There is already a topic on "Most Unlikable Cast" - but that *beep*'s too negative! So as an alternative, I have got this thread for the FFVII cast(s) that you liked better than others. (for the record I didn't bother with the MUC topic because there is no FF cast I hate.)
If possible explain why you like the cast(s)
These are my opinions, and I am speaking entirely from my own view point.
My most liked cast is the FFVII cast, closely followed by the FFVIII cast. Here are my reasonings;
Final Fantasy VII
Cloud - Always found him an interesting character, starts of fairly generic ("I'm just here for the pay" and the like) but you soon start to realize something is wrong, and the further you go, the more you not only discover, but also the more you end up changing what you initially thought was true. This part of what made FFVII so astounding in my opinion. Cloud himself had a very cool atmosphere to him, that is when he wasn't (SPOILER)having memory problems, and losing control of himself, of course I liked that as well as it gave him a weakness, I wouldn't have liked it if he was the cool "hero" all the time, but he was cool when he was.
Tifa - Took me a while to like her at first, my opinions have changed, I can't even remember why I didn't like her straight away. (I guess I liked Aeris better, and refused to like Tifa because of that? Lame reasoning...) but anyway, I like her character now, she is a decent person and supportive of the other characters, she is also has good limit attacks, albeit done in a way I can't understand (incidentally I have yet to get "Final Heaven" to work...) Her relationship with Cloud is done nicely - I don't really know if they count as a couple or not, but if they do, then it is the most realistically introduced in my opinion (I find Squall and Rinoa to be the most realistic couple, but even they are not as "realistically introduced" as Cloud and Tifa are).
Barret - Didn't use him that much on my first playthrough as I was on some sort of "Swords are cool, guns are crap" phrase, but I got over it, and although I still don't use him that much, I like how is character is portrayed, if mainly for comedy value, I can thankfully take him seriously during his serious moments. This is another plus in Square’s writing.
Aeris - A character I liked from the start, she is likeable as a person, and is very skilled as a character despite her appearance. I often used her up until (SPOILER)her death - which still brings tears to my eyes when it happens. I also like how her background ties in to the storyline history, and her limits where unique and very useful. On top of that, she are the first to have bad translation - that's a plus in my book :D
Yuffie - An optional, but again likeable character, she is often used in my team (although I for some reason haven't used her much this time around). I know she is hated by many, but I think she does pretty good in fights, and adds something to the game - I never realized until now how "added" some of her lines actually are though - which makes sense given the circumstances.
Red XIII (SPOILER)(a.k.a "Nanaki" - I agree with most that he was underdeveloped at times, but I don't think that ruined his character. Often in films/games/programes there will be someone who just misses out on his (or her) final piece of background, and it was Red XIII in this game, but not that much in my opinion, the only things I really felt let down by is that they never said what he was exactly, and I kind of feel left in the dark on how he actually got to Midgar, unless something was said that I forgot. I also think Square should do a spin-off with him. Not an RPG though.
Cid - A "tradition" of FF games apparently. I never used Cid that much at first because my "X-Plode" always ignored him for some reason. I am no longer using an X-Plode, so I am going to have to level him up more, especially as I am nearing a part where (SPOILER)he becomes the main character for a while. As a character though, I thought he was kind of cool. I liked how they handled his background, how he admits his mistake in something that happened, and of course, the swearing added for some good comedy (I find censored swearing funnier than actual swearing - swearing doesn't even offend me at all.)
Vincent - For reasons used for both Barret and Cid, I didn't use Vincent that much on my first playthroughs. Having gotten into guns (but I prefer swords still) I used him a bit more, but I still don't bother with him, because he has (in my opinion) the worst Limits in the entire game. You lose control over him, it's like having a berserker in your team albeit one that can use magic. As a character though, I think he is quite cool, he has a sort of dark atmosphere to him, which fits his storyline, which for what we see is interesting. His lines are probably "added" at times like Yuffie, but it isn't that noticeable, since he keeps to himself most of the time. Despite me changing my opinion on guns, I never really though one suited him though...
Cait Sith - Again someone who is never really given much chance to be liked, but well, get this - I think he's an excellent character! Ok, he's a stuffed toy, ok he's (SPOILER)being controlled by a Shinra member, and ok he (SPOILER)briefly betrayed the team but I used him a lot on all my playthroughs, and I am not put off by his appearance to stop me taking him seriously. Also he has my most favourite Limit in the entire game - "Slots"! I really enjoy using it, you don't know what your gonna get, I really like skills like that, it hasn't been used that much in FFs.
Final Fantasy VIII
Note: Although I liked the cast in this game, I will admit that most of the character had "optional" background stories, meaning they did have background, but Square didn't broadcast them as much as they did in previous games, it would be like FFVII only focusing on Cloud's storyline and making everyone else’s more subtle - I don't know why Square did this, I guess they felt like experimenting.
Squall - this may surprise you given my Screen Name, but Squall is actually my favourite character in any FF game. I really identified with his personality, because when I was younger I acted like that a lot, I didn't let people get that close to me, and felt let down by the world and so on. That "me" of course is no longer here, but I remember it, and I am pleased how much I have improved. That is also why I believe that Squall's change was completely believable, he has always had the potential to make friends with people, he just always held back. That is why Square allows you to "read his thoughts" - you see that he is saying one thing, but thinking another. I could probably go on and on, but this thread is probably pretty long already.
Rinoa - Again a character I really liked. I thought that her appearance into the life of someone like Squall was done brilliantly. I am pretty good at noticing hints, and I always had a feeling they would be a couple, and as I said before, I find them the most realistic paring in all FFs, I don't think it was done as suddenly as other people do, the stuff after (SPOILER)she is in a coma and wakes up possessed was merely when Squall became more open about how he felt. I have watched enough romantic scenes to recognize the "signs", and they are in evidence since the first disk. And Before anyone says that "they only just met and suddenly they're in love" - well, that's true, but I think it's a Media Timeline. We don't know how much time passes throughout the FFs unless they are stated by the characters, so you can't really say that their love was sudden, and even if it was isn't that true for most films/games? At least Cloud and Tifa knew each other before hand, and even then they never really hung out with each other.
Quistis(sp?) - didn't get that much development sadly, but she added what she could to the story, again some characters end up left out sometimes, and she was one. I found her good to use during fights though at times. I liked how she was in authority, but was a close age to most of her students, that sort of thing is pretty common now.
Zell - definitely a fun character. His hyperactive was a good contrast to the serious characters like Squall, his background was pretty cool, despite being subtly portrayed. He was really cool to use in battle, having played FFVI as well, I kind of see Zell as what Sabin should have been in battle, Blitz was cool, but you can't see what to press during battle, Duel had a unique way of doing it as well.
Selphie I always thought it looked like she was fighting with a skipping-rope rather than a nunchuck, but this again was a character I liked. She seamed like someone, I would get on with in real life, and her background also worked quite well, her hints the game are quite good. I also find her "website" (or what ever you want to call it) a nice touch. Her "slots" limits are ok, in that they have some unique moves (one of which can just pass over the battle), it is not the same "slots" that I had in FFVII (or VI to some degree).
Irvine - again because of the gun thing I didn't use him that much at first. Once I started, I quite liked how they based his Limit on what ammo he was using, added a bit of extra realism. I found his going for girls attitude amusing, as I always do with characters like that, however this is the first time I had seen a character like that, who had a reason to be like that. And he is also the instigator to what is in my opinion one of the most underrated moments in Final Fantasy ever - the (SPOILER)Orphanage Memory Scene I loved that scene, and on my second play through I looked carefully to see if and I could find hints towards it, and I did. I have always loved scenes like that, because It's something I am all too awhere of.
Seifer - (Does he count? I dunno...) Well obviously I must like this character in someway, huh? Well yeah, I liked how he was basically Squall in a different angle. They became who they where because of the same experiences, but reacted differently. Squall became distant, and avoid people, while Seifer acted like he wanted a fight with someone. I am a true believer that people get affected differently by things, and this was a good way of portraying it. I have been thinking a few things about Seifer, but I will not post them in this thread.
I don't really have anything to say about the "dream" characters yet...
Well thanks for reading if you did, looking forward to your favourite cast(s) they can be as detailed as you want.
