of a theme to the twenty-third volume of Fly Me to the Moon. But before we get into deeper thoughts and philosophies, swimsuits!!!
Yes, Kaname talks length about a swimsuit shopping experience with Tsukasa. It then leads to how Nasa would feel if he saw his wife in a two-piece on the finest beach around. His mentality about swimsuits is silly, but somewhat reasonable. Suddenly, the chat awakens an idea in his head, one that leads him to finally building the reader that’ll aid in unlocking Tsukasa’s secrets. It’s such a breakthrough, that it’s worth celebrating…with some sexy time!
Or so it would be, had it not been for some pesky interrupters. Thankfully, Nasa finally reaches peak horndog that nothing can stand in the way to — as Kaname actually puts it — “clown around” with Tsukasa. But silliness aside, it’s about damn time these two rounded the bases and did things that I’m certain some doujin artist has painstakingly drew and sold at a Comiket. (Knowing Kenjiro Hata, it might’ve just been him under an alias!)
But then we get to the heart of this volume of Fly Me to the Moon. Nasa is tasked by his parents to clean the family grave in Tokyo. Although his memory of his grandfather is foggy, there’s a moment that sticks out about him that somewhat gives him comfort. That’s when the story flashes back to a story revolving around the grandfather, and how Nasa was so close to never even existing.
Japanese manga writers never shy away from the horrors of World War II, and Hata is no exception here. On top of the killings the grandfather did as a solider, the sight of him returning to a town that’s nothing but rubble is truly heartbreaking. With 80% of his platoon dead and nary a family member around to seek comfort from, the grandfather decides to end it all at the age of 26th. But then, a familiar face appears.
I won’t go into what happens, but it’s a story that showcases what a person’s worth is. A lesson about how everyone has a purpose and reason to live is strong here, thanks in part to its bluntness and sprinkling of humor when the moment’s right. It’s a solid way to end this volume of Fly Me to the Moon, as it sets up what could be a very important arc next time around. Well... either that, or we’ll get more interruptions from a certain combat butler and the twin-tailed tsundere he serves under.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
