- #1
First off, the protagonist is not smart. This may be a deterrent for some readers, but for the most part, it doesn't really lead to cringe (except for his initial expectations of just having a cheat from the outset without any indication for it, but that's only a few chapters).Instead, I've found it refreshing to have a protagonist who doesn't try to outwit his opponents in obscure ways that the reader can't deduce due to a lack of information. The fact that he isn't smart also means that the author doesn't have to force themselves to write a character that is smarter than they are.Overall, I've found the novel very enjoyable up to this point, with plenty of flag crushing and raising, but unlike most otoge reincarnation novels, the MC is completely and utterly ignorant of the meaning of his actions in the context of the game. In many novels, the MC has an acquaintance playing the game or has at least heard of it, but in this case he doesn't know anything at all. Reincarnators with this perspective are usually only extras, but it's nice to have something like that as a protagonist for a change.The story develops at a reasonable pace without excessively dwelling in an infancy period (the characters are about 7-9 years old at this point) and a lot of it is properly foreshadowed rather than relying on surprise developments without harbingers. Deducing portions of the scenario ahead of time has been fun so far, though it's not particularly difficult.The novel offers some light entertainment without contrived conspiracies and intrigues like some other novels, but doesn't require you to shut off your brain entirely to enjoy the story.