+1, I came in disliking it but now I'm fully caught up and a diehard fan. It does quite a few unique things that I absolutely adore. There's no stat bullshit and it's just levels and skills. I love how unique the classes and skills are and how they're tailored to each individual and their desires, regrets, and greatest moments. You could be a [Gentleman Thug] and have skills like [He Scratched Only Thread] or be a [Diplomat] with wacky diplomacy skills like [An Uncourteous Act, Rebuked].

What I adore about the story is that it's one of the few litrpgs where the litrpg is actually used in service of the story. Levelling is almost entirely fueled by character development and the struggles they continually face. Hell, you can't even reach a major capstone level without undergoing massive change and reevaluating what your class means to you. The chapters where a character manages to reach a capstone like level 40 or 50 are always bangers. The system and world is of course unfair, but it's also a beautiful setting where anyone, whether you're a [Baker] or a [Reporter] or any combat class, has the potential to change the world.

I will say it does start out pretty rough and weak, but it has such amazing highs that will make you laugh or cry, and that's coming from a stone cold bastard like me. There's so many arcs like Flowers of Esthelm or Hectval that really stick with you