Tag Archives: Male Hello Kitty fans

My Interview with Small Gift Big Story podcast.

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Two weeks ago I was interviewed  by  Saumeh and Marty of the  Small Gift Big  Story  podcast.  The pos cast is about  us fans of Sanrio and Hello Kitty and our love  and  stories. I am very honored  to be interview them and gave them  free run of my blogs for  pictures of the cons I took Hello Kitty and Chococat .  The podcast is now  up on soundcoud and  Itunes.

The  sound suffers because I use my phone and I talk to fast. I discuss  my motivation and love of Hello Kitty influenced  by both  my time in Japan and  my involvement   in the Furry Fandom. I hope I represented the fandom well.

Saumeh and Marty are neat people and Hello Kitty fans  the been interviewed by a major paper covering Hello Kitty’s 40th anniversary http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/kitty-festival-marks-character-40th-birthday-article-1.1989289

It is a honor  to be interviewed by both of you.

Photo Link

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.963408467080456.1073741836.754444857976819&type=3

Hello Kitty News Dump

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It has been a while so sit back and here two stories
It is the other side of the pond turn for a hello Kitty show. After the disappointing cancelation of Hello Kitty’s Supercute Festival , Europe gives it a go with a live show, Hello Kitty Live Fashion and Friends , the story goes as “The Present, London. A group of great friends. The passion for creativity, fashion and music. An opportunity that can change Hello Kitty’s life. A story of friendship. A challenge you can share.” The show was panned by the British theater critics, but then what in heck are they expecting, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats? Give me a break.
The show is current ruing in France and will return to Great Brittan,I  hope the show will make it to Asia we can hope for a North American run.
The second story is a follow up on the Hello Kitty Men project; Hello Kitty Men; Unveiling 12 Items in Collaboration with 6 Tokyo Men’s Brands. The article is interesting that Hello Kitty designer Yuko Yamaguchi reiterates Sanrio desire to enter the men’s market .
“Hello Kitty designer Yuko Yamaguchi told the reception party, “In the 40 years since Hello Kitty was born, the character has been thought of as something that is just for girls, but now we hear from men in their 20s and 30s who don’t view it as particularly ‘girly.’ We’ve also received requests from high school boys who’ve been brought up by mothers who are Hello Kitty fans and have gotten used to the character as part of their lives, asking us to make items to suit their style.
Looking toward the next generation, I think we must have fans among men as well as women. Since I’m a woman, it’s difficult for me to always know what men want, so I’m delighted that we’ve been able to collaborate with all these wonderful people. It was quite a challenge to design Hello Kitty with men in mind, and I’m really satisfied with how well all of these collaboration items manage to express the various brand colors. Listening to the reactions from the men who attended this event, it’s fascinating to hear so much interest in these unique items.”
You can see the collaboration here except for the 10000 Y t-shirt I am not impressed, I want something more overtly hello kitty. If Sanrio want to really reach the male market in the US, get Lauren Faust to reboot Hello Kitty and Friends, we will own the Brony fandom.

Did Sanrio Say Goodbye To The USA?

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Ok we got a new EVA Hello Kitty jet run from Taipei to Houston. Yet there now the Hello Kitty Men project, Nendo Hello Kitty shirt line and then there the Hello Kitty collaborations with DC comics. The problem is none of it happen here in the US of A. Since Sanrio abandoned retail in the US last year, there is not much going on. A few stores in Portland are selling a small number of items and there was the 24 inch plush sold by Toys are us for $34.00 (I got my for $19.00 on Black Friday. Other than that there been slim pickings in my neck of the woods.

Dear Sanrio We male fans do exist in the US when will we get our Sanrio / Hello Kitty line?

Of Kittylers and Bronies.

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First off More evidence that male fans exist. 

Antonio Garay drives a ‘Hello, Kitty’ Smartcar

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22475988/32386215
This got me thinking about bronies; for those who have not a clue, a Bronies are older fans of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. Most of these fans are male but a few are female. The word Bronies, as the call themselves, is a conjunction of Bro and Pony. What fascinates me how in just one year this fandom has gone from a show aimed to selling My Little Pony to five to seven year old girls, to a worldwide phenomenon. There are websites like Equestria Daily to various meets around the world. The credit goes to Hasbro and Lauren Faust creating a kid show with intelligence.
Now as a male fan of Hello Kitty, there are similarities as we men are fans of a character mainly marketed to women and children. The question is how can Sanrio find its hook and make Hello Kitty popular, as My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. There the foundation for male kitty fandom in an article 10 Questions for Yuko Yamaguchi, as reported by Time magazine:

“What will Hello Kitty be doing in 10 years?
Catherine G. Pilie, Covington, La.
In 10 years’ time, everybody around the world will know her. Also, the number of male and female fans will be the same. Men who are still reluctant to be seen with Kitty in public today might be wearing Hello Kitty boxers. But they will eventually stop being shy and will show off Kitty proudly. “

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1834451,00.html#ixzz1aGzW8ycG

Sanrio would love to have a breakthrough with male fans. While Hasbro is doing fine with the gift that was dropped into their lap, I never felt Hasbro does not have very much experience dealing with something outside their demographic. Sanrio is strong suite is collaborations. If suddenly, there was an up tick of male Hello Kitty fans, Sanrio would respond with collaboration with a young male clothing line and if these new fans start visiting Sanrio stores like Toys R Us for MLP items, Sanrio would have an male line of items on the store, within months. Male hello kitty fan would not need to make an appeal to Sanrio like bronies had to with Hasbro.

Of course, it would have to be a different way to attract male fans; they could reboot Hello Kitty and Friends, a la Lauren Faust., The problem I do not see her or any other

Americacreative type navigating your typical top down manage style of a Japanese corporation like Sanrio. Then again if lightning to strike twice creating a male Kitty fandom, I’ll be there to guild new male fans of the cute one.