113-506: This is a list of characters from Sanrio , a Japanese company specialized in creating kawaii (cute) characters. Sanrio sells and licenses products branded with these characters and has created over 450 characters. Their most successful and best known character, Hello Kitty , was created in 1974. Most Sanrio characters are anthropomorphized animals, a few are humans or anthropomorphized objects. Sanrio began creating characters to increase sales of its merchandise. Typical merchandise featuring
226-577: A teru teru bōzu . Originally created as part of a promotion for the rainy season , the first Keroppi items were released in 1988. Designs in Japan commonly include puns on the Japanese word for frog, kaeru ( かえる ) , which has many homonyms . According to British newspaper The Independent , the popularity of Keroppi was close to that of Hello Kitty in the early 1990s, "particularly in the UK", but then went down. Keroppi
339-459: A Barbie doll named "My Melody". The My Melody Barbie doll featured a Barbie doll inspired by the My Melody character, with the character's face included in different parts of the doll's fashion and accessories. In an homage to the character's rabbit ears, the doll's hair is styled in pigtails. On March 26, 2008, a Japanese music compilation album titled "I Love 30 – My Melody" from Tearbridge Records
452-803: A Japanese term meaning "stateless" or "nationless" in reference to characters lacking any identifiable national background. The character's first appearance on an item was in March 1975 on a vinyl coin purse sold in Japan, where she was pictured sitting between a bottle of milk and a goldfish bowl. She first appeared in the United States in 1976 when Sanrio opened a Gift Gate store in San Jose, California . Hello Kitty sold well immediately after her 1975 launch, and Sanrio's sales increased sevenfold. Due to Japan's growing economy, many Japanese children could afford to buy Hello Kitty products. Her popularity also grew with
565-497: A background character debuting in Season 2. Minna no Tabo ( ja:みんなのたあ坊 , Minna no Taabou ) is a human character. According to official character profiles his birthday is on May 5 ( Children's Day ) and he is a happy and energetic boy who likes sports. He is depicted surrounded by family and many animal friends. He was originally designed in 1984 by Akiko Shimasue ( 島末彰子 ) for use on greeting cards . A series of books featuring
678-555: A collection which includes shoes ranging from kids' to adult sizes as well as clothing and bags. In 2020, Skechers collaborated with Hello Kitty releasing chunky-soled style shoes with brand's logo and Hello Kitty's face and bow. Hello Kitty is used as a brand for sanitary pads in Asia and Latin America. In 1994, artist Tom Sachs was invited to create a scene for Barneys New York Christmas displays and titled it Hello Kitty Nativity . In
791-566: A common expression is of pulling one lower eyelid down and sticking out his tongue , a gesture equivalent to blowing a raspberry . Sanrio Sanrio Company, Ltd. ( 株式会社サンリオ , Kabushikigaisha Sanrio ) is a Japanese entertainment company. It designs, licenses, and produces products focusing on the kawaii ("cute") segment of Japanese popular culture . Their products include stationery , school supplies, gifts , and accessories which are sold worldwide, including at specialty brand retail stores in Japan. Sanrio's best-known character
904-513: A message from the Strawberry King (similar to an editorial ) has been published in Sanrio's Strawberry Newspaper ( ja:いちご新聞 ) . A book with a collection of some of these messages was published in 2007. Button Nose ( ja:ボタンノーズ , Botan nōzu ) is a human character. She is the protagonist of Button Nose , the first anime television series produced by Sanrio. Button Nose is portrayed as
1017-501: A number of animated series targeted towards children, as well as several comics, animated films, video games, books, music albums and other media productions. A variety of products have featured the character over the years, like school supplies, clothing, accessories , and toys, along with other items. In 2008, there were over 50,000 different Hello Kitty branded products. In 1962, Shintaro Tsuji , founder of Sanrio, began selling rubber sandals with flowers painted on them. Tsuji noted
1130-423: A pair of angel-like characters. The younger brother with blue hair is Kiki ( キキ , Kiki ) , and the older sister with pink hair is Lala ( ララ , Rara ) . Originally designed by Yōko Matsumoto (松本庸子) who also designed My Melody . They were initially created for a 1975 Christmas promotion and their birthday is December 24, Christmas Eve . Drawing inspiration from Christmas and winter themes, early sketches had
1243-423: A part" in the success. In 2014 an anthropologist was told by Sanrio that Kitty White was not simply a cat (i.e. "depicted on all fours"), describing her as a little English girl called Kitty White, from outside London. Following reports that interpreted this to mean she was human, a Sanrio PR representative said that the organization had "never said she was a human", explaining anthropomorphization by comparing
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#17330862698081356-511: A playable character via downloadable content in Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania . Three Hello Kitty anime films were released in Japan. Hello Kitty: Cinderella released in 1989, Hello Kitty no Oyayubi Hime released in 1990, and Hello Kitty no Mahō no Mori no Ohime-sama released in 1991. On 3 July 2015, Sanrio announced a full-length animated Hello Kitty theatrical feature initially planned for 2019. In early 2019, it
1469-625: A rabbit which made her first appearance in 1976 and which Mercis argued infringed the copyright for Miffy. A court in Amsterdam ruled in favour of Mercis in November 2010 and ordered Sanrio to stop the production and sale of merchandise featuring Cathy in the Benelux countries. However, in June 2011, the two companies announced that they had reached a settlement agreement to end their legal dispute. Sanrio stopped using
1582-477: A radio DJ on TOKYO FM with a show called "My Melo Therapy" (マイメロセラピー) where she answers questions from listeners and offers advice. A book with advice from the show was released in 2022. In the 2020 web series Hello Kitty and Friends: Supercute Adventures , My Melody is one of the main characters where she is voiced by Michelle Marie. In 2010 The New York Times said that My Melody was "moderately successful" in terms popularity, but showing no signs of reaching
1695-503: A red bow and no visible mouth. According to her backstory, she lives in a London suburb with her family, and is close to her twin sister Mimmy, who is depicted with a yellow bow. Hello Kitty was created in 1974 and the first item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in 1975. Originally, Hello Kitty was only marketed towards pre-teenage girls, but beginning in the 1990s, the brand found commercial success among teenage and adult consumers as well. Hello Kitty's popularity also grew with
1808-565: A result, due to popular demand, standard merchandise started re-appearing beginning in February 1997 featuring the original red hood. Items with the pink hood were re-released in 1999; as of 2000, there were items released with multiple color hoods. On April 3, 2005, an anime series based on My Melody and her friends and produced by Studio Comet started to air on TV Osaka and TV Tokyo television stations, called Onegai My Melody (おねがいマイメロディ), which aired from 2005 to 2008. This anime also spawned
1921-476: A scene early in the book, Alice plays with a cat she calls Kitty . Sanrio's motto is "social communication", and Tsuji wanted the brand name to reflect that by including a greeting. He first considered "Hi Kitty" before finally settling on "Hello Kitty", her current name. Sanrio decided to make Hello Kitty British because foreign countries, in particular Britain, were trendy in Japan at the time of Hello Kitty's creation. Sanrio already had several characters set in
2034-592: A short time, Osamu Tezuka 's baby unicorn character Unico , who starred in two feature-length anime movies in the early 1980s, was also part of the Sanrio's lineup; however, the rights to Unico shifted to Osamu Tezuka's own company after Tezuka's death in 1989. In late 2003, Sanrio won the "Top Brand with a Conscience" award from the Medinge Group of Sweden for its communication principles. The company has partnered with UNICEF since 1984. In 2006, Sanrio launched Sanrio Digital together with Typhoon Games to expand to
2147-429: A song called " Hello Kitty " for her fifth studio album, Avril Lavigne , released in 2013. The Hello Kitty Stratocaster guitar, originally released in 2005, was initially aimed at pre-teen girls, but has since been used by notable guitarists including Krist Novoselic , Courtney Love , Dave Navarro , and Lisa Loeb . In 2022, vintage Hello Kitty Stratocasters were among the most popular musical instruments sold on
2260-524: A sweet and lively girl who makes strawberry jam and likes cookies. Sanrio's profiles say her birthday is January 5 and that her real name is Trish, but she is called Button Nose because her nose is small and round. The original design for Button Nose was created by Masayo Hirose ( 広瀬昌代 ) and the character was introduced in 1978. In 1983 Sanrio built the Strawberry House ( ja:いちごのお家 ) store in Tokyo. The store
2373-555: A symbol of friendship, which they hope she will foster between people across the world. There has been speculation that Hello Kitty has her origins in Maneki Neko , a traditional Japanese cat figurine. The name "Hello Kitty" is a back-translation of Maneki Neko , meaning "beckoning cat" in English. Despite this, no definitive statement supports that speculation. Hello Kitty has also instead been put forth as an early example of mukokuseki ,
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#17330862698082486-588: A video game for the Nintendo DS titled Onegai My Melody: Yume no Kuni no Daibouken (おねがいマイメロディ～夢の国の大冒険～). The game relies heavily on a feature of the Nintendo DS console which requires the player to blow air into the microphone of the unit. The player guides My Melody through timed levels by jumping and using her umbrella to float around and avoid enemies. The game also features unlockable content as well, such as music, images, and mini-games. My Melody also appears in
2599-401: A vinyl coin purse, was introduced in 1975. Official character profiles list Hello Kitty's full name as Kitty White ( キティ・ホワイト , Kiti Howaito ) , born in the suburbs of London, England , on November 1. Her height is described as five apples and her weight as three apples. She is depicted as a bright and kind-hearted girl who is good at baking cookies and likes to play the piano. Hello Kitty
2712-416: A yellow one on her right. Their papa George is described as dependable, humorous but also absent-minded. Their mama Mary is portrayed as a good cook who loves doing housework. Grandpa Anthony likes to tell stories and grandma Margaret likes sewing. In addition to family, Hello Kitty is also depicted with several animal friends, including the mice Joey and Judy, the bears Tippy and Thomas, the raccoon Tracy and
2825-598: Is Hello Kitty , a cartoon cat and one of the most successful marketing brands in the world. Sanrio's mission and vision statements are "everyone getting along together" and "One World, Connecting Smiles". Besides selling character goods, Sanrio takes part in film production and publishing. They own the rights to the Mr. Men characters and Japanese licensing rights to the Peanuts characters. Their animatronics branch, called Kokoro Company, Ltd. ( kokoro being Japanese for 'heart')
2938-415: Is November 8. Hello Kitty ( ハローキティ , Harō Kiti ) is the best-known of Sanrio's characters. She is depicted as a white cat with a red bow and no visible mouth. The original design for Hello Kitty was created by Yuko Shimizu in 1974. However, the lead designer in charge of creating new design themes for most of Hello Kitty's history, since 1980, has been Yuko Yamaguchi . The first Hello Kitty item,
3051-408: Is a gijinka , an anthropomorphism or personification of a Japanese Bobtail cat . Official character profiles list her full name as Kitty White ( キティ・ホワイト , Kiti Howaito ) , born in the suburbs of London, England , on November 1. Her height is described as five apples and her weight as three apples. She is portrayed as a bright and kind-hearted girl, very close to her twin sister Mimmy. She
3164-480: Is a copy of Miffy, being rendered in a similar style. He stated disapprovingly in an interview for the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph : "That" [...] "is a copy [of Miffy], I think. I don't like that at all. I always think, 'No, don't do that. Try to make something that you think of yourself'." Mercis, the firm that managed copyrights for Bruna, took Sanrio to court over their Hello Kitty-associated character Cathy,
3277-416: Is a humanoid character with a large red strawberry for a head. He was created as an alter-ego for Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji , and has the same birthday as him, December 7. Official character bios describe him as "the king of the beautiful and peaceful Strawberry Kingdom" who "spends his days bringing messages of peace and friendship to all". The Strawberry King rarely appears on merchandise. But every month
3390-438: Is a male penguin character drawn with spiky hair. Designed by Hisato Inoue ( ja:井上・ヒサト ) who also designed Hangyodon . In Japanese, "badtz" ( batsu ) is a term for "X", the cross signifying a wrong answer. "Maru" means circle or "O", and signifies a right answer. Thus, his name figuratively means "wrong-right", and is frequently represented by "XO". Badtz-Maru is depicted with many different facial expressions and poses, but
3503-478: Is a monkey character drawn with a curly tail and prominent round eyes. According to official character profiles his birthday is January 13 and his full name is Oyama No Monkichi, which translates to "Monkichi of the Mountains". He is portrayed as a happy character who likes jokes and poems and wants to become a comedian or a poet. An animated OVA called Osaru no Monkichi no Kin no Ono Gin no Ono ( おさるのもんきちの金の斧銀の斧 )
List of Sanrio characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-475: Is a pink pig character who is sometimes drawn wearing a green scarf. According to official character profiles his birthday is February 4 and he lives in France with a mouse friend called Tabby. He is sometimes depicted with a sketchy look. Zashikibuta was number one in the first ever Sanrio Character Rankings in 1986. Hangyodon ( ja:ハンギョドン , Hangyodon ) is a fish character who according his fictional biography
3729-493: Is a plump blue penguin character who is drawn wearing a bow-tie and a sailor hat. According to official character profiles he was born on May 12 in Antarctica. In 2010 The New York Times described this character as "moderately successful" in terms of popularity but showing no signs of reaching the global popularity of Hello Kitty. My Sweet Piano ( マイスウィートピアノ , Mai Sūīto Piano ) is a spinoff character from My Melody . She
3842-492: Is alleged to be drawn in a similar style to the rabbit Miffy . On August 26, 2010, Mercis BV, representing Miffy's creator Dick Bruna brought suit against Sanrio. They claimed that one of Hello Kitty's companion characters, a rabbit named Cathy, infringes on the copyright and trademark of Miffy. On November 2, 2010, a Dutch court ruled against Sanrio and ordered the company to stop marketing Cathy products in Belgium, Luxembourg, and
3955-580: Is also when their hair colors settled into being predominantly blue and pink. In the 90s their faces were modernized, and designs were rendered in 3D CGI , and in the 00s there was a retro return to the styles of the 70s and 80s. In 2015, EVA Air introduced a special livery Boeing 777-300ER , "Shining Stars", dedicated to the characters. The plane is mainly used on routes from Taipei to Houston and Singapore . Little Twin Stars have previously been included in video games with other Sanrio characters, but in 2018
4068-581: Is best known for the Actroid android . The company also runs a franchise of KFC in Saitama Prefecture . Shintaro Tsuji founded Sanrio on August 10, 1960, then known as the Yamanashi Silk Company using ¥ 1,000,000 in capital. In 1962, Tsuji expanded his enterprise from silk to rubber sandals with flowers painted on them. Tsuji noticed his success gained by merely adding a cute design to
4181-410: Is created by Toshiki Inoue and Shakua Sinkai and updates once a month. Ichigoman first appeared in 2011 in an exhibition with Yuko Yamaguchi 's art. Hello Kitty has her own branded album, Hello World , featuring Hello Kitty-inspired songs performed by a collection of artists including Keke Palmer , Cori Yarckin , and Ainjel Emme under Hello Kitty's Lakeshore Records record label. Hello Kitty
4294-439: Is depicted as a pink female sheep who is gentle and pampered and loves to talk and hang out with My Melody. She was introduced in 1980 as a friend of My Melody. She was originally known as "Hitsuji-san", which roughly translates to "Miss Sheep". Sanrio asked readers of its monthly Strawberry Newspaper ( ja:いちご新聞 ) to suggest a name for her, and the selection of the name "Piano" was announced in 2005. The first solo merchandise with
4407-424: Is depicted as always wearing a bright red or pink hood that covers her ears. According to official character profiles, her birthday is January 18 and she lives in the forest of Mariland with friends like My Sweet Piano (a sheep), and Flat (a mouse). When My Melody debuted, she was portrayed as Little Red Riding Hood. My Melody can be found on children's toys and merchandise (from jewelry to household items). My Melody
4520-508: Is drawn as a white dog with black floppy ears, but no visible mouth. Pochacco's name means pocha pocha (chubby). Per official character profiles he was born in Fuwafuwa Town on February 29 in a leap year . He is often portrayed dressed in athletic attire, with a sporty and playful personality. He was designed by Minoru Onoue (おのうえ稔), who also designed several other Sanrio characters, including The Vaudeville Duo and Picke Bicke . When Pochacco
4633-528: Is given a different hood where her ears are dropped down and wears either a bonnet or a flower pin and sometimes depicted with eyelashes. Sanrio Puroland honored the 40th anniversary of the character by creating an indoor ride called "My Melody Drive" where visitors are visiting Mariland and encounter My Melody and her friends including Kuromi who attempts to ruin her day. My Melody is also seen in collaboration merchandise with other non-Sanrio series, such as one with Sailor Moon in 2017. In 2019, My Melody became
List of Sanrio characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-430: Is good at baking cookies and loves her mama's homemade apple pie. She likes to play the piano and collect cute things, and her favorite subjects in school are English, music, and art. Hello Kitty is portrayed with a large family with the surname White . Her twin sister Mimmy is described as "shy and very girly", interested in sewing and dreaming of marriage. While Hello Kitty wears a red bow on her left ear, Mimmy wears
4859-407: Is portrayed with a large family including her twin sister Mimmy, who wears a yellow bow, papa George and mama Mary. Originally Hello Kitty was only marketed towards pre-teenage girls, but beginning in the 1990s, the brand found commercial success among teenage and adult consumers as well. The brand went into decline in Japan after the 1990s, but continued to grow in the international market. By 2010
4972-514: Is shaped like a strawberry and was based on the fictional home of Button Nose. It was originally planned to be in place for a limited time, but due to positive customer response the store remained in operation until 2011. The anime series Button Nose , which began in 1985, was the first television anime series produced by Sanrio. The series places Button Nose in a fairy tale and science fiction setting, where she turns out to be descended from royalty. Tuxedo Sam ( ja:タキシードサム , Takishīdosamu )
5085-584: The Hello Kitty Dreamcast , Hello Kitty Game Boy Pocket, and Hello Kitty Crystal Xbox have also been released exclusively in Japan. Hello Kitty appeared as a guest character in Sega 's Sonic Dash in 2016, as part of Sega's partnership with Sanrio. Hello Kitty and My Melody (another Sanrio character) appeared together in Super Mario Maker as unlockable Mystery Mushroom costumes. Hello Kitty appears as
5198-596: The Cathy character, and the two firms jointly donated €150,000 for reconstruction after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami . As of 2014, 90% of the profits from Hello Kitty came from licensing of products for the international market. She has been particularly popular in other Asian countries for decades, such as in China, where her cultural impact is comparable to that of Barbie in the Western world. In 2008, Japan named Hello Kitty
5311-561: The Character Databank popularity chart. In a 2010 survey, she was in third place behind Anpanman and Pikachu from Pokémon . In 2010, The New York Times attributed the character's relative decline in Japan to her biography not being "compelling enough to draw many fans." The newspaper later wrote that analysts called the characterization "weak", and that Hello Kitty not having a mouth has dampened her success as an animated TV character. According to Character Databank, Hello Kitty
5424-858: The Hello Kitty Stratocaster electric guitar (since 2005, with Fender , under its Squier sub-brand, in the US) and an Airbus A330-200 commercial passenger jet airliner, dubbed the Hello Kitty Jet (2005–2009, with EVA Airways in Taiwan). In late 2011 and early 2012, EVA Air revived their "Hello Kitty Jets" with their three new A330-300s . However, due to high demand, the airline added two more alongside their existing A330-200s in mid-2012. A year later, EVA Air introduced one of their 777-300ERs as another Hello Kitty Jet, which featured other Sanrio characters as well as Hello Kitty. In 2009, Hello Kitty entered
5537-723: The Hello Kitty characters. Another restaurant called the Hello Kitty Diner opened in the Chatswood area of Sydney , Australia, and a Hello Kitty dim sum restaurant opened in Kowloon, Hong Kong . In 2008, a Hello Kitty-themed maternity hospital opened in Yuanlin, Taiwan . Hello Kitty is featured on the receiving blankets , room decor, bed linens, birth certificate covers, and nurses' uniforms. The hospital's owner explained that he hoped that
5650-935: The Indonesian theme park Dufan to introduce Hello Kitty Adventure, a cinema based attraction. Hello Kitty cafés have opened around the world, including in Seoul and other locations in South Korea; Bangkok, Thailand ; Adelaide, Australia ; Irvine, California ; the Santa Anita Mall in California, and the Park MGM in Las Vegas, Nevada . There is a themed restaurant named Hello Kitty Sweets in Taipei , Taiwan, which opened in 2008. The restaurant's decor and many of its dishes are patterned after
5763-565: The Internet, online games , and mobile services. Beginning with Jewelpet in 2008, Sanrio started collaborating with Sega Toys in creating characters intended to become media franchises. Subsequent collaborations include Rilu Rilu Fairilu from 2016 and Beatcats from 2020. 2010 was Sanrio's 50th anniversary. In conjunction with this, Build-A-Bear Workshop released limited edition stuffed toys of several Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty, Chococat, My Melody and Keroppi. Hello Kitty
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#17330862698085876-503: The Netherlands. Following the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Sanrio and Mercis reached an out-of-court settlement on June 7, 2011, for Sanrio to halt production worldwide of merchandise that feature Cathy. They also jointly announced a €150,000 donation to earthquake victims. In December 2011, Sanrio Global acquired the rights to the Mr. Men characters, which includes
5989-571: The Sanrio Digital and Dream Cortex series, The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends . She, however, is mouthless there, and her rival Kuromi doesn't make an appearance. In 2007, a second game was released for the Nintendo DS, titled My Melody Angel Book ~Denshitechou & Enjoy Game~ (マイメロディエンジェルブック～電子手帳&エンジョイゲーム～). The game's primary function is as a day planner designed for young girls to keep track of appointments, class schedules, and mini diary entries. On March 1, 2008, Mattel released
6102-607: The US, and it wanted Hello Kitty to be different. In 1976 Setsuko Yonekubo temporarily took over as lead designer for Hello Kitty, after Shimizu left Sanrio. In 1980 Yuko Yamaguchi became lead designer and has remained in charge since. Yamaguchi has said that fashion, movies, and TV inspire her in creating new designs. New series involving Hello Kitty with different themed designs are released regularly, following current trends. Spokespeople for Sanrio have said that Hello Kitty has no mouth, as they want people to "project their feelings onto
6215-512: The United States, Hello Kitty is recognized by more than 80% of young adults in the 18–23 age group, as of 2016 . In 2014 a four-day convention, Hello Kitty Con in Los Angeles , attracted over 25,000 visitors. The convention was held in celebration of Hello Kitty's 40th anniversary. Sanrio's Puroland Tokyo theme park also held a celebration spanning several days in November 2014. Hello Kitty
6328-559: The Western Hemisphere, Sanrio character-branded products are sold in upwards of 13,000 locations including department, specialty, and national chain stores and over 85 Sanrio boutiques. In April 2010, the first and only Sanrio-licensed eatery (Sanrio Cafe) in the U.S. opened at Pearlridge 's Downtown phase in Aiea, Hawaii . In 2004, Sanrio Co. Ltd., expanded its license to one of its major licensee and plush suppliers Nakajima USA to include
6441-441: The ambassador of Japanese tourism in both China and Hong Kong, marking the first time Japan's tourism ministry had appointed a fictional character to the role. Sharon Kinsella, a lecturer at Oxford University on Japanese sociology, called the selection of Hello Kitty "a bit farcical ... as if a dumbed-down cultural icon ... can somehow do something significant to alter the gnarly and difficult state of China–Japan relations ." In
6554-758: The annual Sanrio Character Ranking poll where fans can vote on their favorite characters. It began in the Strawberry Newspaper ( ja:いちご新聞 ) published by Sanrio in Japan, but now voting also takes place online. Besides their own original characters, Sanrio also owns the rights to the Mr. Men characters and Japanese licensing rights to the Peanuts characters. From 1977 to 1985, Sanrio produced movies through their Sanrio Films label. After A Journey Through Fairyland, Sanrio switched gears and started doing short films, OVAs, and TV shows based on their characters. In 2006, Sanrio announced they are again going to do feature-length films. Sanrio began its involvement in
6667-426: The annual Sanrio Character Ranking poll where fans can vote on their favorite characters. It began in the Strawberry Newspaper ( ja:いちご新聞 ) published by Sanrio in Japan, but now voting also takes place online. Besides their own original characters listed here, Sanrio also owns the rights to the Mr. Men characters and Japanese licensing rights to the Peanuts characters. The characters listed here are shown with
6780-512: The artist. As of April 2010, the Wind-Up Hello Kitty sculpture is still on display at Lever House. Although Sachs did not seek permission to use the character in his work, a brand marketing manager for Sanrio was quoted as saying "You know, there was Marilyn Monroe and Andy Warhol , and then Michael Jackson and Jeff Koons . When you're an icon, that's what happens." In 2013 The Wall Street Journal said Sanrio's attitude to copyright
6893-714: The artwork, which received backlash from Catholic organizations for its misuse of Christian symbolism. In 2009, Tom Sachs' Bronze Collection was shown at the Public art space in Manhattan's Lever House , as well as in the Baldwin Gallery in Aspen, Colorado , and the Trocadéro in Paris . The collection featured white bronze casts of a foam core Hello Kitty sculpture – a style distinctive to
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#17330862698087006-738: The best known of which is the white cat character Hello Kitty from 1974. Other well-known characters include the pink rabbit My Melody from 1975, the frog Keroppi from 1988, the penguin Bad Badtz-Maru from 1993, the white dog Cinnamoroll from 2001, the black rabbit Kuromi from 2005, the animal series Jewelpet from 2008, the egg character Gudetama from 2013, and the red panda Aggressive Retsuko from 2015. Notable designers of Sanrio characters include Yuko Shimizu , original designer of Hello Kitty, Yuko Yamaguchi , lead designer for most of Hello Kitty's history and Miyuki Okumura , original designer of Cinnamoroll. Since 1986 Sanrio has held
7119-557: The character over the years and as of 2008 there were over 50,000 different Hello Kitty branded products. Aside from the core Hello Kitty characters, several spinoff characters have been created: Hello Kitty's boyfriend Dear Daniel in 1999, Charmmy Kitty , Hello Kitty's pet cat, and Sugar, her pet hamster, both in 2004, and her superhero alter-ego Ichigoman in 2011. Little Twin Stars ( ja:リトルツインスターズ , Ritoru Tsuin Sutāzu ) also known as Kikilala ( キキララ , kikirara ) in Japan are
7232-461: The character to Mickey Mouse : "No one would mistake the Disney character for a human–but at the same time he's not quite a mouse. Just like Hello Kitty isn't a human, she's not quite a cat either." Sanrio stated further, "Hello Kitty was done in the motif of a cat. It's going too far to say that Hello Kitty is not a cat." There have been several different animated series starring Hello Kitty. The first
7345-424: The character under the full name "My Sweet Piano" was released in 2008. As of 2019 Piano was a meetable character at Sanrio Puroland . Piano started out as a supporting character in the 2005 anime series Onegai My Melody where she only spoke by baaing and bleating. She is voiced by Junko Takeuchi in the series. Piano also appears in the 2020 web series Hello Kitty and Friends: Supercute Adventures where she's
7458-484: The character was worth $ 5 billion a year and The New York Times called her a "global marketing phenomenon". By 2014, when Hello Kitty was 40 years old, she was worth about $ 8 billion a year. UNICEF has appointed Hello Kitty children's ambassador and the Japanese government appointed her ambassador of tourism. The Hello Kitty media franchise has grown to include several animated series , video games and other media productions . A variety of products have featured
7571-418: The character" and "be happy or sad together with Hello Kitty." Another explanation Sanrio has given for Hello Kitty's lack of a mouth is that she "speaks from the heart. She's Sanrio's ambassador to the world and isn't bound to any particular language." However, Yuko Yamaguchi has also said that "Kitty has a mouth" that is "hidden in the fur". Representatives for Sanrio have said that they see Hello Kitty as
7684-546: The character, called Tabo no Kotoba ( たあ坊のことば , Tābō no kotoba ) , has according to Sanrio sold over 500 000 copies in Japan. The first book in the series, Minna No Tabo's Sai Kon Tan (今も昔も大切な100のことば みんなのたあ坊の菜根譚) by Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji is based on the 16th century Chinese compilation of aphorisms Saikontan by Hong Zicheng . Minna no Tabo placed first in the Sanrio Character Rankings in 1988 and 1989. Zashikibuta ( ja:ザシキブタ , Zashikibuta )
7797-788: The characters include clothing, accessories, toys and stationery . The characters subsequently appeared in media such as books, animation and video games. Beginning with Jewelpet in 2008, Sanrio started collaborating with Sega Toys in creating characters intended to become media franchises. Notable designers of Sanrio characters include Yuko Shimizu , original designer of Hello Kitty, Yuko Yamaguchi , lead designer for most of Hello Kitty's history and Miyuki Okumura , original designer of Cinnamoroll . Sanrio hosts two theme parks in Japan featuring their characters, Sanrio Puroland in Tama, Tokyo , and Harmonyland in Hiji , Ōita , Kyūshū . Since 1986 Sanrio has held
7910-454: The characters wearing warm coats and winter scarves, before Matsumoto settled on stars as the motif. Because they came from the sky, she gave them white angel style clothes. In their first publication the characters were unnamed, and their names originate from a survey in the Strawberry Newspaper ( ja:いちご新聞 ) where readers could send in their suggestions. Early Little Twin Stars branded products, like those for other similar Sanrio characters of
8023-534: The company's former name, has an alternative on'yomi reading of Sanri . The remaining o was added from the ou ( オウ ) sound people make when they are excited. The company's European website gives another origin of the name, saying the name comes from the Spanish words san ('holy') and río ('river'). Tsuji hired his own designers to create characters for Sanrio, so as to not have to pay outside royalty fees . The first original Sanrio character, Coro Chan ,
8136-442: The early 1990s under the name Character Soft . Hello Kitty#Media Hello Kitty ( Japanese : ハロー・キティ , Hepburn : Harō Kiti ) , also known by her real name Kitty White ( キティ・ホワイト , Kiti Howaito ) , is a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu , currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi , and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio . Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as a British anthropomorphized white cat with
8249-804: The emergence of kawaii (cute) culture. The brand went into decline in Japan after the 1990s, but continued to grow in the international market. By 2010 the character was worth $ 5 billion a year and The New York Times called her a "global marketing phenomenon". She did about $ 8 billion at retail in 2013. UNICEF has appointed Hello Kitty children's ambassador and the Japanese government appointed her ambassador of tourism. There are Sanrio theme parks based on Hello Kitty: Harmonyland in Hiji, Ōita , Japan, Sanrio Puroland in Tama New Town , Tokyo , Japan, and Hello Kitty Shanghai Times in Shanghai , China. The Hello Kitty media franchise has grown to include
8362-413: The emergence of kawaii culture, which embraces cuteness. UNICEF named Hello Kitty as children's ambassador to the United States in 1983, children's ambassador in Japan in 1994, and gave her the title of UNICEF Special Friend of Children in 2004, a title unique to her. Originally, Hello Kitty was only marketed towards a child and preteen audience. In the 1990s, the target market for Hello Kitty
8475-506: The era, were items marketed to young girls, like stationery and accessories. In the late 70s Sanrio also began publishing picture books with Kiki and Lala, illustrated by Matsumoto and others. Since the inception of the Little Twin Stars, new designs have continually been created, following trends of the times. In the original 70s designs Kiki's hair was brown and Lala's yellow. In the 80s the designs became more pastel colored, and this
8588-407: The first mobile game app featuring them exclusively was released for iOS and Android . Titled Kiki & Lala's Twinkle Puzzle ( キキ&ララのトゥインクルパズル ) it is a tile matching puzzle game and was developed by Imagineer . It incorporates illustrations from a 70s picture book with the origin story of the characters. My Melody ( ja:マイメロディ , Mai Merodī ) is a white rabbit character. She
8701-415: The first time in 34 years, placing at number 8. Kerokerokeroppi ( ja:けろけろけろっぴ ) also known as Keroppi Hasunoue ( はすの上 けろっぴ , Hasunoue Keroppi ) is a frog character with large eyes and a V-shaped mouth. "Kero" means "frog's croak" and "Hasunoue" means "on a lily pad". Keroppi is portrayed with a large family and many friends who are frogs. He is also friends with Denden, a snail, and Teruteru,
8814-546: The games are: Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue , Hello Kitty: Birthday Adventures , and Hello Kitty Seasons . Hello Kitty Island Adventure (2023) is a new Sanrio game created for IOS platforms and is only available through the Apple Arcade subscription. Sanrio publishes many books featuring its own characters. It also publishes art books (for instance, those by Keibun Ōta ). Sanrio publishes books in many languages, including Japanese and English. Sanrio published video games in
8927-412: The global popularity of Hello Kitty. My Melody was number one in the Sanrio Character Rankings in 2010 and 2011. In 2019 she was Sanrio's second most profitable character, after Hello Kitty . Spinoff characters from My Melody include My Sweet Piano , one of her closest companions, Kuromi , her rival, and Little Forest Fellow , a relative. The Strawberry King ( ja:いちごの王さま , Ichigo no ōsama )
9040-422: The late 1990s. At that time, several celebrities, such as Mariah Carey , had adopted Hello Kitty as a fashion statement. New products featuring the character were made available in a large variety of American department stores . Hello Kitty's popularity in Japan peaked in the late 1990s when she was the country's top-grossing character. In 2002, Hello Kitty lost her place as the top-grossing character in Japan in
9153-406: The marketplace Reverb.com . While it originally retailed for $ 230, some re-sold for over $ 1,000. In 2022, Saturday Night Live aired a sketch parodying Hello Kitty's backstory (described by The A.V. Club as "incongruous, corporate-sanctioned") and Sanrio's handling of it. The sketch centers on managers at a fictional Hello Kitty store. They describe the character in contradictory terms as
9266-436: The name Kiss Hello Kitty (that paired animated versions of the members of the rock band KISS with Hello Kitty) was announced in March 2013. Produced by Gene Simmons , this show was supposed to air on The Hub Network (now Discovery Family ), but it never came to fruition. Hello Kitty's Paradise [ ja ] was a long-running live-action children's program that aired on TXN from January 1999 to March 2011. It
9379-534: The newest 2D animated Hello Kitty series Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures on YouTube on 26 October 2020. Hello Kitty had two Japanese comic series serialized in Ribon , a shōjo manga magazine - Hello Kitty Doki (ran from May 2007 to April 2008) and Hello Kitty Peace (released in June 2008). In March 2016, Sanrio launched a webcomic featuring Hello Kitty as a strawberry -themed superhero called Ichigoman ( ichigo meaning strawberry). The webcomic
9492-404: The owning and operating of all Sanrio branded stores in the US, overseeing the relationships between individual licensed stores and supplying all categories of products for the retail stores in the US and wholesale accounts. Sanrio hosts two theme parks in Japan, Sanrio Puroland in Tama, Tokyo , and Harmonyland in Hiji , Ōita , Kyūshū . Sanrio has created over 450 characters as of 2022,
9605-466: The production of TV and direct-to-video animation during the late 1980s and early 1990s, starting with the US-made Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater in 1987. The character My Melody got her first starring role in an animated series in the anime television series, Onegai My Melody , which first aired on TV Osaka on April 3, 2005, and was produced by Studio Comet . The Sugarbunnies franchise
9718-471: The profits gained by adding a cute design to the shoes and hired cartoonists to design cute characters for his merchandise. Hello Kitty was designed by Yuko Shimizu and was added to the lineup of early Sanrio characters in 1974. Hello Kitty was initially known only as "the white kitten with no name" ( 名前のない白い子猫 ) . Shimizu got the name Kitty from Lewis Carroll 's Through the Looking-Glass ; during
9831-543: The sandals. He began using existing cartoon characters for his merchandise. In the late 1960s the company began producing goods with the dog character Snoopy , from the American comic strip Peanuts , after acquiring the Japanese licensing rights. In 1973 the company was officially established under the name Sanrio. In the book Kore ga Sanrio no Himitsu Desu ( これがサンリオの秘密です ) or These are Sanrio's Secrets Tsuji, Sanrio's founder, said that Yamanashi ( 山梨 ) , part of
9944-534: The scene, the Virgin Mary was replaced by Madonna with an open Chanel bra, the three Kings were all Bart Simpson , the stable was marked by a McDonald's logo, and the Christ Child was replaced by Hello Kitty. This contemporary revision of the nativity scene demonstrated Sachs' interest in the phenomena of consumerism , branding, and the cultural fetishization of products. Many audiences instead took offense to
10057-471: The song seven years prior. There are numerous Hello Kitty games starting with the release of the first title for Famicom in 1992; however, the majority of these games were never released outside of Japan. Hello Kitty also has made cameo appearances in games featuring other Sanrio characters, such as the Keroppi game, Kero Kero Keroppi no Bōken Nikki: Nemureru Mori no Keroleen . Special-edition consoles such as
10170-477: The squirrel Rorry. Aside from the core Hello Kitty characters, several spinoff characters have been created: Hello Kitty's boyfriend Dear Daniel in 1999, Charmmy Kitty , Hello Kitty's pet cat, and Sugar, her pet hamster, both in 2004, and her superhero alter-ego Ichigoman in 2011. SFGATE said in 2004 that in light of the level of success of Hello Kitty, her fictional biography "seems almost too modest – or irrelevant" and "doesn't seem to have played much of
10283-489: The subsidiary Mr Men Films Ltd, taking over Chorion 's THOIP company. In 2019 the European Commission fined Sanrio 6.2 million euros (approx. 6.9 million US dollars) for blocking cross-border sales of its licensed products. In June 2020, it was announced that the company's founder and president, Shintaro Tsuji would step down from the role and hand control of the company to his grandson, Tomokuni Tsuji. Tomokuni
10396-497: The theme would help ease the stress of childbirth. Dr. Martens collaborated with Hello Kitty in 2010 and 2020. The 2020 collaboration includes platform boots, platform sandals as well as a satchel. Forever 21 collaborated with Hello Kitty on clothing collections several times, the first one in 2011. In 2018, Puma collaborated with Hello Kitty to create a collection which features sneakers for both children and adults. Also in 2018, Converse collaborated with Sanrio to create
10509-543: The wine market with a collection of four wines available for purchase online, continuing the expansion of product lines targeted at older audiences. Hello Kitty is included as part of the Sanrio livery at the Japanese theme parks Harmonyland and Sanrio Puroland . The Hello Kitty Shanghai Times theme park in Shanghai , China opened in 2019. A theme park called Hello Kitty Town existed in Iskandar Puteri , Johor , Malaysia from 2012 to 2019. In 2014, Sanrio partnered with
10622-628: The year in which they first appeared. Coro Chan ( コロちゃん , Korochan ) is the first original Sanrio character. Introduced in 1973, he is portrayed as a gentle and laid-back bear. Designed by Yuko Shimizu who is also the original designer of Hello Kitty . According to Sanrio's backstory, Coro Chan is a cousin of Hello Kitty's bear friend Thomas. His name comes from the croquettes on his cheeks, which he might eat when he gets hungry. Per official profiles, he lives in Windermere in England and his birthday
10735-488: Was Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater , an animated television series with 13 22-minute episodes that premiered in 1987. The next, an OVA titled Hello Kitty and Friends , spanned 30 entries originally released in Japan between 1989 and 1994. Hello Kitty's Paradise came out in 1999 and was 16 episodes long. Hello Kitty's Stump Village came out in 2005, and The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends came out in 2008 and has aired 52 episodes. A crossover series under
10848-713: Was " laissez-faire " compared to companies like Disney , and that they have let artists use Hello Kitty's likeness without interfering. In 2015, a nine-foot tall pearlescent Hello Kitty sculpture by artist Sebastian Masuda was exhibited at the Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza in New York City , as part of the Japan Society's exhibition: Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection . Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne wrote and recorded
10961-407: Was also chosen by AH Software to be the basis of the new Vocaloid Nekomura Iroha ( 猫村いろは , Nekomura Iroha ) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sanrio. Musician Yoshiki unveiled the Hello Kitty theme song "Hello Hello" in November 2014 at the first Hello Kitty Con. Yoshiki, who was the first celebrity to have his own Hello Kitty doll, "Yoshikitty", was approached by Yamaguchi to compose
11074-411: Was born on March 14 in China. He is depicted as a character who likes joking around but also feels lonely, and whose plans of heroism often go awry. Designed by Hisato Inoue ( ja:井上・ヒサト ) who also designed Bad Badtz-Maru . Hangyodon is one of the members of Hapidanbui , a group Sanrio created in 2020 to promote older characters. In 2022 Hangyodon entered the top 10 of the Sanrio character rankings for
11187-435: Was broadened to include teenagers and adults as a retro brand . Marketing to those who could not get Hello Kitty merchandise as children, and those who fondly remember items they had, Sanrio began selling Hello Kitty branded products such as purses and laptops. The 1994–1996 Face series was the first to be designed specifically for mature consumers. The Hello Kitty brand rose to greater prominence internationally during
11300-411: Was first released he was not drawn wearing clothes and his behavior was more dog-like. His popularity increased after the design was changed to show him wearing shirts. Pochacco was number one in the Sanrio Character Rankings from 1991 to 1995. Pekkle ( あひるのペックル , Ahiru no Pekkle ) is a duck. He is a small white duck with a blue T-shirt with the letter P on it. Pekkle's birthday is July 27 and he
11413-643: Was first released in 1975 and the first related merchandise was released at the end of that year. At first, she mainly was marketed toward young girls, but like Hello Kitty her popularity has increased among women and men of all ages, especially in Asia . In the late 1980s, My Melody's popularity waned, and the only items produced were stationery and candy. According to a reader survey published in Strawberry News (a magazine published by Sanrio) in 1996, My Melody came out amongst some of Sanrio's most popular characters and as
11526-550: Was first released in 1989. Pekkle appeared in four OVAs in the early 1990s. Spottie Dottie ( スポッティドッティ , Supotti Dotti ) is a Dalmatian dog character. Official profiles say she was born March 21, lives in New York City, likes fashion and is friends with a cat named Sassy. In 2010 The New York Times described Spottie Dottie and the character Pandapple as "flops" for the Sanrio corporation in terms of popularity. Monkichi ( ja:おさるのもんきち , Osaru no Monkichi )
11639-456: Was introduced in 1973. Hello Kitty was added to the lineup of early Sanrio characters in 1974 and the first related merchandise was released the following year. The popular feline whose mouth is usually invisible has had both peaks and drops in sales over the years but always has been the highest contributor to Sanrio's sales. Sanrio constantly adds new characters to its lineup. Specific characters are rotated in and out of active production. For
11752-524: Was just 31 at the time, making him the youngest chief executive of a listed Japanese company. Shintaro Tsuji ran the company for 60 years. Sanrio Inc. is Sanrio's American subsidiary. Sanrio Inc. has offices in South San Francisco, California , and Torrance, California . Sanrio's first Western Hemisphere store opened in San Jose 's Eastridge Mall . In 2008, Sanrio opened its high-end boutique called Sanrio Luxe in New York City's Times Square . In
11865-446: Was later adapted into a 7-minute short series in 2007 and was popular enough to gain two sequels. Jewelpet was also adapted into an anime metaseries in 2009, which was also produced by Studio Comet, spanning 6 official seasons and one theatrical movie, making it the longest-running anime adaptation of a Sanrio franchise in history. Show by Rock!! , a game by Sanrio and Geechs got an anime adaptation produced by Bones in 2015 - and
11978-416: Was licensed in the United States by Funimation . Aggretsuko also get three animated adaptations by Fanworks, one aired on TBS and the later two were released officially on Netflix . A few children's variety shows by Sanrio aired on TV Tokyo. Sanrio Digital produces and publishes digital content based on Sanrio intellectual property assets like Hello Kitty, My Melody, Badtz Maru and many others. Among
12091-727: Was number one in the Sanrio Character Rankings in 1990. Keroppi has appeared in video games, including Kero Kero Keroppi no Bouken Nikki , Kero Kero Keroppi no Daibouken , and Sanrio World Smash Ball! . He has also appeared in several animated series. In Japanese, Keroppi was voiced by Yoshiko Matsuo. In English, he was voiced by Jill Frappier in Keroppi and Friends , Kira Vincent-Davis in Hello Kitty's Animation Theater, Sarah Hauser in The Adventures of Hello Kitty and Friends , and Georgie Kidder in Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures . Pochacco ( ja:ポチャッコ , Pochakko )
12204-523: Was released in 2001. Patapata Peppy ( パタパタペッピー , PataPataPeppī ) is a horned owl character drawn with a sketchy look. He was designed by Matsubayashi Atsushi (松林あつし) who subsequently left Sanrio and started his own studio. Per official character profiles his birthday is August 26 and he was born in the Northern woods. He is often depicted carrying a cherry in his mouth as it is his favourite food. Bad Badtz-Maru ( ja:バッドばつ丸 , Baddo batsu maru )
12317-422: Was released with My Melody wearing the original red hood drawn in various artwork styles by Groovisions. Rei Sakuma has been the regular voice of My Melody in Japan since 1989. My Melody has also been turned into a Pullip doll with two versions; originally released in 2008 and the latest one in 2016. In 2014, Sanrio celebrated the character's 40th Anniversary by creating a special line of merchandise where she
12430-471: Was responsible for half of Sanrio's $ 1 billion net income, and there were over 50,000 different Hello Kitty branded products in more than 60 countries. By 2010 the character was worth $ 5 billion a year and The New York Times called her a "global marketing phenomenon". Worldwide annual sales reached $ 8 billion in 2013. In July 2008, the Dutch artist Dick Bruna , creator of Miffy , alleged that Hello Kitty
12543-950: Was revealed that New Line Cinema would be teaming up alongside Sanrio and Flynn Picture Company for an "English language film based on the venerable kid brand." In 2021, it was reported that Jennifer Coyle and Leo Matsuda had been hired to direct the film with Lindsey Beer set to pen the script. Originally aimed at the pre-adolescent female market, the Hello Kitty product range has expanded from dolls, stickers, greeting cards, board games, clothes, backpacks, lunch boxes, piggy banks, pencils, erasers, accessories, school supplies and stationery to purses, toasters, televisions, other home appliances, massagers, motor oil and computer equipment. These products range from mass market items to high-end consumer products and rare collectibles. As of 2014 , more than 50,000 Hello Kitty product lines were available in over 130 countries. Sanrio and various corporate partners have released Hello Kitty-branded products, including
12656-434: Was the longest-running weekly kids' television program in the network's history. In January 2011, the show's creators mutually agreed to end the series after twelve seasons, with the final episode being broadcast on 29 March 2011. In August 2018, Sanrio began streaming a CGI animated series on YouTube . It features Hello Kitty talking to the camera about her life in the style of vlogging YouTubers. Sanrio began streaming
12769-508: Was the third highest-grossing character in Japan as of 2013. In 2019 and 2020, Character Databank ranked her fifth, and as of 2021 she was out of the top five. Overseas, her global popularity has increased over the years. According to Sanrio, Hello Kitty was appearing on 12,000 new products each year as of 1999. Beginning in 2007, following trends in Japan, Sanrio began using darker designs for Hello Kitty with more black and less pink and pulled away from kawaii styles. By 2008, Hello Kitty
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