Sensitive high-school girl Alice just moved to Tokyo only ten days ago, and is already plagued with worries. Her unconscious world is wonderful?dreams of her living on the moon! But reality is far from ideal since grade-school-aged bratty Rin, a holy terror, becomes Alice's baby-sitting job! Meanwhile, Alice meets a pair of boys at school with an oddly close relationship. It's only later that she discovers their relationship is based on their dreams of the same nature.
Saki Hiwatari (日渡早紀 in Japanese) is a Japanese shōjo manga artist. Her first work, "Mahōtsukai wa Shitteiru" was published in the weekly shōjo anthology Hana to Yume in 1982.
This one is just better than Vol. 5. Actually, I think all of the plotlines are better. The Tamura and Haru and Mikuru stuff is still not my favorite storyline, but it's much more interesting in this volume than in the previous. Lots of pretty good Sakura, Issei, Jinpachi stuff as well, their storylines are definitely picking up after a lack of focus in the previous volume. There was obviously never a lot of fanfic for PSME, but I still think there should have been more Shusuran/Enju. I feel like Shusuran's storyline in the volume leaves plenty of room for that (as well as where Sakura and Issei's plot ends up going). Everything about Jinpachi and/or Gyokuran in this volume is hilarious. I don't particularly like either of them as characters, but I really enjoy the way Hiwatari treats them in the story - I think she was pretty successful at getting across her intent in depicting the characters. I especially love the part in this volume where Shion and Jinpachi/Gyokuran manage to successfully have an argument despite the fact that Shion isn't actually present for it, which is kind of great. This volume also has the "oden" scene with Rin's look - Rin's face, people, Rin's face! - which is probably more effective when I read the series in order but still, and Rin's facial expressions in the scenes when the moon dreamers are discussing their passwords and the timeline of their experiences on the moon. Rin's facial expressions are the best thing, just the best thing.
I haven't written many reviews of these last few volumes, and the reason for that is simple: these are the interstitial chapters, the portions of the story where the characters are waffling back and forth in their motivations and trying to figure out how to proceed now that they know who and what they are. It's a slow-burn, and if I didn't know what was coming (thanks to the anime) I might not be as eager to finish these volumes as I am.
However, while there may not be much in the way of action or plot development, things do pick up in this volume. Rin/Shion cancels his engagement to Alice, Alice begins to consider the possibility that she IS Mokuren, and we are given insight into the lives and motivations of Shusuran and, most importantly, Shukaido. The fleshing out of Shusuran was much needed, but the expansion of Shukaido as a character makes this volume a must-have. Why did he sign up for the mission to Earth's moon? Why does he dislike Shion? When did his infatuation with Mokuren begin? Why might he have committed the cruel act that set this whole story in motion? All of these elements are touched upon and it helps move the story along even as nothing much is happening in the present.