hello kitty: the cult of kawaii 🎀😸💰

in honor of hello kitty's 50th birthday we decided to take a closer look at the company that made her: sanrio. we'll be discussing some of sanrio's most popular characters, how hello kitty was created, and the company's impact on pop culture.
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Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and this channel does not claim any right over them.

[@daisyyythefairyyy]

In hello kitty we trust

[@keith_59]

We salute hello kitty ❤

[@xXJoeyXxcoooool]

🫡🙏

[@chenillesagoe6348]

Avril Lavigne Hello Kitty song plays in the background 🎀💕🍬💖

[@ULTIMATE_G3NIUS]

Indeed.

[@timothyware7510]

​@@chenillesagoe6348forget That Epic Mouse Salute the CHEERFUL KITTY!!!

[@FTWPotter]

Honestly, I think its fine if Hello Kitty popularity isnt as high as it used to be anymore as she’s still a household name. It’s also letting people discover lesser known sanrio characters especially in the west. Ive seen some hangyodon fans which is a character you wouldnt expect gain some traction. Hello Kitty will always be that girl but i think its nice that some characters are getting a revival!

[@liz_violet]

BIG CHALLENGES my man!

[@aaliyaahh]

exactly ✨

[@tigerflower.]

Real

[@shizukagozen777]

But her popularity IS still high ! I've been seeing Hello Kitty products in shops (clothes, shoes, etc) for years and it's so popular, they're sold out very quickly. Also I often see teenagers with Hello Kitty and Kuromi accessories.

[@NayNay97xoxo]

hello kitty def DOES NOT need a makeover!!!! they just need to make actually good, cute, well made trendy stuff like they did in the 90s/2000s. and re-open the sanrio stores!!!!! the hello kitty cafes are cool n all but the sanrio store is where its at. i was so sad to find out the sanrio store in my mall closed right when i finally had adult disposable income

[@loverrlee]

Omg sameeee I used to go in and dream of getting stuff from the store but I had no money (didn’t even get an allowance) so when I finally had adult money I was sad my mall’s Sanrio store closed too! I was going to buy so many plushies 😢 (I still have a little collection of Hello Kitty plushies to this day)

[@strawberrytiramisu]

@@loverrleeik it’s not the same but look for stores that are authorized Sanrio sellers! I found two near me by chance and they get Sanrio and San x stuff straight from Japan.

[@deebyeeby]

You could not have put this better! 100% agree with everything you said. Bring back the stores!! I miss my store! And I really miss the old 90's-2000s style or even before then.

[@veganspace]

Same girl, sameeee

[@honeyangel7]

There's literally one hours away from me so I can only go to it once a year 😢 Not to mention the fact the resells are overly priced 😊

[@alejandroescalante6338]

Here in Mexico there was a very cringy urban legend that said that "Hello Kitty" translated to "Hola demonio" (according to them) which means hello demon, a lot of Mexican señoras burned and traumatized millennials by destroying Hello Kitty merchandise along with other characters.

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Something else with a similar urban legend involving Hello Kitty has also happened in Poland, but scarier and worse.

[@cherylmaden5989]

Wow....really?!? Kitty I'm fairly certain translates...Gato rt? I mean really

[@alejandroescalante6338]

@@cherylmaden5989 really , lots of people were aware of that, but try to tell that to them, they also said that Pikachu meant "Bigger than God" same as most Dragon Ball and most anime characters, the moral panic back then was out of hand.

[@dianax6671]

90s troll 😓

[@stephanieg802]

@@SlapstickGenius23do tell

[@slitfit]

I find it so interesting that Hello Kitty exists due to Snoopy

[@timothyware7510]

Snoopy's way attractive than Hello Kitty!

[@sarahoop5859]

That’s crazy bc I was obsessed with snoppy as kid but never cared for Charlie Brown

[@timothyware7510]

@@sarahoop5859 Remember when Sanrio Lost the rights to Snoopy

[@livingdollnextdoor]

@@timothyware7510no😂

[@timothyware7510]

@@livingdollnextdoor 💢 💢 💢 💢 THEN WHY THE HECK DID THEY CREATED POCHACCO!?

[@letsgo1572]

wth means she needs a makeover 😭 it's like making sailor moon go brunette. she looks iconic timeless to me and with current bow obsession, she really doesnt need anything new.

[@PauloElijahBAtian]

Yesss. She's so cool, she doesn't need to change.

[@Alaaben]

she has reached classic timeless status

[@liz_violet]

you don't need to give her a makeover, its already been done by sanrio themselves. hawaiian hello kittys, the high fashion crossovers, the branding deals...it felt wierd buying kitty at a naval base!

[@martabarrales3112]

she's perfectly perfect the way she is, timeless, an icon.

[@CrystalMoonPower]

She should absolutely not be changed at all!

[@chonchoco]

As a Japanese girl at that time, I remember "ファンシー (fancy)" (rather than kawaii) was an adjective commonly used to describe these character items, as in "fancy shop" that sells them. Later on I really needed to try hard to relate "decorative, expensive" to the word ... (゜_゜)

[@xxmilk-teethxx]

that kind of makes sense in my brain cause I conflate "fancy" and "pretty"

[@xLadyRaine]

ty for giving some perspective

[@aaliyaahh]

29:53 ok, just no. she’s incredibly iconic but most importantly, TIMELESS. her design doesn’t need to be changed and i think she will continue to remain popular, even as newer kawaii trends come and go.

[@Collorious]

Calling Sanrio aspirational for the middle class is so real. When I was in elementary school in the 90s if I was really lucky I’d be allowed to get one of the $1 surprise bags at the Sanrio store in our local mall. When I was maybe 11 my mom let me pick a store to have a “shopping spree” at and I picked Sanrio and used whatever that small spree budget was to get the $5 & $10 surprise bags to get the most stuff.

[@angelsunlight]

Omg I remember those surprise bags! Did you ever get anything good?

[@timothyware7510]

​@@angelsunlightThe 2010s was The year Of Kuromi Hype in the US She was everyWhere, Toys, Plushes, Cosmetics, You named it, it was Kuromi

[@frankendress7795]

i think it's worth mentioning in your 80s section, when you mention american toy companies making cartoons, that that wasn't just a random idea toy companies had. reagan removed restrictions on advertising to children so that toy companies *could* make tv shows that were essentially half hour commercials for their products.

[@ccccherrycoke]

Very interesting thanks for sharing that!

[@hhh1234h]

Fun fact about Aggretsuko: Aggrestuko has been one of the highest ranked characters since her anime amongst western votes (US, UK, Brazil, Spain, France, Germany, etc.) but not very popular in Japan, China, Singapore etc. The creators of the anime acknowledge that in the an OTM girls KZbin video where they notice Retsuko is 3rd in the US and Brazil but 45th in Japan

[@leslievanhouten]

I wonder if the criticism of work culture hits different? It’s also very cute but not sweet.

[@JuanGomez-ke5py]

AKA why she's not in more crossover with hello Kitty

[@gabiausten8774]

It’s so crazy to me how Hello Kitty is still so en vogue, my fiancés niece is 8 and goes crazy for it, she had a HK themed basket for Easter, it was marvelous.

[@aemxsxs]

I was thinking out this and even for adults as well especially my 20-ish year old friends. As a male I don’t think there is a specific character that dominated both male kids and adults to this day. And is popular, not niche.

[@Unenthusiastivly]

​@aemxsxs for boys I think of stuff more like Pikachu and Darth Vader

[@shammahikoro8475]

I think Hello Kitty has become the Mickey Mouse or the Pikachu of her company. Is seen as “basic” when compared to her mates, but at the same time is respected for the impact and seen as the face of the company. Everyone is always gonna know who Hello Kitty is and recognize that character, but people might not immediately recognize the other Sanrio characters, even if they’re popular.

[@leslievanhouten]

Aggretsuko is sooo good. It’s like the Office meets Animal Crossing, with season 3 going way dark, like Perfect Blue.

[@Ilypookies]

Yasss aggretsuko🔛🔝

[@taylorslade961]

Such a good show. I made an ex watch it and he was real skeptical at first but was cracking up by the end.

[@shizukagozen777]

I watched some clips on KZbin last year or the year before, I didn't even know that it's a Sanrio series nor that it's a real series with so many seasons ! 😅 But for sure, what I saw was hella funny ! 😂

[@arstyashley]

I was watching the very first episode and said “im tattooing this on me.” And I did 😂 I have 2 aggretsuko characters on my leg

[@nickthompson318]

The ending was disappointing though.

[@nikafanroyale7062]

Hello Kitty is one of my favourite characters, and one of her tv series was my "first anime" I love your videos very much! I would be very happy if you covered kawaii phenomenon as a whole, and especially Harajuku fashion styles (lolita, decora, v-key, etc) And if we're talking about anime, it would be nice to see review of anime Nana, or Paradise kiss, both of them are very stylish :)

[@triplehearts914]

A ModernGurlz J-fashion video would be fantastic because I KNOW for a fact they'd do their research! I really hope we get one one day!

[@slitfit]

I could see Nana working due to its inspiration with Vivienne Westwood!

[@muunprince1992]

Neighborhood Story as well has cool outfits

[@chenillesagoe6348]

Yes please I would love 💖 to see a J fashion videos I love 💖 Kawaii fashion

[@AE-ld9ck]

Lolita itself would need multiple videos, but I wouldn’t mind that at all! 😅 J-Fashion was such a prominent subculture in the early 2000s, I’d love to see more people cover it. I think that was a gateway of sorts for the popularity of K-Pop and other Korean trends to be so well received here in America. The hallyu wave (for some) was new and fun, but for a lot of people there was a familiarity in its framework. Would love to see all this discussed. ❤️

[@divineeegoddess]

Not really basic in my opinion shes just as cute as cinnamoroll or pompompurin

[@dorothywasrighttho5129]

I think that a part that the last part forgot to mention is that Hello Kitty has ALWAYS been the queen of the collab. She did it with gundam, countless restaurant (brief collab being a very acceptable things in japan), she did it with sailor moon, sugo chara (and a lot of 2000s shojo anime). She has her face on COUNTLESS of merch, to even the notorious hello kitty sex toy (it was a shoulder massager but ... stuff happened, it was taken off shelves). I don't think that stopping the collab will hurt the brand, because the collabs have in fact always been part of her brand (which is the missing subtext of hello kitty tales that you might have missed). It's just that we westerners aren't used to it yet ... but if star wars did it, she sure as hell can.

[@tsubasana]

EXACTLY like I appreciate the research that went into this but it lacks the Japanese consumer culture context and well… the Japanese are Sanrio’s main target audience in the end. Collaborations will always be a part of any media in Japan and whenever a new franchise pops up, a lot of fans are eager to see a potential Sanrio collab. I think, from what I observed in different fandoms, that Sanrio collaborations tend to be associated to having “made it” or broken through in the industry or at least in the Japanese market. Furthermore, I was disappointed that there isn’t even a section about Sanrio Danshi or the new Fragaria Memories project and their impact! Also giving Hello Kitty a makeover….. we’ve had so many variations already and she’s the whole look of the brand/the ambassador of Sanrio. It will undoubtedly enrage fans if she was changed! The poster child of Japanese brands don’t even have to be the most popular anyway and iirc many of them aren’t! But what’s important is they embody the brand and have mass appeal. Overall, I get that this was made with the American context in mind but Sanrio is a Japanese brand in the end. Wouldn’t hurt to machine translate Japanese sources regarding Sanrio.

[@SlapstickGenius23]

@@tsubasana Hello Kitty is famously collaborative with fellow franchises for sure. Also like Star Wars, TMNT has done a ton of aggressive marketing, although it’s not as utterly aggressive as that of Tarzan in the 1930s.

[@mfuentes4961]

As a ride or die Sanrio girl since the age of 5, I’m so here for this video. 💁🏽‍♀️

[@katievx]

same! my parents bought me the dvd of hello kitty’s paradise when i was like 4 and ever since then i’ve been hooked 😭 i’ve got a hello kitty tattoo on my wrist and am booked in for a keroppi one lmao

[@Kiddynamite432]

I LOVE Sanrio/Hello Kitty so much at my big age of 25. Lol. As a young boy, I always showed interest and in Hello Kitty, but I couldn’t and wasn’t allowed to enjoy because it was deemed too girly. Now, as I am embracing and healing my inner child, I’m taking the time to enjoy the things I couldn’t as a kid. Now, I ADORE it! I’ve bought a lot of Sanrio merch for the past couple of years such as clothes, accessories, and plushies and it brings me so much joy. It’s something about simplistic and kawaii animation that is so comforting and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I like Hello Kitty, but my favorites are Cinnamoroll and Keroppi as my favorite colors are blue and green.

[@trinaq]

I can't believe that this franchise has been around for 50 years. I remember practically everything I owned being emblazoned with the Hello Kitty symbol, and even Avril Lavigne's infamous attempt to get in on the craze.😻

[@laurapiacentinicasarin8205]

I was OBSESSED with Hello Kitty in my childhood/teen years (2000s duh), i would beg for my parents to buy anything that had her in it, and honestly, to this day, i still think she is absolutely cute.

[@chenillesagoe6348]

True

[@heyheatherlynn]

Choco Cat has been my favorite since I was a kid. I've always had a soft spot for black cats. I was sad you didn't mention when he was debuted.

[@mothoflavender]

came to the comment section to find a comment like this THANK YOU!!! The utter lack of Choco Cat love is appalling imo🖤🤎🩵

[@m_valentinee]

i love kuromi but the choco cat love is so underappreciated

[@triplehearts914]

HELLO KITTY MENTIONED RAAHH!! 💝Im an active wearer of EGL Fashion as of 8 years now (And a J-fashion lover/wearer/collector for around 12) and I really think that Hello kitty was one of my gateways into J-fashion and "cute culture" as a whole. I love your videos and hearing you speak about this makes me so happy! My Melody is (In my opinion) the best Sanrio character and also my favorite, but hello kitty is a close second for sure. Very happy that all of these cuties are becoming more mainstream in the states again.💞

[@kokuinomusume]

20 years ago I had a bunch of EGL (was it Mana or Malice Mizer branded? Definitely more or less the same era as Yoshikitty) and h.NAOTO Hello Kitty keychains, I miss that kind of merch a lot. I wouldn't have gotten into normal-ish Sanrio without Kitty's goth phase.

[@kokuinomusume]

One thing that hasn't gotten out of Japan is the "local speciality" merchandising you find *everywhere* that places Hello Kitty in a local context: for example, there's a lot of "Shinsengumi" (a kind of heroic police-ish samurai force)-themed Hello Kitty merchandising in Kyoto, or Hello Kitty in an apple head thingy for the Aomori prefecture or strawberries for Tochigi (guess which are the most famous agricultural products of each prefecture), or a deer-Hello Kitty with her own "deer waffle" in Nara where deer roam between the temples. In Tokyo, you can go to Akihabara and get merchandising of Kitty as an otaku (glasses, bandanna on head, bags with goodies) or a waitress in a maid cafe (also with glasses). It's mostly for national tourists to take back home from business or school trips to give away as souvenirs, so the merch is mostly hand towels or phone charms and the motifs tend to be Japanese people's own stereotypes about the places. Honestly, it's awesome and I love it.

[@santiagoarce7426]

When I was I little boy I always loved that every time my mom saw a Hello Kitty product she got excited and started telling me stories about how she loved Hello Kitty when she was a little girl in the early '80s it felt like I was bonding with her inner child and make me think that my mom was more than a mom but a human that once was a kid just like me.

[@Reylandson]

No mention of Dear Daniel… he is my favorite, but he’s definitely the Ken of Sanrio :(

[@mintythedemon1785]

I wish more people cared about the Sanrio animes, especially Onegai My Melody. It’s both humorous and emotional. It’s sad that OMM didn’t get a lot of dubs, but maybe Sanrio worried that parents in other countries wouldn’t like dirty jokes. OMM has a shocking amount of adult humor and topics.

[@berryjunmill9029]

I remember the first time I got into hello kitty. I was a scene kid in '08 and my friend gave me a hello kitty necklace I absolutely loved it. another friend had a hello kitty theme party and how I found out about the other characters making them an alternative fashion icon.

[@happyzombiikitti]

I was also a hello kitty scene kid lol I just got back into reclaiming sanrio in my early 30s

[@insertusernamehere3173]

There are only 2 people I believe could be god: 1. Hello kitty 2. Hatsune Miku. And neither of them are human-

[@liz_violet]

collab when?

[@mywish4587]

@@liz_violetThey technically had a collab in project sekai lol

[@amatleoda]

I was never into Hello Kitty, but I liked Charmy Kitty in the 2000s, and later on PomPomPurin. But I must admit I love the aesthetic of Little Twin Stars and especially Hummingmint nowadays, they have more of a sweet, soft pastel look I prefer over the bolder colours of some of the more well known Sanrio characters. (It's a pity Hummingmint is a very hard character to find.)

[@candiigurl7893]

I recommend reading an excellent book called "Kawaii: Japan's Culture of Cute" to gain an expanded version of what kawaii is/means in japanese culture and why its so important to Japan. Including how far it goes back, its impact and current prominence in newer all aspects of Japanese culture from stationary to manga to architecture and fashion.

[@CherryCharm2001]

Seriously how is Cinnamonroll supposed to be a dog in ANY way I also thought he was a girl

[@venusxaino]

Keroppi is my favorite Sanrio character! But I will always be a Miffy girlie 🐰

[@angelsunlight]

Same!

[@Cinnamonraisin_Bagel]

hello kitty is an icon and will probably always will be.

[@rosemay8717]

Spottie Dottie will always be my favorite! 💗

[@glamdawling]

Finally found another Spottie Dottie stan!

[@TV-1997]

my fave is cinnamoroll, though I always thought he's a rabbit lol

[@PhuongVu-sw2ri]

Lmao me too, it was a male dog after all these time 🥹 monyo monyo

[@516tigergirl]

My favorite character is Choco Cat. Someone needs to love that cat, since its always last in the character rankings for some reason. You didn't even mention them in the video

[@heyheatherlynn]

Choco Cat is my favorite too! It was always so hard to find stuff in stores with him on it though.

[@lararmas]

This was a Sanrio history class. Love it!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Thank you for this! Hello Kitty, you will always be an icon.

[@hollywooddarling]

My friends and I love Sanrio so much, i think it actually is a key part of our friendship, because we all have our favourites (mine is Cinnamoroll), but all started off was Hello Kitty herself. I buy a lot of Sanrio itself whenever I go to Japan, but I also can't help buying when I go to Hong Kong or Seoul where Sanrio has a huge presence too. It's just simple, like what the CEO thought--- if the functional item is cute, I'd get it over a plain item. I have Hello Kitty bowls, chopsticks, lunchboxes, My Melody slippers, Kuromi and Cinnamoroll hairpins and more. If it's something I can use in the house, and it has a cute Sanrio character version, I'll get that instead. The Hello Kitty challenge on Drag Race Season 7 is actually what convinced me to start Drag Race, and Violet Chachki and that season is STILL my favourite Drag Race season to this day. Even though Cinnamoroll is currently my favourite with Kuromi a close second, but Hello Kitty is always the queen. She is the Princess Diana of Sanrio. (People should check out some of the newer mascots though. Ushana has had a revival in the last few years due to the Y2k resurgence)

[@elizabethmarmo6714]

My mom, i, and my younger sisters all love hello kitty and its been a generational bonding moment for all of us 🫶🏼

[@ellenlee323]

my favorite character wasn’t mentioned but she was also probably first introduced in onegai my melody lol. love u my sweet piano🫶🫵 i can barely find merch of u in the us but i still love u

[@raequincy8180]

I. Hello Kitty doesn't need a makeover, lol. She's a classic character, and I think changing her or her general aesthetic. Maybe a fun collab or mini/limited release of some sort for products. II. My favorite character is Cinnamoroll, and I was convinced that he was a bunny instead of a dog. III. My friend has a whole bunch of Sanrio characters tattooed on her arms. I know she's got Cinnamoroll; My Melody; Kiki & Lala; Hello Kitty & her sister; and the rainbow bunny (I'm not sure how to spell the rainbow bunny's name).

[@DanDandylion986]

just letting you know that Sanrio is doing a multimedia project called "Fragaria Memories" with handsome anime men inspired by and devoted to 18 Sanrio characters as their lords

[@user-oq5xl6hp5w]

keroppi is my favorite 🐸❤💚

[@merriame9487]

Mine is Cinnamoroll 🐶🩵🤍

[@elizabethclarke4981]

same !!

[@sunhopii8534]

not sure if this is the case with other countries, but where I live Hello Kitty is basically 'out'. From what I see, Sanrio stores here (and in Japan too when I last visited) are always putting characters like my melody or kuromi front and centre, I barely see any hello kitty products or collabs anymore, at most there was that one hello kitty collection celebrating her 50th birthday. Also, from talking to my classmates (for context I'm in high school), I find that everyone's favourite characters are always my melody, kuromi, pochacco (my personal fav apart from kirimichan), pompompurin, and cinnamaroll, and never hello kitty. I think I only know one young person whose favourite is kitty 😬

[@letsgo1572]

I really can't belive in that. what I see on social media, she's really one of the icons of y2k fashion(alongside kuromi) and bow obsession nowadays. I actually thought my melody now is in her flop era.

[@triplehearts914]

@@letsgo1572 my melody is (rightfully) still pretty popular! I see her pretty much everywhere and shes always in the main six sanrio characters featured in shows and on merch. I actually just saw a y2k tiktok featuring just items with my melody styled in a y2k way. Gudetama seems to be on his way out, though

[@koreandersim]

They probably just think picking kitty is a boring pick that doesn't reflect any personality While the other characters give a sense of identity. Kitty will come back around again when she doesnt feel as obvious and its cool again to pick her

[@sunhopii8534]

@@letsgo1572 same here actually!! there's a big obsession with kitty on English speaking social media accounts but I can't see ANY obsession with her where I live

[@amphithere]

I don't believe that. I follow Sanrio and Japanese released merchandise pretty heavily. Hello Kitty is still the number one character put out and sold out in every collection they drop. I don't think she's everyone's favorite, but everyone knows and likes her for the most part. She's the most instantly recognizable and nostalgic character across a wide age range. My older family members know Hello Kitty instantly versus other Sanrio characters. Younger people like me have other favorites (I like My Melody and Kuromi more) but I still like Hello Kitty and see her merchandise pumped out much more over other characters. She's really the face of Sanrio.

[@hodonyassin9760]

The epitome of CUTENESS ❤🥰😍😍🥰

[@denissearteaga9655]

I can understand why it feels like most people are getting Hello Kitty shoved down their throats BUT IM ONE OF THEM plus a good chunk of others THAT WANTS Hello Kitty to keep on coming!! Preferably with nicer goodies and merch but NONE THE LESS!!💖💘💓

[@lyandraangel]

The Little Twin Stars have been my favorite since I was a little kid (my mom was into Sanrio when they first hit the US market, and I was raised with late 70's to early 80's merch alongside my own 90's stuff), but I also really liked Keroppi and Badtz Maru when they reached the US as well as Cinnamaroll in the last decade. I also enjoy Hello Kitty herself, of course, as well as My Melody, Pochacco, Pompompurin, and Chococat.

[@thefisherking2268]

May or may not be important, but the rabbit character’s name isn’t actually Miffy in the original Dutch; that’s just her English name. In Dutch, her name is Nijntje, which is a shortened version of the term for ‘Little Rabbit’. A much cuter name, in my opinion! She is very popular in the Netherlands, and I like to think of her as the Dutch Hello Kitty

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Miffy is also a spiritual predecessor to Hello Kitty. Although she primarily wears a blue minidress, she does have a diverse wardrobe.

[@glamdawling]

I was obsessed with Hello Kitty as a lil girl…and now in my 30s my obsession has resurfaced. Hello Kitty was my childhood favorite character followed by the lesser known Spottie Dottie. Today, my main fave is still Hello Kitty followed by Badtz Maru followed by Kuromi. ☺️

[@lazypanda1098]

I think what most people don't account for when it comes to the rankings is that most voters are sanrio fans and they know most of the characters. But if you were to ask random people, they would most likely recognize hello kitty over the other characters.

[@fatcat1399]

I wanna this Hello Kitty Phantom of the Opera🥺

[@AngelavengerL]

I've always liked hello kitty as she's very cute, but my favorite of all time is Kuromi especially when paired with My Melody. I love the contrast of the two characters and as a teenage goth in the late 90's I felt it perfectly represented my love of both gothic things and cute things. Later i guess the term bubble gum goth was popular or pink goths, but those two together just really represent the two sides of aesthetic that i love (edgy dark, and cute & feminine).

[@Lilcutiepie99]

My favorite are the little twin stars!

[@bbblgum]

I think because Hello Kitty is the one character I knew as a kid she will always have a sweet spot in my heart. Even my mother in law has loved her since she was younger. Although I would also buy products for most of the other characters, I doubt she would loose relevancy.

[@jennifer__e]

my favourites are keroppi and usahana i’m ngl. im a pastel girlie through and through but those two just scratch an itch so well for me. i don’t really have any merch of them, in fact most sanrio merch i have (which isnt a lot tbh) is either little twin stars, tuxedosam, or hello kitty herself. they also qualify as favs for me i think. it’s not fav in the “i wanna fill my house and wardrobe and life w only them” way it’s fav like i enjoy their chara design and overall vibe the most. that said i do have fanmade sanrio license plate frames so maybe i’m in denial ALSO FRESHPUNCH not technically a character but i need more freshpunch stuff actually

[@UrLocalSplatoonFanGuy]

Another noteworthy thing to point out is that Hello Kitty was also a part of Universal Studios Japan's children's area, Universal Wonderland alongside Peanuts and Sesame Street characters. also, did you know that Hello Kitty did another McDonald's tie in? it happened not long ago when the anime franchise Yu-Gi-Oh! collaborated with Hello Kitty and Friends to make little plush hangers for Happy Meals. I have the whole set! one more thing, Hello Kitty is also one of the more common characters that women get tattooed on their bodies. (Permanently) whether it would be her face, or original art.

[@JuanGomez-ke5py]

The man why didn't we get the red panda bear on the hello Kitty crossover with friends

[@misstty]

This essay could not have come out at a better time! Hello Kitty has always been an inspiration to me due to her simple but adorable design and her versatility in fashion. Hello kitty is everything and today I’m going to a baseball game to get an “exclusive free” Hello Kitty bobblehead😂. Thank you for this ❤🎉👑😸🎂🥰

[@Coffeerabbitt]

I do agree Hello Kitty has become so overconsumption based I do love how sanrio as a whole has become more acessible. Especially to those my age who maybe never got to experience the joy of sanrio as a kid. I wish we had more Japanese inspired sanrio stops and cafes globally rather than having to go into primark just for a cruddy tshirt. Also my favourite character is Tuexdo Sam and its a toss up between my melody and kuromi together. I love Sams stylish nature and enthusiastic persona and as someone who expresses themselves by the way they dress Sam is an icon x

[@Nicolesid1]

In 2004, I was working in my high school student store and we had a lost and found. One day a little inch big Keroppi showed up. I waited a few weeks before asking if I could have it. The teacher said sure. I took it home and put it down on the nightstand my parents had their TV on as I watched it. Having ADHD, I forgot and went about my life. That night, I was woken to my father screaming. Little did I know, Keroppi was glow in the dark and my dad had turned in the middle of the night to glowing eyes looking at him😅.

[@angelsunlight]

😂

[@sophiaannnn]

pompompurin name is purin as in pudding in japanese :3 his colors are based off of flan. but omg, did anyone else have tons of chococat in the 2000s? so underrated

[@Gods-silliest-Goose23]

I am a hello kitty girl and I will say the stereotype that hello kitty girls are freaky is true

[@MysticDivinerLJ]

Watching this video with my Sanrio build a bear plushies! 🎀🩷🧸

[@Komacherry]

Hello Kitty’s design is so timeless and iconic. I don’t think she needs a makeover. Kitty will never go out of style since she is such a classic and well-known character in Sanrio’s lineup. I have a lot of favorite characters. My first being My Melody, followed by (in no particular order) Hello Kitty, Cinnamonroll, Hangyodon, Chococat and Usahana.

[@koffiecake]

It's a bit crazy to me how there are girls who call themselves hello kitty girls when they haven't even watched hello kitty

[@wonderlandian13]

“ hi kitty “ 💀💀

[@gameingdude2266]

Hello kitty is a cat I don’t care what they say cause the person that said that wasn’t even the original creator of hello kitty anyway

[@olivicstree]

my aunt who grew up in the 80s gave me hello kitty merch and CD cartoons of hello kitty. she made me obsessed when i was 1, and i still love her… so weird now teens like her again because i kinda thought she became “chugey”.

[@yukiko347]

I love Chococat, but i haven't bought any merch, because i am a bigger fan of the brown coloring variation. Cinnamon roll, Sugar Bunnies, BonbonRibbon, Pochacco.

[@bunnymoon2506]

The one in the first clip with the yellow bow it’s not hello kitty, it’s Hello Mimmy, her twin sister!!

[@symbioticmango]

JUSTICE FOR CHOCOCAT

[@blythe_spirit2543]

Always so sad to find out that Usahana was considered a flop and isn’t popular in general. I’ve always loved Sanrio, but I have a special place in my heart for Usahana. I moved to Okinawa, Japan as a kid and when I went into the Sanrio store for the first time and got to pick something, a colorful denim Usahana wallet with a built in coin purse caught my eye and I still have it today! It’s in storage, but I definitely want to put it back in rotation ☺️🩷

[@TributesAndUnique]

My personal faves are Pochacco, Pumpumpurin, Tuxedo Sam, and Twin Stars

[@misstty]

Yessss! Although as a child I could obviously tell why Pochacco existed lmao, he was always my favorite to this day!! Love Pompompuin’s little beret!

[@--Paws--]

I always knew it as: "Kero-Keroppi", an emphasis on the onomatopoeia ("kero-kero" like a frog croaking) of its name; odd how it is just "Keroppi" in the US.

[@b.radleypro.369]

🎂Today’s My Birthday And I Really Wanted To Go To The Hello Kitty Cafe To Relieve My Childhood Birthday, But I Had Rehearsal Today So I Didn’t Get To Go, But Seeing This Video Along With My New Hat And Portable Fan Both Hello Kitty Themed This Was The Closest I Could Get, Because I Love Reliving History And Learning About Hello Kitty Is One Of My Favorites. So Thank You For This. ❤

[@Jimins__Pookie]

Everyone tell me your favourite lesser-known Sanrio character! Mine is Usahana

[@miss_teenytoy88]

I love learning about the history of sanrio! I love cinnamaroll 💕

[@DhaniNMarie]

So fun fact around 2011-2012, Hello Kitty had a minor makeover in which she had eyelashes, and the new design was the norm on merchandise at the time, and as someone who's on the spectrum and notices small details, this HIGHLY enraged me. This was my Blue Arms Sonic/Thicc Swole Knuckles moment. I'm glad that Sanrio went back to the classic design.

[@alexkass5548]

I love Sanrio (I've been working on embroidering crop tops with some of my favorite characters, so far I've only completed a Kuromi one). My favorite is probably Gudetama cause I relate the most to him lol. Also even if Mocha and Cappuccino aren't part of the official line up i love when they come visit in the mobile game and Berry has my whole heart!!!! Also in 2019 there were Hello Kitty converse that came in many styles such as hightop, low top, and platform.

[@inarikun1348]

San-X characters are so cute too. I have a complete obsession over Sentimental Circus. Which is fantastic because it's a retired line ;;;;;;;>.> Yay mark ups. . . .

[@kyslawl]

my melody is my favorite

[@MsDisneylandlover]

Me 2.

[@jayistrying4558]

Hello Kitty is a logo that's well loved of every ages. My first and only animal crush was Dear Daniel, who is her love interest. Also, I collected Hello Kitty Furry Theater, and i remember they did Star Wars with Sanrio characters? I think it was called Cat Wars.

[@camiscreatures]

I still have my hello kitty furrytale theater DVD from my childhood and I’m taking it to my grave

[@alexateachey9680]

We had a Sanrio store at the mall in Raleigh, NC and it was always my favorite store. I was so upset and heartbroken when they closed it down :(

[@carmeni1593]

my favorite character is chococat- it sucks its harder to find merch for him :(

[@mothoflavender]

ikr!! i always try to find merch for him but the most i’ve found is like a few plushies and some simple stationery :(

[@xctyk]

The more classic/retro Hello Kitty is, the more I like her! My want of a HK product really depends on the design aesthetic of the whole image- the background, the pattern etc. I love the classic 70s milk theme with simple red and white for example. The more complicated it gets (in the 90s, 2000s) the less i want to buy it.

[@iihh517]

I agree. It really has that retro vibe to it

[@rqura1]

My favorite is chococat but i didn’t see him in this video at all 😭😭😭

[@ronbenitez641]

I don't know if this was prevalent in North America but in Latin America there was this urban legend where hello kitty was created by a desperate mother that made a pact with the devil in order to save his daughter who had mouth cancer (that's why Hello kitty doesn't have a mouth) It's wild lol

[@Komacherry]

that reminds me of when my mom thought Hello Kitty didn’t have a mouth because she was a bad girl so her mouth got removed.

[@theresacherco3503]

Hello kitty and kuromi are my favorite and remember watching a hello Kitty cartoon as a kid And also, they did a thing with fruits basket ,attack on Titans and other anime series and also like Aggretsuko

[@redblaquegolden]

Shout out to my Batsumaru girlies, and my Kuromi girlies.

[@thesealky6445]

Cinnamoroll is my favorite by far. When i was younger i couldn't find any merch of him and that made me so sad but now he's everywhere. And yeah i thought he was a rabbit instead of a dog. And i thought he was girl too. Oops. Great video.

[@wandamaximoff1789]

in my country we had the joke that hello kitty meant hello satan 😭, also my favorite one is kuromi for sure

[@Lilcutiepie99]

What lol 😂 but yes Kuromi is awesome

[@dmhq-administration]

I WAS SLIGHTLY disappointed when I found out/realized that...CinnamorollWAS a puppy and NOT just a long-eared rabbit, but I've grown to like Cinn the most! 🤍🩵

[@mely1022]

Im sorry but i strongly disagree with Hello Kitty needing a makeover; maybe a slightly alterations could be great but her design is iconic and timeless. Sure, there are other more famous characters but she’s THE Sanrio character. If you ask anyone on the street, almost anyone could tell you her name, even people that dont like the character. Imo, i think its great that other characters are taking the spotlight, it gives consumers more variety to choose from! I love Sanrio characters, I grew up watching the animated series and playing some of the games; and nowadays I love buying merch with the characters. Sanrio is a franchise that has been so prominent in my family too. My mom loves My Melody, my aunt is obsessed with Hello Kitty (she literally has Hello Kitty house decor all over the place) and I love Pompompurin 💛

[@a2l4y7]

My husbands fave character is cinnamonroll. He says its the cutest BUNNY ever. I just told him the bad news about an hour ago. He hates dogs. He hasnt talked to me since. I think i might have ruined his life.

[@maytalacedo2942]

Hello kitty adorable in girly accessories I remember the hello kitty glittery necklace, the stuff animals, and the bed sheets with pillows their so adorable and cute

[@Aphelia.]

I grew up with the classic Hello Kitty, but nowadays Cinnamoroll is my favorite

[@MimisRoom333]

I remember watching Furry tale theater my have eps were the Snow White and Sleeping beauty

[@AmbitiousDesire101]

One day, I can only imagine you making a video essay about my brand. Hopefully, I can come back to this comment when you do!