Hello Kitty maker Sanrio cuts ties with TV spy show after China backlash
Sanrio ended the tie-up after Chinese state media and social media accused the drama of smearing China and hurting its brand in the market.
- On Wednesday, Sanrio terminated its collaboration with the Japanese television drama Vivant after the series faced intense public backlash in China over its content.
- Chinese state broadcaster CCTV accused the spy thriller of "deliberately smearing" Beijing by depicting Chinese intelligence agents torturing Japanese operatives in scenes critics interpreted as distorting wartime history.
- China accounts for about 40% of Sanrio's overseas sales and roughly a quarter of operating profit, with the company booking 9.8 billion yen in Chinese revenue during the first quarter, up 25% year-over-year.
- Sanrio pledged to strengthen review procedures for future projects, while TBS President Masamine Ryuho defended the drama as "entirely fictional and has no intention of disparaging any specific country" at Wednesday's press conference.
- Tensions between China and Japan have remained elevated since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response; the incident echoes recent backlash against footballer Kylian Mbappe.
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The Sanrio company apologized to China, which represents a strategic market for its business. The scandal mainly reveals the diplomatic tensions between the two countries since a dispute over the question of Taiwan in 2025.
The Japanese company behind Hello Kitty announced that it will end its commercial collaboration with the television series 'Vivant'.
The Japanese brand Sanrio interrupts the collaboration with the TV series Vivant, accused by the government media of discrediting the Asian giant, after the protests on social media. In the background the already tense Beijing-Tokyo relationships and the weight of the Chinese market for the Japanese company
Sanrio, the Japanese company that created the popular Hello Kitty character, apologized on Thursday for its collaboration with a TV series about spyware that has been called anti-Chinese and stopped producing merchandise related to the project.
Hello Kitty firm apologises, scraps Japan TV tie-up after China anger: What's the case? Explained
Sanrio, the Japanese firm behind Hello Kitty, has apologised and scrapped its merchandise tie-up with TV drama Vivant after China accused the show of portraying it negatively. The row comes amid strained Japan-China ties.
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