ok first of all four hearts and blue fields are both ace you shut ur damn mouth!!! You absolutely nailed My Home Sweet Home though, an achingly sad and poignant song.

Good write up. People often categorise Final Fantasy eras in terms of consoles, but I think you're right that the first five are all of one continuous era and this was the last hurrah of that old formula, perfected.

Also, that is some absolutely superb analysis of ExDeath, you have really helped reshape my thoughts on what had seemed like a relatively lackluster villain. I've never really gone in for the "lol tree" mockery, but he just seemed so lacking in any depth or purpose other than evil - and you've made me realise that was the point.