Jibanyan is a red-and-white-colored cat Yo-kai, with pink inner-ears and a chip on his left ear. He has yellow colored eyes with large pupils, his nose and inner-ears are dull shade of pink. Attached to his collar is an aquamarine colored bell, matching the hitodama flames at the end of his two tails.
On the middle of his chest, Jibanyan wears a yellow haramaki which is always worn with several exceptions revealing nothing under there. He also stores Chocobars and several other items like magazines of Next HarMEOWny under it.
Personality
Jibanyan is a Yo-kai that has fierce determination to do anything such as being eager to fight over other Yo-kai that are causing trouble for him. Despite his motivation and power, he also slacks off on occasions if Nate's orders aren't important for him or when he's feeling lazy in general.
He has an affinity for Chocobars and anything related to his favorite music group, Next HarMEOWny, to the point of dreaming of having his own chocobar factory and collection. Jibanyan also collects merchandise of Next HarMEOWny and has a private collection full of them including pinup magazines, music CDs and clothing.
Abilities
Jibanyan fights with his paws, whether it be for opposing Yo-kai or incoming trucks. He also attacks them with his signature Soultimate Move called Paws of Fury (Japanese: ひゃくれつ肉球,Hyakuretsu Nikukyū), which shows him rapidly attacking with his paws as other paws comes out from around him.
Though Jibanyan cannot evolve, he can fuse with other Yo-kai instead resulting in his personality and power being changed. Fusing with Roughraff will make Jibanyan transform into Baddinyan, giving him a more rebellious look while fusion with Coughkoff turns him into Thornyan which makes him spiky and feeling sickly. Jibanyan can also fuse into Buchinyan by coming into contact with Whisper, combining both of their powers.
With the Yo-kai Watch Model Zero, Jibanyan has three additional Soultimate Moves that can be summoned via the Z Medals resulting in a different pose and a comedy-based attack. They are of Nyaight (Japanese: ニャイーン,Nyaiiin), Nyext (Japanese: ニョエー,Nyoeeh) and Victory (Japanese: コマニャチ,Komanyachi). According to their description in Yo-kai Watch 2, they are passed down from Jibanyan's family.
Jibanyan first appears in Enter Jibanyan!, where the player meets him after he charges into traffic against a truck, only to be knocked back. The player asks Jibanyan if he's fine, but Jibanyan tells the player if he or she knows Amy and explains his backstory to the player before he became a Yo-kai.
After that, Jibanyan tells the player that a Yo-kai stole his photo, and the player tells Jibanyan that they will take the picture back and asks him where the Yo-kai who took his photo is. Jibanyan tells the player that the gang usually hangs out right behind the fish place. The player tells Jibanyan that he has no need to worry and that they will take care of it. The two then introduced themselves to each other before the player is heading to the spot behind the Fish Place.
After the player manages to get the photo, they return back to the spot where Jibanyan is. They return the photo to Jibanyan, which Jibanyan then thanks the player in return. Still sobbing about his strength, the player comforts Jibanyan saying that he is pretty awesome. Jibanyan relieved by the player's words, he gives the player his medal, which the two of them became friends.
Jibanyan appears in Yo-kai Watch 2 in the first chapter, The Vanishing Watch. The events are the same as that of previous game but however, Jibanyan has lost his memories and doesn't seem to recognize the player. Jibanyan tells his story to the player before he became a Yo-kai, however, unlike in Yo-kai Watch, the player doesn't have to take back the photo of Amy. He is notably one of the main characters of this game alongside Nate and Whisper most likely due to his main role in the anime.
The player comforts Jibanyan, and Jibanyan starts to get déjà vu. A strange light appears which signifies that Jibanyan's memories are being recollected. After the light, the player will receive Jibanyan's medal. While the player and Whisper both decide to go to the Memory Store to get a clue as to why they have lost their memories, Jibanyan stays near the fish place to continue his training, and later tags along.
Jibanyan can learn three special Soultimate Moves from scrolls, which are obtained by scanning the specific QR Codes that originally came with the Yo-kai Medals.
Jibanyan appears in Yo-kai Watch 3, however, unlike Yo-kai Watch and Yo-kai Watch 2, Jibanyan isn't befriended because the player comforts him. Instead, it was because Whisper traded the Medallium for the Model U and he gives the player his medal again.
He can also be freed from the Crank-a-kai with a Legend Coin and appears in Blasters T in the Pyramind of Clu as a sentinel Yo-kai.
He is required for the Familiar Faces and The Nyanyan All Stars Yo-kai Circles.
In Yo-kai Watch 4, Jibanyan is the very first Yo-kai the player befriends, being befriended at the beginning of Chapter 1. He also has a rare chance of appearing in Springdale Keystone door and may appear as one of Gutsy Bones pulls. However, only one Jibanyan may be befriended per save file through the first method mentioned. Once befriended, Jibanyan has one heart for Nate and one empty heart.
Jibanyan appears in the spin-off game Yo-kai Watch Blasters as the Fighter of the original Bottom-of-the-Barrels Blasters, He's one of the first four Yo-kai the player can play as.
He has a lot of scenes in the Main Story after this reappearing as a main character quite often, After losing to Gargaros at the end of Chapter 1 he brings the other 3 main blasters, Sandmeh Hidabat and Noway, To a next Har-MEOW-ny concert.
In Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble, Jibanyan will automatically be befriended by the player after completing Stage 4 of Uptown Springdale. Jibanyan can also be befriended in the event "The Yo-cake Scramble Battle".
A Jibanyan mecha appeared as a playable character in October 2013 in Danball Senki Wars.
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Final Fantasy XIV Online
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In 2017 and 2020, a collaboration was held in Final Fantasy XIV Online where players can get Jibanyan as a playable partner.
Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy anime
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Shironeko Tennis
From August 31, 2017 to July 23, 2018, Jibanyan was a playable character in Shironeko Tennis along with a tennis racket based on his appearance.
Taiko no Tatsujin series
Jibanyan's costume
Jibanyan has made a few appearances in the Taiko no Tatsujin games. In the original game, he, Nate, Katie and Komasan make an appearance in the playable Gera Gera Po Song along with an unlockable Jibanyan costume for Don Chan.
In the video game Taiko no Tatsujin: Don to Katsu no Jikū Daibōken, later localised as Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure for the Nintendo Switch, Jibanyan appears as character that can be added to the team.
Monster Strike
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Puzzle & Dragons
Everybody's Golf
To commemorate Level-5's 20th anniversary in 2018, a Jibanyan appears as a playable character along with a Jibanyan-themed golf cart that can be brought as DLC in Everybody's Golf for PlayStation 4.
Armored Girls
A character named Tsugumi Kozakura was added to the game, who wears "LBCS Armor" based on Jibanyan.
Megaton Musashi W: Wired
Jibanyan appears as a V Navigator in the game, which can be purchased as DLC. When he is selected as a V Navigator, Jibanyan makes various references to Yo-kai Watch media.
Due to the game not receiving an English dub, Jibanyan's Japanese voice is kept for all languages.
Freed from the Crank-a-kai (Yo-kai Watch Blasters): "We're friends. Friends forever."
Freed from the Crank-a-kai (Yo-kai Watch 3): "So nyice of you to free me! I'm gonna thank you by being your friend!"
Blasters House (1):"Meow? My turn?"
Blasters House (2):"I wanna meet Next HarMEOWny..."
Blasters House (With only him and the leader):"It's been my turn too many times. I feel so tired, meow!"
Blasters House (With him and 1 ally):"♪ I WILL NE-E-EVER DIIIIIE!"
Blasters House (With him and 2 allies):"I wonder what Nate is doing right now, nyan..."
Etymology
His name is a combination of jibakurei (Japanese: 地縛霊,"ghost bound to a location") and nyan, the Japanese onomatopoeia for a cat's meow.
Origin
Jibanyan is based on the nekomata, a kind of bakeneko (cat youkai) born from a cat that turned into one with age: when this happens, they gain magical powers, human intelligence and their tail splits into two (whether the tail just forks or fully splits depends on the source), ghostly fire sometimes appearing on the tips.
They are much larger than a regular housecat, and also far more dangerous: they can curse humans, manipulate fire, and even control the dead with their tails as if they were puppets on strings. Jibanyan wears a haramaki around his tummy, or "belly wrap". The word originally referred to a type of chest armor, but in modern times it describes a tube of thick cloth worn around the waist to keep the body warm during winter. It used to be regarded as an old-fashioned tacky article of clothing, but it recently saw new popularity in Japan.
Jibanyan's signature Soultimate attack is a reference to Fist of the North Star protagonist Kenshiro's iconic move Hokuto Hyakuretsu Ken, a move that has Kenshiro punch the target rapidly, with the Japanese name even sounding similar to it.
There are several other Yo-kai and humans that do a similar attack, most notably being Shadowside Komajiro.
Jibanyan's Effect mentions that he slows down enemies using a seal, despite him not being seen with them. It may have been a leftover from one of his earlier designs, which featured a rope belt with seals instead of a haramaki.
Character designer Takuzo Nagano added a haramaki to Jibanyan's appearance, because it was a prominent piece of clothing in the Shōwa period, which was what he imagined when conceptulizing the characters of Yo-kai Watch. Another reason is that he was a fan of the character Tora-san from the Japanese movie series Otoko wa Tsurai yo, whom also wears a haramaki.
Jibanyan's unlockable Soultimate Moves in Yo-kai Watch 2 and Z medal poses are all based on Japanese classic comedy visual gags.
Nyext is a reference to Iyami's "Sheeeh!" from Fujio Akatsuka's Osomatsu-kun. Its Japanese name, "Nyooeh", reflects this.
Nyaight is based on Ken Shimura's "Aiiiin!" (アイーン！). Its Japanese name, "Nyaiiin", reflects this.
Victory is a parody of Takeshi Kitano's "Komanechi!" (コマネチ！). Its Japanese name, "Komanyachi", reflects this.
In the Yo-kai Watch♪ series, Jibanyan's tails no longer move.
Jibanyan is the only Yo-kai that can change his Soultimate (having five versions in all, including his Rank S version).
In the Japanese version of Yo-kai Watch video game, his Soultimate move did not feature the attack being enunciated when performed, though it was later done so in newer games beginning with Yo-kai Watch 2, which the English version and laterports of the original game reflects.
In the announcing lines for Jibanyan's Song Medal, it was stated that he can hold up to fifteen Chocobars in his haramaki.
Jibanyan's "random" nicknames are: Nyanto, Jibbers, Purrball and Poltpaws.
In other languages
Jibanyan
Language
Name
Meaning
Dutch
Jibanyan
Same as the Japanese name.
French
Jibanyan
Same as the Japanese name.
German
Jibanyan
Same as the Japanese name.
Italian
Jibanyan
Same as the Japanese name.
Japanese
ジバニャン Jibanyan
A combination of jibakurei (Japanese: 地縛霊,"ghost bound to a location") and nyan, the Japanese onomatopoeia for a cat's meow.
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Russian
Spanish
Arabic
Chinese (Cantonese)*
Portuguese (European)
Portuguese (Brazilian)
Turkish