I don't "get" Animal Crossing

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I played Wild World when I was younger--nearly a decade ago, and I did enjoy it. I liked to collect all the fish for the museum, and to slowly discover secrets.

I bought New Leaf last week looking for the same appeal. What little I found faded fast. The island allowed you to catch all the rare trophy fish and bugs almost immediately--an endless and always-available money machine. The rest of the game feels so mindless, like Farmville or some free-to-play iOS game. Just going to the island to get rich quick, and then reading through endless text until you receive either a cosmetic item or some chore that leads to a cosmetic item. Then there's the endless waiting for certain time windows. The game feels like a long bus trip without a destination.

Am I missing something? I really want to like New Leaf, but after a few days of playing I just feel jaded about the whole series. If you enjoyed it, how did it appeal to you? Where is the fun?