Title: Fly Me to the Moon Vol. 22
Author: Kenjiro Hata
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 197
Genre: Slice of Life, Romance, Comedy, Science Fiction
Publication Date: March 12, 2024
The Story
It was all a dream!
Well, yes and no. For the majority of the volume, we are taken 1,400 years into the past of ancient Kyoto. There, Kaguya’s suitors remain on their quests to find the items she desires. Meanwhile, the Mikado, who was rejected, refuses to be defeated. While he has courted women before, it was in the name of his title and not true love. There’s something about Kaguya that touches his heart and makes it dance, therefore, he is not willing to give up until he wins her over.
One day, a healer that we’re very familiar with (Tsukasa) stumbles upon him crying. After explaining the situation, she agrees to help him as a friend; however, to refrain from becoming too attached, she requests that they not learn each other’s names. Tsukasa tells him about the latest technology of the time: paper! She introduces the concept of writing a love letter to Kaguya. In the end, it works and the two begin dating; however, the fated day arrives when Kaguya must return to the moon.
From here, it’s a bit of a recap of the Horai which contained the elixir, and how it came into Tsukasa’s possession. When the dreamer awakens; however, it wasn’t who we thought it was but, again, it was as well because this was a dream had by two people!
Characters
We have already seen Tsukasa’s backstory so we are pretty familiar with it; however, despite that, there was more to be told and while this retelling of it focused on the Mikado and Kaguya, we got to see a little bit more of Tsukasa and her role in their relationship.
The Mikado was a cool character. Even though he had a high position in society, he didn’t act like it. He did speak of courting women in title only but with the way he phrased it, seemed as if he only did it out of social necessity and it wasn’t the type of life he desired. His affection for Kaguya truly moved him and it revealed his true nature. He simply wanted to be a man who could devote his life to the one he loved with all his heart. He could have used his status or influence to gain the upper hand; however, he did no such thing. He wanted to win her heart earnestly. This made him a noble and fair character that I enjoyed.
Kaguya was still Kaguya. Her little nuances were hilarious but she, too, showed that her heart could be swayed like any other. Because of these new feelings, she had regrets when the envoys informed her that she had to return to the moon. Still, we know everything about her leaving but we still don’t know anything about how she got there. I wonder if there is still more to be told or if it will be left up to our imaginations.
Final Thoughts
Even though the volume focused on two characters from 1,400 years ago, it solidifies a theory I had about present-day Kaguya. Before, I theorized that present-day Kaguya is the second coming of the Kaguya from 1,400 years ago; however, I no longer think this to be true. There is one scene from the flashback… it’s quick, and takes about ½ of a panel, but I think it’s significant. I won’t give it away; however, if you pay enough attention, you could make the connections yourself. I’ll just say that present-day Kaguya is of a different line but is still connected. That’s all you’ll get from me! (In before the next volume completely invalidates my theory and she is past-Kaguya all along.)
The trip down memory lane was nice; however, the last chapter brings us back to the present and, for now, Tsukasa wants ice cream and cake but doesn’t trust Nasa to pick out the right flavors. Knowing Kenjiro Hata, I’m sure we’ll get a continuation of this to start off Volume 23; however, conspicuous by its absence is Chapter 208. It goes from 207 to 209 so it looks as if we will be revisiting the missing chapter at some point in the future.
I do have to say… skipping chapters, naming some chapters as a half chapter, etc, really messes me up when I’m trying to keep track of this on AniList!
Oh well, we traded cuteness for tenderness this time around with a little bit of alien sci-fi mixed in. An odd combination but it worked and worked well!
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This item was provided for review by VIZ Media.
