Let’s face it. In today’s free market, where fans will spend thousands of dollars on gacha games for a PNG of their favorite character, it goes without saying that if fans have the money, they will spend it on anything. With that in mind, companies have been rolling out merch of all kinds, even if it doesn’t directly relate to the source media.
Figurines, art books, and vinyl soundtracks? Sure. But when we get into merchandise such as shot glasses and music boxes, things get a little weird. As for plushies, if the game or anime has an adorable animal mascot you can always pet, there will be a renewed line of dolls ready for everyone to buy. Square-Enix has never been short of cute animal mascots such as moogles, cactaurs, tonberries, and chocobos. And when Final Fantasy XVI showcased a loveable companion dog named Torgal, it was only a matter of time before plushies happened.
However, no one could have predicted that Square-Enix would release a 23-inch long plushie for $120.00 / £90.00 / ¥13,000.
As far as we know, Torgal will become available in North America and Europe in January and February 2024, respectively. In Japan, Square-Enix released the doll just a few days ago. And I (doomed to forever fork over money to my favorite game company) foolishly purchased Torgal. So let’s open him up together and see if this was worth every yen spent.
We got a big box.
And a big box calls for a big KNIFE!
Carefully, now. We don’t want to scare Torgal.
THERE HE IS!
So, how well constructed is this plushie? Well. Torgal’s fur is expertly crafted and has a lot of detail. The coat tries to imitate a real-life dog, giving different body parts variations of fur length, thickness, smoothness, and fluffiness. Colors bleed smoothly throughout the design.
This is where everything good about Torgal ends. The dog’s face looks better in the photos on the Square-Enix e-shop. Instead, I received something that looked like a Wish knockoff product. The eyes feel too close together, the snout too short, and the nose too small.
Despite its detail and cute factor, the plushie is very stiff. Its arms and legs have little mobility. Combined with Torgal’s seated position, it lacks a lot of “huggability” and feels awkward to hold, given the size. I’ve had the plushie for a little over a week now, and it feels like it’s meant to be a display doll on my couch instead of something meant to be a replacement therapist.
Was this worth it? Absolutely not. Do I regret this? Incredibly. But at least he’s getting along with all my Tokyo Disneyland plushies.
Please, do not talk to me about my misshapen, nonrefundable 23-inch Torgal plushie ever again.
Next on our watchlist is Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth! We’ve got plenty of FF7 products on sale at our store. Spoil yourself with your favorite waifu, Aerith.
