I wanted so badly to like this game, and on the whole, I do think I had an enjoyable experience. It was pleasant coming back to my Playdate throughout the day to check in on my flowers and texts, because it gave me something small to look forward to whenever I had a moment of free time. Unfortunately, everything else about it feels like fumbled bag.
I found Midori to be an extremely frustrating character who is given several chances to develop, mature, and improve, but for the most part, she just...doesn't. I can't go into details without entering spoiler territory, but the writers seem to be very conflict-averse. Midori has some serious flaws that she needs to work on (how dismissive she is of her parents, shutting down communication when the going gets tough), but the story does very little to actually address them - she's not allowed to grow at all, especially in regards to her relationship with her parents. The ending feels sudden, half-baked, and SO thoroughly unearned. That said, the writer says outright that this is their first time writing a story, which makes some of these issues easier to understand.
As for the gameplay, the garden is SUPER cute, but I have no idea if it actually affects progression at all. I kept hoping the game would give me more reasons to make money beyond buying garden upgrades/more flowers, but it never did.
My gripes aside, I am looking forward to what the studio releases next. They have the potential to craft something real special, so I would love to see them stick the landing next time.
Also, I think it's funny that they used Pixie's art from SMT/Persona for the Horoscope icon lol.
EDIT: I just saw that there's a post-game story. Will update my review after clearing the new content!