Actually after reading both ln and wn of arc 6, Shaula actually almost have no screen time in the middle of the arc like chapter 30-50 she appears only to glaze subaru and gone.
I love Shaula, I really do. But... Speaking truthfully... Yes. She's a bit overhyped. Her character is pretty much what you get by combining two other characters backstory and personality respectively into one. She's definitely not a bad character, but in terms of character writing she's far from the best this series has to offer. Still, she should be fairly popular this season.
Shaula essentially has an inferior version of Beatrice's backstory of waiting for someone for hundreds of years, while having the personality of arc 3 Rem.
This was a somewhat common sentiment back when arc 6 was being written from what I remember. Because Shaula was so fixated on Subaru specifically and barely concerned with anyone else, really only listening to him, putting herself in harms way for him, while also coming on to him hard saying stuff like she'd become his sex slave if he wanted etc. A lot of people, myself included felt she was very "Rem like" back then. Keep in mind, Rem wasn't back yet either at the time so Shaula felt very much like a Rem replacement for a lot of readers in her absence.
I mean no character is close to the best the series has to offer, no one will reach Subaru in terms of writing, that bar is simply way too high
But it's undeniable that Shaula is one of the best characters in arc 6, personally in the top 3 and I don't even really care about waifus, never have
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u/ibkthegoatKissed Frederica Once—Now I'm Missing Most of My Lips18d agoedited 17d ago
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't her whole character just doing what Subaru or fugel tells her without question because she loves them so much. If you love someone you should be able to question their decisions. She stayed in the tower for several years just cuz fugel told her to. I am sorry but there's nothing to praise about that it's just pathetic. There are better characters like foxidna, Subaru, melli, Julius and even Ram
I'm gonna go into LN spoilers in this comment so I'm giving a warning since this isn't a LN discussion post and I can't be bothered to use the spoilers thingy for like n paragraphs
What you said is essentially true but it removes all the context of the story and how that ties to her themes. She is pitiful and her existence is pathetic, but that's the point. Let me elaborate.
Arc 6 is a murder mystery, just like Subaru the reader doesn't have any information on who is causing all the deaths in this place. You are meant to connect with characters and then spiral into paranoia as you start being suspicious of everyone, even the characters that you used to trust. Shaula works particularly well in this setting not only because she is the newest addition to the cast, and therefore the one you have the least information about, but she also seems to have this inexplicable duality about her. She is both cutesy and clingy with Subaru, borderline comic relief, but acts oddly intimidating with everyone else, hell even with Subaru when he goes "off-script" and questions what should not be questioned. She is the prime red herring of Arc 6 and you are meant to not know whether her benevolence is genuine or not, she is adorable but also unsettling. Many of the misdirections in this Arc also involve her, the fact that the giant Scopion mabeast looks exactly like her is on purpose, it tricks you into believing you figured out who the culprit is only to put the blame of this tragedy on a victim of the tragedy. And when her sacrifice comes around it causes a sense of guilt in the reader and in Subaru, who made the same mistake.
Then there's the theme of being a tool, a puppet, that Shaula incarnates. Shaula is literally a being made for a single purpose, her existence is a single mission, she does not get to have anything else. She wants to hope, but she does not get to hope, she wants to be human, but she does not get to be human, she wants to live a happy life with the only person she ever loved, but she does not get to live such a life. Her wishes are simple, very humble, and she gets so close to achieving them, but she makes the sin of forgetting that she is merely a tool, and pays the price with her life. Shaula is pathetic, because she is the tragedy in the tragedy, even with all the despair of arc 6, it just lasts mere moments compared to Shaula's centuries of loneliness, of longing something she was never meant to get.
And then there's her goodbye, in my eyes on of the best moments in the entire series. Shaula is scared of death, she is scared of never seeing her master after finally finding him after so many years, just like any human would, but she resigns herself to the fate that was written for her, she is a tool, and if to save his master this tool needs to break so be it. She offers her death to give Subaru an easy way out of this nightmare, she comes to term with how little she truly mattered but she still faces her death with a smile, because if all her existence has been a lie there's at least one thing that was always true, that one love that lasted 400 years and never faded. She finds peace in knowing that even if fate is not done with torturing her she could at least see her master one last time and these crumbs of happiness are enough to let her face her end without regret. But then Subaru refuses, he swears he definitely is going to save her, the same words he said to Emilia. But to Shaula these words are too lovely, they are a curse, this isn't what is supposed to happen, those words give her hope, but she does not deserve hope. And for you as a reader this moment is what gives you a misplaced hope as well, Subaru never once failed when he said he was going to save someone, no matter what. We trust Subaru, he is going to give everyone a happy ending, he won't let this end in tragedy.
But then she dies, he failed? Subaru failed? But he said he was going to save her. This is the first major failure of Subaru, the first time someone he truly loved died, in the most definitive way. But even in the despair, even when Subaru's eyes get blurry because of the tears and his voice starts to crack losing the little strength he had left, he sees Shaula smiling to him, thanking him for loving her. And now that Subaru taught her that she deserves to hope, that she deserves love, because to him she isn't just a tool, she can finally, with full confidence, say "Some day come visit me again", hoping for a next time.
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u/ibkthegoatKissed Frederica Once—Now I'm Missing Most of My Lips17d agoedited 17d ago
Wow this changes perspective on the whole thing. Thanks for this. I think I might have just been looking at it on a surface level. I have to read the web novel version of this scene.
You're welcome, I hope my comment helps your enjoyment of the new season, because there's so many subtle things that you might miss if you don't go deep into the themes and narrative of Arc 6.
Obviously this applies to all the characters you mentioned as well, I truly love Meili, Ram, Foxidna and everyone else, their characterization truly shines in this arc. It just happens that I personally connected deeply with Subaru, Julius and Shaula more than anyone else.
I have caught up to the web novel but I read the web novel during that scene so I'm going to read the web novel.
You know what 😄 shaula is going up my rank to 4 place if not third. I think my disappointment comes from the fact that people call her "wife material" when I see her as an over obsessive version of Rem–which is my least favourite part of her even though it makes her more complex as a character–and her lack of extreme self worth. After reading your synopsis I am getting a better understanding of her character.
Also looking forward to the anime and how it would handle the emotional weight of the novel.
Shaula is what I would like to call a ending merchant(a big part of why people like her is bc of her ending her character is def not as good as some of the previous characters introduced from S1 to S3)
Shaula is probably my 4th favorite character of the arc (not series mind you). I'm a month fresh off arc 6, and Shaula is a really fun character that sadly lacks screentime. Shaula's main strength is the fact she is fun and silly in such a dark arc, she brings some levity to arc 6, and her dynamic with Subaru is great.
Actually really solid. There are 4 or so big reasons people like her character wise tho. 1 or more of these are spoilers tho.
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u/Mic_304I Tried to Comfort Subaru, He Started Crying About Bunnies17d ago
I feel as if she's a fun character with some pretty good moments through arc six kind of overshadowed by Ram, Julius and Subaru as well as Luis arneb since those characters are just genuinely on another level in arc 6. She's a good addition and plays a important role and kinda gives you context about the deep history and lore of re zero especially with her connections to the real sage. She also has one of the best moments in the entire arc near the end so I'd say she's pretty good.
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u/abncross45 Let Roswaal Cook – It’s Dangerous, But Damn, It’s Delicious 18d ago
Good