1)As are KH characters.
2) If you find generic weeb trash interesting, then yeah I guess they could be seen as more interesting than KH’s badass interpretations of Disney characters and its FF-inspired OCs.
3) Keyblades are a more distinct and interesting concept than anything in Dragon Quest.
They are about as far removed from typical braindead weeb shit that’s just made to “look cool and that’s it” as possible. They can simultaneously look silly and badass, have multiple functions, thematic purpose and fit in with the aesthetic of the world.
The buckles, baggy pants, zippers and spiky hair aren’t an anime thing. They’re an early 2000s thing. Which is a really cool and awesome aesthetic cause that was an awesome era.
4) Oh wow! CHARISMATIC characters! Amazing! ...Like...ok? Cool?
The Disney characters in KH are charismatic...
Fucking Cait Sith is charismatic...
I’ll take actual developed characters over “charismatic” characters any day.
And no, actually, it doesn’t have better game balance at all. This is straight up bullshit. You can basically break the game when you get the Blackjack by abusing Intangirs 1/3rd into the game.
And FFVII characters also have diverse motivations, so that argument is also null and void.
5) Wanting to beat a villain more =/= a better game.
And WOW!!! No way! He destroys the world?! That thing you have no connection to and practically provides no consequence to any of the major characters at all?
Yeah, that’s totally a better villain than the guy who kills one of the 4 main characters of the entire game; a romantic interest nonetheless...
6) What exactly was so divergent?
1) Does KH have anything like the bittersweet or bad endings of the villages in Dragon Quest VII? A mother feeding sacrifices to her cursed-to-be-a-dragon son in Dragon Quest XI?
2) If your idea of weeb is based on what a character looks like (I know, I used zippers/buckles as an example, but there are limits) instead of DBZ-esque wish fulfillment then sure.
3) Sora is a stock generic happy go lucky friendship protagonist. The girls are moeblobs. The keyblades, not to mention the zippers and buckles, maybe unique, but they're garish as hell.
4) They are more developed than 7's were (as of '97). And by charismatic I meant likable. I don't mind Disney characters, but some of their moments are just cringe.
Re: balance, FFVII has easier enemy encounters. Not to say FFVI was hard, but for the most part I had to either try or just plain screw up somewhere to die in FFVII.
5) You missed the point. Sephiroth may have killed Aeris, but Kefka: 1) killed countless innocents by poisoning a water supply, 2) killed one of the most noble characters, General Leo, and 3) killed millions by destroying the world. And the most important thing, he frigging killed hope. And that's what the second half of the game is about, finding hope in a deadened world.
6) You taking certain things so seriously here.