Well, some of the characters, like Shirimotchi, are cute (he really, really looks like a minion, yay!). But they all seem to be more realistically based, if you get what I mean. You've got Knightchi, who looks like a knight (duh), Raitotchi looks like a baseball player, Takutotchi looks like a messed-up Santa...it's just lost it's creativity. The characters, which are supposed to be simple yet cute, have become so overly detailed it's gross.
I like the cooking with friends feature, and that you can connect with more than one other Tamagotchi, but I'd never be able to use those features. (How the heck would I scrape together the funds to get MULTIPLE Tamagotchi P's?) I'm glad the download feature is staying (at least, sort of), but it just seems like a marketing scam to sell all those figures. Maybe they think we might be a bit disgusted by the new characters and use that leverage to get us to buy the figures, which will unlock more characters, and hence get Bandai more money.
I probably won't get one of these, as I'm saving up for a new ereader and a plane trip in the FAR future (I'm at about $400 right now wuut), and I can get awesome stuff on my new iD L via downloads, without needing to pay. If I do buy one, I'll get it after the rush for them has gone down, and some formerly enthusiastic person can sell their beat-up one to me for cheap.
Bandai, if you want to keep up with the times, why not make an improved iD L with easier downloading options (like Bluetooth or even USB if necessary)? Infrared is a bit outdated. Or maybe add some characters without removing the old? You've got skillions of dollars; your possibilities are nearly endless.
In short (since I bloviate so much), Bandai seems to be missing some great ideas.
I'm not trying to offend anyone who likes the Tamagotchi P, just find what Bandai's doing to be a bit sketchy.
~Amat