Hope was the worst character.
I, for one, didn't have a problem with Vanille, but I hate Hope. Even after he stops whining, even after you reach Gran Pulse, everything surrounding him is insecure or motivational bullshit. He does, however, have the coolest Eidolon ever.
As for the art, it's really simple and very stylistic. It's not too bad. Lighting's hair isn't Pink, though, it's light brown. The main problem with this is its lack of a background. Some pieces can work without it, but this just feels incomplete.