18 Times Jiji From Kiki’s Delivery Service Put On So Many Personalities Including Witch’s Familiar And Black Cat

Jiji, a popular anime cat that has been around since 1989, also happens to be familiar to Kiki. And Kiki, as we all know, is a witch in training. We do like the cliché that "the black cat is the witches’ pet."

You might be surprised to learn that Jiji is actually quite different depending on whether you see Kiki’s Delivery Service in Japanese or American. In American culture, cats’ voices are more gender-specific, whereas in Japanese culture, cats are frequently portrayed with feminine voices.

There are several Hartman lines where Jiji, in the original, just says nothing. Jiji's personality is notably different between the two versions, showing a more cautious and conscientious attitude in the original Japanese version as opposed to the cynical and sarcastic attitude in the Disney English version.

Another difference between the two Jijis is that in the Japanese version, Kiki loses her ability to talk to him. But in the American version, she gets that ability back.

Hayao Miyazaki explained that the cat symbolized innocence and childhood, and Kiki lost her ability to talk to him as a symbol of growing up. Miyazaki has said that Jiji is the immature side of Kiki, and this implies that Kiki, by the end of the original Japanese version, has matured beyond talking to her cat.

Below are different animations showing Jiji in so many personalities, so keep scrolling and check them all out.