Ugh. To everyone that quoted me:
I don't care if 10-2 was a sequel. It still bore the name Final Fantasy & it was arguably more in line with series tropes than 10 (with ATB and a job system). 10-2 was big news when it came out, partially BECAUSE it was a sequel.
I also don't care what people thought of the game. Some hated it, enough liked it to warrant including it in the HD collections.
My point is, Square reps didn't have to waste time fielding questions about the role of the male characters in nearly every interview concerning FF10-2. Game journalists & the culture at large these days arw more interested in fishing for drama and intrigue than getting new info about the game itself.