The Bend of Time is New Game+ material, so I don't know how much we should take from it.
No, it's not. The Mystic Warriors's room is only accessible in New Game+, but the rest of the Bend of Time is totally normal New Game material. And the little octo monster mentions the "God of War" (for some reason) to Janice if you bring her to him, whether it's in a NG or a NG+.
