Why do you play JRPG's?

[Dango]

They are good...

Other than that characters are much more emotional than in Western RPG's, so you get to like them a lot more, and also it reminds me of my favorite passtime, anime.

 

[AvsJoe]

I generally enjoy both the stories and gameplays of JRPGs. Besides, they're generally more interesting (both good and bad) than their western counterparts.

 

[-Seraph-]

Same reasons as have been listed by everyone else here. I find the storylines and characters in JRPGs feel a lot more relevant and deep in a story telling manner and some JRPGs know how to lighten up and not take themselves too seriously in certain situations. I never get quite as attached to WRPG characters that much and sometimes their stories feel far too lose for my liking, although I will admit that WRPGs tend to do good at building worlds.

I like crazy art style as opposed to the rather bland and derivative aesthetic of WRPGs, where JRPGs have environments and art that just sticks to you. Midgar, Ivalice, Zeal Kingdom, Ouka, and many other places will always stay in my memories because they just have that distinction to them.

The music in JRPGs is flat out amazing and you will be certain to find plenty of songs you'd add to your MP3 player.

Gameplay wise I enjoy all sorts, real time, turn based, active time, ect... A good JRPG can have a really creative and unique gameplay style that is miles better than any standard real time point and click combat. I always end up thinking more in JRPGs than I do in many other types of games.

Really, they're just fun and can be as good as any other type of RPG or game out there. Every genre has its shitty games and its good games, but when you find a good JRPG; it just sticks and you just will not want to put it down.

I like JRPGs because of the story. They have a certain depth which the western market seem to be missing. I can't say that I cared when your character dies(unless you got the DLC) at the end of Fallout 3, but when the main character died in Crisis Core, I cried, like, really badly. This ability to play with my emotions gives these games such a greater meaning.

Particularly in the Final Fantasy franchise, it's pretty much an interactive movie, and I actually like that. Not to mention those jaw dropping graphics that they seem to have nowadays.

Ah poor Zack, that was one of the most personal games I have ever played and did a damn good job at making you care about a character. He actually felt like a human being too with actual emotions and personality that wasn't overbearing. I definitely felt sorry for him when he had to fight Angeal.

 

[The Random One]

Sometimes I want to sit back and drive my character from story event to story event and watch they make the story decisions for once. I also like searching for secrets in the world, though that's by no means exclusive to the j of RPGs. And also I sometimes like tweaking small numbers until they're awesome and sometimes I don't care, and a jRPG will let me do either and do well (usually).

Tastes are tastes, and I, for one, would ask that same question of fans of fighting games.