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Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary said it canceled a collaboration featuring Hello Kitty toys dressed as characters from Japanese spy drama VIVANT after criticism in China. The backlash centered on the show’s portrayal of Chinese agents and historical references raised by Chinese state media; the scale of the commercial impact and any further action remain unclear.
Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary has canceled a collaboration between Hello Kitty and Japanese television spy drama VIVANT after the spy-themed toys prompted criticism in China. The dispute has drawn attention to the political sensitivities foreign companies face in a major consumer market, where entertainment merchandise can become entangled in disagreements over history and national identity.
Reuters reported that the cancellation was announced on Wednesday by Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary. The collaboration included soft toys depicting Hello Kitty as spies from VIVANT. Criticism had circulated on Chinese social media for days before Chinese state media stepped up its condemnation, according to the report.
The drama, produced by Japanese broadcaster TBS and also available on Netflix, follows a Japanese salaryman caught up in international crime and espionage. Its current season includes a fictional Chinese intelligence agency that captures and tortures Japanese spies. The BBC reported that scenes show a Japanese spy being tortured by having his fingers cut and his abdomen stabbed.
Chinese state outlets, including CCTV, objected to the depiction. They argued that the methods shown in the drama “highly overlap” with torture historically used by Japanese troops against Chinese people and said the show “distorts the truth,” the BBC reported. Those statements are the outlets’ criticism of a fictional production; the reporting does not establish that the show’s portrayal was intended as a claim about real Chinese agencies.
When Merchandise Becomes Political
The cancellation shows how a commercial tie-in can draw scrutiny beyond its intended audience. The toys were linked to a fictional spy story, but the show’s depiction of Chinese agents became the focus of criticism grounded in historical memory and current national sensitivities. For companies selling entertainment products in China, the response can affect whether a promotion remains viable even when it involves familiar global characters.
The episode also comes amid another dispute involving a foreign public figure and Chinese commercial partners. Reuters reported that French footballer Kylian Mbappé apologized after remarks about Mao Zedong prompted online condemnation and led some Chinese sponsors to cut ties. The incidents are separate, but together they illustrate the potential business consequences when public content is seen by Chinese audiences or officials as crossing political lines.
For consumers and entertainment companies, the immediate consequence is narrower: the reported collaboration has been canceled. The available reporting does not specify how many products were involved, whether any toys had already gone on sale, or the financial cost. It does show that the criticism moved from online discussion to a corporate decision.
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VIVANT’s first season aired in 2023 and was set in a fictional Central Asian country, according to the BBC. Its second season, which premiered in July, shifted to a story involving Chinese agents and Japanese spies. The scenes of torture became a point of dispute because Chinese state outlets connected them to violence committed by Japanese troops against Chinese people in the past.
The Sanrio announcement followed that criticism, but the source reports do not establish that the drama itself has been withdrawn or that Netflix or TBS has changed its distribution. The reported action is specifically the cancellation of the Sanrio collaboration in China.
The episode follows other reported cases in which international brands and celebrities have faced backlash in China over political issues involving Tibet, Hong Kong or Taiwan. Reuters’ account also placed the Sanrio decision shortly after Mbappé’s apology. These examples provide commercial context, but they do not show that the disputes were coordinated or connected.
““highly overlap””
— Chinese state outlets, including CCTV, as reported by the BBC
Commercial Impact Still Unknown
The reports do not say whether the toys had already reached stores, how many units or products were part of the collaboration, or what financial losses Sanrio or its partners may face. It is also unclear whether Sanrio plans to offer a revised promotion or whether the cancellation applies to every related product and channel.
The reporting identifies criticism on social media and condemnation from Chinese state outlets, but does not provide polling or other evidence showing how widely Chinese consumers shared those views. Nor does it establish whether the drama’s distribution or future episodes will be affected. No further corporate or broadcaster response is included in the supplied reports.
Watch for Further Company Responses
The next developments to watch are any statements from Sanrio, TBS or Netflix clarifying the scope of the cancellation and whether it affects merchandise or the show’s availability. Further information on sales, planned releases and commercial losses would help establish the practical impact.
For now, the confirmed development is limited: Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary canceled the VIVANT collaboration after criticism over the show’s portrayal of Chinese agents. Whether the response leads to changes beyond the merchandise tie-in remains unknown.
Key Questions
What did Sanrio cancel?
Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary canceled a collaboration featuring Hello Kitty soft toys dressed as spies from the Japanese drama VIVANT.
Why did the collaboration draw criticism in China?
The toys were linked to a season of VIVANT in which a fictional Chinese intelligence agency captures and tortures Japanese spies. Chinese state outlets criticized the show’s torture scenes, arguing that they echoed historical violence by Japanese troops against Chinese people.
Has VIVANT been taken off Netflix?
The reports describe the merchandise collaboration’s cancellation, not a change to the drama’s distribution. They do not say that Netflix or TBS has withdrawn the series.
How much has the cancellation cost Sanrio?
The available reporting gives no sales figures, financial estimate or information on whether the toys had already gone on sale, so the commercial cost is unclear.
Source: esquire.com
