Hello Kitty owner Sanrio scraps Japanese TV show Vivant deal over China backlash

Japanese character company Sanrio, owner of popular IPs including Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and My Melody, has terminated its planned collaboration with the television drama Vivant following strong public criticism in China. In an official statement released late on Wednesday evening, the company acknowledged that the Japanese spy drama contained content that “does not align with the Sanrio Group’s corporate philosophy”. The controversial series includes scenes depicting Chinese intelligence...