I don't think it's necessarily a bad reputation. It's just that their goals aren't often so lofty or complex. Like the Lagoon Lounge series isn't written particularly well, has a lot of elements I wish weren't in it, and focuses more on character drama and sex than anything else. Despite that, Lagoon Lounge 3 made me feel more like shit for a decision than any VN I've read. It's more that the consistency tends to be lacking and sometimes things go on weird tangents. Mino is hyperfocused on the story it is trying to tell and its many themes are used to complement and expand on each other.