He wasn't that manipulative if you looked at him thru ML vision
he was tho, all those chapters moon owl said that if she did everything he said, he'll take care of her after the show, holding her hand and implying they'd be together when the FL kinda started developing feeling for him. He didn't actually care about the FL at that point and knew she was kinda into him, that's core manipulation. Even if he wasn't thinking about doing something bad it's still manipulation
I think moon owl aimed to maintain a strictly professional relationship at first, which might have come across as manipulative. However, he did genuinely intend to keep his promise to protect her. His "shyness" showed when he realized that the FL had feelings for him and also due to their intimate interactions. Their past had a huge misunderstanding, which led to moon owl thinking FL didn't like him. He was indeed focused on the success of the show but also prioritized her safety. If things had gone wrong with the show, I believe he would have chosen her above all else.
I get that he changed his attitude because he had feelings for her as a kid and etc... but it was such a sudden change, like? One day he's manipulating the shit out of her and only caring for the show, and the next day he's all shy and sad like... idk it just feels like wasted potential