| Jigglypuff | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon character | |
 Jigglypuff artwork byKen Sugimori | |
| First game | Pokémon Red andBlue (1996) |
| Designed by | Ken Sugimori (finalized) |
| Portrayed by | Leah Smith (Pokémon Live!)[1] |
| Voiced by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Pokémon |
| Type | Normal and Fairy |
Jigglypuff (/ˈdʒɪɡlipʌf/ ⓘJIG-lee-puf), known in Japan asPurin (Japanese:プリン),[5] is aPokémon species. Jigglypuff first appeared in the video gamesPokémon Red andBlue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Jigglypuff's English voice was originally provided byRachael Lillis, later being replaced byMichele Knotz, and is voiced byMika Kanai in Japanese. In the live-action musicalPokémon Live!, Jigglypuff is portrayed by Leah Smith. Jigglypuff is also known for singing a lullaby in thePokémon anime series.
Known as theBalloon Pokémon, Jigglypuff evolves from Igglybuff when it reaches a certain point of happiness, and evolves into Wigglytuff when exposed to a Moon Stone. Its English name is a combination of the words "jiggly" and "puff", relating to its jelly-like appearance. The character has been featured in a recurring role in the anime series and served as the focus for several printed adaptions of the franchise. Since it appeared in thePokémon series, Jigglypuff has received generally positive reception. It has been featured in several forms of merchandise, including figurines, plush toys, and thePokémon Trading Card Game. It also has appeared as a playable character in every entry of theSuper Smash Bros. series.
Jigglypuff is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for thePokémon media franchise. Developed byGame Freak and published byNintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video gamesPokémon Red andGreen for theGame Boy, which were later released in North America asPokémon Red andBlue in 1998.[6] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process calledevolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.[7] Each Pokémon has one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.[8] A major goal in each game is to complete thePokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[7]
Jigglypuff was one of one hundred and fifty one differentgeneration I Pokémon designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized byKen Sugimori for the first-generation ofPocket Monsters gamesRed andGreen, which were localized outside Japan asPokémon Red andBlue.[9][10] Its Japanese name "Purin", derives from the Japaneseloanword forcustard orpudding.[11] Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children.[12] According to directorJunichi Masuda, there were initially concerns that Jigglypuff's cuter design would not take off with western audiences, and considerations to redesign it were made, but ultimately scrapped.[13] Deciding to use a name better suited for its jelly-like appearance, the species was renamed "Jigglypuff."[14] When a Jigglypuff is exposed to a Moon Stone, it evolves intoWigglytuff. It has a pre-evolution,Igglybuff, which evolves when it reaches a certain point of happiness.[15] In English, Jigglypuff has been portrayed byRachael Lillis[16] andMichele Knotz,[17] and it has been portrayed byMika Kanai in Japanese.[18] In the stage musicalPokémon Live!, Jigglypuff was portrayed by Leah Smith.[19]
Known as theBalloon Pokémon, Jigglypuff can inflate its body like a balloon or flatten it. Jigglypuff are characterized by putting their enemies to sleep by singing a lullaby.[20] Before beginning to sing, they mesmerize the opponent with their soft, glowing eyes and, if they inflate themselves, they can sing for longer periods of time.[21] Game Freak's staff have noted Jigglypuff as both one of their and the public's favorite Pokémon, in terms of both anime and video game appearances,[22] and it was one of the more heavily pushed and marketed Pokémon prior toPikachu being the determined mascot for the series.[23] During development of the filmDetective Pikachu, Jigglypuff's design initially started as very fluffy, but was rejected, withThe Pokémon Company stating it should look more like pigskin. This design did not look as appealing, and thus more fur was added to the design. The design was made to resemble "fur groomed into a ball" instead of a more balloon-like design.[24]
Jigglypuff first appears inPokémon Red andBlue. InPokémon Gold andSilver, a pre-evolution,Igglybuff, was introduced.[15] It later appeared in several sequels, includingPokémon Ruby andSapphire,[25]Pokémon FireRed andLeafGreen,[26]Pokémon Diamond andPearl,[27] andPokémon HeartGold andSoulSilver.[28] Jigglypuff was a "Normal" type in the series, but sincePokémon X andY, Jigglypuff's typing was changed, now gaining an additional "Fairy" type.[29] A Paradox Pokémon heavily resembling Jigglypuff, namedScream Tail, appears inPokémon Scarlet andViolet.
Outside of the main series, Jigglypuff has appeared inPokémon Pinball,Pokémon Snap,Pokémon Conquest, thePokémon Mystery Dungeon games,Pokémon GO,Pokémon UNITE, thePokémon Ranger games, and thePokémon Rumble games. Jigglypuff is a playable character in all fiveSuper Smash Bros. games. It is one of the two original representatives of thePokémon franchise in theSuper Smash Bros. series along withPikachu.[30] Despite not being a lead character in thePokémon franchise, game directorMasahiro Sakurai selected it to appear inSuper Smash Bros. due to its similarities toKirby, which allowed the staff to reuse the model and many animations as a base for Jigglypuff.[31] Jigglypuff's moves in itsSuper Smash Bros. appearances are Sing, Rollout, Pound, and Rest. Rest's mechanics are changed entirely; instead of recovering Jigglypuff's health like in thePokémon series, the move is a brutally strong move that launches opponents. However, if it misses, it can leave Jigglypuff open to attack.[32][33]
In thePokémon anime series, Jigglypuff is a recurring character who aspires to be a great singer after the inspiration ofAsh and company. Unfortunately, most potential audiences fall asleep before the song finishes.[34] Jigglypuff's singing can often prove problematic to the series' protagonists, as it causes all who can hear it to fall asleep. It carries around a trademarkmarker, which it uses as a microphone due to its resemblance to such when it is capped. When it realizes those who have been subject to its song have fallen asleep, it angrily uses the marker to draw on their faces.[34] Jigglypuff is voiced byMika Kanai in the original Japanese release, while in the English dub, it was originally voiced byRachael Lillis in the4Kids Entertainment dub, later being replaced byMichele Knotz whenThe Pokémon Company International began dubbing the series.
This Jigglypuff's appearances began to decline, eventually making one last appearance inPokémon: Advanced. It remained absent from the series untilPokémon the Series: Sun and Moon, where it once again became a recurring character.[20]
In 2006, Viz released ten DVDs based around individual Pokémon in celebration ofPokémon's tenth anniversary in the United States. The Pokémon featured were determined by an online poll on pokemon.com.[35] Out of forty-five choices, Jigglypuff's received second place and was released as volume two, with Pikachu's being the first volume.[36] Another compilation of Pokémon anime episodes, including "The Song of Jigglypuff" in which Jigglypuff is introduced, is available on both VHS and DVD, entitled "Jigglypuff Pop", which was released byViz Video (nowViz Media) and4Kids Entertainment.[37]
Jigglypuff appears in various Pokémon manga adaptations.[38] TheMagical Pokémon Journey manga series has a female Jigglypuff as one of the main characters, parodyingHello Kitty. The Jigglypuff inMagical Pokémon Journey is spoiled and rich, living in a mansion withWigglytuff andSquirtle, the former being her sister and the latter her butler.[39]Jigglypuff's Magic Lullaby is part of thePokémon Tales series for very young children. Written byMegumi Hayashibara and illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno, it tells the story of a Jigglypuff who wants to make the other Pokémon happy by singing for them. Yet, as usual, her song puts them to sleep, and this makes her very sad until her friend helps her resolve the situation.[40]
In thePokémon Adventures manga, one of the main characters,Green, has a Jigglypuff which is capable of swelling up to several times its size. This allows Green to float with it like ahot-air balloon as well as block narrow passageways—a tactic instrumental in helpingSilver and her escape theMasked Man.[41] It evolved inBreaking the Restraint into a Wigglytuff alongside two of Green's other Pokémon with the power of her Moon Stones.[42]
Jigglypuff made a cameo appearance in a season six episode ofLast Week Tonight with John Oliver, in which the host accidentally kills one while playingPokémon GO.[43] Jigglypuff is one of the Pokémon that appear in thePokémon: Detective Pikachu film, voiced using archived recordings ofRachael Lillis from the anime. The character briefly appears at a coffee bar after it accidentally put its trainer to sleep with its song.[44]
Jigglypuff is often featured on products and in promotion for the series. An example of this is the full-sized Pokémon 747 aircraft byBoeing.[45] Jigglypuff appeared on the starboard nose of the original white 1998 aircraft and above the starboard wing of the 1999 blue aircraft. Jigglypuff was also on the nose of the international version of the plane.[46] Jigglypuff has been made into several different toy and plush forms, as well as other items.[47][48][49] A Jigglypuff Bluetooth speaker was made byGameStop’sThinkGeek brand, and has been approved by theFederal Communications Commission.[50] A variety merchandise of Jigglypuff has been also made such as clothing,[51] plushies,[52][53] and jewelry.[54]
Jigglypuff has proven to be a popular character since its introduction.[55] Jigglypuff has been noted as one of the series' most popular characters and one of Nintendo's mascots.[56] The bookPikachu's Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon' described Jigglypuff as popular with a young, female audience across the franchise as a whole, attributing said popularity to both the immediate attraction of children to its pink color and its contrast to Pokémon species more popular with young males, such asSquirtle orCharmander.[57] Author Harry Schlesinger also noted that Jigglypuff was popular among girls.[58] The journalSex Roles noted that while Jigglypuff's gender in the anime was never explicitly stated, it was identified by a majority of people as a female character in the series. Additionally, it was the most often named "female" Pokémon by children when asked to recall one, which the study attributed to its pink color and ability to sing its opponents to sleep.[59] TheAustralian Journal of Language and Literacy cited Jigglypuff as a tool to use for introducing children to drama, citing its mannerisms in the anime.[60]
Andrew Tei of Mania.com complained that Jigglypuff's portrayal in the anime quickly becomes irritating.[34] Carolyn Gudmundson ofGamesRadar+ disagreed, calling Jigglypuff's anime appearances "totally badass" while also criticizing its unoriginal, overused design.[61] She later described it as falling into the "huggable pink blob" archetype Pokémon, which she believed to be one of the more overused Pokémon designs.[62] James Whitbrook ofGizmodo praised its appearance in the original games, highlighting its uncommon encounter rate and unique design as making it standout in comparison to other wild Pokémon. He also noted its high popularity, especially in marketing, labelling it as "ascendant" in comparison to other Pokémon in the series due to its notability.[63] Steven Bogos ofThe Escapist similarly described Jigglypuff as "iconic" but criticized its lack of power.[64]
Jigglypuff's floaty and campy playstyle in theSuper Smash Bros. series has led to some controversy. During a 2019 tournament ofSuper Smash Bros. Melee, a player decided to quit due to an opponent who played Jigglypuff repeatedly stalling.[65] Largely credited with elevating the Melee community's perception of Jigglypuff's viability in competition and setting the standard of how to play the character, a notable professionalSuper Smash Bros. PlayerHungrybox relies heavily on a defensive, counterattack-centric playstyle revolving around avoiding his opponent until he finds an opportunity to attack and capitalize on their mistakes; it is considered a "high risk high reward" playstyle, as Hungrybox's usual goal is to eventually hit his opponent with Rest, a move unique to Jigglypuff which inflicts instant high knockback on opponents, but leaves Jigglypuff open to attack.[66][33] In response to the controversy, the tournament Super Smash Con made some rules against “ledge-camping”, as the character is so effective with the tactic that some people considered it "game-breaking" and making the game not fun to watch.[67]
In 2018, Jigglypuff's singing habits became anInternet meme, and aTwitter account known as @jigglysinging was created to overlay popular songs over a clip of Jigglypuff singing.[68] A Las Vegas street was also named after Jigglypuff.[69]
Pokédex: Jigglypuff's vocal chords can freely adjust the wavelength of its voice. This Pokémon uses this ability to sing at precisely the right wavelength to make its foes most drowsy.
Pokédex: It captivates foes with its huge, round eyes, then lulls them to sleep by singing a soothing melody.
Pokédex: When it wavers its big, round eyes, it begins singing a lullaby that makes everyone drowsy.
Pokédex: If it inflates to sing a lullaby, it can perform longer and cause sure drowsiness in its audience.
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