Sanrio ends Vivant tie-up and apologises after criticism in China
Sanrio, owner of Hello Kitty, ended its collaboration with the Japanese spy drama Vivant after Chinese state media and social media users criticised the series' depiction of Chinese agents. The row comes amid strained China-Japan relations.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 2Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and My Melody, ended its collaboration with the Japanese TV drama Vivant in a statement released late on Wednesday 28 October, after criticism in China. BBC NewsN “Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, has apologised and ended its merchandise partnership with a controversial Japanese TV show after drawing backlash in China.” Read at BBC News ↗ South China Morning PostN “has terminated its planned collaboration with the television drama Vivant following strong public criticism in China.” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ Centre · 2Sanrio said the show contained elements inconsistent with its core values or corporate philosophy, and said it took the feedback very seriously. BBC NewsN “contained elements inconsistent with Sanrio's core values” Read at BBC News ↗ South China Morning PostN “does not align with the Sanrio Group’s corporate philosophy” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ Centre · 1According to the South China Morning Post, Sanrio is also ceasing all related future projects and promotional campaigns, and expressed deep regret for the public concern. South China Morning PostN “along with all related future projects and promotional campaigns” Read at South China Morning Post ↗
Centre · 2The company pledged to strengthen its review processes for future collaborations. BBC NewsN “we will strengthen our review processes for all future collaborative projects” Read at BBC News ↗ South China Morning PostN “pledged to strengthen its internal review mechanisms for all future collaborations” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ Centre · 2Vivant, a spy thriller whose first season aired in 2023 and whose second season premiered in July, has been criticised by Chinese state media including CCTV and by Chinese social media users for scenes in which Chinese agents torture a Japanese operative, reportedly by cutting off fingers and stabbing the abdomen. BBC NewsN “Its second season, which premiered in July, features Chinese agents torturing a Japanese spy by cutting his fingers and stabbing his abdomen.” Read at BBC News ↗ South China Morning PostN “According to CCTV, Vivant’s plotlines include a Chinese intelligence officer cutting off the fingers of Japanese operatives and stabbing them in the abdomen” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ Centre · 2CCTV said these methods resemble those used by Japanese troops against Chinese resistance fighters and that the show distorts the truth and deliberately smears China. BBC NewsN “"highly overlap" with those historically used by Japanese troops against the Chinese, and that the drama "distorts the truth".” Read at BBC News ↗ South China Morning PostN ““extremely similar to the torture inflicted by the invading Japanese army against Chinese resistance fighters”” Read at South China Morning Post ↗
Centre · 1The state-run Global Times said Hello Kitty "should not dance with Japan's right wing" and that Sanrio stood to lose far more than short-term sales by working with "anti-China content". BBC NewsN “should not dance with Japan's right wing” Read at BBC News ↗ Centre · 1China is a critical overseas market for Sanrio, whose China revenue reached 781 million yuan (US$117 million) in the first half of 2026, according to a Global Times report. South China Morning PostN “the company's revenue in China reached 781 million yuan (US$117 million) in the first half of 2026” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ Centre · 1Masamine Ryuho, president of Vivant's broadcaster TBS, said on Wednesday the show was entirely fictional and not intended to disparage any country. BBC NewsN “the show was completely fictional and had no intentions of "disparaging any particular country"” Read at BBC News ↗
Centre · 2The backlash comes as China-Japan ties are at their lowest in years since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's November remarks to parliament that a Taiwan contingency could prompt Japanese military intervention; the BBC lists Chinese pressure including rare earth export limits, curbs on tourism and reclaiming pandas. BBC NewsN “Beijing has since been heaping pressure on Tokyo, from restricting rare earth exports to curbing tourism and even reclaiming its pandas.” Read at BBC News ↗ South China Morning PostN “triggered in November by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion in a speech to parliament that a Taiwan contingency could prompt Japanese military intervention” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ Centre · 1The BBC adds that Takaichi told parliament this month she had recorded Vivant episodes to watch over the year-end holidays, and that several Chinese brands dropped footballer Kylian Mbappé earlier this week over comments about Mao Zedong, for which he has apologised. BBC NewsN “Takaichi told parliament earlier this month that she had recorded episodes of Vivant and planned to watch them over the year-end holidays.”“several Chinese brands dropped French footballer Kylian Mbappé over comments he had made about late Chinese leader Mao Zedong” Read at BBC News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets lead with Sanrio's retreat under Chinese pressure and place it within the China-Japan diplomatic dispute over Taiwan.
- Emphasis
- BBC adds TBS's defence of the show, the Mbappé parallel and Global Times warnings; SCMP adds Sanrio's end to all future projects, its China revenue and the historical context of Japan's WWII invasion.
- Leaves out or plays down
- SCMP does not report TBS's response or the Global Times warning to Sanrio; BBC omits Sanrio's China revenue figure and the cancellation of future projects.
- Charged language
- “slammed”“anti-China content”“deliberately smearing”
- For example
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“widely slammed in Chinese state media and by Chinese social media users” — BBC News
“prompting China’s state broadcaster CCTV to accuse the show of distorting history and “deliberately smearing” Beijing.” — South China Morning Post
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Sanrio ended its collaboration with Vivant in a statement late on Wednesday after backlash in China.
- Sanrio said the show conflicted with its corporate values and pledged to tighten review of future collaborations.
- CCTV criticised Vivant's depiction of Chinese agents torturing Japanese operatives.
- The row follows a sharp decline in China-Japan relations after Takaichi's Taiwan remarks.
Sanrio organisation
Says it ended the collaboration because the show conflicted with its values of care, connection and harmony, takes the feedback seriously and will strengthen reviews.
“We take the feedback we have received regarding this incident very seriously.” — BBC News
“Expressing deep regret for the public concern caused by the partnership” — South China Morning Post
UK and Ireland1 outlet
BBC explains the controversy for an international audience, adding Mbappé and the pandas as wider examples of Chinese pressure.
“Hello Kitty is not the only internationally beloved figure to have face such wrath in China in recent days.” — BBC News
BBC News
East and Southeast Asia1 outlet
SCMP stresses diplomacy, historical grievance and Sanrio's China market.
“China remains a critical overseas market for Sanrio.” — South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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Hello Kitty maker cuts ties with Japanese spy drama after China backlash
Neutral Explains the backlash as part of the China-Japan dispute, with context on Global Times, TBS's response and Mbappé.
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Hello Kitty owner Sanrio scraps Japanese TV show Vivant deal over China backlash
Neutral Focuses on Sanrio's statement, CCTV's accusations and Sanrio's commercial stake in China.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 29 Oct 03:16 First BBC NewsN Hello Kitty maker cuts ties with Japanese spy drama after China backlash
- 29 Oct 04:41 +1h 25m South China Morning PostN Hello Kitty owner Sanrio scraps Japanese TV show Vivant deal over China backlash
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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