Title: Fly Me to the Moon Vol. 23
Author: Kenjiro Hata
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 197
Genre: Slice of Life, Romance, Comedy, Science Fiction
Publication Date: May 14, 2024
The Story
We open up the 23rd volume of Fly Me to the Moon with… Kenjiro Hata announced his 20th-anniversary art exhibition and even dedicated the entire chapter to reflecting on his past works while urging readers to come visit the exhibition… yes… that really happened and what’s better is the final chapter of the book does it again!
In between the shameless plugs, we get an actual story! Nasa is thinking about the 5D Device and how to read it when Tsukasa mentions swimsuits. After realizing that he wouldn’t want anyone to see her in a swimsuit, he realizes something and builds the device that can decode the data that Tokiko left him! The only problem is that some of the parts are broken on purpose as a security measure and the device has so much security that it will instantly shut down if there is a phone, a camera, someone else other than Nasa looking at it, or even if it detects pen and paper! This is going to pose a problem but he vows to find a way.
Next, we get a bit of a history lesson of what Tokyo used to be before it was called Edo. Of course, Tsukasa was there to see it all so she tells us a story from her past. After that, we go to Nasa’s grandfather’s grave because his mother asked if he could tend to it. Leading up to that moment, we get some backstory on Nasa’s grandfather and how he was a bit eccentric. Of course, we get a flashback about his life and I’m sure you can guess who’s in it.
Characters
Just when you thought that we couldn’t get any more Tsukasa lore, here comes Volume 23 with another story from 1,400 years ago in the past. Tsukasa is walking through the marshes of what would eventually become Tokyo and trips in the mud! There, Ieyasu is talking to her about having a vision that this land is filled with infinite potential. The rest is history but the reason why she brought it up is because Nasa’s grandfather’s grave is in Tokyo and when they arrive, Tsukasa is having trouble accepting it as a city, or its namesake because she knew it as something else.
We get introduced to Nasa’s grandfather as Nasa remembers him before he passed away. He described him as someone who would sit out on the veranda and stare out into space. He used to comfort Nasa during emotional times like when his kitty died or during another time when he wouldn’t stop crying. During the second crying session, he distracted Nasa by telling him about how he met a demon… this, in turn, sparked a flashback to 1919 when he was born. He described how life was and how the Second World War started when he turned 20, how it affected him in the aftermath, and so forth, which is when we meet this “demon.” I won’t go any further but he seemed like a person that went through a lot and battled depression due to the war. Makes you wonder what he was doing when he sat on the veranda in peace and quiet!
Also, Kaname is getting a boyfriend!!? What? Maybe? I don’t know. There was a moment here that would surely suggest that might be happening but she’s too much of a free spirit. I don’t think it’ll happen but you never know!
Final Thoughts
While there was some of that trademarked cuteness (especially in this one chapter where Nasa and Tsukasa were feeling a bit… amorous…) there were more serious tones throughout than usual. Nasa figuring out how to decode the 5D Trinket, learning about his grandfather, and some more Tsukasa history all drove home the drama but in a lighthearted way. I’ve said all along that this manga can’t be super cute all the time and it is volumes such as these that really help break up that monotony and offer up something interesting. This series knows when and how to use dramatic moments to keep itself running and after 23 volumes, I’d say that it has the formula figured out.
We didn’t get a chance to solve the mystery of the 5D data… in fact, Nasa hasn’t repaired the broken parts but we are treating this plot as if it were on the back burner. It’s a “we’ll get to it when we get to it” ordeal which is odd… with the importance of this information, you would think that it would be at the forefront of everything else. Cuteness is one thing but this mystery data is one of the biggest hooks in the series at this point. I’m sure everyone wants to know what it is so to be strung along like this and teased is such an evil move by Kenjiro Hata! Perhaps we should punish him by not going to that art exhibition that already happened before the English release of the manga came out so we couldn’t go to it anyway!
Yeah! That’ll show him…
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This item was provided for review by VIZ Media.
