It's all very Animal Crossing, and yes there're striking similarities between the series. However, Magical Melody seems to create a better sense of community and thereby a more convincing virtual lifestyle. For the first time in the series you can snag extra plots of land and start sprucing them up for the benefit of everyone else.
There's just so much to do and so many people to talk to that the quest for the perfect digital life could literally take a chunk out of your own. The sun rises and sets, seasons change but at the end of the day all that matters is that Jamie is getting soundly stomped in the agricultural department.