Hello Kitty gets into trouble with China - and it's all because of a Netflix series

The Japanese company Sanrio, owner of the Hello Kitty brand, has cut ties with the Netflix spy series 'Vivant' following Chinese pressure over a torture scene that sparked outrage in Beijing. Chinese state media claimed the scene resembles Japanese torture methods from World War II.

The Japanese company Sanrio, owner of the Hello Kitty brand, apologized and ended its commercial partnership with the Japanese spy series 'Vivant' streaming on Netflix. This came after Chinese state media and netizens condemned the series, alleging it contains deliberate slurs against China. According to a report in The Guardian, Sanrio announced on the Chinese social network Weibo that the series contains elements inconsistent with its core values. The controversy stems from an episode aired on October 4 showing a Chinese agent torturing a Japanese officer. Chinese media, including the state-run tabloid Global Times, claimed the torture methods resemble those used by Japan against Chinese during World War II, and that the series distorts the truth by attributing atrocities to modern Chinese characters. Sanrio stated it takes the feedback seriously and will strengthen control processes on joint projects in the future.