I like the fact that it gives animated feedback to emphasize what is happening/being altered. Native components don't always do that very well. Animations are not just artsy fluff, they have real UX value (if done right, of course).

I don't know. At the point in which you have to reinforce visual context with animations, I feel like you've already failed at the part of UX that actually matters. Like there's already been a cascade of structural failure, and now you're trying to put bandaids over it.

Honestly same, I was less interested in the styling and just interested in the immediacy of response which is ironically missing in a lot of modern ui

I think the trick to using libraries like this is to not go all in on them. Applying these effects to every element would be garish.

But for a single like button, an effect slider, or magic search bar? It would be be a lovely touch.