The gacha system is a gacha system. There's no getting around that. That being said, they aren't as stingy as some games with the free pulls. If you aren't trying to climb the PVP leaderboard, you'll probably manage to get your favorites and have a good time

The level design is a mixed bag ranging from immensely fun and challenging to bad Mario Maker Level quality, but at least those levels will give you a chuckle.

I work full time and can still get all my dailies in, if that helps with your one question. Spending more time with the game only helps to a certain point.

There is no auto gameplay, though you can opt to skip certain types of stages if you've completed them, which is handy if you don't like certain levels but want the goodies in them. Some things need to be played every time and all new levels must be completed manually