Hi Ripple thanks again for your reply!
It's true, the other bosses are just different stats, but that means you'll have to grow your character differently and gather other gear etc...
From reading this and also hearing other people's comments I think the game has become a bit too harsh. I have played with the idea of an easy mode, but I'd much prefer the game to be better balanced in the first place. Also, an extra mode means a lot more testing and tweaking. I want to try to make the game's difficulty rise with the subsequent characters that you unlock when the game is completed. So the first character has a ring that makes the game simply easier to complete than the characters to come. That might work, although it feels a bit weird for a new unlocked character to be less strong...
Oh, another thing, I've followed your earlier comment and clarified the speed stat somewhat. During combat you now see the hit chance for each weapon whenever it's below 100%. I think it's an improvement. Thanks again!