Why do american critics feel it's necessary for the words "I love you" to be spoken in romantic themed media? That was something I kinda noted in this review I read for VIII. The critic said, and I quote "Despite the romance being a central theme of the story, not once did anyone say the words 'I love you'". I'm not the only one that thinks that's stupid right? I thought the point that Squall and Rinoa were in love was pretty obvious from their actions and the things they DID say. I've been noticing this in other reviews since then. Maybe it's just me, but I think any form of media manages to be MORE touching when someone can express their feelings without having to say 'I love you'. In the case of VIII, we're watching all of this from the point of view of a guy that is very withdrawn and has trouble expressing his feelings in words. Throwing in an 'I love you' from Squall at any point would've just come across as sounding really forced and awkward. While I can see Rinoa being able to openly state her affections, I aslo imagined that she felt being so direct would make Squall feel uneasy and unsure of how to react. You don't throw something like that at a dude that's emotionally awkward, especially if he's still trying to understand a relatively complex emotion like love. Anyway, I just thought I'd get some other opinions on this. Tell me what you think, folks.