I was under the impression that Matsuno was with the project longer than that, but maybe I'm wrong. Either way, the original purpose and intentions for the character are only important until the point of execution--which was botched pretty horribly.

That said, while I understand that both Fran and Penelo had roles to play in the narrative, their time in the limelight was exceptionally brief. My complaint is that if a game is going to introduce guest characters as a mechanic, why do Penelo and Fran get prominent party roles when other, more important characters are relegated to brief appearances. It is because both Fran and Penelo have such prominent and visible roles as playable party members that expectations are raised for them. I'm not saying that they could stand to be eliminated from the game, but because their impact on story segments is few and far between, would it not make more sense that they, too, be guests? Their character need not change, but I would argue that if their presence was not constantly forced upon us, expectations for their to be constantly relevant would be greatly alleviated.