Hello Kitty maker Sanrio apologises, ends collaboration with Japanese spy drama after backlash

Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty, has apologised for its collaboration with spy drama Vivant following criticism from Chinese media. — AFP pic

First Published: Friday, 30 Oct 2026 10:06 AM MYT

ISTANBUL, Oct 30 — Sanrio, the maker of the famous cartoon character Hello Kitty, apologised yesterday for its collaboration with the Japanese spy drama Vivant following backlash from Chinese media, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

The content of this collaboration includes expressions that are “inconsistent” with Sanrio’s corporate philosophy, a statement said, adding that the company has decided to cease all related activities, future developments and promotional activities.

Sanrio has cherished values such as “compassion” and “connection” through its characters since its founding, it said.

The TBS-produced Japanese spy drama centres on a fictional, unofficial intelligence unit of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces that operates overseas.

Its second season has drawn criticism from Chinese media for depicting Chinese intelligence agents torturing Japanese operatives.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in response to a question on the issue that the TV drama “once again shows that there is a force in Japan continuously seeking to use cultural products to vilify and smear China and disseminate hatred against China.”

State-run Global Times said in an earlier article that Vivant is “no ordinary Japanese drama”, and “it deliberately distorts the truth and reverses black and white, portraying the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese army against the Chinese people as actions of the Chinese side.” — Bernama