Now, this, right here, is why you should never judge a book by their cover. Or a character by their buxom, MILF-y looks. Good job, Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
Of course, the latest installment of the Fire Emblem franchise needs no introduction. The long-awaited Switch sensation has performed fantastically well, and deservedly so. In fact, it’s the most critically-acclaimed standalone RPG of 2019 so far. Sure, there’s a lot of 2019 still to go, but that’s not an accomplishment to sniff at (particularly when paired with its impressive sales performance).
One of the most impressive things Fire Emblem: Three Houses has achieved is a brilliant revamping of the formula while staying true to what makes Fire Emblem… Fire Emblem. As we all know, that’s a darn difficult balancing act for any established franchise, but it’s the scope of Three Houses that really impresses.
If you’re more a fan of character development, romance options and all of those sorts of mechanics, the franchise has long catered to that, but those aspects are dialed up to eleven here. You’ll find yourself becoming more and more attached to the students and staff of Garreg Mach Monastery the more time you spend with them.
Of course, the members of your chosen house will demand a lot of your time, but if you trouble to get friendly with the other residents of the academy, you’ll gradually tease out more and more of their personalities. They’ll all unique and interesting in ways far beyond anything Fire Emblem has done before. Perhaps one of the most nuanced characters, though, is one you’d never expect: your fellow faculty member, Manuela.
At first glance, she seems like a very cliched character. The looks, the promiscuity… she’s a walking character trope. Except she really isn’t. As you become more familiar with her, you’ll come to realize that she’s flawed, vulnerable, insecure and more nuanced than you’d ever expect she’d be. She’s also hilariously relatable and sloppy, as this snarky social media exchange makes clear:
Well, it just goes to show, doesn’t it? You might have inferred all sorts of things about Manuela from her design, her bustiness and her role in the infirmary, but you can go ahead and throw… at least some of that out of the window, friends. Surprising depth is the name of the game with Three Houses in a lot of ways, and Manuela is just one more example of that.