Lot of people seem to classify there works as essays for some reason x___x
An essay has a specific structure, just cause you use proper punctuations and make a longer statement, that doesn't merrit it to be an essay =/
Not to be harsh xD But, it's a bit annoying to sort between 'editorials' and 'essays'

But umm... kudos for speaking your opinion =D

I know what you mean about the clothes part.I was two when FFVII came out and I thought it was so awsome.My brother got it the day it came out and since they didn't talk like in Metal Gear Solid he was stuck reading every single thing that came up.When we got to Zack's death,I cried.Alot.But I never understood something about that whole big part.Why does Cloud take Zack's cloths?He was always wearing that blue Shinra(I think)suit until Zack dies,then he has the same sword,cloths,and memory as him.Zack died in that and it's all bloody and nasty,and smelly possibly,and worn for months on end.Disgusting!I don't know,maybe it's just me.My brother thinks I'm nuts.Hopefully someone else can help explain to little people about that.If anybody can help me out with understanding that,alright,thanks.
P.S.I hate the "Their sooo hot!!!" thing to.God!It just gets under my skin.They don't even know anything else about the game(s).Not the plot,or the bad guy(not including Sephy).Just about all of my friends are like that.They only know(big list comin') Cloud,Vincent{my fav cause awsome story!(^0^)},Auron,Kain,Cecil,Ramza,Mustadio,Balthier,Squall,Delita,
Irvine,Reno,and I think Vann and Boosh(just started playin 12 so sorry about spelling.).Wow.I typed ALOT.Hehe alright,thats all of my 2 cents in this I guess.Bye! (^0^)
SJFF7

i totally agree with u!! well, in all honesty i started getting into the final fantasy series when i was little because of my older sister who is seven years older than me. (ima sixteen right now). but i have to say my reason for liking the final fantasies is how they always keep u guessing. i'm the kinda person who loves to try and figure out the plot and i love plot twists and final fantasy doesn't have a lack of those. i think FFIX has got to be a personal favorite of mine. (for those of u that have beaten it, u'll get my next comment, i cried at the end of that game, not because of what happened, but because i thought i'd finally beaten it and some random guy goes "wait! ima going to destroy the universe!!" Q_Q) ^^ but another minor reason is the character's PERSONALITIES. and honestly, ima meanin the side characters. like i love how the final fantasies always have an awesome background for each character and their atttitude and personality are so real, so it makes u think that ur really dealing with actual ppl! like barret and cid from FFVII, i think they are honestly my two top favorite characters in FFVII just because they really act like real people.

um....anything else....*thinks* nope! lol hope i didn't rant too much!

haseo

Sorry for the double post, but I forgot to mention one more love of Final Fantasy (and a few other select SE games): Moogles! They're just as much a staple of Final Fantasy as Chocobos are. =)

I love everything about Final Fantasy. I'm very big on storyline and character development and the FF games have some of the best. They hit me emotionally and I enjoy them. I cry every time I see the end of FFVIII. It's so easy to get attached to the characters as you play, wanting to find out more about them, what their motives are, what drives them. You begin to feel like you know them, and can't wait to see how their story unfolds.

And as you mentioned, the music is spectacular. The music from Final Fantasy is some of the only music that will stir me to where it will make me cry. Recently I attended the Distant Worlds concert in Chicago. They opened with Liberi Fatali and followed with To Zanarkand. The music itself was so powerful, and combined with the video they showed, it was very hard not to shed a tear. Distant Worlds, the song the tour is named after, is another that just moves me. The lyrics are beautiful and the music draws me in so far. And I have the utmost respect for the music and it's creator. It inspires me that a self-taught musician can create such moving and beautiful works.

And the art. Like you, the artwork behind the games inspire me so much. The design and the detail in every character and every world...

Then like you and some of the other commenters mentioned, the little things, like what are the next Cid, Biggs and Wedge going to be like? I always like to see how Chocobos will be introduced into the game, and what secret is in that cave, through the forest, or hidden in that town. =)

Also that damn battle system. I'm in a love/hate relationship with it. =P

It's hard to avoid the masses of fan girls and fan boys whose reasons for liking Final Fantasy (and many other things at that), are somewhat shallow. I've come to see that many of the fans that spout things like what you quoted are some of those who really just like FF or whatever other chosen fandom more so for it's popularity. It's not bad to like things that are popular, not at all, but to like them because they're popular, that is a problem. I'm not saying that that is everyone, but there are a lot. But in time, when they've moved on to the next big fandom, we'll still be here playing and replaying. =)

I must congratulate you on the lovely write you conjured up here before I say anything. You really "hit the nail on the head" in reference to most Final Fantasy fans and their rather annoying "desire" for a certain character. What fuels my love for FF is the dialouge. For example, in FFVIII, I can easily say my favorite part in the game is when they come across Irvine Kinneas. The way they portray him..and the other characters reactions to him was simply priceless. I was also the type to go around and talk to every single person I came across in every game just to see what they had to say...I even talk to them more than twice just to see if they have anything new to say. :P

XD wow...I'm a closet geek so I'd never blast it on my car stereo =P but I do play it in the car when I'm by myself or with friends who like FF

I'm playing through FFXII right now, and one of the things I've noticed is the high level of detail that the makers have put into the game. I chopped down a tree and watched it float down a stream all the way until it was too far away to be seen. I stood still and watched the clouds go by. The characters change their victory pose depending on what weapon they have. Some things seem totally unnecessary--do you really need to see glare when you point the camera at the sun?--but it adds a layer of reality to the whole thing, unconsciously or not, and it makes me very happy.

Other than that, I greatly enjoy the (FINALLY orchestral) music, especially the themes that have carried over from previous games, like the victory fanfare, the opening arpeggio line, and the chocobo theme. I like how the makers put a new spin on them for every game.

And, like you, I like the many faces of Cid.

Wonderful article--it really makes you think, huh? Besides seeing character personalities in the real world, you can probably apply that "OMG ____ IS HOT" philosophy to many other things...

Personally, one of my favourites is the recurring use of "Biggs and Wedge".

'Cause though I may be a total otaku now, I will have always been a Star Wars geek first.

Great write-up, by the way. You've contributed to an extremely prolific day for Fan Words, yo (I'm floored at how many good works came out today - seriously). You also remind me that I haven't listened to the FFVIII soundtrack in a while . . .