Big blockbuster WRPGs seem to evolve faster than their JRPG counterparts. Even so, this generation's WRPGs haven't been ground-breaking either. The real action in the WRPG scene was 1997-2005. Fallout, Baldur's Gate, etc. evolving into KOTOR. Not much progress has been made since then past the flashy graphics. Good games but hardly worthy of the adulation thrown at some of them.
As for blockbuster JRPGs, they've hardly evolved much at all, really. To find the good ones, look at some of the smaller Japanese publishers. JRPGs, while the gameplay changes slightly over time, rarely try to bust the mold and do something completely different. Kingdom Hearts was probably the last JRPG that impressed me with its completely different gameplay. I enjoy many JRPGs, I just tone down my expectations for new and exciting play when I buy one. On top of that, this generation has yet to produce a truly top-shelf experience. Shit, people talk about LO and I think Blue Dragon was a far superior game. At least the combat & action didn't feel like Mistwalker yanked it straight out of FFVII. The game felt fresh enough to keep me engaged all the way through. LO couldn't do that.
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