User:Kung Fu Man/Jigglypuff#Critical reception

Jigglypuff is a fictional character from the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo. Known as the Balloon Pokémon, Jigglypuff is shaped like a round ball, with pink skin, large blue or green eyes, catlike ears, and a tuft of fur on its forehead. Its skin is rubbery and stretchy. It can inflate its body like a balloon (usually when it becomes angry; this is accompanied by a distinctive "honk" sound), or flatten its body, much like fellow Nintendo character Kirby. An exact limit to the size it can grow to in this manner is unknown. Jigglypuff are characterized by putting their enemies to sleep by singing a lullaby. 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.Pokédex: If it inflates to SING a lullaby, it can perform longer and cause sure drowsiness in its audience. {{cite video game|title=Pokémon Gold |developer=Game Freak |publisher=Nintendo |date=2000-10-15|platform=Game Boy }}Pokédex: It captivates foes with its huge, round eyes, then lulls them to sleep by singing a soothing melody. {{cite video game|title=Pokémon Firered|developer=Game Freak |publisher=Nintendo |date=2004-09-09 |platform=Game Boy Advance}} They can easily adjust the wavelength of their voices to that of the brain waves of a sleeping being, allowing for their pleasing melody to put its audience to sleep.Pokédex: Jigglypuff's vocal cords can freely adjust the wavelength of its voice. This Pokémon uses the ability to sing at precisely the right wavelength to make its foes most drowsy. {{cite video game|title=Pokémon Ruby|developer=Game Freak |publisher=Nintendo |date=2003-03-17 |platform=Game Boy Advance }} They sing without pausing to take a breath, so if the opponent is resistant to sleeping, they potentially run out of air.Pokédex: When this Pokémon sings, it never pauses to breathe. If it is in a battle against an opponent that does not easily fall asleep, Jigglypuff cannot breathe, endangering its life. {{cite video game|title=Pokémon Sapphire|developer=Game Freak |publisher=Nintendo |date=2003-03-17 |platform=Game Boy Advance }} Game Freak's staff have noted Jigglypuff as both one of their and the public's favorite Pokemon, in terms of both anime and video game appearances.{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0006/04/04a01.html |title=Pokemon interview |publisher=Nintendo |language=Japanese |accessdate=2009-06-10}}

Jigglypuff first appears as one of the 151 species of Pokémon in the Pokémon Red and Blue Versions, and appear in all versions following it. Despite not being a lead character in the Pokemon franchise, game director Masahiro Sakurai selected it to appear in the ''Super Smash Bros. series due to its similarities to Kirby, which allowed the staff to reuse the model and many animations as a base for Jigglypuff.{{cite journal |title=Interview with Masahiro Sakurai |author=Staff |journal=The 64Dream |year=1999 |issue=5}}

In the Pokémon anime series, Jigglypuff is a recurring character who aspires to be a great singer after the inspiration of Ash Ketchum and company. Unfortunately, every potential audience falls asleep before the song finishes. Jigglypuff does not usually choose an appropriate time to sing and has been a hazard many times. Because of this, Ash Ketchum and his companions often find themselves running away from Jigglypuff. It keeps a black marker, its "microphone," and uses it to scribble on anyone who dares to fall asleep while it's performing.

During Jigglypuff's first appearance it was found standing on a stump. Misty tried to capture it with her Staryu, but decided otherwise when she learned that the Jigglypuff could not sing. Brock gave it a piece of fruit which soothed its throat. Now capable of singing, it performed for them, putting everyone within hearing range to sleep. This upset Jigglypuff, which angrily dug into Ash's backpack and pulled out a marker which it used to draw on the faces of everyone who fell asleep.{{cite episode| title = The Song of Jigglypuff | series = Pokémon | credits = Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (writer) | network = Various | airdate = February 20, 1999 | season = Indigo League|number = 45}} Only on two occasions has Jigglypuff believed that anyone had heard its song to the end: in the first, Jigglypuff realizes that Misty's Psyduck was sleeping with its eyes open, and in the second, a Whismur had heard the song the first time and stayed awake due to its Soundproof ability, but on the second time it was tired and fell asleep.{{cite episode| title = A Pokéblock Party | series = Pokémon | credits = Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (writer) | network = Various | airdate = September 4, 2004 | season = Advanced Generation|number = 39}} There was once when Jigglypuff sang to two gigantic Pokémon battling each other, but these two Pokémon did not fall asleep, and instead Jigglypuff was knocked away by the energy of their battle.{{cite episode| title = The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis | series = Pokémon | credits = Atsuhiro Tomioka (writer) | network = Various | airdate = October 14, 1999 | season = Indigo League|number = 72}} In the Pokémon short Pikachu's Exploration Club, Jigglypuff is parodied by a Marill, which, in the same fashion, puffs up angrily after putting its audience into sleep with its song.{{cite episode| title = Pikachu's Exploration Club | series = Pokémon | credits = Yukiyoshi Ōhashi (writer) | network = Various | airdate = August 1-29, 2007 | language=japanese}} In Pokémon Chronicles, Marina has a Jigglypuff, but when the Jigglypuff uses Sing, people aren't affected in part because of Beedrill, because the beating of its wings are too loud.{{cite episode| title = The Legend of Thunder | series = Pokémon | credits = Atsuhiro Tomioka (writer) | network = Various | airdate = June 3/10, 2006 | season = Pokémon Chronicles|number = 1-3}}

In 2006, Viz released ten DVDs based around individual Pokémon in celebration of Pokémon's 10th anniversary in the United States. The Pokémon featured were determined by an online poll on Pokémon.com.[http://www.pokemon.com/#news_/XML/news_55.xml Make your Pokémon a Star!] Pokémon.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-06 Out of 45 choices, Jigglypuff's received second place and was released as volume 2, with Pikachu's being the first volume.[http://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?ID=1103070 POKEMON: 10TH ANNIVERSARY - VOLUME 2 - JIGGLYPUFF - DVD MOVIE - VIZ DPMAN02]. Keenzo. Retrieved on 2008-05-06 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."[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251337/ Pokémon: Vol. 14: Jigglypuff Pop(1999)(V)]. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2008-05-06

The Magical Pokémon Journey manga series has a female Jigglypuff as one of the main characters, parodying Hello Kitty, and is introduced to the series in a volume called Cooking With Jigglypuff. {{cite book | last=Tsukirino | first=Yumi | authorlink=Yumi Tsukirino | title=Cooking With Jigglypuff | publisher=Viz Comics | date=2000 | location= | pages= | url= | doi= | id= | isbn=1-56931-456-X}} Jigglypuff's Magic Lullaby is part of the Pokémon Tales series for very young children. Written by Megumi Hayashibara and illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno, it tells the story of 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.{{cite book | last=Hayashibara | first=Megumi | authorlink=Megumi Hayashibara | title=Jigglypuff's Magic Lullaby | publisher=Viz Communications | date=2000 | location= | pages= | url= | doi= | id= | isbn=1-56931-442-X}}

Jigglypuff is often featured on products where a scene of several Pokémon are shown. An example of this is the full-sized Pokémon 747 aircraft by Boeing.[http://widebodyaircraft.nl/b747-65.htm Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet - ANA All Nippon Airways - Pokémon Colours]. Widebody Aircraft Parade. Retrieved on 2008-05-06 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.[http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/flights/pokemonjet/design.html ANA's Pokémon Jet Home Page | Design]. ANA SKY WEB. Retrieved on 2008-05-06 Jigglypuff has been made into several different toy and plush forms, as well as other items. These include, a four-inch action figure by Tomy Toys, small beanbag plush toy by Hasbro[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hasbro-Pokemon-Beanies-Jigglypuff-39/dp/B00000JDXH Pokémon Beanies Jigglypuff (#39)] Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-05-06, a Halloween costume by Disguise Costumes, a six-inch plush "Christmas Jigglypuff", and an articulated action figure also by Hasbro.[http://web.archive.org/web/20071121222203/http://www.walloffame.net/pomocomiacfi4.html Pokémon Monster Collection Mini Action Figure - #21 Jigglypuff] walloffame.net. Retrieved on 2008-05-06

Described as "perhaps the most ridiculously named Pokemon" of the original 151 by The Virginian-Pilot,{{cite news |first=Marvin |last=Lake |work=The Virginia-Pilot |date=1999-08-01 |title=Report to Readers}} Jigglypuff has been noted as one of the series' most popular characters and one of Nintendo's mascots.[http://ign64.ign.com/objects/010/010494.html IGN: Super Smash Bros.]. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-05-20 The book Pikachu'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 as Squirtle or Charmander.{{cite book|last=Tobin|first=Joseph Jay|year=2004|title=Pikachu's Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon|publisher=Duke University Press|pages=212, 280,282|isbn=0-822-33287-6}} The journal Sex 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 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.{{cite journal |date=28 October 2004 |title=Pokémon: Exploring the Role of Gender |journal=Sex Roles |volume=50, Numbers 11-12 / June, 2004 |pages=851–859 |location=Springer Netherlands |issn=0360-0025 (Print) 1573-2762 (Online) |doi=10.1023/B:SERS.0000029102.66384.a2 |last1=Ogletree |first1=Shirley M. |last2=Martinez |first2=Cristal N. |last3=Turner |first3=Trent R. |last4=Mason |first4=Brad |issue=11/12 }} The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy cited Jigglypuff as a tool to use for introducing children to drama, citing it's mannerisms in the anime.{{cite journal |title=Drama: Ways into critical literacy in the early childhood years |date=October 2001|last=Martello |first=Julie |journal=Australian Journal of Language and Literacy}}

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