Final Fantasy 2 was the last opportunity JRPGs had to tread down the path of actually being legitimate RPGs. The simple act of being able to learn and say "key phrases" was already something that Western RPGs had been doing for years and years, and this small element gave Western games far more depth and breadth of characterization than their Japanese counterparts. It was this element that made FF2 both unique and controversial, but the series rejection of it afterwards had a resounding impact that is still felt in JRPGs to this very day.
Take an average JRPG townsperson for instance. You talk to them, they say their 1 line, and that's it. Short of the devs adding unique dialogue for specific story flags being set, you will never have any further reason to speak with them ever again. They serve no purpose. They are one-dimensional.
Now take a townsperson from Ultima VI (pic related) - who has a name, a story, an identity, possibly vital information, that you can learn by talking to them. The things you learn from them can point you towards other quest lines, other vital characters, towards the end of the game. And based on what you learn later on, or where you find them, you may have several reasons to talk to them to see what new info they have for you.
This is the critical operator that must be re-introduced to JRPGs to straighten them back onto the course worthy of them bearing the title of "Role Playing Game." This is the element missing. This is something people think they like about Persona, when Persona has a bastardized version of it that still does not constitute role playing.