Sanrio Ends Hello Kitty Tie-In With Japanese Spy Drama Vivant After Backlash in China

Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty, has apologised and cancelled a merchandise partnership with the TV spy thriller Vivant following a wave of criticism in China.

The series has been widely condemned by Chinese state media and social media users for showing Chinese agents using brutal torture methods on a Japanese operative. The anger spread to Sanrio after Hello Kitty and her friends, including My Melody and Cinnamoroll, appeared on merchandise dressed as characters from the show.

In a statement issued late on Wednesday, Sanrio said it had ended the collaboration after concluding that the show "contained elements inconsistent with Sanrio's core values". The company said it has always used its characters to convey values such as care and connection, and remains committed to fostering harmony among all people. It added that it takes the feedback "very seriously" and will strengthen its review processes for future collaborations.

The episode unfolds against a sharp deterioration in relations between Beijing and Tokyo. Ties have fallen to their lowest point in years since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks about Taiwan last November. Answering a question in parliament, she suggested Japan would activate its self-defence force if China attacked Taiwan. Beijing has since increased pressure on Tokyo by restricting rare earth exports, curbing tourism and reclaiming its pandas.

Takaichi told parliament earlier this month that she had recorded episodes of Vivant and planned to watch them over the year-end holidays.

On Wednesday, the state-run Global Times criticised Sanrio, saying the hugely popular character "should not dance with Japan's right wing". The paper warned that the company "stands to lose far more than short-term sales" by collaborating with "anti-China content", adding that the trust and emotional bond built over a long time would also suffer. Asked about the cancelled partnership on Thursday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the incident should "serve as a warning to the international community and discerning people in Japan".

Vivant follows a Japanese salaryman who becomes entangled in an international web of crime and espionage. Its first season, which aired in 2023, was set in a fictional Central Asian country. The second season, which premiered in July, includes scenes of 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".

Masamine Ryuho, president of the show's network TBS, said on Wednesday that the programme is entirely fictional and was not intended to "disparage any particular country".

Hello Kitty is not the only internationally loved figure to face such anger in China recently. Earlier this week, several Chinese brands dropped French footballer Kylian Mbappé over comments he made about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, for which he has since apologised.