> At first glance, this might seem like a step back — perhaps even un-Svelte-like. Isn't it better if let count is reactive by default?

> Well, no. The reality is that as applications grow in complexity, figuring out which values are reactive and which aren't can get tricky. And the heuristic only works for let declarations at the top level of a component, which can cause confusion. Having code behave one way inside .svelte files and another inside .js can make it hard to refactor code, for example if you need to turn something into a store so that you can use it in multiple places.

(https://svelte.dev/blog/runes)

If the vibes are subjectively off for you with the new syntax that's fair, I just can't get it to align with what you are saying because at the end of the day, they are removing some Svelte magic and replacing it with regular JavaScript, apparently even the "$" label dependency tracking stuff, which I find to currently be the most magical thing in Svelte

To me that looks like a step to making Svelte more easy to reason with, but vibes are subjective in the end.