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I'm in Love with the Villainess
She's a funny seducer and an interesting element to add to Claire's programmed coding but despite that, it would be kind of funny if Manaria turns out to be a homophobe. This sounds completely random but like, hear me out. She is a love rival to Rae, she is a 'role model', she plays into (and practically programmed) a restricted male role in the relationships she has with the girls (which has often basically been a way of making 'acceptable' yuri couples) and expresses traditionalised narrative forms of 'romantic love' (the legend told in Episode 10). Also, in the fictional otome game they are in, Manaria was a friend of the MC who could be used to 'distract' love rivals of the female MC. This is a game oriented towards heterosexuality, practically, and so being the prince-in-the-couple archetype, she practically reinforces that. If you pair her with Claire, a wicked villainess, in the original context of the game, the two would be a 'wicked couple', interesting how yuri pairing involving a love rival would be 'wicked'. Consider also how the series has focused heavily on Rae's experience and alienation as a lesbian when she interacts with others. Am I just seeing patterns in the numbers here?
Many such cases of 'role models' and perceived authority figures reinforcing the prejudices they hold or want to use to control their subjects.
