Entertainment News

Hello Kitty maker drops Japanese spy drama Vivant after China backlash

Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty, has apologised and ended its merchandise tie-up with the TV drama Vivant after criticism from China, BBC News and The Guardian report.

The Guardian explains what started it. In the second season of the TBS spy thriller, Chinese agents are shown using “ruthless violence” against members of a secret unit of Japan's self-defence forces. In the October 4 episode, a Chinese agent cuts off a Japanese intelligence officer's fingers. Chinese state media called this a “deliberate smear”, and the Global Times said the scenes looked like wartime torture by Japanese troops.

“We take the feedback we have received regarding this incident very seriously.” — Sanrio, via The Guardian

Sanrio announced the decision on the Chinese social media site Weibo, saying the drama “contained elements inconsistent with Sanrio's core values”, and said it would tighten checks on future collaborations. Its characters My Melody and Cinnamoroll featured in Vivant-themed products.

How each outlet framed it

• BBC News — a short report: Sanrio's apology after its Vivant merchandise line drew criticism.
• The Guardian — the business stakes and the politics: China is a key market for Sanrio, and the row comes as relations between Beijing and Tokyo are tense. It notes that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said this month that she had recorded episodes of Vivant to watch over the holidays.

Where the numbers differ: the Guardian cites Chinese media saying Sanrio earned 781m yuan ($117m) in China in the first half of the year, up more than 40%; the BBC's summary gives no figure.