Fran and Balthier?

[Savannah]

No - it's a great comparison (and one that has been made by many). Viera are the elves of Ivalice. They are very tall and very wise, with long, lissom bodies that make them well-suited to being rangers and archers - like elves. They are woodland folk - living in tight-knit clans in the forests - like elves. They have great longevity - like elves, and completely unlike rabbits - living for up to three times as long as Humes - on average: about 200 years. They have highly developed senses - superb eyesight and hearing - like rabbits, but also like elves. And, most like elves of all, they lost their ancient homelands centuries ago and have begun to mingle with Humes, though the "pure-blooded" Viera remain deep within the forests. Sounds like a passage from Tolkien, doesn't it?

Viera have far more in common with elves than with rabbits, whom they only share a couple of physical features with - namely: ears and claws.
They are a race with their own history and their own - elf-like - traits.

And I would say that Fran is probably the most intelligent of the group, actually. She is a wonderful character - beyond her physical appearance - which is all you seem to be focusing on.

Rabbit ears + rabbit tail = rabbit-like. I'm sorry, she's oversexualized and she's PART ANIMAL. Even if she is the most intelligent member of the party, you can't make it sit well with me. No, I'm not going to go out with picket signs and protest the game for its cruelty to animals, but seeing her prance around in skimpy clothes isn't going to do anything for me.

I'm not saying anything negative about her-- I'm not sure why you leapt to her defense just because bunny chicks don't do it for me. As for her being "the most intelligent of the group," I'll judge her by her personality when I actually play the game.