If you want to get really technical about it, there's no such thing as an "easy" or "difficult" fighting game, and that's simply because the object of the game is to defeat a human opponent. Any difficulty derived from that is simply a result of how skilled your opponent is at that particular game. Fighting games can be more simple or more complex than one another, or they may place importance on different particular skills, but they are never easy or hard on the merits of the games themselves.
So it's a matter of comfort, accessibility, clarity, and just plain preference when learning a game that matters. Personally, combo breakers and the considerations that come with them (baiting, recharge period, etc.) are awkward to me. A specific button combination to turn around mid-air seemed really obtuse. (And there were a slew of other global system mechanics tied to various button combinations; this is just the one that stuck out to me more than anything else.) There were lots of status effects. Negative Penalty is still the most obnoxious-sounding fighting game system mechanic I've been exposed to. I'm sure there must be a reason why it exists, but it's so typically part of that ArcSys "this is how you're supposed to play the game" ethos that just rubs me all sorts of wrong ways.
And while there seemed to be a lengthy list of system rules to learn... there were only 2 "normal attack" buttons, more or less. So the character movesets seemed really limited. That combination doesn't really jive with me. I just personally enjoy exploring a character/team more than the system that surrounds them, and I like to feel as if I'm learning characters and match-ups more than rules. That's not really something that P4A facilitates.
Why do people keep saying there are only 2 "normal" attack buttons. Why are persona attacks not consider normal attacks? For my character, they are another set of normals I use. Its like saying dhalsim ranged normals are not normals (in the context to my character at least).
You know, I actually like the air turn button combination. Its so that people have to dedicate their crossups. None of that "Its a 50/50 because I don't know what side I'm going to hit you so there is no way you know either." I wished more games had it. Shit is so stupid when you have those shitty ass hitbox moves that cross you up but you land on the same side.
Status elements don't really seem that bad. Marvel has some (to some degree). Morrigan can steal meter, Hawkeye can poison you, Modok can reverse your controls.
The only major two that person has is paralyze (obvious what it does), and fear.
There is the roll, but its so similar to KOF's roll its whatever.
There is the shorthop button, but once again similar to KOF (just p4a is a button combo).
OMB/Gold Burst/Blue Burst are all the same. They are burst/combo breakers.
OMC I guess is new. Its basically XFC.
There are a bit of buttons, and if you're new to fighting games I can see it being difficult. But if you played other fighting games outside capcom, I can't see it being that difficult to learn. I really feel like its just over exaggerated.
But no question about SF4 being easier than P4A at a beginner level. Shit is a hands down winner.
DOA/SC5>SF4>Marvel/P4A>Tekken> in terms of easy to hard for beginners imo.