Thinking about playing OT2

So I really enjoyed OT1, and have recently been thinking about OT2. I had originally written it off because I wasn’t sure I had the time, but I’ve heard great things about it. I’ve got some questions though.

How’s the difficulty level, is it too easy? I found OT1 fine on difficulty, I never had to grind levels, there was only 1 chapter that gave me problems. I’ve heard OT2 is easier, which is putting me off

Who is the best starting character, to balance story narrative with a challenging difficulty. NO SPOILERS PLEASE. e.g., I get the idea Hikari would be a good starter for narrative reasons, but I’ve also heard he’s kind of OP in combat.