"Goddamnit it's cute" is my favorite point on the list, especially in reference to Vivi and the Moogles. Not every game needs to be deadly serious all the way through and some cute moments in a game can go a long way in making me love the game. IX balances these two attitudes so well that the game doesn't get dull from feeling the same all the way through, which doesn't happen with most of the other FF games, at least for me.