Sanrio announced Wednesday that it was cutting ties with the popular Japanese TV drama Vivant following criticism in China over the series’ depiction of Chinese agents torturing a Japanese operative. The company behind Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and My Melody said in a post on its official Weibo account that the program contained “expressions inconsistent with Sanrio’s corporate philosophy.”
Global Times Criticizes Sanrio Over Ties with Vivant
Before the announcement, China’s state-run Global Times had criticized the collaboration, declaring that Hello Kitty “should not dance with Japan’s right wing.” It warned that Sanrio stood to lose “far more than short-term sales” by working with what it called “anti-China content,” adding that the partnership could erode the brand’s long-standing bond with Chinese consumers.
The Sanrio controversy follows a backlash against French football star Kylian Mbappé, who faced criticism in China after joking about an internet meme depicting him as Mao Zedong, whom he described as a ‘Chinese dictator.’ The fallout cost him several Chinese sponsorship deals, while state broadcaster CCTV suspended broadcasts of Spanish league matches featuring the Real Madrid forward.
For Sanrio, however, the controversy carries an added sensitivity given the deterioration in China-Japan relations since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks last November that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a Japanese military response. The ensuing diplomatic row has spilled into trade, tourism and cultural exchanges, with Chinese authorities taking measures against Japanese imports and cultural products.
While TBS President Masamine Ryuho defended Vivant, saying the show was entirely fictional and had no intention of “disparaging any particular country,” the portrayal of Chinese agents torturing a Japanese operative has proved difficult to separate from real-world sensitivities. The controversy underscores how depictions of national security agencies in popular entertainment can become politically charged.
About Vivant
A Japanese spy thriller series starring Masato Sakai, the first season of Vivant premiered in July 2023. A massive breakout hit, the story follows Yusuke Nogi, a seemingly bumbling corporate worker framed for a $100 million erroneous wire transfer. His quest to retrieve the money in Central Asia reveals he is an elite operative for Beppan, a covert special forces unit.
In season 2, which premiered in July 2026, Beppan clashes with a fictional Chinese intelligence network that graphically tortures Japanese operatives. The second series has been a huge ratings hit. It opened with an 18.8% household rating in the Kanto region, the highest debut rating for a drama this year, and maintained ratings of at least 15% through its first 12 episodes.
