- #1
Translator here. Aside from using this as a warning that my translations are permanently on hiatus as the author has decided to delete all free access to everything but Volume 1, I want to leave my thoughts on the series.This series is a love letter to all the kids who were forced to abandon "childish things, " the generation that was made to feel guilty for liking anime, manga, cartoons, and everything that was supposed just "for kids." If you're within Kei/Johann's age, 25-30, you'll feel a lot of the nostalgia and the painful memories of being bullied, harassed, and excluded just because you wanted to keep liking what you liked as a kid.Though the story is mostly Johann being s*upidly overpowered thanks to her equipment and playstyle, similar to Maple of Bofuri, the story's heart is largely about how to enjoy an MMO and to unashamedly like what you like. The story explores all the different types of folks that play MMOs and how they can come together to have fun, from total newbies like Johann who's only in it for a limited-time gimmick and ends up being the best due to sheer ignorance, Zecca who's an overachiever that's trying to wrestle with how that hypercompetitiveness tore her friendships apart before, Remma who is strongly hinted at to be an asocial shut-in, Donald who's playing the game the "wrong" way by completely ignoring the developer's original intention, Kon who continues to hold onto the hope that her nerfed playstyle will come back into fashion and that she can still play what she loves, and EnjouP, who's unabashed in his love for idols and using his incredible design skills and professional experience to create more things for people to enjoy.Unfortunately, I won't be able to tell English readers about future chapters like "This Is Why Japan Doesn't Need Nuclear Weapons!" which both lampoons the horrifically lax or nonexistent safety standards of children's toys in the 70's-80's and why retreating from society is not the correct response for otakus. But, I can say that what I have been able to translate and share brings about a relatable story still:Play how you want to play, because winning isn't what matters, it's the friends and memories you make.Also, it's a power fantasy with a female OP MC without the harem or unnecessary romance.