Well, a matter of concept...I couldn't be bothered by that, really. Just like the first time I played FFIX, my first Final Fantasy game: I didn't knew anything about Final Fantasy as a general theme, and that FFIX is like a tribute to the oldies in the series.
So what if it is? Didn't influence my view on FFIX whatsoever.
For me, it's just a matter of athmosphere, and just enjoying rpg games like Final Fantasy just for the storyline. Sometimes you don't have to go farfetched.
But then again, sometimes it's fun about theorizing stuff up, what's behind the games. ^^"