A cheerful cat built to carry small kindnesses has found itself standing in the middle of an old and painful argument between two neighbours. Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, has ended a merchandise tie-in with a Japanese spy drama after Chinese state media and social media users objected to scenes of torture that echo wartime memories. The episode arrives at a moment when relations between Beijing and Tokyo are at their coolest in years, and it shows how even the gentlest of brands can be drawn into a quarrel between nations.
Hello Kitty Maker Sanrio Drops Japanese Spy Drama Vivant After China Backlash
Sanrio stands to lose far more than short-term sales
Mark
Why would a toy company end up in the middle of this?
Mimi
Because Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll were put on merchandise dressed as characters from Vivant. That tied them to a show Chinese state media was already attacking.
Mark
What exactly is the objection to the show?
Mimi
Season two has Chinese agents torturing a Japanese spy, cutting his fingers and stabbing his abdomen. CCTV and others said that overlaps with what Japanese troops historically did to Chinese people.
Luke
Worth noting that's the Chinese outlets' argument. The network's president says the show is fictional and meant no disparagement of any country.
Mark
And Sanrio's apology, what does it actually say?
Mimi
That the show contained elements inconsistent with its core values, and that it will strengthen review of future collaborations. It doesn't mention China by name.
Luke
Right, and it doesn't say what specific scene or element it objected to. We don't know what internal review, if any, led to that conclusion.
Mark
How does the diplomatic backdrop fit in?
Mimi
Ties have been at a low since Takaichi's Taiwan remarks last November. Beijing has restricted rare earth exports, curbed tourism and reclaimed pandas.
Luke
The article shows the timing and the context, but it doesn't say Beijing orchestrated the backlash. Global Times is state-run, yet the social media criticism is described only as widespread.
Mark
Is Mbappé a similar case?
Mimi
Similar pattern, yes. Chinese brands dropped him over comments about Mao, and he apologised. Different trigger, same pressure on a globally known name.
Il Polso
- Chinese state outlets accuse a Japanese spy drama's torture scenes of echoing wartime atrocities and distorting history.
- Hello Kitty and her friends, dressed as characters from the show, have been pulled into a fierce online backlash.
- Sanrio apologises and cancels the partnership, promising stricter review of all future collaborations.
- Diplomatic strain between Beijing and Tokyo keeps the dispute simmering, with no clear sign the storm will soon pass.
A cheerful cat built to carry small kindnesses has found itself standing in the middle of an old and painful argument between two neighbours. Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, has ended a merchandise tie-in with a Japanese spy drama after Chinese state media and social media users objected to scenes of torture that echo wartime memories. The episode arrives at a moment when relations between Beijing and Tokyo are at their coolest in years, and it shows how even the gentlest of brands can be drawn into a quarrel between nations.
Late on Wednesday, Sanrio, the company that makes Hello Kitty, apologised and ended its merchandise partnership with the Japanese series Vivant. The decision followed a sharp wave of criticism in China, where the show's second season, which premiered in July, has been condemned by state media and social media users alike.
The anger centres on scenes in which Chinese agents torture a Japanese spy, cutting his fingers and stabbing his abdomen. State broadcaster CCTV argued these methods closely resemble those used by Japanese troops against Chinese people during the war, and that the drama distorts the truth. Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll, who had appeared in merchandise dressed as the show's characters, soon found themselves caught in the controversy.
Sanrio said the show contained elements inconsistent with its core values of care, connection and harmony, and promised to strengthen its review processes. Earlier, the state-run Global Times had warned that the company stood to lose far more than short-term sales, and that the affection it had built over many years was at risk.
The quarrel sits atop a deep chill between Beijing and Tokyo, which began last November when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan might respond militarily if China attacked Taiwan. Since then China has restricted rare earth exports, curbed tourism and even recalled its pandas. TBS, which broadcasts Vivant, says the show is wholly fictional and meant no disparagement of any country, but for now Sanrio has chosen to step away.
Late on Wednesday, Sanrio, the company that makes Hello Kitty, issued an apology and said it was ending its merchandise partnership with the Japanese television series Vivant. The decision came after a wave of criticism in China, where the show has been attacked by state media and by social media users.
Vivant is a spy thriller about a Japanese salaryman who becomes entangled in an international web of crime and espionage. Its first season aired in 2023 and was set in a fictional Central Asian country. The second season premiered in July, and it is the source of the anger: it shows Chinese agents torturing a Japanese spy by cutting his fingers and stabbing his abdomen.
Chinese state outlets, including CCTV, argued that these methods "highly overlap" with those historically used by Japanese troops against Chinese people, and that the drama "distorts the truth." The criticism then reached Sanrio's characters. Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll had appeared in merchandise dressed as characters from the show.
Sanrio said it had terminated the collaboration after concluding that the show "contained elements inconsistent with Sanrio's core values." Its statement said the company has always used its characters to convey values such as care and connection, and remains committed to a philosophy of fostering harmony among all people. It added that it takes the feedback seriously and will strengthen its review processes for all future collaborative projects.
The state-run Global Times had taken aim at the company earlier on Wednesday, writing that the hugely popular cat "should not dance with Japan's right wing." It warned that Sanrio "stands to lose far more than short-term sales" by working with "anti-China content," and that the trust and emotional bond it has built up over a long time would also suffer.
The backdrop is a sharp deterioration in relations between Beijing and Tokyo, now at their lowest point in years. It began last November, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, answering a question in parliament, suggested Japan would activate its self-defence force if China attacked Taiwan. That set off a diplomatic firestorm. Beijing has since increased the pressure in several ways, restricting rare earth exports, curbing tourism and even reclaiming its pandas. Earlier this month, Takaichi told parliament she had recorded episodes of Vivant and planned to watch them over the year-end holidays.
Hello Kitty is not the only internationally beloved figure to draw Chinese anger in recent days. Earlier this week, several Chinese brands dropped the French footballer Kylian Mbappé over comments he had made about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong. He has since apologised.
Masamine Ryuho, president of TBS, the network that broadcasts Vivant, said on Wednesday that the show was entirely fictional and was not intended to disparage any particular country. Whether that will ease the pressure on the show or on its commercial partners remains to be seen; for now, Sanrio has chosen to step away and promised closer scrutiny of what it attaches its characters to next.
Citazioni salienti
We take the feedback we have received regarding this incident very seriously. Moving forward, we will strengthen our review processes for all future collaborative projects.— Sanrio statement
The show was completely fictional and had no intention of disparaging any particular country.— Masamine Ryuho, president of TBS (paraphrased)
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