It's a cozy, steady, and heartfelt trapped in a game story that nevertheless neutered itself by it's own strange creative choices. Now granted, the core feeling has not changed. This is a cozy, lighthearted, and steady mix of slice of life and isekai, full of adorable moments and quirky characters and a very sympathetic MC in the name of Cayna. A sick girl who was locked inside her favorite game, and quite possibly dying in real life, she uses this chance to live and explore her favorite world. The stake may be low, but the motivation is clear. The narrative is slow and steady, and Cayna's progressto explore the world and live her second life is filled with sweet and humorous moments.

But at the same time... this story commits a very strange creative decision of othering Cayna.

> other /ˈʌðə/
> verb, gerund or present participle: **othering**:
> *to view or treat (a person or group of people) as intrinsically different from and alien to oneself.*

Cayna keeps wanting and trying to live amongst the people of Leadale, the game world where she's stuck in. But the narrative doesn't write her that way. The story never settles enough in a place, always having Cayna be constantly on the go, and the fast pacing never really lets Cayna engage nor appreciate all these colorful characters around her in a deeper manner.

Don't get me wrong; the side characters aren't bad at all, actually! They are all really unique and colorful, particularly Cayna's 'alt-characters-turned-children', and I appreciate that the manga tries not only to give some spotlight to the side characters, but also to give them some story importance. Even the ordinary citizens and the wandering mercenaries get to shine, get to develop new bonds outside from Cayna, and they are pretty heartwarming to read. I really, really wanted to know more about them.

But when it comes to Cayna, they always treat her...differently. No matter how friendly they're being around her, there's always a constant undercurrent of fear, awe, even deference. Regardless of whether we're talking about ordinary villagers and mercenaries, her 'children', or even other players who are being trapped in the same situation, they all treat Cayna like a goddess descending from the heavens.

It doesn't help that sometimes Cayna's personality ebbs abit too fast. One moment she's this friendly young girl and the next she's this butcher of souls. One moment she tries to be a dependable mother big sister and the next she's just a young girl trying to experience the world. Again, unfortunate, since a lot of Cayna's character is founded on her inability to do much outside Leadale, this means her character journey is neutered by the narrative itself.

And again, between the writing and the pacing, all of these seems intentional.

This strange combination really creates a gap between Cayna and the other characters. Her journey so far only results in followers and believers, not friends; she never got much chance to build a bond as equals. And that's a huge missed opportunity, because the characters are again, actually pretty decent.

A similar complaint can be made if you're looking for action scenes and power scaling and whatnot... because this story is actually published in a shonen magazine.

In the few action scenes that exist, this manga leans way more towards the OP kind of power fantasy. Conflicts and battles are done in a flash the moment Cayna drops in. While the effects are well-drawn, there are neither challenge nor tension.

So if you want a grounded slice of life like [The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent] or [Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts No More], or if you want an action isekai like [Ending Maker] or [The Perks of Being a S-Class Heroine], you'll probably end up disappointed.

But.

If all you're looking for is a warm and cozy slice of life, I think you'll still find it here.

Despite the missed opportunity, the story has a heart. And the critique I just wrote doesn't diminish that heart. The writing knows when and where to settle down, to tug your heartstrings, to let Cayna feel.

Most importantly, I still end up caring a lot for Cayna. I want her to be happy, I want her to find out what happened to her, I want her to live well in her new world.

This is more than what I can say for a whole damn lot of isekai, otome or otherwise.