Ok. Definitely better than Persona 5 Vanilla.
While I cannot fully like Kasumi, since she has ALL the characteristics that make her a Mary Sue... I'll just say that Got had his redemption arc in this one.
I never really liked the story of P5 to a point where I can call it my favorite among every Persona game (I'd say it's pretty mid for your average Japanese game). HOWEVER...
My favorite part about P5R is that it gives you more time to spend with social links, and not just the new ones (Kasumi, Maruki and Goro), but with everyone instead.
Now, plot wise, my absolute favorite part of Royal was Maruki. Not just him as a character, but his whole arc was absolutely amazing.
Because Maruki isn't a villain. He's an antagonist. He has good intentions but wrong ideals, and that's why we fight him, so that he changes his view on life. Because unlike everyone you fought before, Maruki isn't a bad guy.
If you never played P5, skip vanilla and play Royal instead. The mechanics are better, and while it's a longer game, it's definitely the better one.