From the videos, I don't find the mini game creepy. To be fair, I don't know what else is in the mini game but just from the videos, it doesn't seem bad. If the mini game fits the rating of the game (if the game was rated and the rating wouldn't change otherwise), then I don't think it should have been removed.
Final Fantasy XIV has the petting command (yes, the actual command is /pet).
First, I've always been more of a PC game person and I generally prefer Western games. While I did play console games a lot, I didn't get that much of an impression from Japanese games. Even though I am not much of a fan of Japanese games, I'm still interested in ways Japan tries to make their games unique.
Another thing is, most devs have always tried to figure out ways to add more to their game.
Finally, if there's something that is already in Japan in a game (that adds to the game), then it should be analyzed for what it is. Just because they took this minigame out for NA release doesn't mean it was never there in the first place. The devs still took time to implement such a mini game that JP players received.
Now, about this minigame. Honestly, it seems more goofy and funny (in a positive way) rather than creepy.
Plus, I think female players would have liked this feature. From the few videos I watched, it didn't seem creepy.
As for the integrity of the series? Let's take the Final Fantasy XIV for example.
I'm not really a fan of ARR. In fact, I prefer the original FFXIV 1.XX. While FFXIV 1.XX was clunky, it was only due to the fault of the engine, and the fatigue system and other slowness was only a way to pad the content (it didn't speak for the quality of the content itself). If it weren't for the padding of content, XIV 1.XX had lots of great and unique concepts. ARR is really the most basic types of content. Playing FFXI, WoW, FFXIV, ARR really has just the minimum amount of content with not much else going on.
Plus, there are not much customization, all the classes play the same, and the raids are just memorization. The raids in ARR don't feature much theory crafting regarding which classes to use, which abilities to use, etc. It's just don't stand in bad stuff and don't get hit, etc. It's unlike WoW which actually does (IMO) everything ARR does but better (well ARR does have a better base UI).
I find ARR to be just another MMO basically. As someone who doesn't really like "FF throwbacks" (I liked FF11 a lot more because it did its own thing; I don't want a new Final Fantasy that simply just throws as many homages to older FFs like ARR but I do understand people may like that and I am fine with it), what I find ARR is not appealing to me.
However, there are some stuff that can be enjoyed in ARR and I appreciate that and I appreciate that people are having fun with the game (even though I prefer the original FFXIV 1.XX and its class system and content over ARR).
The point is though, people seem to still enjoy FFXIV ARR a lot because there's more to do than just the typical MMO gameplay in ARR. While I may not like ARR that much and prefer both FFXI and WoW, there's still a lot to like in ARR with the extra stuff.
And the reason why I am talking about A Realm Reborn is that I can also compare it to this game with FE: Fates and the dating sim and relationship mini games.
I haven't played the game but isn't removing this mini game also removing content?
If A Realm Reborn for NA release didn't have the petting emotes or housing or Goldsaucer, or various emotes, would it have been fine too?
Those things don't really affect the battle system side of ARR but there's plenty of people that enjoy that type of content and IMO, it's good that a game can offer a variety of content for a variety of people.
Finally, it's unfair to say the mini game is just for guys. I'm sure plenty of female players would have liked the mini game too. Again, I don't really find the mini game creepy. It seems goofy and funny.
Anyway, I don't think the mini game should have been removed since it was extra content.
For A Realm Reborn, I wouldn't go around saying they should remove things or focus less time on something that people enjoy. If I don't like what ARR has to offer, then I'll play WoW or FFXI (which I do play both). If there's something unique in ARR (for example), then why take it out to make it a clone of another game? While I wanted an updated version of FFXIV 1.XX (it wasn't Tanaka's fault but the fact that he had to use an MMO unfriendly engine and he also had to pad the content since he wasn't given much of a budget), there's still stuff that other people like that ARR has that other MMOs do not have.
Same here with this mini game. To be fair, I don't know everything that the mini game has (or how much content it has by itself) but from the videos I've seen, it doesn't seem creepy.