Because you said the section takes 10 hours, has several dungeons, and unimportant bosses. The section throws some important plot developments at you, involving several new characters and the telethia, which are the two bosses you face in that section. It introduces
and begins the mystery surrounding him. Melia and Riki are also where the gameplay starts getting really interesting because they break out of the break topple gameplay.
Your furball comment was why I postulated that you didn't like Riki
.
No, I don't think his opinion that that section dragged is objectively wrong. Things he listed as reasons why he thinks that are objectively wrong, like the amount of dungeons, bosses, the importance of bosses to the plot, and the time required to get through that section. He didn't like that area, that's fine.