Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, apologises and ends a planned commercial tie-up with Netflix TV drama Vivant after backlash in China. Multiple outlets report that Chinese state media and online commentators criticised the show for portraying Chinese characters, including Chinese intelligence, in a negative way.
According to the reporting, Sanrio says it terminated the association because the drama included elements it considered inconsistent with its corporate philosophy or core values, and it acknowledges the controversy in a statement shared on social media. The Financial Times and South China Morning Post describe the episode as caught up in broader Japan–China tensions, while other coverage focuses more directly on the business and branding consequences for Sanrio’s merchandise collaboration.
Across sources, the central facts are the same: Sanrio apologises, ends its merchandise or collaboration deal with Vivant, and points to content it says does not align with its values. Differences are mainly in emphasis—some foreground the geopolitics, others the company’s rationale and the backlash trigger.
