Thinking about picking this up or Animal Crossing - my one concern with Fantasy Life, which I am otherwise leaning towards, is I've read in reviews there is a TON of dialogue, more than most J-RPG/sim type games (and that's saying something).
As someone who zones out after the first couple of 'next' clicks and then angrily mashes the text boxes away - how long is it before all this goes away and they let you get on with the game, or does it ever go away even?
This is my one deciding factor in getting this game or not.
The reviews are just being over dramatic.
The average time of an arc story is 1 hour long (don't do all the the tutorials job at the begining at once unless you'r prepared).
It's a light hearted story so a some people here on GAF disliked it finding it unisteresting.
You're free to do whatever you want between each story arc. They're just there to introdue you a new era and lore.
My advice, when you feel that the story is boring you, just take a break and come back 10 mins later. That game can burn you with all the tasks you're able to do.
Animal crossing is game that you play just 5 or 10 mins a day because there isn't much to do, it's just for relaxing before going to bed (I've it).
Also you've to wait for the content to be unlocked little by little (it's locked behind real life calendar).
For my point of view, don't play Animal crossing if you're not ready be commited to it otherwise, it will take longer to unlock things.
Example : you've to talking during 10 (real life) days an NPC to unlock the custom pattern machine.
Don't try to cheat by advancing the clock on your 3DS, the game will find a way to punish you.
Be aware that Fantasy Life is an offline mmorpg, so the focus of the game is the gameplay, farming, crafting, taking down bosses.
Animal crossing is a 100% life simulation game with no other thing than being the janitor-mayor of your town.
If you want a mix of both there is Rune factory 4 : social + gameplay.