jrpg hate in america.

[Dice]

The difference between a fan of Naruto and a Narutard is akin to the difference between admiration and obsession.

I have "loved" things... like really love them.  But never to the weird point it gets to with Narutards and Twilighters and all that....

[Lard]

Mileage varies in that point.  Besides, what are the sales figures on some of these games?  My point isn't trying to look at cult-value...  Atlus, Level5 and XSeed *does* make interesting games, but....
...and, wait a minute, in talking of visual aesthetics, I'd actually chalk-up Layton to French animated stylings way more than Japanese (which could be a point of appeal for non-J-ers).
FF9 still tried to retain semi-real elements that could be interpreted more "cartoony" than necessarily anime (you see the especially with Steiner and various NPCs - those who don't fit typcical "anime" conventions). 

I wasn't looking at cultishness exactly. I guess I was making the same point as you using different examples, in that people look at the cutesy, "generic" jrpgs and roll their eyes, but will look at other Japanese stuff that branches out or seems a bit different. I think 999 is probably the example to that observation - it succeeded despite looking very cutesy in the character design.

[Aeolus]

I've said it before; but I credit FF's constant success in the States part of the fact they diverted from the cartoon-y style that FF7 had and kept it real (which seems to work for audiences here).  

Nevertheless, numerous Japanese publishers enjoy a ton of success here too, no?

FF9 was cartoony. (Though it was a much better game than FF8. But hell, Legend of Dragoon would be a better game than FF8 if it didn't have such a terrible battle system)

I think the publishers that are having success now, like Atlus, XSeed and Level 5,are the ones that are bringing over interesting things that may be Japanese but are also things we haven't seen before. I think that's why stuff like the newer Persona games, Professor Layton, 999 and even stuff like Retro Game Challenge seems to get buzz.

And yet nobody bought Retro Gaming Challenge thus stranding the sequel and the TV series they're based on in Japan. ;_;

[Sagacious-T]

I've said it before; but I credit FF's constant success in the States part of the fact they diverted from the cartoon-y style that FF7 had and kept it real (which seems to work for audiences here).  

Nevertheless, numerous Japanese publishers enjoy a ton of success here too, no?

FF9 was cartoony. (Though it was a much better game than FF8. But hell, Legend of Dragoon would be a better game than FF8 if it didn't have such a terrible battle system)

I think the publishers that are having success now, like Atlus, XSeed and Level 5,are the ones that are bringing over interesting things that may be Japanese but are also things we haven't seen before. I think that's why stuff like the newer Persona games, Professor Layton, 999 and even stuff like Retro Game Challenge seems to get buzz.

And yet nobody bought Retro Gaming Challenge thus stranding the sequel and the TV series they're based on in Japan. ;_;

I bought it man fuck the haters