Hello Kitty is a Japanese cartoon character with many symbols in her design. In her design, the fact that she does not have a mouth represents the old saying “actions speak louder than words,” which shows that her whole being and character is to describe good friendship.
Her merchandise started in 1974, with a little coin purse for less than a dollar, going for ¥220. The meaning of Hello Kitty had a much more significant impact on little girls than it ever was just a coin purse for little girls. You can see her on almost everything, from kitchen utensils to clothes to water bottles. She has been such a global icon and a good representation of things that we should already know and do every day. So, even if the people who buy her merchandise do not know the symbolism behind Hello Kitty, it is nice to see her being celebrated.
Her bow on her ear is a symbol of human connection and that we should all get along no matter our differences. Hello Kitty as a character symbolizes many Japanese values like agreeableness, harmony, commerce, cuteness, and nature. She is a global symbol of anything good and positive, and she is a reminder to be kind to everyone and a cute little character to remind us all will be good.
Since her character is technically still a little girl, she has family members and her friends from school. She has a twin sister named Mimi, who looks identical to Hello Kitty, but Mimi has a little yellow bow on the opposite side of her head, a mother named Mary, and a father named George. As a little fun fact, Hello Kitty’s real name is Kitty White, and she is not an actual cat. Kitty is a little girl who dresses up as a cat. Her being the only actual human character, seems pretty ironic because her sister and other family members are all real cats. Kitty was also born in Britain because British culture was all the rage in Japan at that time.
Kitty White is a great character with so many great meanings, relationships, and reminders. She has a sister and parents, along with a boyfriend named Dear Daniel, who was announced to the public in 1999. Daniel has dreams of being a cameraman one day. He was also born in Britain, and one of his main hobbies/skills includes making beaded necklaces. Before Dear Daniel, Kitty was seen to be dating Tuxedo Sam, a penguin with a sailor suit. Even though Sam and Kitty are no longer dating, they are still best friends. Sam enjoys collections of bow ties, his favorite book Penguin Silhouette Romance, and eating shrimp. His main hobby is playing football.
Sanrio as a brand has a long list of characters that can be used to seek positivity and is just an adorable way for little kids to enjoy learning about different kinds of life-like lessons like learning how to be a good friend. I enjoy seeing the rise of Sanrio because it’s like seeing all of the meanings behind the characters including their main character Hello Kitty being celebrated.
