Hello Kitty is moe... Really

18.10.2009 by Patrick W. Galbraith

Hello Kitty is perhaps Japan's most beloved mascot character. Kitty was designed by Shimizu Ikuko and first seen on a vinyl coin purse released by Sanrio in 1974. She now is valued at some $1 billion annually. On this her 35th anniversary, Kitty is a cultural icon and Japan's ambassador (literally). This white female cat may not have a mouth, but the fashions she wears and products she promotes speak volumes about what is hot in Japan. And this year she has expanded her appeal from kawaii to moe, and her fanbase from little girls to otaku.

This may not come as much of a suprise. Kitty has had a following since appearing in the anime "Hello Kitty and Friends" in 1991. The animation was done by Madhouse, and Hayashibara Megumi provided the vocals. There is no denying how cute she could be (click here for the proof). And there are precedents of otaku idolizing Sanrio characters. Take Kuromi, the bumbling "rival" of My Melody, a rabbit in a pink hood who is oblivious of Kuromi's antagonism. (One might recall Dejiko and Rabi-en-Rose from ) Kuromi and My Melody have moe-anthropomorphized figures.
















Kuromi was prominently featured in maid cafe tie-ins a few years back, including her wearing the uniforms of popular cafes. At least Mai:lish, Pinafore, Jam and MIA released collectible cushions.




Now it is Kitty's turn. As an icon she is much more pliable than say Mickey Mouse, and can change her image easily. From two years back Sanrio has been making overtures towards the otaku market in Akihabara. One collectible towel has her in a pink costume questioning: "Moe?"






One could read it to be, "What is moe?" or "Am I moe?" This year, Kitty is an Akihabara "Meganekko," a pun on "cute girl in glasses" and "cat in glasses."












It isn't that far of a stretch. Hell, there are many nekomimi moe characters out there, though perhaps none as feline as Mrs. Kitty White. For better or worse, Kitty is working her way into otaku land. She is the spokescat for "Akiba moe-flavored" caramels. For those of you wondering Akiba tastes like sickeningly sweet strawberry.









Then, at summer Comike , fans saw Hello Kitty as never before - moe-anthropomorphized by otaku illustrators the likes of Pop and Okama.

This, we learn, is part of a new project by Sanriowave called “Hello Kitty to Issho!” (Together with Hello Kitty!). The project is to "test a new market and target young men and women that like Akiba-kei comics, anime and games, rather than the young girls that are traditionally Kitty fans." Those drawing by Pop and Okama are of "Kitty-raa," or girls who can't get enough of Hello Kitty. Sanriowave plans to sell T-shirts, tote bags and other merchandise.



In Osaka, Universal Studios Japan is releasing merchandise featuring Kitty as a very moe street idol doing a special Halloween live performance.



























And then the last straw: Kitty as a human girl. Mano Erina, an 18-year-old idol signed with Hello! Project, is starring in a stage play called "Koi suru Hello Kitty" (Hello Kitty in Love). As the catch copy tells us, "Even a doll can love a human." (Recall the ongoing doll boom.) The story is a love fantasy in which Hello Kitty is a French doll that falls in love with a human boy. God grants Kitty three days as a high-school student. Mano plays Kitty after she has become a human, and will be seen alongside someone in a Hello Kitty costume. The show will be held at Aoyama Enkei Stage from November 11 to November 19.





























You say goodbye, but I say hello. To my moe Kitty-chan.