To be honest, the stories in the Tales series have never been their strong suit, or strongest suit even. There's never really dark, or deep plot twists to speak of. Or overtly complex or deep nuances. And that's not to say all the random names they make up for basically the same thing (blastia, fonic artes, entelexia, blah blah)

The Tales series usually boils down to a very similiar amount of archetypes, they usually fall under the boy matures into a man, or the man matures into a human being. And nine out of ten, it's about some friendship mumbo jumbo. Though it's not to say the stories in the Tales series aren't consistent, and on average enjoyable.