While i am primarily a WRPG player the games i would like to mention are 2 of the best, if not the best, jrpgs: Suikoden I and II for the PSone. Those games remind you they are japanese only through the artwork, but the story in many ways has nothing to do with anime and japanese faggotry. So i will talk about those as most WRPG will be mentioned by other people.
Suikoden 1 is about a corrupt empire. You are the son of the greatest general of the empire yet circumstances lead you to stand against the empire in open rebellion and lead the rebels to victory. No saving the world, just a great story.
Suikoden II has an even darker story, despite the cute presentation: You are a teenage soldier for your country during a war, alongside your best friend since childhood, and you witness a false flag and a blatant buchery and betrayal of your unit for political purposes. You barely make a run for your life and get rescued by a group of mercenaries in the employ of the enemy country. You get cought in the war while you keep witnessing war crimes, atrocities, betrayals, you learn dark secrets about your foster fother, and eventually you lead your second home country into an effort to reclaim their lost territories and end the war. Again, no saving the world, but wonderful, touching story.
Seriously, i you may say what you want about jrpgs, but those 2 Suikodens are the best of the best. Real masterpieces that got completely overlooked back in the day because 2D graphicz. You owe it to yourselves to grab ePSXe and those 2 roms. Suikoden 1 is around 20 hours long and II is double that. No RPG gamer should go without completing those games, it will make you realize that 20 years ago the japanese could make good rpgs and not faggot simulators.