Title: Fly Me to the Moon Vol. 17
Author: Kenjiro Hata
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 197
Genre: Slice of Life, Romance, Comedy, Science Fiction
Publication Date: May 9, 2023
The Story
Volume 17 of Fly Me to the Moon starts off with Nasa and Tsukasa moving into their new apartment……… had they actually filed the proper paperwork their application wouldn’t have lapsed. All of that build-up and they are, technically, homeless again! But not to worry, they’ll just continue to stay at the bathhouse because we all know that they have plenty of alone time there to kiss and won’t be interrupted by Kanade…. Aya…. Or Chitose.
After that, we get back to the subject of Tokiko’s death. They receive her will and there are a few things that were said in there but she did leave them a peculiar pendant with a message etched in quartz. It was given to Nasa to figure out. Meanwhile, the entire rest of the volume is dedicated to Tokiko’s complete backstory and what kind of impact she had on Tsukasa’s life.
Oh, and Toast. We get a bonus chapter from Toast’s point of view that was rather hilarious!
Characters
Obviously, ¾ of a book about Tokiko is not the main focus of character development here. It’s all about Toast!
Toast is a cat that believes is the lord and master of the world. He sees Nasa and Tsukasa as servants… those being the dispenser of food and the keeper of blankets, respectively. Whenever the two of them get intimate, Toast believes that the dispenser of food is attacking the keeper of blankets and this cannot be allowed! Toast must interject to preserve peace and assert dominance as lord of the world! Best cat character ever.
But back to Tokiko. We learn everything about how she and Tsukasa met, got her name, and how Tokiko dedicated her life to making Tsukasa’s wish come true. We finally find out the meaning behind the moon rock that Tokiko kept, as well as her final wishes. The only thing we didn’t discover was the message she left behind for Nasa that was etched in that small quartz disc. Even in death, Tokiko still has a story to tell and I look forward to figuring out what that message truly is.
Through Tokiko’s story, we also learn more about Tsukasa. She always believed that Kaguya returned to the moon but after 1,400 years, she is beginning to question everything and anything about that belief. She also comes to the realization of just how special Nasa is. In 1,400 years, he’s the first person never to shun her after learning the truth about her immortality. She even wanted to know why he never got mad at her for trying to leave. When she hears the answer, she affirms that after 1,400 years, she finally found the one person she could fully trust and hold tightly in her heart.
Final Thoughts
Tokiko’s journey was incredible. I really loved the backstory and everything that came along with it… the effects it had on Tsukasa and the profound impact she had on her life. It was somber, yet, comedic at the same time. The way things started out between them made you wonder just how they came to bicker at each other so much… but one can clearly see that over time the roles reversed. When Tokiko was but a child, Tsukasa was older and took care of her but Tsukasa stayed 16 forever so when Tokiko aged and matured, she felt more like a parent than the other way around. Imagine being 80 and having a 16-year-old mother!
What seemed like some back burner throwaway character turned out to be one of the most profound characters in the entire series, and truly a big part of the backbone of Tsukasa’s life. I felt this volume gave us incredible closure on her as a character and was probably one of the most emotional in the series. Now, we will see if Chitose can live up to her proclamation. If she pursues it, she’s going to have some pretty hefty shoes to fill.
This volume also gives you a lot to think about and what direction this manga will take. Will there be a “cure” for Tsukasa’s Immortality? Will she get to die a human death? Will Nasa die of old age and will we pull a To Your Eternity and follow Tsukasa into the future? Will Kaguya reappear from the moon before all of this happens? So many questions but still no answer in sight as this series shows no signs of slowing down. Instead, it just keeps opening up, seemingly, infinite possibilities.
I’m so glad the series took this turn. It went from nice and cute to absolutely incredible!
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This item was provided for review by VIZ Media.
