Sanrio ends ‘Vivant’ collaboration after protest by China’s state media

Sanrio confirmed Thursday that it is ending a merchandise collaboration with Japanese spy drama “Vivant” after Chinese state media accused the hit television series of vilifying China.

A day earlier, Sanrio (Shanghai) International Trade, a subsidiary of the Japanese company behind the popular Hello Kitty and My Melody characters, issued an apology on Hello Kitty’s official Weibo account.

“We deeply apologize for the concerns this has caused,” the company said, adding that the collaboration content included “expressions inconsistent with the Sanrio Group’s corporate philosophy.”

Sales and preorders for the collaboration opened in July, with products including Hello Kitty and My Melody plush toys dressed as characters from the drama. 

Sanrio said it would halt the collaboration and all related follow-up projects and promotional activities, while strengthening its review of future partnerships. It also reaffirmed Sanrio’s philosophy of promoting harmony among people.

The announcement followed a Chinese-language commentary published Wednesday by China’s state-run Global Times, headlined “Hello Kitty should not dance with Japan’s right wing.”

The newspaper argued that partnering with a show it accused of distorting wartime history and promoting hostility toward China conflicted with Sanrio’s image of friendship and harmony.

“We are not asking Sanrio to take sides between China and Japan,” it said, urging the company to choose partners that reflected what it described as a correct understanding of history.

“Licensing is one of our core businesses, and we work with a wide range of companies and organizations worldwide that use Sanrio characters,” Sanrio told The Japan Times in response to an inquiry. The company said the collaboration merchandise had been sold only in Japan and that it was moving swiftly to take the necessary steps.

“Vivant,” which airs on Japanese television network TBS, had already drawn criticism in China over scenes in its second season depicting a Chinese intelligence organization torturing Japanese operatives, including by severing fingers.

On Sunday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV accused the drama of attributing “torture methods used by Japan’s wartime military” to Chinese characters. It accused the series of “deliberately creating confrontation and inciting hostility” and glorifying Japanese intelligence operations abroad.

TBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the broadcaster’s president, Masamine Ryuho, defended the drama at a news conference Wednesday, calling it a work of fiction.

“We have absolutely no intention of conveying a message that disparages any particular country or hurts national sentiments,” he said. He added that the broadcaster needed to examine whether its violent scenes caused viewers discomfort or excessive fear.