My negative outlook on Cleffa stems from the personal belief that Jigglypuff struts the “bare minimum” aesthetic better. Jigglypuff was released before Cleffa, so it’s only natural that it became a benchmark for how I view other designs.

A walking puffball with stubby limbs isn’t a new concept. The Kirby comparisons were made only a couple articles ago, so there’s no need for me to repeat myself so soon.

Regardless, Jigglypuff showcases some unique and memorable quirks. For one: those ginormous eyes. Having them take up that much space on its body is simultaneously endearing and just plain eerie. It’s hard to read Jigglypuff’s intentions when it’s begging like a puppy, but also staring very, very deeply into your soul. It’s my favorite aspect of the pink puffball.

Jigglypuff’s other greatest feature is how its lungs can expand to massive sizes, like that of a balloon. It takes full advantage of this air capacity so that it can sing virtually nonstop. Its music is so soothing, people and Pokémon alike are naturally driven unconscious on the spot. That’s a deadly power!

A returning gag in the Anime included a Jigglypuff who appeared at the most inconvenient times to sing. Misinterpreting its lulled audience as dissing its talents, it took revenge on its victims by thoroughly scribbling over their faces in permanent marker. Arguably, the joke was reused for one too many seasons, but it was a great personality matched with the Pokémon.

Jigglypuff doesn’t get many points in the art department, but the concepts behind it make it deserving of a few extra points… if I was scoring from 1-10, that is. With my personal rating system, it means the puffball gets a…

…Huh. I can’t say I ever expected Jigglypuff to become a rabbit monster… thing.

I’m immediately sold with the idea of an amorphous creature vaguely mimicking the anatomy of other animals. It’s like Wigglytuff wanted to be a rabbit, but didn’t quite remember what they looked like.

At least, that’s what I think of when I look at it. Unfortunately, such an idea is nonexistent with Wigglytuff.

In fact, there isn’t a whole lot behind this character in general. The Pokédex avoids discussing Wigglytuff’s balloon-like abilities outside of, “It can inflate really big.” Instead, it’s weirdly obsessed with Wigglytuff’s luxuriously soft fur. Apparently, it’s so wonderful to touch that other Wigglytuff can’t stop rubbing against each other (which “totally” can’t be taken out of context, of course).

It frustrates me that Jigglypuff’s most prominent attribute is practically ignored altogether once it evolves. Wigglytuff is soft? Great, now what else can you tell me about its biology? It’s a balloon monster; there has to be more information!

The lack of character development is probably why Wigglytuff is so forgettable to me. It’s not necessarily because of its design; it’s due to its younger cousin always stealing the spotlight. Whether it’s merchandise or story lore, Jigglypuff gets more exposure. Since Wigglytuff can only be obtained through the exceptionally rare Moon Stone, it’s only ever seen in the hands of a Trainer, and never in the wild. It doesn’t even have a unique identity in competitive battling, as forums often gloss over Wigglytuff as the “inferior Clefable.”

Somehow, Wigglytuff sits in the shadow of its pre-evolved form even more than Raichu does. This poor thing lives out that sad an existence.

I’m so sorry, Wigglytuff. I don’t hate you, but you don’t have anything that makes me love you, either.

I find myself debating whether or not Igglybuff’s stark red-and-black eyes are creepier than Jigglypuff’s. They create an interesting contrast against its pastel pink body.

Igglybuff is yet another baby Pokémon introduced in Generation II. Similar to the other baby Pokémon I’ve covered thus far, Igglybuff is a simplification of its adult form – or in this case, an even simpler version of its evolution.

However, Igglybuff also throws in a few details completely unique to its evolutionary line. That tiny hair puff sitting atop its head is absolutely precious. I can’t explain why, but the swirl pattern on its forehead (or whatever constitutes as one on a balloon monster) fits nicely with the design. And when its mouth is put in a wavy shape, I find it adds to the cuteness factor…

…when you ignore how much those eyes pierce your soul, that is.

The only part of Igglybuff I find puzzling is its lack of ears. I’m not against their absence, but I wonder why the art directors took that choice. Were the ears taken away to avoid clashing against the hair puff? Are Igglybuff’s ears still developing and are actually part of that puff? There are no details in the Pokédex that would solve this mystery.

It’s not that visually different from Jigglypuff, but Igglybuff does have a couple features that stand out from the rest of its family. While I like Igglybuff almost as much as Jigglypuff, I’m ultimately wishy-washy over which one I like more. And the more I compare the two side-by-side, the more I reach the conclusion…

…yeah, Igglybuff’s alright. Practically the same design, but it’s alright.

Since it didn’t mesh well with the flow of my review, allow this postscript to offer some food for thought about Igglybuff. According to the Pokédex, its body is so elastic, that if it starts bouncing it won’t stop. If that is to be taken literally, it either means Igglybuff simply maintains a consistent momentum like Spoink, or can chaotically bounce off surfaces like Flubber. You know how powerful Jigglypuff’s Rollout attack is in Super Smash Brothers? Imagine how much worse it would be as Igglybuff.