the main issue is that, well, look at their track record. we got what, Mila, then a generic Jake muller skinhead roughneck, two ninja Gaiden imports, a token anime loli, and a fourth or fifth kasumi clone. that's only one decent character concept out of 6, or 8 if we count all clones. my point is that without Itagaki, I don't think TN could handle making a full roster anymore. I mean look at 5. bbland from top to bottom with every design choice. I literally only got it for Mila. . then lookit the dlc track record. yyeah I don't think they could do it anymore. hell, they couldn't keep from destroying the characterizations of the existing characters. not to be a hater, just being blunt.
Mila and Rig were cool additions, I love Rig, both style and character itself, his skinhead make him different, so I think is cool. Mila is pretty okay, in some way, she feel different than the other girls in the roster.
Momiji and Rachel are good, keep in mind that this a remake of another game so you can't expect someone totally new.
Even if we can't expect that, they give us Marie Rose, a totally new character with no story though, because this is just and ultimate version of DOA5 not DOA6.
I don't like the idea of another Kasumi clone, we already have Alpha, but anyway, if you don't like her, don't play with her, that's what I'm going to do.
In the end, I agree, without Itagiki things are different, they changed so much minor things in DOA5 wich I don't like. Those little details that make me fall in love in the series. But what can we do? I still have hopes for DOA6 to be more like the past games, but I doubt it will be.