Escapism may have been the center of the story, but I felt it had a lot of other really deep issues that it explored well. While it may have been more lighthearted than, say, the original FFT, it still had a lot of depth to it.

While the political issues were decidely toned down, what we had were awesome. The purge of Muscadet, for example, I believe was a brilliant look at a totalitarian police state. We see the arguments of loyalty to the crown and security of the realm crashing against the loyalty and care of the people. Cid fulfills his role perfectly as a good man doing horrible things.

There are a lot of little things like that which I feel show a lot of depth, even if they are simplified or "childish". Most of the best children's stories have a lot of depth to them, even if their messages are simple and easy to follow. In some ways, that makes them resonate all the stronger, and is why I still enjoy many of my old favorites to this day. The Hobbit may be a kid's story, but it has a lot of depth. I believe FFTA does as well (though, obviously, it's not up there with Tolkien).