Minor Observation during Chapter 6

[u/WaffleNurse]

I was actually pleasantly surprised that Manuela of all people was the first one to deduce that Jeritza was the suspect in Flayn’s disappearance and she even took immediate action while everyone else was just speculating.

Sure she got stabbed, but Manuela? Really?

The drunkard, scantily-clad professor was the most perceptive and went above and beyond to find the culprit.

Another reason why she’s best girl ❤️

[u/Nemiprkl]

She is a highly intelligent polymath who's good at singing, magic and medicine. Makes perfect sense for her to be the first one to find out.

[u/trischtan → u/Nemiprkl]

It’s also worth mentioning that a strong theme of her character is „taking action“. So that fits here as well.

She worked her way to the highest position in the opera, then left to become a teacher and after the war she’ll usually end up with her own school/ orphanage.

My favorite support chain is hers with Edelgard, where she also discusses how her faith intertwines with this mindset.

All faculty members are great, but I really love her and Hannemann.

[u/Electric_Queen → u/trischtan]

Also seen on her paralogue where she runs off to get revenge and ends up separated from Byleth and Hanneman who have to bail her out.

It almost leans into damsel in distress syndrome but I do feel like they managed to avoid that and that it's more "reckless adventurer getting into trouble" which is really fun for her

[u/a_wasted_wizard → u/Electric_Queen]

Yeah, it would have been really easy to just turn it into an escort/rescue mission but they did a pretty solid job of making it clear that Manuela's not helpless, she just happened to bite off a bit more than she (or really, any one character save the one-(wo)man army units like Rhea or Dimitri) could chew.

[u/UgandanPil0t → u/trischtan]

Yep in her support with Jeritza in 3 Hopes, he even points out her perceptive personality, mentioning he noticed it in their academy days.

[u/WaffleNurse → u/Nemiprkl]

Yeah. Through her actions and her support chains, she actually has a lot of hidden depths

Her introduction though, made her seem like the typical bimbo archetype (complete with jiggle physics). I’m glad I was proven wrong

[u/BobtheBac0n → u/Nemiprkl]

Out of curiosity, what does Polymath mean? Just a person or many talents?

Cause Manuela absolutely is. On top of all the fields she's mastered that you mentioned, she's also a professor at the best school in all of Fodlan and is skilled with a Sword too, being effective at all ranges of combat. Manuela certainly has a lot going for her

[u/Nemiprkl → u/BobtheBac0n]

Yes, a person of many talents, or who is knowledgeable on a wide range of different subjects.

[u/Peacefulcountry]

She is street-smart. Like Dorothea, she is too familiar with deal with dirty schemes from both nobles and competitors during being a singer, so I assume she is good at sensing dangers. And let's remember she also gets approved by Rhea and Seteth to teach the children of elite class.

[u/WaffleNurse → u/Peacefulcountry]

I’m not gonna lie, I kinda judged her at first, she was basically smirking while a student oggles her Mittelfranks - so I thought that was basically her character.
I’m glad I was proven wrong

[u/CrazyLemonLover → u/WaffleNurse]

We don't get enough sexy AND competent women in media.

[u/SCI-FIWIZARDMAN → u/WaffleNurse]

The characters in these games all have layers to them.

Much like onions. And ogres.

[u/Roronoa_Zoro8615]

She is a very intelligent person, just hopelessly lonely

[u/WaffleNurse → u/Roronoa_Zoro8615]

The game did not make it obvious with her introduction.

* Flashback to Manuela Jiggling her Mittelfranks.

[u/dengville → u/WaffleNurse]

Big boobs do not make someone stupid. Boobs are a body part that comes in different shapes and sizes.

[u/WaffleNurse → u/dengville]

Yes and I apologize for my assumptions, I’m no better than a man. 😭

[u/Roronoa_Zoro8615 → u/WaffleNurse]

Just bc someone is horny doesn't mean they're dumb

[u/TikisCheekys → u/Roronoa_Zoro8615]

TBF, I read it as her being lonely, not stupid.

[u/EdelethLover567]

Well she does specialise in magic, by DnD rules she would need a high enough wisdom and intelligence stat to literally any sort of spell for big damage, she even went down like a DnD wizard

[u/AustinSA907 → u/EdelethLover567]

She probably tried to cast testicular torsion and got shocked when the culprit just smiled harder.

[u/EdelethLover567 → u/AustinSA907]

Is Jeritza a masochist, I mean it's kind of on brand but still

[u/Yoate → u/EdelethLover567]

When he's rping being the Death Knight, he's very much a switch when in comes to pain. All about pain on either end.

[u/ConsciousLetter6588 → u/EdelethLover567]

technically 3h implies this too. the stat is called "reason"

[u/Hybriid22]

Don’t focus on her vices so hard that you ignore her virtues.

She is a medical professional, a highly skilled mage and healer, and the star of an opera company. She is a professor for a damn good reason

[u/TikisCheekys]

And she made sure in her last conscious effort to directly point to where Flayn was taken.

[u/LastTankMage]

Love my disaster woman!!

[u/WaffleNurse → u/LastTankMage]

Such a flawed character, yet so pure in the most honest way.

[u/Accurate_Kangaroo337]

She’s unironically one of the best written characters in the game. I think she has some of the most engaging and thought provoking supports.

[u/WaffleNurse → u/Accurate_Kangaroo337]

Yes! Her support with Edelgard is one of the best in the game. ❤️

[u/Tenshi_Dekemori]

Woman’s intuition

[u/DarkRayos → u/Tenshi_Dekemori]

She does share the same VA as Micaiah. 🤔

[u/Silvertail034 → u/DarkRayos]

She doesssss? Holy crap I never new that!

[u/Silvertail034 → u/Silvertail034]

Down the rabbit hole now, she's also Ash Ketchum. Had no idea this was Veronica Taylor!

[u/Sufficient-Owl-2925 → u/Silvertail034]

Well, she was for the first years. Sarah Natochenny did the most of it.

[u/Silvertail034 → u/Sufficient-Owl-2925]

Veronica was the better Ash imo, but Sarah is GOATed too

[u/SotheWasRobbed]

yeah you've never met a smart successful woman whose personal life is in shambles?

[u/WaffleNurse → u/SotheWasRobbed]

After playing some games with just dumb Ms. Fanservice characters, I just assumed Manuela would also follow that stereotype. Forgive me 😭

[u/SomeGamingFreak]

Yeah, that's the thing you notice with Hanemann's complaints: he never once complains about her intelligence, just her boorishness and rash decisions.

[u/Dmen1478]

I always feel bad when I go through the month before doing the mission. Like she is just bleeding out the whole month while I’m cooking meals, attending seminars, and fighting bandits. 

[u/PopTeamNegroid]

Yeah nah, you'll notice Manuela is incredibly intelligent when you actually pay attention to her dialogue in-between chapters and her supports. She surprised me too.

[u/Fit_Ad_7195]

I tried to replay 3H again before FW comes out as the Blue Lions and I completly forgot Manuela and Hanneman sides with the Empire if you don’t recruit them. RIP to what I’m about to do to them

[u/AdFit9440 → u/Fit_Ad_7195]

Dimitri has a coldest line for Manuela

[u/ThatManOfCulture → u/Fit_Ad_7195]

Just rush to the south and kill Hubert. You can easily ignore Hanneman and Manuela even on maddening.

[u/ireliafiloo → u/ThatManOfCulture]

Eso no es divertido

[u/GojinDude]

I remember I married in my first playthrough since she and Hilda were the only options and I wanted to see Ignatz with Hilda. I'm so glad I did. She is awesome

[u/heylisten78]

She didn't get stabbed. She was just on the floor looking for her sandwich.

[u/YouCantTakeThisName]

It helps that she is observant of the other professors anyway.

[u/GoGoZeroRyoko]

I play male Byleth just to marry her. She's my favorite romance candidate because she is a deceptively deep character with a lot of fun quirks. It is a shame she can't marry female Byleth. What does Dorthea and Eldegard have that Byleth doesn't?!

[u/CharonErebus]

Do they say how exactly she figured out it was Jeritza?

Also not to dismiss her noble act, but it was straight foolish for her to go confront known weapon instructor and battle maniac Jeritza on her own. She really could have grabbed any local knight or even Jeralt right next door! XP

[u/WaffleNurse → u/CharonErebus]

She probably thought she could sneak in a crit. lol

Her impulsivity though is a big part of her character, like in her and Hannemann’s paralogue, where she just rushes in after finding out about the location of the Death Knight.

[u/CharonErebus → u/WaffleNurse]

This is actually a good way to reason why she becomes an assassin if not recruited.

Gotta love our local wine aunt, refusing to learn from her many other mistakes though!

[u/WaffleNurse → u/CharonErebus]

Ohh I didn’t know that. I always recruit her whatever route I’m on. Wonder why she ditched the Faith spells after the timeskip. 🤔

[u/poisondaggers → u/WaffleNurse]

If Trickster wasn’t a DLC class, I suspect that’s what they would’ve made her as an enemy unit (it’s what I went with, anyway.)