Which Blue Magic is Blue-ist...

[Takara]

The FFVIII strategy guide compared Quistis's Blue Magic skill to Gau. I always thought it was pretty dumb of them to overlook that FFVI has an actual Blue Mage.

Which strategy guide is this?

The one by BradyGAMES, I believe.

[Dreddz]

I thought they both sucked to be frank
But Gau had some useful moves though

[ehsteve]

As a character, I really liked Gau. As a fighter, however, Gau sucked.

[Prancing Mad]

Maybe this has been discussed. But the nature of Blue Magic is an imitation and mimicking of the enemy to use it's powers. Gau clearly is the real blue mage. But ya know why less people think so? 'cause you're all prejudiced! Just because he doesn't have a fancy robe and, instead, sports a man-thong does not mean he is not a blue mage. Why, he even gets status ailments because he mimics the enemy so blooming well! Now that's skill! That being said, I hated both of them, but i did rather enjoy that you could toss Gau on the veldt after acquiring him and forgetting about him! MWAHAHAHA. You could even beat on him. Finally a character you could take your rage out against!

[Sasquatch]

A.) Gau doesn't wear a man-thong, it's a loincloth.
B.) Blue Magic doesn't mean imitating the monster in nearly every way, it means using the monster's magic. Though Strago is more of a "Blue Mage", I find Gau's skills much more useful.

[Zeto]

Maybe this has been discussed. But the nature of Blue Magic is an imitation and mimicking of the enemy to use it's powers. Gau clearly is the real blue mage. But ya know why less people think so? 'cause you're all prejudiced! Just because he doesn't have a fancy robe and, instead, sports a man-thong does not mean he is not a blue mage. Why, he even gets status ailments because he mimics the enemy so blooming well! Now that's skill! That being said, I hated both of them, but i did rather enjoy that you could toss Gau on the veldt after acquiring him and forgetting about him! MWAHAHAHA. You could even beat on him. Finally a character you could take your rage out against!

You have a point but the but blue magic is only supposed to learn several abilities Gau actually becomes your own personal beastmaster since all he pretty much does is send out whatever monster he uses the rage of. In my opinion that seems beastmastery not blue magey.

[Floorgasborg]

I agree with what Zeto said, and similar points made earlier. Strago's magic is clearly identified as Blue Magic, and if that is a basis to be built upon, then you can see Gau is not the same in his skill. Strago learns his when he observes the enemy's use of them, whereas Gau just runs off and has fun with the monsters and has to be found over and over again in the Veldt. Would get repetitive after a while.
Anyway, Strago's is far more Blue, but one can see why Gau's can be mistaken for it: since he emulates monster attacks (which aren't all magical, which is why the term 'Blue Magic' shoud be more specific)