Every tick of my heart signals another second I'll never gain back. I've been spending an uncomfortable number of those ticks sitting here and contemplating the history, physiology, and behavioural habits of the Moogle species from Final Fantasy.
There's a lot that still weirds me out about Final Fantasy being part of mainstream gaming—indeed, part of mainstream culture—but I've more or less adapted with one exception: I can't get over the fact that Moogles are now considered cuddly and cute by the world at large.
I decided Moogles were adorable when I played Secret of Mana for the first time, though I didn't really get to know more about them until Final Fantasy VI, when I drafted Mog into my party as the head of Team Aryan (Mog, Sabin, Edgar, Celes). His Dance skill wasn't especially useful when I went up against Kefka's three-tiered pile of demons stapled together, but his crazy amount of hit points made him the ideal meat shield.
I drew Mog on my schoolbooks, my bags, whatever cheap computer Paint program I could get a hold of. People wanted to know what kind of affliction in the head gave me my fondness for deformed cats.
For years I thought Mog and Moogles in general arecats. They're not, as I recently discovered. The species' Japanese name, Moguri, is a combination of the Japanese words for “Mole” and “Bat.” Gone is my long-held belief that “Mog” was Woolsey's play on “moggy,” a British term for a cat.
Even though I'm not used to everyone embracing their Moogle dolls while squealing and exclaiming, I'm kind of glad the world now understands that I wasn't just obsessed with flying cats. Still, I heart you the most out of everyone, Mog.
Related Links:
Know Your Final Fantasy IV Trivia. It Could Save Your Life
The Great Final Fantasy VI Breast Challenge
Trailer Review: Final Fantasy XIII Looks Disturbingly Interesting