This one was my very first Final Fantasy game, and I'm almost pretty sure it was my very first JRPG. I was mesmerized by the world, the music, the characters, and the fantasy, but I never managed to finish it. Hell, I never made it past the Giza Plains. 
Yes, the characters are bland, and yes, the plot's very by the numbers, but Goddammit, I love it. 

Dreadful. I couldn't find joy in trying to finish it. I honestly felt miserable every time I played this. The asylum was cool, though.

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I liked the concept of your operator being MIA or injured, so you have to use another one. Maybe I'll give it a go again somewhere down the line