The character, “Hello Kitty“ has recently made a resurgence and has people going wild. Hello Kitty first made an appearance in 1974 through the Japanese company Sanrio and her popularity has skyrocketed since then. The distinctive white cat with the red bow has had many shows, toys and merchandise coined with her likeliness.
The designer, Yuko Shimizu, created Hello Kitty to be full of kindness and friendship. Over time, she became such a cultural icon but the character soon died down after a couple of years.
However, as of early 2023, the character has made another big debut in a different circumstance. Older audiences have fallen in love with the nostalgia of this 70’s character as Sanrio releases new Hello Kitty merch pretty much every season.
This is why individuals developed a huge connection with the character and have taken the initiative to take a leap in collecting this character’s merchandise now. Unfortunately, this has become an issue even though the character is very loved by millions. Crazy to hear, right? A white cat has some people riled up. The collecting and stashing in store to buy for later and purchasing a mass supply to resell for an excessive price is causing a borderline obsession for most. The recent ages of these buyers, which ranges from 25 and up, is becoming inappropriate. Even going as far as making their love for Hello Kitty their personalities.
There have been many videos circulating across many different social platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Twitter with many opinions and conversations about the feelings towards the Hello Kitty obsession. The biggest concern with it all is the fact that adults are buying them and do not usually leave any merchandise for the younger generation to purchase.
There have also been videos of people leaving piles of Hello Kitty items hidden around, behind or inside of other items in stores so they could come and buy them later which will soon create devaluation of this beloved character.
Despite all of the controversy, Hello Kitty has achieved breakthrough success to still have a prominent spot in the industry.
