The melee weapons need to be able to damage if you're within a certain range, not just at a certain distance... I find it aggravating how my katana goes through someone, and they remain unphased.
I don't understand how you could screw up in this game... If your money goes negative, you make more paintings... When you have excess money, you spend it in the academy... Enter all paintings that're good enough to at least be accepted, and it increases the value... No idea how to get my movement accepted, though.