What, and take any responsibility for the Commons?

Needs more than that to compare favorably against Triple Triad.

Kuja fell very flat for me. Relation to Zidane is retreading old ground, design is obviously trying to evoke Sephiroth, motivation seemed generically evil. The stuff with the Black Mages and Vivi was great (possibly just because Vivi is a top tier character and his innocence juxtaposed against the tragedy helps it hit). The Genome stuff feels awfully close to the Sephiroth clone stuff, right on down to the lead protagonist full of false memories. The Terra/Gaia angle is kinda cool.

Heartily agree on aging the best, visually. The stylized fantasy aesthetic gives it a pleasant timelessness.

Style is probably the biggest thing IX has going for it, maybe character writing. The main plot wasn’t gripping or novel, you’ve already touched on some gameplay missteps, and Tetra Master is garbage.

Not just Nintendo, it’s a Japanese thing. (Not to suggest it’s unique to them, just look at Disney.)

Working dogs are great, but aren’t usually great pets. They need a job, an outlet, and usually a lot of structure.