I'm okay with the Circle of Knowing, they don't have to be removed, Cid is fine as well.
And I really like and cared about some of the class story characters like the THM girl or the miner brothers^^
Or Hildibrand..

The basic characters aren't bad or bland, they just aren't very developed yet, which is no wonder considering there hasn't been anything happening yet...at all.
If I played with Yda and Papalymo, fought alongside them and saw one shed tears or go into rage mode over the other getting hurt badly, I'd be totally touched and sad and..bah.
You understand what I'm trying to say? The problem aren't the characters (at least some of them), it's the missing story that should revolve around them but doesn't.

Well, some characters though really ARE just bland and boring, like the blonde girl from the path of the Twelve.