Three women walk past a big glowing Hello Kitty signage on a purple store wall in Shanghai, ChinaImage source, Getty Images
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Sanrio says it will strengthen review processes for future collaborations

ByKoh Ewe
  • Published20 minutes ago

Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, has apologised and ended its merchandise partnership with a controversial Japanese TV show after drawing backlash in China.

Vivant, a popular spy thriller, has been widely slammed in Chinese state media and by Chinese social media users for its depiction of Chinese agents using brutal torture tactics on a Japanese operative.