Sanrio ends VIVANT deal after China backlash, leaving order questions open

Sanrio has ended the entire merchandise collaboration with the Japanese spy drama after criticism in China of scenes depicting Chinese intelligence agents torturing Japanese operatives. The decision removes Hello Kitty and her fellow characters from the current collaboration, future projects and promotional activities. It does not cancel the television series.⁠2⁠12

The goods put Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll in costumes associated with the show’s characters. TBS’s official online shop had sold plush toys and other collaboration merchandise. Those cheerful characters became the commercial link through which a dispute over a violent drama reached a company whose stated purpose is to foster care and connection.⁠12⁠7⁠2

Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary announced the cancellation on Weibo on the evening of October 28, 2026. Japanese headquarters followed with an official notice on October 29. These were two stages of the announcement, not alternative dates for a single statement. The headquarters notice makes the scope unmistakable: this is the end of the collaboration, not a pause in one campaign.⁠18⁠2

The company apologized for causing concern and said it had received a range of opinions about the merchandise. It invoked its philosophy of harmony among all people and its vision, “One World, Connecting Smiles.” It also promised stronger checks on future collaboration proposals. Sanrio framed the withdrawal as a judgement about the suitability of the association, without endorsing every political or historical accusation directed at the drama.⁠2

The disputed scenes belong to VIVANT’s second season, which began in July 2026. They show Chinese agents cutting a Japanese operative’s fingers and stabbing or piercing his abdomen. On October 25, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV accused the production of reversing right and wrong, deliberately smearing China and glorifying Japanese operations abroad, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. October 25 is the reported date of that criticism—not an established broadcast date for the scenes.⁠12⁠18

Chinese state outlets argued that the depicted torture methods closely resembled atrocities Japanese troops committed against Chinese people, accusing the series of distorting wartime history. That is an accusation about the historical implications of a fictional portrayal, not evidence that the drama depicts a real intelligence operation. The reporting does not identify a particular wartime incident as the reference.⁠12

On October 28, the state-run Global Times moved the argument directly onto Sanrio’s business. Its editorial said Hello Kitty “should not dance with Japan’s right wing” and warned that association with what it called “anti-China content” could damage the trust and emotional bond the company had built with customers, beyond any immediate sales loss.⁠12

The editorial supplied a financial reason to listen. It cited first-half 2026 revenue of 781 million yuan—approximately 18.5 billion yen—for Sanrio’s China business, with year-on-year growth above 40 percent. Yomiuri and CNA reported those figures as part of the editorial’s argument that Sanrio should demonstrate respect for the Chinese market through its decisions. They are not independently checked financial disclosures here, and they measure neither VIVANT merchandise sales nor the cost of cancellation.⁠7⁠18

The Chinese subsidiary’s announcement followed hours after the editorial. That sequence establishes how quickly the pressure and withdrawal unfolded; it does not reveal Sanrio’s internal deliberations or establish that the editorial alone determined the outcome. What is plain is that the pressure targeted the wider customer relationship, not merely a range of plush toys.⁠18

China’s government added its own political message on October 29. Asked about the scrapped partnership, a foreign ministry spokesperson said the incident should “serve as a warning to the international community and discerning people in Japan,” the BBC reported. That statement gave official weight to the controversy, but is not evidence of a legal order requiring Sanrio to withdraw or a ban on the drama.⁠12

TBS has defended the production’s fictional intent. At his regular press conference on October 28, network president Masamine Ryuho said the drama was completely fictional and had no intention of “disparaging any particular country.” He also rejected any intention to incite confrontation between countries or endorse force or violence. Those remarks addressed the controversy; they should not be read as an established response delivered after Sanrio’s termination announcement.⁠12⁠18

Ryuho defended the interrogation scene as necessary to the dramatic presentation, while acknowledging that whether viewers felt discomfort or fear required careful consideration. The distinction between the companies’ positions matters: TBS defended what the fiction intended to do; Sanrio decided that lending its characters to the collaboration was inconsistent with its own philosophy. One position does not settle the other.⁠18⁠2

VIVANT first aired in 2023, following a Japanese salaryman drawn into international crime and espionage in a fictional Central Asian country. The newer season continues on TBS, in its Sunday 9 p.m. slot. Sanrio’s withdrawal severs a merchandise and promotional relationship, not the television production itself.⁠12⁠19⁠2

For Sanrio, the lasting consequence may extend beyond this one partnership: its promised stronger review process will govern how it considers future collaborations. For customers, however, the immediate test is less abstract. A broad announcement that everything is ending is not yet an explanation of what happens to an individual purchase.⁠2