I think a good love story really can make a Jrpg feel more 'alive' than any other type of game, at their best the more overt Jrpg love stories like FFVIII and FFX make my favourite romantic themed fims look awful comparitively and at best I would say even stand up to, and exceed, the best classic romance novels (eg a large part of Jane Austens work) and the best love themed epic poetry (Eg, miltons Paradise lost).
More subtle love stories, where it is not the main focus of the narrative and is vague to the point of subjectivity (Eg an implied love or a relationshiop in a mature term (eg FFXII, i'm just trying to use FF's as examples as I know more people have played those), again much like a lot of the great classic romances) can work extremely well too and can be just as powerful.
But the way that Love as a concept is handled in gaming tales generally does tend to be unique to Jrpgs. Like all mediums there are plenty of bad, or just dull love stories in JRPGs too, but when the theme is done well it is definitely a huge drawcard for me toward the genre. As a female gamer I feel its something that Wrpgs have never picked up on with their more sparse, basic characters and bleak, less vibrant, landscapes. For me (in my personal opinion) It is possible to have an amazing Jrpg based on story alone (FFX is a great example, I struggled to like the gameplay in that game, yet the story is exceptional and makes it a truly amazing game, this would never happpen in other genres in my eyes), no other gaming genre (with the exception of the soul reaver saga in the action adventure field) has been able to do this for me. As far as immesiveness and 'creating interest' in the tale goes, from a personal perspective, I think its a hugely important part of Jrpgs.
PLAYSTATION NATION LADY OF JRPGS 
Favourite Games of 2013 1.Tomb Raider(PS3) 2.Atelier Ayesha(PS3) 3.Virtues Last Reward (Vita)
