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It looks shoujo because the artist is Nodoka Kiyose, and the character designer is Miyuu.
Of course a lot of plot elements are going to be similar, but I look at this series as a doujinshi. A really fun one that's sanctioned by the series author, but a doujinshi nonetheless. They really did have fun doing their own take on the books, too.
The characters feel a lot more emotionally dynamic in this version than in the anime (except Nina... she's about the same... maybe a little weepier), but it's like everyone has a greater emotional range, especially Felli.
I think that's what appeals to me. As much as I like her character in the anime, it's hard to get past her flat affect. In this series, she looks much more vulnerable. Maybe it's those freakin' huge shoujo manga eyes. But if you remember, as Sharnid said in ep 4, nen-i controllers generally don't display emotion (other than irritation. She's really good at displaying that.) Well, she displays all kinds of emotion here, and it makes her more engaging.
On the other side of the coin, Meichi weeps constantly, and it's starting to get on my nerves. I like her in the anime, and I liked her in the beginning of this series, but now she just starts crying over the slightest thing.
I'd say in a summary, that Nina is too hard, Meichi is too soft, Felli is too childish, and Leerin is the most mature of all of them.
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