I honestly never understood all the VIII hate. It's my second favorite FF (after IX :P). There is certainly a prominent love story in IX.

I didn't mind at all the late intro characters. I loooove the Alexander, Bahamut scene, and the scene with Beatrix and Steiner going through town together. The love letters scene is great.

The third disc is my favorite . It's also thestart of when they stop separating your characters finally. There's a great scene with Zidane coming up later on.

The eye in the sky wields a pleasant surprise