I agree that if a game like FFXII had used the II system to some extent it could be probably the single best game in the series, gameplay-wise.

My unpopular opinion is that Aerith was never really this "broken bird" archetype and the fact that she was practically canonized as a saint in later games made her untimely demise significantly less impactful as it robs her of the loads of spunk and personality she has.