Nothing wrong with tropey! When it works, it works! I also liked this chapter a lot for its introspective nature. I also felt similar to you how the structure in SC is just a bit too predictable and rigid in these sections, especially for places you've already visited.
Don't know if you'll see this, Jan, but if you're not feeling up to voicing every line, there is a voice patch mod that adds in an extensive amount of Japanese VO to the game, voicing nearly every cutscene. It was an added feature to ports Falcom did for these games several years back, but wasn't included in the English PC release.
I'm not saying they're necessary for your playthrough, but the voice acting is quite good and—like I said before—there's a surprising amount of it. The amount of dialogue and text in this game is pretty daunting to many, so I feel voice acting may take away some of the monotony of going through every line, and may even be a better option for streaming the game. Adding the patch is pretty easy too, you can find a quick guide with a google search. (i'd link it, but I don't know the policy here of linking mods).
I know I've seen that ferret before. I'm shocked it doesn't have an entry on the site. I need archives!
I don't remember which video it was, but I remember them putting it into a wall slot somewhere in the CBS building (maybe during the move between floors?), leaving it there just to see how long it would stay before someone would move it. Turns out, it was still there months later.
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