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[[Ja:ハローキティ]] | |||
'''Hello Kitty''' is a [[Sanrio]] character created in 1974, originally designed by [[Yuko Shimizu]] and currently designed by [[Yuko Yamaguchi]], succeeding [[Yonekuba Setsuko]]. | |||
She is a cheerful character who is an {{WP|Anthropomorphization|anthropomorphism}} of a {{WP|Japanese bobtail cat|Japanese bobtail cat}}, meaning that she has traits of both a human and a cat. | |||
She is arguably the most successful [[Sanrio]] character who is known across the world and can be found in countless Sanrio merchandise of many kinds for both children and adults. | She is arguably the most successful [[Sanrio]] character who is known across the world and can be found in countless Sanrio merchandise of many kinds for both children and adults. | ||
Line 17: | Line 19: | ||
==Early history== | ==Early history== | ||
The first Hello Kitty merchandise is believed to be a coin pouch with Hello Kitty and [[Hello Kitty's fish (original)|Hello Kitty's fish]] that simply says "Hello!". | The first Hello Kitty merchandise is believed to be a coin pouch with Hello Kitty, some milk, and [[Hello Kitty's fish (original)|Hello Kitty's fish]] that simply says "[[Hello (Petit Purse)|Hello]]!"; a product under Sanrio's [[Petit Purse]] branding.<ref>[[Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered The World]] - Matt Alt, June 23, 2020 page 101.</ref> She also had a counterpart known as [[Baby Kitty (original design)|Baby Kitty]], not to be confused with [[Baby Kitty (late design)|later designs]].<ref>[[The Strawberry News/No. 70 (February 1, 1978)]] page 11 via [https://kuins.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=286&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1 『いちご新聞』にみる〈ハローキティ〉像の変遷 , Michiko Shimizu Bulletin of Research Volume 10 Page 101-1]</ref> | ||
Hello Kitty originally wasn't the most popular Sanrio character, as early in her history the [[Little Twin Stars]] were once more popular. In fact there was a point where she was losing popularity after her first artist retired, until the introduction of [[Tinychum]] as Hello Kitty's friend, and smart marketing strategies (such as [[Hello Kitty Print Club]]s), as well as celebrity recognition made her popular again. This made her so popular that even overseas countries | [[File:HK 1974 coin pouch.png|200px]] | ||
==Kitty Boom== | |||
[[File:Hello Kitty Shinkansen.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hello Kitty Shinkansen]] | |||
{{main|Kitty Boom}} | |||
Hello Kitty originally wasn't the most popular Sanrio character, as early in her history the [[Little Twin Stars]] were once more popular. In fact there was a point where she was losing popularity after her first artist retired, until the introduction of [[Tinychum]] as Hello Kitty's friend, and smart marketing strategies (such as [[Hello Kitty Print Club]]s), as well as celebrity recognition made her popular again. This made her so popular that even overseas countries would recognize her more, such as United States (a phenomenon known as the Kitty Boom).<ref>[https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8F%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AD%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3#%E3%82%AD%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3%E3%83%96%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0 Japanese Wikipedia editors (references are included there via in-line citations)]</ref> | |||
For [[Hello Kitty EVA Air]], Sanrio collaborated with the EVA Air airline and they released the [[EVA Air Airbus A330-300]], featuring Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters on the aeroplane. There have been cars with Sanrio designs such as the [[Louis Vuitton Hello Kitty Mini]]. The [[Hello Kitty Shinkansen]] is a special Hello Kitty bullet train by [[West Japan Railway Company]] located on the Sanyo Shinkansen line between Hakata Station and Shin-Osaka Station.<ref>[https://livejapan.com/en/in-kansai/in-pref-osaka/in-shin-osaka/article-a2000697/ Live Japan article]</ref> | |||
[[File:Harmonyland 40th anniversary print club.png|thumb|left|200px|40th Anniversary Hello Kitty Print Club at [[Harmonyland]]]] | |||
{{clear}} | |||
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
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Her motto is "You can never have too many friends!".<ref>[http://www.sanrio.com/hellokittycon/ Sanrio.com - Hello Kitty Con 2014 page].</ref> | Her motto is "You can never have too many friends!".<ref>[http://www.sanrio.com/hellokittycon/ Sanrio.com - Hello Kitty Con 2014 page].</ref> | ||
Hello Kitty's real name is '''Kitty White'''. She was born on November 1st. She is blood type "A" and lives in Suburban {{WP|London|London}}. She is good at making cookies, and her favourite word is "friendship". Her favourite subjects are English, music and art. | Hello Kitty's real name is '''Kitty White'''. She was born on November 1st, as was her twin sister [[Mimmy]]. She is blood type "A" and lives in Suburban {{WP|London|London}}. She is good at making cookies, and her favourite word is "friendship". Her favourite subjects are English, music and art. | ||
Hello Kitty's favourite food is "[[Mama (Hello Kitty)|Momma]]'s apple pie". She collects small cute things "like candy, stars, goldfish, etc." She is best friends with [[Mimmy]], her twin sister.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110816230401/http://www.sanrio.co.jp/characters/hellokitty/english/kt_family.html Sanrio official website (archived, 2011) - Hello Kitty Family].</ref> | Hello Kitty's favourite food is "[[Mama (Hello Kitty)|Momma]]'s apple pie". She collects small cute things "like candy, stars, goldfish, etc." She is best friends with [[Mimmy]], her twin sister.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110816230401/http://www.sanrio.co.jp/characters/hellokitty/english/kt_family.html Sanrio official website (archived, 2011) - Hello Kitty Family].</ref> | ||
She is "five [[apple]]s" high and weighs "three apples". | |||
==Family== | ==Family== | ||
Line 39: | Line 53: | ||
==Friends== | ==Friends== | ||
*[[Dear Daniel]] | *[[Dear Daniel]] | ||
*[[My Melody]] | *[[My Melody]] | ||
Line 67: | Line 80: | ||
*[[Joey]] | *[[Joey]] | ||
*[[Judy]] | *[[Judy]] | ||
*[[Tinychum (universe)|Tinychum]] | *[[Tinychum (universe)|Tinychum]]s | ||
*[[Mory]] | *[[Mory]] | ||
*[[Tim & Tammy]] | *[[Tim & Tammy]] | ||
Line 75: | Line 88: | ||
*[[Hello Kitty's fish (original)]] | *[[Hello Kitty's fish (original)]] | ||
*[[Hello Kitty's fish (Sanrio Digital)]] | *[[Hello Kitty's fish (Sanrio Digital)]] | ||
<ref>[https://www.sanrio.co.jp/character/hellokitty/?relation Japanese character directory page]</ref> | *[[Rubber ducky]] | ||
<ref>[http://evakitty.evaair.com/en/Characters.aspx Hello Kitty EVA Air website - Characters]</ref> | *[[Chicks (Hello Kitty)|Chicks]] | ||
*[[Penguin-san (Hello Kitty)|Penguin-san]] | |||
*[[Dolphin (Hello Kitty)|Dolphin]] | |||
*[[Bat (Hello Kitty)|Bat]] | |||
*[[Seal (Hello Kitty)|Seal]] | |||
*[[Pegasus (Hello Kitty)|Pegasus]] | |||
*[[Butterfly]] | |||
*[[Teddy bear (unidentified Hello Kitty character)]]<ref>[https://www.sanrio.co.jp/character/hellokitty/?relation Japanese character directory page]</ref><ref>[http://evakitty.evaair.com/en/Characters.aspx Hello Kitty EVA Air website - Characters]</ref><ref>[[Hello Kitty Magical Museum Guidebook]] and [[Hello Kitty no Metcha Esute Official Guidebook]]</ref> | |||
*[[Little Miss Hug (character)|Little Miss Hug]] (best friends promotion)<ref>In the [[Little Miss Hug & Hello Kitty: Best Friends]] activity book, [[Hello Kitty]] and Little Miss Hug meet.</ref> | |||
*[[Pusheen]] (third party best friends promotion)<ref>[[Hello Kitty x Pusheen]], [https://shop.pusheen.com/collections/hello-kitty-x-pusheen/products/hello-kitty-x-pusheen-best-friends-collector-set example merchandise]</ref> | |||
*[[Postman]] | |||
*[[Doctor]] | |||
*[[Heart (Hello Kitty, Sanrio Puroland)|Sanrio Puroland heart]] | |||
*Hello Kitty [[Sanrio Poco a Poco]] characters | |||
*[[Chip]] | |||
*[[Mouser]] | |||
*[[Amy (Hello Kitty)|Amy]] | |||
*[[Eric]] | |||
*[[Harry]] | |||
Animals: | |||
*[[Chicken (Hello Kitty)|Chicken]] | |||
*[[Chicks (Hello Kitty)|Chicks]] | |||
*[[Cow (Hello Kitty)|Cow]] | |||
*[[Elephant (Hello Kitty)|Elephant]] | |||
==Other related characters== | ==Other related characters== | ||
Variations: | ===Babies=== | ||
*[[Baby Kitty]] | |||
*[[Baby Mimmy]] | |||
*[[Baby Daniel]] | |||
*[[Baby Cathy]] | |||
===Variations=== | |||
''See [[:Category:Variations of Hello Kitty]] for more'' | |||
*[[Ichigoman]] | *[[Ichigoman]] | ||
*[[DarkGrapeMan]] | *[[DarkGrapeMan]] | ||
*[[Honeymomo]] | *[[Honeymomo]] | ||
*[[Angel Kitty]] | *[[Angel Kitty]] | ||
*[[ | *[[Sailor Kitty]] | ||
*[[Nurse Kitty]] | *[[Nurse Kitty]] | ||
*[[Black Hello Kitty]] | *[[Black Hello Kitty]] | ||
Line 92: | Line 136: | ||
*[[Honeybee Kitty]] | *[[Honeybee Kitty]] | ||
*[[Chinese Zodiac Hello Kitty]] | *[[Chinese Zodiac Hello Kitty]] | ||
== | ==Controversies== | ||
===Hello Kitty is "not a cat"=== | |||
When Christine R. Yano, an anthropologist at the {{WP|University of Hawaii|University of Hawaii}} was curating a Hello Kitty exhibit at the {{WP|Japanese American National Museum|Japanese American National Museum}} in {{WP|Los Angeles|Los Angeles}} she was corrected by Sanrio that Hello Kitty is "not a cat" but a "cartoon character". Sanrio noted that Hello Kitty walks on two legs and is never depicted on all fours unlike her pet cat [[Charmmy Kitty]]. This became viral and the Internet sensationalized it as shocking or as a negative thing.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/28963085/hello-kitty-is-not-a-cat---shes-a-british-school-kid BBC - "Hello Kitty is not a cat - She's a British school kid"]</ref> | |||
However, when {{WP|Kotaku|Kotaku}} asked Sanrio's {{WP|Tokyo|Tokyo}} headquarters whether Hello Kitty was a cat, they replied that Hello Kitty is a "gijinka" (meaning "anthropomorphization" or "personification.") created in the motif of a cat and suggested it is a statement too far to say that Hello Kitty is not a cat.<ref>[http://kotaku.com/dont-be-silly-hello-kitty-is-a-cat-1627820750/ "Don't Be Silly, Hello Kitty Is a Cat" - Kotaku]</ref> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
[[Category:1970s characters]] | [[Category:1970s characters]] | ||
[[Category:Female characters]] | [[Category:Female characters]] | ||
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[[Category:Hello Kitty universe]] | [[Category:Hello Kitty universe]] | ||
[[Category:Sanrio meta]] | [[Category:Sanrio meta]] | ||
[[Category:Sanrio Boys universe characters]] | |||
[[Category:November 1 birthdays]] | |||
[[Category:Scorpio characters]] |
Latest revision as of 23:48, 5 May 2024
Hello Kitty | |
![]() | |
Universe | Hello Kitty |
Other names | Kitty White |
Japanese name | ハローキティ, Hello Kitty キティ・ホワイト, Kitty White キティちゃん, Kitty-chan |
Date of first appearance | 1974 |
Based on | Anthropomorphism of a Japanese bobtail cat |
Gender | Female |
Home/Nationality/Usually Found At | British |
Hello Kitty is a Sanrio character created in 1974, originally designed by Yuko Shimizu and currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, succeeding Yonekuba Setsuko.
She is a cheerful character who is an anthropomorphism of a Japanese bobtail cat, meaning that she has traits of both a human and a cat.
She is arguably the most successful Sanrio character who is known across the world and can be found in countless Sanrio merchandise of many kinds for both children and adults.
Hello Kitty usually has no visible mouth. According to Yuko Yamaguchi, this is so that people can "project their own feelings onto her face", which may suggest that people can emphasize with Hello Kitty regardless of whether they are happy or sad.[1] Another reason given by Sanrio why Hello Kitty has no mouth is that Hello Kitty "speaks from the heart" and that as an ambassador to the world she "isn't bound to any particular language".[2]
Early history
The first Hello Kitty merchandise is believed to be a coin pouch with Hello Kitty, some milk, and Hello Kitty's fish that simply says "Hello!"; a product under Sanrio's Petit Purse branding.[3] She also had a counterpart known as Baby Kitty, not to be confused with later designs.[4]
Kitty Boom
- Main article: Kitty Boom.
Hello Kitty originally wasn't the most popular Sanrio character, as early in her history the Little Twin Stars were once more popular. In fact there was a point where she was losing popularity after her first artist retired, until the introduction of Tinychum as Hello Kitty's friend, and smart marketing strategies (such as Hello Kitty Print Clubs), as well as celebrity recognition made her popular again. This made her so popular that even overseas countries would recognize her more, such as United States (a phenomenon known as the Kitty Boom).[5]
For Hello Kitty EVA Air, Sanrio collaborated with the EVA Air airline and they released the EVA Air Airbus A330-300, featuring Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters on the aeroplane. There have been cars with Sanrio designs such as the Louis Vuitton Hello Kitty Mini. The Hello Kitty Shinkansen is a special Hello Kitty bullet train by West Japan Railway Company located on the Sanyo Shinkansen line between Hakata Station and Shin-Osaka Station.[6]
![](https://cdn.sanriowiki.com/thumb/8/8f/Harmonyland_40th_anniversary_print_club.png/200px-Harmonyland_40th_anniversary_print_club.png)
Biography
“A bright and cheerful girl with a heart of gold. Makes delicious cookies, but prefers Mom's apple pie. Hello Kitty is best friends with her twin sister Mimmy.”
—Sanrio official website
Her motto is "You can never have too many friends!".[7]
Hello Kitty's real name is Kitty White. She was born on November 1st, as was her twin sister Mimmy. She is blood type "A" and lives in Suburban London. She is good at making cookies, and her favourite word is "friendship". Her favourite subjects are English, music and art.
Hello Kitty's favourite food is "Momma's apple pie". She collects small cute things "like candy, stars, goldfish, etc." She is best friends with Mimmy, her twin sister.[8]
She is "five apples" high and weighs "three apples".
Family
Friends
- Dear Daniel
- My Melody
- Minna no Tābō
- Bad Badtz-Maru
- Pompompurin
- Macaroon
- Kuromi
- Pochacco
- Pekkle
- Kerokerokeroppi
- Cinnamoroll
- Corocorokuririn
- Shirousa
- Kurousa
- Patty
- Jimmy
- Kiki
- Lala
- Fifi
- Tippy
- Tracy
- Thomas
- Rotti
- Rory
- Timmy
- Joey
- Judy
- Tinychums
- Mory
- Tim & Tammy
- Jody
- Cathy (discontinued for legal reasons)
- Llama
- Hello Kitty's fish (original)
- Hello Kitty's fish (Sanrio Digital)
- Rubber ducky
- Chicks
- Penguin-san
- Dolphin
- Bat
- Seal
- Pegasus
- Butterfly
- Teddy bear (unidentified Hello Kitty character)[9][10][11]
- Little Miss Hug (best friends promotion)[12]
- Pusheen (third party best friends promotion)[13]
- Postman
- Doctor
- Sanrio Puroland heart
- Hello Kitty Sanrio Poco a Poco characters
- Chip
- Mouser
- Amy
- Eric
- Harry
Animals:
Babies
Variations
See Category:Variations of Hello Kitty for more
- Ichigoman
- DarkGrapeMan
- Honeymomo
- Angel Kitty
- Sailor Kitty
- Nurse Kitty
- Black Hello Kitty
- Red Hello Kitty
- Panda Hello Kitty
- Honeybee Kitty
- Chinese Zodiac Hello Kitty
Controversies
Hello Kitty is "not a cat"
When Christine R. Yano, an anthropologist at the University of Hawaii was curating a Hello Kitty exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles she was corrected by Sanrio that Hello Kitty is "not a cat" but a "cartoon character". Sanrio noted that Hello Kitty walks on two legs and is never depicted on all fours unlike her pet cat Charmmy Kitty. This became viral and the Internet sensationalized it as shocking or as a negative thing.[14]
However, when Kotaku asked Sanrio's Tokyo headquarters whether Hello Kitty was a cat, they replied that Hello Kitty is a "gijinka" (meaning "anthropomorphization" or "personification.") created in the motif of a cat and suggested it is a statement too far to say that Hello Kitty is not a cat.[15]
References
- ↑ 10 Questions for Yuko Yamaguchi - TIME
- ↑ Top cat: How 'Hello Kitty' conquered the world - Asia - World - The Independent
- ↑ Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered The World - Matt Alt, June 23, 2020 page 101.
- ↑ The Strawberry News/No. 70 (February 1, 1978) page 11 via 『いちご新聞』にみる〈ハローキティ〉像の変遷 , Michiko Shimizu Bulletin of Research Volume 10 Page 101-1
- ↑ Japanese Wikipedia editors (references are included there via in-line citations)
- ↑ Live Japan article
- ↑ Sanrio.com - Hello Kitty Con 2014 page.
- ↑ Sanrio official website (archived, 2011) - Hello Kitty Family.
- ↑ Japanese character directory page
- ↑ Hello Kitty EVA Air website - Characters
- ↑ Hello Kitty Magical Museum Guidebook and Hello Kitty no Metcha Esute Official Guidebook
- ↑ In the Little Miss Hug & Hello Kitty: Best Friends activity book, Hello Kitty and Little Miss Hug meet.
- ↑ Hello Kitty x Pusheen, example merchandise
- ↑ BBC - "Hello Kitty is not a cat - She's a British school kid"
- ↑ "Don't Be Silly, Hello Kitty Is a Cat" - Kotaku
- Characters
- 1970s characters
- Female characters
- British characters
- Characters based on cats
- Hello Kitty universe characters
- Licensed Sanrio Timenet: Kako Hen and Mirai Hen characters
- Licensed Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue characters
- Licensed Hello Kitty: Birthday Adventures characters
- Hello Kitty universe
- Sanrio meta
- Sanrio Boys universe characters
- November 1 birthdays
- Scorpio characters