No I would say the materia system is definitely better because you have to pick and choose which materia you equip and raise and despite it being a lot more of a grind than simply drawing what you want at a certain level in VIII it is several times more rewarding( aka because of the master system where you get another of the same materia with no experience it means you can have several characters equipped with "Knights of the Round" which is just plain awesome). And also you don't have to set aside several turns in battle to draw the requisite magic which is sort of a pain in the arse. I'm not saying the junction system doesn't have its merits I just don't think its as balanced.
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