Compared to the prequel Dance Subaru!, I would say that this sequel Moon strives to take Subaru's story in a different direction. Dance Subaru! was essentially about the blossoming of Subaru as a dancer, where she cultivates her genius-level abilities relating to ballet. It starts off with her winning a prestigious competition, but that's only where her journey started. Subaru then takes off for America, where she meets a new cast of characters in the form of a dance troupe. It serves to integrate the presence of Priscilla (world renowned dancer in this manga) and also show some character progression within Subaru. It is importantto note that the ending of Dancing Subaru! is very contentious among fans, with the vast majority arguing that it was simply a bad one. I will not spoil the ending, but I also found the last arc to be quite starkly different in tone compared to the previous hundred of chapters. However, I do understand the decision behind the ending to a certain degree because the author of Dance Subaru! probably did not plan for Subaru's arc in America to be the end of the story, either because they ran out of ideas or because they wanted to take her story in a different direction. In the end, while the ending of Dance Subaru! was quite controversial, the sequel Moon seemingly brushes this all aside. It did certainly happen and there are references to Subaru being banned from America, but these references are quite sparse and are not elaborated upon. In essence, if you literally skipped the final arc of Dance! Subaru, it would not genuinely hamper the reading experience of Moon. Now, with all this background, let's get on with the review of Moon.
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In comparison to Dance Subaru!, I would say that Moon was a little worse compared to Dance Subaru! It's more of a subjective observation on my part, but I personally enjoy stories where the protagonists are able to utterly dominate the field and showcase their abilities throughout the story. Dance Subaru! had a lot of arcs where Subaru was able to grow and cultivate her dancing abilities to new heights, which made them fun and exhilarating reads. Now, I enjoyed Moon as well, with many arcs also including dance showcases from Subaru. But Moon focused more on Subaru trying to cope with the events of Dance Subaru!, in relation to her brother's death and reconciliation with family. In many cases, the dance performances from Subaru in Moon integrate her past experiences, which seem like a full-circle moment that comes off as powerful for readers. As a whole, we see a lot more mature Subaru take the helm of this story, and while childish at times, she has grown as a person with the ability to reflect and grow. I was unfortunately unable to find any translated chapters for the final volume (volume 9), but I was able to find the raws for volume 9. From my understanding, the ending is definitely a happy one for Subaru and her new dancing partner. There's a reference to Paris, which I'm a bit uncertain about but I assume that it's there next starting point for dance. In the end, Moon was a journey akin to Dance Subaru! in the sense that I witnessed a person's life progress in a microcosm (in the form of manga). To anyone wanting a happy story, you probably won't find it here. But if you want a mature story dealing with real emotions, trials and tribulations, but ultimately well-earned triumphs, this is the story of ballet genius Subaru in her conquest to not only dominate her art form but deal with her past demons. I would wholeheartedly recommend this work for others.