The controversy centered on an October 4 episode of the TBS and Netflix espionage drama Vivant, which starred actor Masato Sakai. Chinese critics and state commentators accused the program of historical distortion, arguing the torture scenes mirrored World War II atrocities committed by invading Japanese soldiers against Chinese citizens. Facing reputational risks, Sanrio terminated promotional merchandise that had paired popular characters like My Melody and Cinnamoroll with the series. The move comes as foreign brands navigate heightened political scrutiny alongside complex diplomatic relations between Beijing and Tokyo.
Key points
Sanrio acted swiftly to sever commercial ties to protect its critical financial interests…: Sanrio acted swiftly to sever commercial ties to protect its critical financial interests and growing market share in China.
The company generated 781 million yuan in Chinese revenue during the first half of the ye…: The company generated 781 million yuan in Chinese revenue during the first half of the year, up over 40 percent.
Moving forward, the Tokyo-based firm plans to strengthen review procedures for all future…: Moving forward, the Tokyo-based firm plans to strengthen review procedures for all future collaborative brand ventures.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
The company behind the successful Hello Kitty franchise has apologised and ended its commercial tie-up with a Japanese TV drama after Chinese state media and netizens condemned the show’s “deliberate smears” against their country.
Sanrio, a Japanese firm whose characters are popular around the world, said in a post on the Chinese social media site Weibo that it had decided to end its association with the Netflix TV drama Vivant after concluding that it “contained elements inconsistent with Sanrio’s core values”.
In the second season of the popular spy thriller, produced by the Japanese TBS network, Masato Sakai plays a salaryman who is drawn into a web of international crime and espionage.
The backlash began this week when Chinese state media blasted the portrayal of Chinese agents using “ruthless violence” to torture members of a secret unit of Japan’s self-defence forces, calling it a “deliberate smear” against Beijing.
Chinese media said that some of the torture methods were similar to those Japanese troops used against Chinese civilians during the second world war.
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