A Japanese brand's most profitable overseas market forced a full retreat in under a week. That’s the point.
On Thursday, Sanrio apologised and ended its Vivant merchandise tie-up, days after Chinese state media condemned the drama's torture scenes. The company said it had scrapped the current collaboration, along with every related project and promotional campaign still to come.
The decision followed a week of attacks from Chinese state outlets, starting with the drama's portrayal of Chinese agents torturing members of a secret unit of Japan's self-defence forces. State media called the scenes a deliberate smear against Beijing.
Sanrio said in a Weibo post that the drama contained elements inconsistent with its core values. The South China Morning Post reported that an official statement appeared on the company’s Japanese website on Thursday.
Why the China market made the retreat urgent
China is a key overseas market for Sanrio. The Tokyo-based company featured its characters My Melody and Cinnamoroll on Vivant-themed merchandise. Chinese media reported revenue from China of 781m yuan ($117m) in this year's first six months, more than 40% above the same period a year earlier.
Sanrio said the decision was shaped by its founding philosophy: its characters have stood for care and connection since the company began, and it remains committed to harmony among all people. It took feedback about the incident seriously and will look more closely at future collaborations.
A spy thriller, and a scene at the centre of the row
Made by the Japanese TBS network, Vivant is a popular spy thriller about a Japanese salaryman drawn into a web of international crime and espionage. Its second season premiered in July. It puts Chinese agents on screen torturing a Japanese spy by cutting off his fingers and stabbing him in the abdomen.
One account dates the controversial episode to 4 October, in which a Chinese agent cuts off the fingers of the Japanese intelligence officer and stabs him in the abdomen. Another describes the same scene but gives no date.
The 2023 season took place in an imagined Central Asian nation and prompted no similar controversy.
Vivant, before and after
Season one
Aired 2023
- Set in a fictional Central Asian country
- Avoided controversy
Season two
Premiered in July
- Chinese agents shown torturing a Japanese spy
- Fingers cut off, abdomen stabbed
- Controversial episode dated to 4 October in one account
On Wednesday, TBS president Masamine Ryuho said the show was entirely fictional and had no intention of disparaging any particular country.
bear striking similarities to the torture inflicted on Chinese nationals by invading Japanese troops
The Global Times said scenes in the episode brought to mind Chinese nationals tortured by Japanese troops during the second world war. It said the drama wrongly assigns those historical atrocities to Chinese characters today. CCTV and other state outlets also accused the show of distorting history and deliberately smearing Beijing, saying its torture methods closely resembled those Japanese troops used against Chinese people in the past.
The campaign turns on Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll appeared on merchandise in costumes from the show. On Wednesday, Global Times criticised Sanrio, saying the hugely popular cat should not dance with Japan's right wing.
The tabloid also said Sanrio risked more than short-term lost sales by partnering with anti-China content. It warned the collaboration could damage the company's long-standing connection with customers.
Beijing's foreign ministry commented on the day Sanrio withdrew. Asked on Thursday about the cancelled partnership, a spokesperson said the episode should alert people around the world and those in Japan who can judge the issue for themselves.
- This weekState media open fire
Chinese outlets condemn the drama's torture scenes as a deliberate smear on Beijing.
- WednesdayHello Kitty named
Global Times says the character should not dance with Japan's right wing.
- WednesdayTBS pushes back
Network president Masamine Ryuho says the show is entirely fictional and targets no country.
- ThursdaySanrio retreats
The company apologises and cancels the collaboration and all related projects.
- ThursdayBeijing comments
A foreign ministry spokesperson says the episode should be a warning to others.
A wider freeze, and a parallel case
Relations between Beijing and Tokyo have hit their lowest ebb in years. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sparked the diplomatic row last November. She told MPs that Japan could deploy its self-defence forces if a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatened Japan's existence.
Since then, Beijing has pressed Tokyo on several fronts, restricting rare earth exports, curbing tourism and reclaiming its pandas.
Days before the Sanrio row, several Chinese brands dropped French international footballer Kylian Mbappe after he jokingly called Mao Zedong a dictator. Real Madrid forward Mbappe later apologised for the remarks. Fans had given him the dictator nickname because of his influence on the game.
Earlier this month, Takaichi said she'd saved episodes of Vivant to watch during the year-end and new year holidays.
What we know
- Sanrio announced the apology and the cancelled collaboration on Thursday.
- Vivant is produced by the TBS network.
- Global Times, CCTV and other state outlets attacked the drama during the week.
- Sanrio took 781m yuan ($117m) from China in the first half of this year, according to Chinese media.
Still unclear
- Whether Sanrio has put a value on the terminated Vivant deal or discussed compensation with TBS.
- What further action, if any, Chinese authorities or state media will take against the drama or Sanrio.
- Whether Chinese retailers have pulled existing Vivant-themed Sanrio stock from shelves.
