Sanrio drops Hello Kitty tie-up with Japanese spy drama after Chinese backlash

Sanrio has ended its merchandise partnership with Vivant and apologised after the Japanese spy thriller drew a backlash in China. The Tokyo-based character company had put Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll into merchandise dressed as figures from the drama.

The dispute centres on Vivant’s second season, which premiered in July. It includes scenes in which Chinese agents torture a Japanese spy, cutting his fingers and stabbing him in the abdomen.

In the 4 October episode, a Chinese agent is shown severing the fingers of a Japanese intelligence officer before stabbing him in the abdomen.

Chinese state media and social media users condemned the portrayal. CCTV was among the state outlets arguing that the methods shown “highly overlap” with tactics Japanese troops historically used against Chinese people.

Chinese media said the scenes resembled torture inflicted by Japanese troops on Chinese civilians during the second world war.

The state-run Global Times said Hello Kitty “should not dance with Japan's right wing”. The tabloid said the series “distorts the truth by attributing these atrocities to modern Chinese characters”.

It also warned that Sanrio “stands to lose far more than short-term sales” through a tie-up with “anti-China content”.

Masamine Ryuho, president of the TV network TBS, defended the programme on Wednesday. He said Vivant was entirely fictional and had no intention of “disparaging any particular country”.

Sanrio issued its statement late on Wednesday, saying it had terminated the collaboration after deciding it “contained elements inconsistent with Sanrio's core values”.

“Since its inception, Sanrio has consistently used its characters to convey values such as care and connection, and remains committed to its corporate philosophy of fostering harmony among all people,” the company said.

It added: “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.”

Vivant follows a Japanese salaryman drawn into an international network of crime and espionage. Its first season aired in 2023 in a fictional Central Asian country and avoided controversy.

The withdrawal carries commercial weight for Sanrio because China is a crucial overseas market. The company generated 781 million yuan ($117 million) in Chinese revenue in the first half of this year, up more than 40% from the same period last year.