After the Mbappé scandal, Hello Kitty controversy – this time the Japanese Sanrio had to apologize to the entire Chinese people

Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, apologized and ended its collaboration with the creators of the Japanese TV series Vivant after backlash from Chinese state media and internet users. They concluded that elements in the series conflicted with their core values. The second season of Vivant features a plot involving international crime and espionage, which included scenes of Chinese agents torturing members of a Japanese defense unit, interpreted by Beijing as a deliberate smear campaign. Sanrio emphasized the seriousness of the feedback received and pledged stricter oversight for future collaborations. The controversy arose amid rising tensions between China and Japan, with China being a crucial market for Sanrio, reporting significant revenue growth there. The incident coincided with another controversy involving French footballer Kylian Mbappé, who faced backlash for a joke referencing Mao Zedong.