Sanrio, the company and copyright holder behind Hello Kitty, has\napologised and ended a souvenir sales partnership with a controversial\nJapanese television series after it sparked a backlash in China.<\/p>\n
Vivant, a popular Japanese spy thriller, has faced widespread\ncriticism from Chinese state media and social media users.<\/p>\n
The series was criticised for depicting Chinese agents using brutal\ntorture methods against a Japanese agent.<\/p>\n
The criticism then spread to Sanrio characters known around the\nworld, including Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll, which appeared\non merchandise dressed as characters from the series.<\/p>\n
Sanrio said it had ended its collaboration with Vivant after\ndetermining that the series \u201ccontains elements that are not aligned with\nSanrio\u2019s core values\u201d. The company also said it would tighten its review\nand assessment process for similar partnerships in future to ensure they\ncomply with its principles and values.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout its history, Sanrio has consistently used its characters\nto convey values such as caring and human connection, and remains\ncommitted to its corporate philosophy of fostering harmony among all\npeople,\u201d the company said in a statement released on Wednesday\nevening.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe take very seriously the feedback we have received regarding this\nincident. Going forward, we will strengthen the review process for all\nfuture collaborative projects.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Hello Kitty should not dance with Japanese right-wing\ngroups\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Relations between China and Japan have fallen to their lowest point\nin several years after remarks about Taiwan by Japanese Prime Minister\nSanae Takaichi in November last year triggered a diplomatic storm.<\/p>\n Answering a question in parliament, Takaichi suggested Japan would\ndeploy its Self-Defence Forces if China attacked Taiwan.<\/p>\n Since then, Beijing has stepped up pressure on Tokyo, including by\nrestricting exports of rare earth minerals, putting pressure on tourism\nand recalling pandas it had loaned to Japan.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Takaichi told parliament she had recorded several\nepisodes of Vivant and planned to watch them during the year-end\nholiday.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times criticised\nSanrio, saying the hugely popular cat character \u201cshould not dance with\nJapanese right-wing groups\u201d.<\/p>\n In its article, Global Times said Sanrio \u201crisks losing far more than\nshort-term sales\u201d by collaborating with content regarded as\nanti-China.<\/p>\n \u201cThe trust and emotional bonds built over a long period will also be\naffected,\u201d the newspaper wrote.<\/p>\n Asked on Thursday about Sanrio\u2019s cancellation of its partnership with\nVivant, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the incident should\n\u201cserve as a warning to the international community and clear-minded\npeople in Japan\u201d.<\/p>\n Hello Kitty is not the only globally popular figure to come under\npublic criticism in China in recent days.<\/p>\n Earlier this week, several Chinese brands ended their partnerships\nwith French footballer Kylian Mbappe after comments he made about the\nlate Chinese leader Mao Zedong sparked controversy. Mbappe has since\napologised.<\/p>\n What is the spy drama Vivant about?<\/strong><\/p>\n Vivant follows a Japanese employee who becomes entangled by chance in\nan international web of crime and espionage.<\/p>\n The first season, which aired in 2023, was set in a fictional country\nin Central Asia.<\/p>\n The second season, which began airing in July, includes scenes in\nwhich Chinese agents torture a Japanese spy by cutting off his fingers\nand stabbing him in the abdomen.<\/p>\n Chinese state media, including CCTV, argued that the torture methods\nshown in the series were \u201cvery similar\u201d to tactics historically used by\nJapanese soldiers against Chinese people. They also said the drama\n\u201cdistorts the facts\u201d.<\/p>\n Responding to the criticism on Wednesday, TBS network president\nMasamine Ryuho said Vivant was entirely fictional and was not intended\nto \u201cdenigrate any country\u201d.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/china-angered-as-hello-kitty-maker-ends-collaboration-with-japanese-spy-series-1793361269",
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