Normally, I’m not too keen on when a rom-com takes the focus off the main couple. When that happens, it results in stories that wind up being a big bowl of Nothing Soup. Thankfully, Kenjiro Hata is the kind of manga author who can write great stories out of even the most random background characters. So when Fly Me to the Moon switched its focus from Nasa and Tsukasa to Kaguya and Mishio in its thirty-first volume, I was eager to see what he would conjure up.

And boy, did I not expect a full-on love confession from one of these two. Mishio lets Kaguya know how much she loves her, which leads the short-statured student a bit confused. Naturally, it leads Kaguya to speak with the one person she knows that can help her sort her brain out: Nasa. As you can imagine, getting love advice from a guy whose only date ever was with his wife isn’t the best place to seek a love talk. However, considering that Kaguya has no means of understanding human emotion, well, it might as well be two people talking to walls rather than each other.

However, Mishio’s means of spelling it out for Kaguya make for an endearing moment between the two of them. Be that as it may, Kaguya still has to figure some things out about herself. Worse, when the love confession occurred, there was another pair of ears close by: Jessie, who has her own conflicted feelings to deal with. It leads to a public bath confrontation, one that’s only amplified with Aya’s interference with the hot, steamy battle. (Don’t get any naughty ideas, readers!)

Even though Nasa and Tsukasa play second fiddle in this volume of Fly Me to the Moon, they have their moments. For starters, some students are aiming to do a love documentary, and are keen on having Tsukasa involved. It’s an idea that disinterests the immortal 16-year-old, although it does intrigue Nasa somewhat. But then, an opportunity falls on Nasa’s lap that makes Tsukasa want to take part in too: a class trip to Hokkaido.

It seems like this trip could lead to some interesting situations unfolding. Whether it’s between Kaguya and Mishio or our two main lovebirds, something love-filled will certainly be in the air. Volume Thirty-One of Fly Me to the Moon sets the stage for this incoming event, with the odds of something big happening being pretty good. Remember, this is Kenjiro Hata we’re talking about. Even he knows how to turn a normal trip into a smorgasbord of chaos and hilarity, as evident by his last series!

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media. Click here to read past reviews of Fly Me to the Moon!