I finally got to trying this after having it saved for months. It's definitely a stand-out entry.
Some of the sound effects felt odd, but that's the only flaw in the presentation I can think of. The mixed graphics styles weirdly seem to work. It looks good overall.
I'm not sure if picking different options doesn't matter, or if I just got lucky, since every approach seemed to be effective.
I did not get far, though. I struggle with bullet hells to begin with, and the difficulty ramp was just too much. I could manage the first two avoidance stages, but the third with combined attacks was just too much.
Healing feels pointless, since you have to do the same avoidance stage as far as I can tell, and you don't gain enough health from it to catch up if you're falling behind.
Between the avoidance stages, negotiation mechanic, and overall themes it feels reminiscent of Undertale. I wasn't personally a fan of the gameplay, but I think it's a strong combination. The description hints at further depths, but I didn't get far enough to see them.