Well, this confirms that he was backstabbed by his "allies" after impaling the demon's stomach.

Let me get this straight, the lady is defending someone by retaliating against insults thrown at him... and she's seen as the bad guy in the situation?

I know she's dressed impractically, but the vast majority of dudes prefer this fan service, so it persists. Blame the fact that fan service helps make them big bucks.

This is the first time we've seen something that breaks the basic mold of "beat the game with a way to cheat."

I know you're joking, but here's a captain obvious answer to that question anyway:
https://i.postimg.cc/NMCjbcYJ/i.png

Thanks for checking.

You know what I realized? We did NOT see them stating clearly that he isekai'd (like, died or something and woke up in the game). We also did not get confirmation that this is his first life. And lastly, we did not get confirmation that he's not just playing a video game post-DLC release/purchase.

There is a chance that he is just playing the game normally and this is his first playthrough after buying the DLC which changes some things.

No way... The rich old man... working? Doing physical labor?
https://i.postimg.cc/bv3TYPGT/i.png
I didn't believe it at first, but he really is. How rare!

Anyone else think it is bad writing for a cult group to self-identify as "cultists" (only the leader(s) up top should identify the group as such) and even call themselves "evil?"

"The Order of Evil" they say... So like, they're just deliberately trying to make as little sense as possible, huh?

Classic trope: Mr. Main Character gets a regeneration ability. You can't keep having him do battle and constantly get out unharmed-enough to keep the plot going. Downtime? Naaaaaah, just give him a regen ability. Easy.

"Fear the old man in the profession where men die young." Kinda applicable... maybe? Regardless, Penny is impressive and I hope she doesn't die.

He tore goblins apart by hand before collecting any corpses. Hmmm...

GigaChad game devs:
Step 1) make impossibly hard game
Step 2) let people die a million times in it
Step 3) release paid DLC where you get stronger by absorbing the power of your previous lives' abilities and stats
Step 4) ???
Step 5) Refuse to elaborate and Profit

Oh for crying out loud. The translations are now nothing but Yaksha scans or Filmywalah. Can we go back to when we waited for the good translation?

There is a possibility he gets it back. He got back his sword, why not the rest of his gear?

Wait, hold on...
https://i.postimg.cc/D0XCKv4Y/i.png
He remembers?

I'm so happy it did. I imagined he would be like "Come here" and it would go to him, but close enough.

Contrary to some beliefs, I don't think this was axed. Maybe a bit rushed but like... where do you think this is gonna go? The intended story has been completed and that's about it. Everything else is a victory lap where Ms. Main Character is effectively Superman following a very simple program:
10 see problem
20 solve problem (effortlessly)
30 go to 10

It's a cute little read at 43 chapters - maybe skip Chapter 0: Prologue.

It has a bunch of generic tropes:
1) These characters are around 10 years old, no really, and have about three careers-worth of life experience with them. It's absurd, but this very common in Japanese works, so don't be surprised.
2) Romance is a complete joke... literally. It follows the standard formula of "there's no way they actually love me. They're just being nice friends." Then you remember that they're like 9 or 10 years old and get creeped out a little.
3) Poorly written details. One of the biggest arcs comes down to "sheer stupidity because I said so." Taking misunderstandings from a silly comedy bit -> and blowing it up to be THE biggest cause of a REALLY IMPORTANT arc is... well, it's pathetic. I hate this.
It happens late enough for you to already be absorbed by the work, but I was really considering dropping it.

What about the rest? The art is nice and characters are cute. The intended plot is well executed except that one hiccup. The main thing that really raises the quality of this work is just how much Ms. Main Character LOVES the characters of the world and despite being desperate to avoid danger, she throws herself into danger to save these characters that she loves.

Overall, a nice 6/10.
Would've been a 7/10 if the biggest and most important arc was handled better - or that weapon she gets is EVER used properly - but alas, 6/10.
I'm not IGN so that's a decent score. It's not a long read and it is complete so you can finish it in a day.

If you want more of this - where the Villainess loves the cast with all her heart and it reflects really well in her actions, I recommend:
https://mangakatana.com/manga/when-the-villainess-loves.25244

WELL THAT WAS SHORT!

Uhhhh.... uhhh.... for 7 years? So... there was no time skip? She was still 9 at the time of all that stuff from the previous arc?

Also, and I can't stress this enough, there are other people in the world. Make new friends.

https://i.postimg.cc/vB39GsHy/i.png
https://i.postimg.cc/P5sLsxzZ/i.png
"Okay, we're just gonna start banging you over the head with this crowbar; say "when" as soon as everything makes sense!"
Still pathetic story telling. I mean come on...