One of the things that fuels my irrational dislike of Final Fantasy VII is that I really, really don't like the general art design of the game: I don't care for the more anime style of the characters, the stylization, etc. The thing is, I can't tote this line too terribly far, because I'm more than willing to fight on behalf of the art design of IX, which a lot of people seem to get turned off about. I know that one line of thinking is that the game looks too "kiddy," especially coming after its two immediate predecessors. However, I think that the cartoon basis makes it far easier for the game to get away with odd character designs and settings (it doesn't have to worry about making them seem natural, because it's a cartoon), and though I might be reaching a bit with this, I think that more emotional scenes benefit greatly from the apparent light-hearted loook, if only because the emotion is so at odds with what people might consider cute (the example I like for this is when Vivi watches Waltz 3 incinerate some of the Black Mages. There's not a sign of emotion on his face, but you can feel his pain all the more because of it).

 

So, basically, I'm wondering what people think of Final Fantasy IX's overall art design, and whether you think the game benefits or is hindered by it.

I've found virtually no other anime/jRPG/manga characters whose characters designs resemble the characters of FF IX (and to a lesser extenet-- FF X), while you can find countless anime/jRPG/manga characters who resemble the casts of FF VII, VIII, and XIII both appearance-wise AND personality-wise. Don't even get me started on Versus and Type-0 where there is virtually NO creativity when it comes to character design.

 

That being said, the overall art design makes playing the game a truly unique experience, especially when compared to today's standard of jRPG.

IX managed to emulate the classics perfectly.

By that I mean that the in-game graphics are simple and appealing, but the actual designs of the characters are the opposite.

The best example I can think of is Beatrix. She looks really cool in-game. Then you get a good look at her in the ending, and it looks HORRIBLE

Of course, they can never match the true horror of Amano art... seriously... that stuff creeps me out.