Despite the first half being more story intensive, nearly all of the characters' best moments are in the second half of the game, so being torn between the two is pretty understandable.
And good news for you, yo! You don't have to see Kefka again for a long, long time!
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Support Barret Wallace (Final Fantasy VII) for Character Battle IX!
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/3834/banner1barret.jpg