There are two issues I have with Country Building Story in Another World. The first is how the protagonist handles conflict. Kai, the lead in the story, is naïve. He fights his enemies without concealing his identity and does not take measures to harm or eliminate those who could expose him (and consequently endanger his followers). Do I believe he should kill every villain he comes across? No – but he should take steps to conceal himself and mitigate risk, which he often does not do. How Kai solves certain problems also becomes an issue. In one of the story’s major conflicts, he has a persecuted groupstart a protest in town instead of directly rescuing the hostages from that same group. This is problematic for two reasons. First, the townspeople are discriminatory toward this group, meaning there is a real chance of harm. Second, Kai could easily avoid this situation by using his abilities. Ultimately, Kai makes a lot of bad decisions he shouldn’t get away with. If he made those decisions, faced negative consequences, and learned from them, that would be one thing – but that is never the case.

The second issue is how Kai handles the women around him. This story is a harem, which is fine. What isn’t fine is how he backs out of every opportunity to further the romance. Kai isn’t oblivious to how these women feel – several have made it clear. Unfortunately, he delays his response every time. He doesn’t really explain his reasoning beyond saying that he “isn’t ready yet.” What is he waiting for? Considering his lifestyle and objectives, things are only going to get more complicated. Addressing these relationships now would serve him well, even if it means rejecting one or more of the women. Alternatively, if he doesn’t feel right about it, he should explain why. Having these conversations would add depth to the narrative. My guess is that by keeping the relationships surface level, the author avoids having to flesh out that half of the story. This decision only frustrates readers, since progression is what they want to see. Hopefully something changes in Kai’s approach.

In terms of the story itself, I found the central conflicts satisfactory. There is a clear enemy, objective, and a series of roadblocks that must be addressed. The cultivation skill and its associated god retain a sense of mystery, prompting us to consider how they function and came to be. Lastly, Kai is both weak and strong: weak in the sense that a direct confrontation could go badly if he mismanages his resources (which provides some stakes), but strong because of his allies and his ability to teleport at will. Given his resources, Kai has navigated most of his problems with ease.

The art is also quite good, and the characters’ personalities are distinct (though somewhat generic).

Ultimately, what makes this story appealing are the familiar tropes many have come to enjoy in the isekai genre. Unfortunately, since Kai is so timid and naïve, it dampens some of the main attractions for readers. I believe giving people a resolution is better than leaving them in stasis; hopefully, the gridlock in the romance breaks soon.