Of Moogles.

[auronlu]

While updating the Shrine, I found myself smiling again at muggy_mountain's "?!?". It's so CUTE.

Which brings me back to the thing that threw me off Lulu most back when I started, besides her name, which made me think of a French poodle.



I am not much for cute. The irony of a death-and-brimstone strong female character with a cute squishy doll doesn't escape me, but I am suspicious of cute anime sidekicks anyway (unless in Vampire Princess Miyu, where it's a parody with bloodshot eyes and teensy little fangs), and I am especially suspicious of strong female characters being "defanged". It would be like putting little smiley faces on Auron's sword.

I became somewhat more reconciled to the Moogles when someone pointed out to me that they are like Shinto nature spirits. Totoro and such.

Nevertheless, I gloss over Lulu's Moogles as though they don't exist, when I write. I like the idea that it's her magic, her power, her skill.

A lot of other writers do as well. Yet a few have included Moogles (not least saharasnow, who is an artist when it comes to dolls) to good effect.

I wonder what other folks' thoughts are about the Lu Moogle.

Comments

[dagas-isa.livejournal.com]

I love 'em. I'm not one for over the top cuteness, but the dolls amuse me, and I've always seen them as a subtle signal of Lulu's more vulnerable side. I can too easily see a little girl Lulu, who's just lost her parents, choose dolls as a focus for her black magic. Even when she'd outgrown needing the security the dolls provided, they still worked well for her as a focus.

So, I don't see it the dolls Lulu being 'defanged' as much as it is an acknowledgement of a softer side (if that makes sense). Even with the dolls she's still the same, strong, wise, powerful, speak-her-mind black mage that we know and love. I'd be much more bothered by the dolls if Lulu held or played with them during cutscenes.

I find it curious that Lulu and Wakka are the characters who essentially fight with toys, though people don't really think twice about Wakka and his blitzball.

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

Ooh.

I find that a very plausible thought, that Lulu adopted dolls (not to mention black magic) while dealing with the loss of parents, and keeps them out of habit.

The blitzball seemed a bit silly to me to, but in a different way; athletic equipment strikes me as bizarre weaponry.

[cygna-hime.livejournal.com]

Haven't played many sports, have you? Sports stuff can hurt. And inasmuch as blitzball consists of throwing a ball really fast--and through water, which makes it harder--I bet anyone who played much would be capable of doing some serious damage with a blitzball.

Admittedly, I wander through the game wondering where the archers are, since other long-range weapons are illegal and you've got to catch dinner somehow.

I like Lulu's dolls for the same reason dagas_isa mentioned. It's kind of sweet. Lulu's just full of contradictions like that.

Functionally, they're probably similar to Yuna's staves: they're nice, and probably make things easier, but they're not by any means necessary.

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

I guess I always made sure to put the hardest, nastiest plastic hair boppers on my braids when I played girls' field hockey back in the dark ages, so I can see that.

Yes, where ARE the archers?!

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

I, too, wondered where the archers were. (*fondly remembers arguments over whether weaponry should be allowed in the dining halls*) I've even snuck some in as original characters, on the theory that we only saw soldiers who were willing to use machina and that the "old guard" Crusaders and warrior monks would still be toting about bows and arrows. Too much hand-wavy speculation? Maybe. But Wakka is the only person we see fighting with a blitzball, and I can't see the whole society giving up projectile weapons entirely.

[mneme-forgets.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of a Lulu who chose dolls to focus her magic through and I like your reasoning for it.

Actually, now that I think of it, can you imagine how Lulu *herself* would react if someone questioned her choice of weapon or teased her about it? I doubt they'd be laughing long.