Eh... Animation lock isn't an issue if you know when to WS. You may think it's annoying to be stuck in the animation... but YOU CHOOSING TO WS, at one of the predictable intervals in which Ifrit uses an attack... is well your fault. It goes along with the whole 'being terrible' thing. I've found once you learn the intervals and get in the rythm, you can near spam WS all day long except for those small windows where you have to be careful.

I think player's expecting to be able to move freely right after they use a skill is the problem. You can argue whether or not its good or bad ( It's bad I know), but at the moment that is how the game is, and that is how the game is balanced. So it really is irrelavent. Complaining about it either means your ignorant of that mechanic, or you don't understand how the encounter works. Either implies you're terrible.

Also.... OFCOURSE stacking vitality and defense won't help you and OFCOURSE you can't block ifrit's attacks! They are ELEMENTAL! You can get more HP through vitality but that defense is worthless. And you would know this... unless you're terrible.

I would go on, but I think I've made my point?

Edit: No I have one more... It's possible to beat Ifrit without cross classing any skills, its even possible to do it without any gear! For everything you think you need to beat ifrit just demonstrates how terrible you are.