I am not sure how US RPGs are supposed to be progressive and more varied than Japanese RPGs by any means. The last 5 or 6 US RPGs I have played have been virtually the same thing; many feel just like re-skins with a few extra gimmicks. Although The Last Story, Radiant Historia, Xenoblade, Tales of Graces, and Shin Megami Tensei: DSO have all been very different from each other.
FF13 may be bad, but that's like the only series that has gone downhill; and largely that has to do with thema trying to make a game that is more American.
One point I would like to make is that clearly good pacing is an art completely lost on American RPG developers. RPGs from the US have the worst pacing of any games I have ever played - and this includes old RPGs like Phantasy Star games and Seventh Saga.
I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.
