I've updated the links in the OP, one of them wasn't working it seemed. Newer versions too, although they were also added to the blog a while back.
I don't mean to sorta necro-bump without any useful information but...
I started playing Grandia for the first time a few weeks ago and mostly used fast forward during the battles and eventually stopped playing. I started playing this and it actually has made the game better. It's always nice to have to take a strategic outlook on a battle instead of mashing a button. Especially with spells that now have higher chances to cancel attacks (keeps them relevant). I love it.
Glad you've enjoyed it! The original game is very easy as far as RPGs go, which doesn't give the battle system justice, so I hope it improves things. Increased balance should give the player more options in terms of play-style too.

I have a question regarding the project of yours. Will there be a mod in the future, which will replace all the english voices with the original japanese ones?
Can't say it's something I've looked into. I've always thought about doing a re-dialogue of the game though (Sony didn't exactly do a great localization), so being able to remove/edit the voice acting would be a bonus.