It's a very pretty game with the Ghibli aesthetic, a Hishiashi score, and whimsical creatures. And yet, in near conflict with these trappings, the bulk of gameplay and mechanics are concerned with combat. Clunky combat at that, with a frustrating real-time system and limited AI.
What should be a central mechanic, the healing of people's hearts, quickly loses its luster as it lacks any puzzle or challenge, and primarily becomes a vehicle for side quests.
The story itself is equal parts generic and convoluted, often driven as much by ludic goalposts as by narrative ones.