I think merula has the most replayability if that makes any sense? like, you could have so many different kinds of relationships between merula and mc. much more so than anyone else. everyone else in the game is either supposed to be likable and supposed to be your friendβor they arenβt. merula isnβt one or the other so it leaves more room to have more dimension and variability with mcβs relationship with her, be it platonic or romantic.
sheβs never been one of my personal favorites but i think my liking of her has grown over the years that the game has been out.
sheβs kinda hard to write for me :/ thereβs just this specific mix of abrasive and desperate for real connections within her personality that i really feel i donβt always do justice.
i think that if you were to look at the game through purely narrative lenses, a romance between the mc and merula is not only most obvious, but it has the most effect on the plot and provides the most to the story.
i know everyone is going around sharing their opinions on the way merula has been written lately so iβm gonna go ahead and say that i donβt like the storyline with her aunt being in R. i certainly think itβs interesting and all but i really want my mc to be friends with merula when everything is said and done and at this point iβm not sure if sheβd forgive her so itβs really screwing things up for me narratively speaking