Hello Kitty (Japanese: ハローキティ; Latin: Harōkiti) is a cartoon character created by Japan's Sanrio Company in 1974. Hello Kitty-related products usually appear in the bright pink image of a white cartoon kitten with a bow on its head. The Hello Kitty trademark, which deliberately ignores the mouth part, has become widely known since it was registered in 1976.
Name
Hello Kitty does not have an official Chinese translation, but names such as Hello Kitty and Hello Kitty can still be found on the market. In addition, because Hello Kitty has no mouth, she is also known as the mouthless cat on the Internet.
Although Hello Kitty's initial design focused on the female market, the cartoon character's products have now involved toys, wallets, televisions, clothes, massagers, computer hardware and even sexual aids. Since its inception, Hello Kitty has been loved by consumers, especially in Asia, and related products have been warmly welcomed.
Hello Kitty, which came out on November 1, 1974 and was registered in 1976, soon became the protagonist of cartoons. The Hello Kitty animation, which was designed with children in mind, also launched related products shortly after its launch. The product that matches the animation's first Hello Kitty image is a small but exquisite vinyl coin wallet worth 240 yen (equivalent to about 19 yuan, about 75 NT dollars). It now produces more than 22,000 products and accounts for half of Sanrios' $1 million in annual profits.
In Japan, Hello Kitty has starred in at least one animated series of her own. "Hello Kitty's Paradise" aired for 16 episodes in 1993 and 1994. It was first published in English in November 2002.
This kitten has also appeared on the surface of MasterCard since 2004. This card may be to educate young girls on how to consume. It was the first credit card targeted at young girls.
History
Hello Kitty was originally designed in 1974 by Sanrio designer Yuko Shimizu. Shimizu left the company about a year later. The second designer, Setsuko Yonekubo, continued to design until 1980 when the task was handed over to Yuko Yamaguchi.
Hello Kitty was given British origin because British culture was very popular with Japanese girls at that time. Kitty's name comes from a cat owned by Alice in the book Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Dear Daniel, Kitty's boyfriend, who was created in 1999, was inspired by Melody, a 1971 film in which the Bee Gees participated in the songwriting and starring Mark Lester as Daniel.
The fictional world of Hello Kitty includes a host of friends and family members. Since 2004, she also has a pet Persian cat she calls Charmmy Kitty and a pet hamster named Sugar. Charmmy is very similar to Hello Kitty but more like a cat.
International success
Hello Kitty was brought to the U.S. market from the beginning and has served as UNICEF's U.S. Children's Ambassador since 1983. She really started to become popular in the late 1990s. Nowadays, you can see products with Hello Kitty in any American department store. Hello Kitty has appeared in advertising campaigns for retail chains. Many American celebrities have contributed to her popularity: Mariah Carey, Cameron Diaz, Heidi Klum, Steven Tyler, Carmen Iletra, Mandy Moore and Nicky Hilton All have supported Hello Kitty products.
Singer Lisa Loeb is such a fan that she even released an album specifically for Hello Kitty called Hello Lisa.
Sanrio Company has also cooperated with Taiwan's EVA Airways to launch the first painted passenger plane with the theme of Hello Kitty family since October 20, 2005, and named it Kitty Jet. Align the Hello Kitty brand with the aviation industry. Kitty Jet makes its first EVA Air Taipei-Fukuoka flight. The flight-exclusive products in Hello Kitty Jet are exclusively authorized by Sanrio. Planned in-flight supplies: including boarding passes and luggage identification strips obtained after checking in at the airport counter; and the wait staff and themed meals in the cabin are all printed with Hello Kitty images, and even the flight attendants wear them The dreamy pink Kitty apron and hair accessories, the specially prepared meals are specially made into cute Hello Kitty shapes, and the collection of limited duty duty-free products sold exclusively on board are all unique. Until the end of 2007, Kitty Jet services operated between Taipei and many Japanese cities such as Fukuoka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Osaka and Sendai. In addition, EVA Air also took aim at Hong Kong people's love for Hello Kitty and arranged a second Hello Kitty painted aircraft to serve flights between Taipei and Hong Kong starting from July 1, 2007. From August 27 of the same year, The number of Hello Kitty Jet flights between Taipei and Hong Kong will be increased from three to five per week. On October 21, 2008, the authorization contract expired and flights stopped. Hello Kitty also brings business opportunities to 7-eleven. In recent years, 7-eleven has successively launched free Hello Kitty magnets, pins, and dolls with purchases of 77 yuan or more. In addition to bringing popularity and topics, it also stimulates purchasing sentiment.
Image style and possible sources
Like many other Sanrio cartoon characters, Hello Kitty is based on the cute line (called Kawaii in Japanese, Q version in Taiwan, in English cute pronunciation) created. The official explanation for why Hello Kitty has no mouth is (see external link below) because she communicates with her heart and does not need to use any language. But Kitty's mouth is still drawn in the animation because she needs to eat and talk. Hello Kitty often wears a bow on her left ear, but there is often a five-leaf flower instead, and there are some rare variations such as a bouquet of flowers instead.
Some people think that Hello Kitty comes from the Japanese lucky cat (beckoning cat), and the name Hello Kitty can also be regarded as another English translation of lucky cat, which also means beckoning cat (beckoning cat). cat). Some people point out that Hello Kitty is very similar to Miffy, created by Dutch Dick Brunet in 1955, and therefore believe that Hello Kitty's line-drawing style is not original.
Official information of Hello Kitty
Name: Kitty White
Birthday: November 1, 1974
Constellation: Scorpio
p>Blood type: A
Birthplace: London
Height: 5 apples high
Weight: 3 apples heavy
Good at: baking cookies
Favorite food: Apple pie made by mom
Favorite word: friendship
Collection: cute little things, For example: candies, stars, goldfish, etc.
Excellent subjects: English, music, visual arts
Description: A cheerful and enthusiastic kitten, good at baking cookies, and likes her mother apple pie.
Favorite sport: playing tennis
Favorite musical instrument: piano
She is very similar to her twin sister Mimmy, but Kitty’s bow is red And wear it on the left ear.
Kitty’s family
Anthony White: Kitty’s grandfather, he likes to draw the most.
Margaret White: Kitty’s grandmother, she likes handicrafts and embroidery the most.
George White: Kitty’s father is a businessman and likes reading newspapers the most.
Mary White: Kitty’s mother is a housewife who likes to make fruit pies (especially apple pie).
Mimmy White: Kitty’s twin sister, wearing a yellow bow on her right ear
Kitty’s boyfriend
Dear Daniel|Daniel Star (Daniel Star): Kitty’s childhood sweetheart and boyfriend.
Kitty’s good friends
Joey: little mouse (boy)
Fifi: little sheep (girl)
Jodie: puppy (boy)
Tim & Tammy: little monkey brother and sister
Tracy :Little raccoon cat (boy)
Tippy: Little bear (boy)
Thomas: Little bear (boy)
Cathy / Kathy): Little White Rabbit (girl)
Rory / Lorry: Little Raccoon
Mory / Moley: Little Gopher
Teddy (Tiny Chum): Teddy Bear
Kitty’s pet
Charmmy Kitty: Persian cat
Honey Cute: Charmmy’s sister
Sugar: little hamster