Sanrio has withdrawn its Hello Kitty merchandise line tied to the TBS spy drama Vivant, after Chinese state media accused the show of slandering China. All Sanrio Vivant items were off the market as of October 29.
Sanrio Shanghai International Trading announced the cancellation through its social media account on October 28, saying the collaboration and all future activities related to it were cancelled. Sanrio Japan posted its own statement the following day, apologizing for any discomfort caused and saying the show's themes were inconsistent with its corporate philosophy of "One world, connecting smiles."
The merchandise had dressed six of Sanrio's most popular characters as Vivant figures. Nogitty was a mash-up of Hello Kitty and Masato Sakai's character Yusuke Nogi, and Hangyodon took the role of Mamoru Nozaki, played by Hiroshi Abe. My Melody, Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll and Kuromi appeared as Kaoru Yuzuki, Drum, Nokoru and Kurosu.
Beijing media attack
A few days before the cancellation, Chinese state-run media published a piece on Vivant accusing it of slandering China and "exaggerating the China threat theory" — the idea that China's rapid growth poses a fundamental threat to global peace and stability. The complaint centers on scenes showing a fictional organization affiliated with China torturing members of the fictional Japanese covert group Beppan, hacking all the fingers off one member's hand.
TBS, the network that airs Vivant, said it will seriously consider questions that the show "harbors hostility towards certain countries" and features excessive violence. The network maintains the torture scenes were necessary to the story, but said it will keep weighing whether certain depictions cause discomfort or excessive fear among viewers.
Online commenters in Japan questioned the pairing from the start. "I always thought Sanrio avoided collaborating with themes involving things like the military or war. How did Vivant get the green light?" one wrote. Another said Sanrio may not have anticipated "this kind of explicit and controversial content from Vivant."
Vivant stars Sakai, who also led Japan's last gigantic TV hit, Hanzawa Naoki, under the same director. He plays a businessman drawn into international intrigue, and the show's popularity has drawn tie-ups with brands eager to ride its success. Sanrio has paired its characters with everything from Sesame Street and Clinique to Pringles and Godzilla.