I think people are thrown off by the synth bits. They're expecting more EDMusume, and the other groups getting non-Tsunku songs has also ratcheted up expectations for a really Western-style EDM song.
But this is a rock song at heart. And it's aggressively Tsunku in composition.
At that point, the comparisons to both Brainstorming and Lullaby Game (and Ambitious) start stacking up. It's a bit too sedate, too complacent, next to a comparable instrumentations from other idol groups utilizing those metal elements, especially MomoClo. Going from Tokyo to iu Katasumi to any metal-ish MomoClo song is like receiving an adrenaline injection. (Also, MomoClo songs tend to incorporate more funk elements)
Which isn't fair to Tokyo to iu Katasumi, because it's not trying to be an anisong, nor using anisong cheap tricks to achieve that energy, but those are the sort of things influencing first impressions. Who wouldn't want to listen to Infinite Love or Moon Pride instead?
That said, they have a point. The song cuts straight from FURIOUS BAROQUE PATTERNS to...half time verse. No, don't do that. And the rest of the verse and prechorus keeps being start-stop on dense to sparse instrumentation this way, killing any momentum. This song would be a hella frustrating sex session.
That prechorus-chorus transition only works if the verse and pre-chorus consistently built up to the floor dropping out only at that point, which would give the chorus a great kick in the pants to start off. But because the previous sections were also start-stop, it just feels like another stop, and the chorus kind of limps into action. "Oh, this isn't the prechorus anymore? Oh, okay." Half-time drops have to be very carefully deployed, or be a part of a SHAMELESSLY WEIRD song, and both Seishun Kozo and this song are trying to serve two masters.
Now, the chorus itself is pretty damn strong, and moves into that fun dense arrangement. Too bad we have to get back into that verse. All they needed to do was pave the way to half time in the instrumental section, instead of dropping into it, and it wouldn't be nearly so bad.
The Vision: holy shit, stop using Tsunku-melody choruses. IMMENSE SONG POTENTIAL DOWN THE DRAIN.