The fact that Hello Kitty is not a cat has made many of its fans react.
Hello Kitty has turned 50 years old, and fans of the popular cartoon character created by Yuko Shimizu learned that she is ultimately not a cat.
Hello Kitty is undoubtedly a “global marketing phenomenon” having managed to generate over 5 billion dollars a year. However, the fact that this character is not a cat has led many of her fans to react.
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In fact, Jill Cook, the retail business development director of Sanrio, said about the character of Hello Kitty:
“Hello Kitty is not a cat. In reality, she is a little girl who was born and grew up in the suburbs of London. She has a mom and a dad and a twin sister, Mimmy – who is also her best friend.”
This revelation is not the first time it has come to light. No matter how much her fans may want to deny it, it was headlined again on her 40th anniversary in 2014.
“Hello Kitty is not a cat. She is a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend. But she is not a cat; she is not depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a biped. However, she has a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty.”
Outrage over Hello Kitty on social media
There has been a stir on social media after this news, as many were shocked by the announcement, with many pointing out that Hello Kitty literally has cat whiskers and ears.
“Did you expect that our entire childhood was a lie?”, wrote a user on Twitter in response to the news.
In fact, for the 50th birthday of this beloved character of many young children, the people at Sanrio shared some information about Hello Kitty that many did not know:
- Her name is Kitty White.
- She is a little girl (and not a cat).
- She was born in the suburbs of London, England, where she still lives with her parents.
- She has a twin sister named Mimmy, who wears a yellow bow on her right ear.
- Kitty’s hobbies include traveling, reading, and baking.
- Her favorite food is her mother’s apple pie.
- She dreams of becoming a pianist or poet one day.
- Her birthday is November 1, 1974.
- She has a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty.
- Kitty’s boyfriend is her childhood friend Dear Daniel or Daniel Starr, who was introduced to the public in 1999.
- Daniel’s hobbies include animal photography, dancing, and piano.
- Daniel wants to become a professional illustrator one day.
- Kitty’s best friend is Tiny Chum, a small teddy bear who wears a red bow that Kitty gave him.