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This FF series includes many iconic locations. Starting with Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has found a special place in fans' hearts, who celebrate the unique idiosyncrasies that make these locales so unique. But, if one location that deserves greater praise than the others, it is undoubtedly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its elegant design, but also for being a incredibly bizarre school.

The Pure Blockbuster Scene

Before, we must highlight the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden turning into an flying vessel and escaping from a rocket attack was absolute cinema. This location was not only intended to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a traveling base that enables them to develop new tactics and relocate, depending on the requirements of those in control. Many readily view it as one of the most impressive airship concepts in the series, together with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

This conversion of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the more iconic moments in video game history.

A Initial Look of a Brooding Home

When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis escorting Squall out of the medical wing, we get our first view of the place this brooding-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot begins from the floor of the school and ascends to zoom in on the staggering size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels futuristic, but also divine. The flowing structures evoke a specifically late ‘90s concept of how the future would look. On the other hand, because of the gilded features on the building and the extended beams of light coming from the enormous glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a giant angel. It was built to be a tranquil place — too peaceful for an institution that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

The Catchy Melody

Complementing the serenity that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s background music. One of the fondest memories I have from childhood is walking around the central area of Balamb Garden, seeing those aquatic statues spraying water, and hearing to the soothing theme song. The issue is that it continues playing in your head constantly. Whenever it comes back to my mind, I’m compelled to look up on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to make it stop playing inside my head is to listen to it repeatedly of it.

• Lullaby tune that remains in your mind
• Main courtyard with water features
• Nostalgic associations for many players

The Compelling School

Balamb Garden is intriguing as a location and also an establishment. For starters, it accepts kids from five to 15 years old to transform them into mercenaries, but it looks like a giant church. There are a lot of military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Contradictory Philosophy

If you use the Balamb Garden Network via one of the game terminals, you discover that the slogan of the academy is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I didn't have the sense that those teenagers training to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. But, given that the training area, where students find real monsters they can battle, is the sole place in the entire school accessible at all hours during the day, perhaps that’s what they mean by “playing.” While training is the most important aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their food is awful, since students are eating so many frankfurters that the personnel have no other response to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Tight Regulations

Students are controlled by a strict set of rules, which, for one, we should expect from a military school, but on the other seems strangely amusing. First, there’s no dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their dorms in the evenings, unless it’s for training. A student can be expelled if they fall behind in their studies, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not look like it, but Balamb Garden is truly concerned about its students’ relationships. The school formally suggests that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true threat of being a student of Balamb Garden is love affairs, not fighting with gunblades and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

Greater Than Only Appearance

From the delicate futuristic design of the building to the paradoxes and dubious decisions of the academy, there are numerous aspects of Balamb Garden to celebrate. Many of us like to joke about Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than only good looks.