Sanrio, the Japanese company renowned for the Hello Kitty franchise, has officially terminated its commercial partnership with the television drama Vivant. This decision follows a period of intense condemnation from Chinese state media and internet users, who accused the program of executing a "deliberate smear" against China.
The controversy emerged when Chinese state outlets criticized the show’s depiction of Chinese agents, who were portrayed using "ruthless violence" to torture members of a secret Japanese self-defense unit. Chinese media reports specifically drew parallels between these depicted acts and the historical torture methods employed by Japanese troops against Chinese civilians during the second world war. The state-run tabloid Global Times stated that the drama "distorts the truth by attributing these atrocities to modern Chinese characters," noting the scenes "bear striking similarities to the torture inflicted on Chinese nationals by invading Japanese troops" during the conflict. The specific episode, which aired on 4 October, featured a scene where a Chinese agent removes the fingers of a Japanese intelligence officer and stabs him in the abdomen.
In response to the backlash, Sanrio issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to its corporate philosophy of fostering harmony among all people and noting that it has consistently used its characters to convey values of care and connection. The company stated, "We take the feedback we have received regarding this incident very seriously. Moving forward, we will strengthen our review processes for all future collaborative projects."
China represents a significant overseas market for Sanrio, which features characters like My Melody and Cinnamoroll in merchandise themed around the drama. According to reports from Chinese media, the Tokyo-based firm generated 781m yuan ($117m) in the Chinese market during the first half of this year, marking a growth of over 40% compared to the same period in the previous year. The incident follows recent tensions involving other public figures, such as footballer Kylian Mbappé, who was dropped by several Chinese brands after making comments about Mao Zedong.
The diplomatic sensitivity surrounding Japan-China relations remains high, particularly following remarks made last November by Japan’s conservative prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, who suggested that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could necessitate the deployment of Japanese self-defense forces. Takaichi had previously expressed interest in the show, stating earlier this month that she had recorded episodes of Vivant with hopes of watching them during the year-end holidays.
