My final thought is that Grace of Letoile is far from graceful. Effort was put into the story and gameplay mechanics, but execution could have been more refined.

If you're even slightly weary with the whole JRPG idea, I'd steer clear of Grace Of Letoile, though. While its plot is unusual and its specific mechanics are unique, the overall trappings are about what you would expect at this point from the Kemco assembly line.