Sanrio's Iconic Character 'Hello Kitty'
Officially Announced as "Not a Cat but a Person,"
Fans Shocked... "Don't Ruin My Memories"
Hello Kitty, the representative character of Japan's Sanrio, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, has been revealed not to be a cat but a human. Although it was once revealed in 2014 that Hello Kitty is not a cat, fans who still believed Hello Kitty to be a cat are reacting with disbelief.
On the 19th (local time), the New York Post (NYP) reported that Jill Koch, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand Management at Sanrio, the Japanese character company that created Hello Kitty, stated, "Hello Kitty is not a cat but a young girl."
Koch, who claimed that Hello Kitty is a human rather than a cat, added, "(Hello Kitty) grew up in the suburbs of London, England, with her twin sister, parents, and pet cat." She recalled Hello Kitty's original settings: "a bright and kind girl," "likes baking cookies and playing the piano," and "dreams of becoming a pianist and poet."
Created by Sanrio in 1974, the character Hello Kitty has a round face adorned with a red ribbon. She has no mouth, whiskers on both cheeks, and triangular ears, which naturally led netizens to think Hello Kitty was a cat. However, Sanrio has never introduced Hello Kitty as a 'cat.'
The fact that Hello Kitty is not a cat also surfaced in 2014, the 40th anniversary of Hello Kitty's birth. During a rehearsal for the opening event of a Hello Kitty exhibition in Los Angeles, USA, when Christine Yano, an anthropology professor at the University of Hawaii and the event host, referred to Hello Kitty as a 'cat,' Sanrio officials objected, saying, "Hello Kitty is a young girl, not a cat." They explained, "Hello Kitty has never been depicted walking on all fours," and "Hello Kitty walks and sits on two legs and has a pet cat named 'Charmmy Kitty' and a pet hamster named 'Sugar.'"
Fans who learned this fact reacted with disbelief. They expressed feelings such as "I feel betrayed," "Hello Kitty is not a cat but a person," "Don't ruin my memories," "No matter what anyone says, Hello Kitty is a cat," and "Who has whiskers on a person?" The revelation that Hello Kitty is not a cat also influenced other animation industries. At that time, 'Peanuts,' famous for the character 'Snoopy,' stated on its official social media, "Snoopy is a dog."
Meanwhile, Hello Kitty, loved worldwide, held a pop-up store at Shinsegae Centum City in Korea to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The event will showcase limited edition items commemorating Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary, as well as various products including Hello Kitty's best-selling merchandise such as coin purses.
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