Title: Fly Me to the Moon Vol. 18
Author: Kenjiro Hata
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 197
Genre: Slice of Life, Romance, Comedy, Science Fiction
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
The Story
Volume 18 of Fly Me to the Moon starts off with Nasa and Tsukasa talking about what Tokiko had left behind for Nasa. He said that modern technology doesn’t exist to decode the data so he is going to have to build a machine just for decoding it. He said it’s possible but it might take him some time.
We then quickly abandon the plot and return to our normal episodic series about a cute couple doing cute things. The major focus of the volume is Nasa getting his license so that he and Tsukasa can take a trip. In a perfectly-timed coincidence, some of Nasa’s students are also thinking about taking a summer trip and need someone to drive them!
As Nasa studies for his driving exam, we also examine some pointless stories about marriage (hey, Kenjiro Hata named the chapters like that! His words, not mine!). One of them involved the two of them trying to get busy but are afraid that Toast would object… another dealt with getting matching outfits.
Finally, Nasa gets his license but they realize that they don’t have a car… and it would be futile to get one because there isn’t a place for them to park it at the hot springs… so they rent one instead. We get to see Nasa behind the wheel for the very first time! Between all of this, we are introduced to a new character… Shori who is Tokiko’s daughter!
Characters
Shori takes center stage as she should being a brand-new character and all. Outside of being Tokiko’s daughter, it seems as if the apple fell a bit far from the tree. She’s not incredibly smart or scientific like Tokiko was but where she lacks in that area, she makes up for on the artistic side. She’s good at art and wants to study Japanese art as well as go to an art school. She ends up stopping by to see Tsukasa to give her a key to one of Tsukasa’s estates. She asks if she could go there and check out the things that she left behind. This is what prompts them to get a license and a car. Outside of this, she’s friendly enough but doesn’t seem like she will be sticking around too often. She’ll probably pop in when needed but it looks as if Tokiko’s story can, kind of, continue through her.
Nasa getting his license is another development point for him. He never thought it would be necessary for him to have one, and yet, here we are. Plus, he also wants to go see the estate with Tsukasa so he felt it was prudent to get it done. Another plus is that he has to take a test and taking tests fires him up so… there’s that, too. Through this, we also get a bit of development with Tsukasa as well. We learned about her past and how she tried to drive a prototype for a steam-powered vehicle in France. The results were hilarious.
It’s funny how Kaguya and the students wanted to take that summer trip and the volume never got around to it. I guess Volume 19 it is, then?
Final Thoughts
This felt like a cooldown volume after hitting us hard with Tokiko’s story last time. Still, it was a nice return to the norm for the series although Shori knowing about Tsukasa and just acting like it’s no big deal was a bit odd. It made you wonder if she knew anything and once you read her backstory, you kind of get the answer to all of that.
Nasa getting his license took up a good portion of it but at least they extended it through some filler stories. Heck, I think it was Chapter 165 where Hata-sensei even flat-out stated that the chapter was meant to be a bonus piece and he just wrote it as a canon chapter anyway! I still love how he breaks the fourth wall in commentary, speech bubbles, and chapter titles. It adds a certain amount of flavor to the series and opens it up to some comedic moments.
Next time, we’re heading to the estate and I’m sure some certain students are going to tag along regardless of Nasa’s earlier protests. I wonder what we’ll find when we get there!
You can also check out other The Outerhaven reviews on your favorite social media networks:
Subscribe to us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theouterhaven
Subscribe to us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOuterHaven
Subscribe to us on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/theouterhavennet
This item was provided for review by VIZ Media.
