Looking for fantasy Japanese RPGs...

• Main character is female
• Deep character back-stories and / or development
• Large, involving storyline
• Game-play is actually fun 🙂

Best example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_fantasy_6

What console are you looking for?

Since you didn't specify, I would suggest the Atelier series since it's a mix of RPG and business/alchemy simulation and some visual novel (multiple endings). Ones I've played are Atelier Annie (DS) and Atelier Rorona (PS3).

[url=http:////www.mangaupdates.com/showtopic.php?tid=42718][img]http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo105/CatzCradle64/Avis-Sigs/FunghiPower_zps2a00ba56copy_zpsfc03990e.png[/img][/url]

Since you mentioned FF6:

I'd recommend Dual Orb 2 (SNES - fantranslated), but it has a male main character (female lead appears a bit further in the game).

Golden Sun (GBA) was a great series, but again male main characters (though there were primary female characters too).

Anyway:

Koudelka (PSX) - great story and characters (way better than any of the 3 sequels), but the game mechanics were broken (stat system was poorly designed and it made many of the fights too easy\hard)... though it had a female main character. It's playable and the fights would be fun if not for the stat system.

Wild Arms 3 (PS2) - Virginia Maxwell
Wild Arms XF (PSP) - Clarissa Arwin
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (PSX) - Cornet
Jeanne D'Arc - Jeanne
Suikoden 3 (PSP) - Chris
The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road (PSP) - Dorothy

Hmm... maybe I'll add again, if I remember.
😀

[img]http://i47.tinypic.com/qps9vs.jpg[/img]
This World May Not What Everyone Thought

I dunno but SMT Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 on PS2
fits your criteria (at least 1 one of the lead characters is female)
except that it isn't your typical jRPG, story and theme is borderline fantasy-cyberpunkish. But really great writing in both the game.

I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Ignoring other things, I love all the characters in this. they simply seems to be related to us.

http://feelday.com/activities/filter/q?mood=lucky&schedule=this+weekend&location=San%20Francisco

Definitely don't miss one of the best JRPG of its generation: Star Ocean 2 (aka Star Ocean: The Second Story). There is a Playstation version and a remake for PSP.
It's the only JRPG I know where you can decide to play with the heroine (Rena) or the hero (Claude) and the story slightly differs according to it (there are also 87 possible endings and according to your behavior your heroine/hero can end up with any other character of your party 😃 ).

What I like in Trivial Pursuit style. Pick your category:[img]http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo233/Reid4891/Manga/trivia-1.jpg[/img]