LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 24, 2024: Hello Kitty plushies are displayed during a photocall at Somerset House for the new exhibition CUTE in London, United Kingdom on January 24, 2024. CUTE, the first major exhibition to examine the extraordinary and complex power of cuteness, opens at Somerset House on 25 January 2024 and runs until 14 April 2024. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Hello Kitty recently celebrated its 50th anniversary! Japanese entertainment company Saniro first introduced the character in 1974. For decades, folks have assumed that Hello Kitty is what her name says she is: an animal, specifically a cat. Turns out, that’s far from the case!
Sanrio’s retail business development director, Jill Cook, revealed that Hello Kitty is actually a human girl. She dropped the bombshell during an interview on the ‘Today’ show on Thursday (July 18).
Cook said, “Hello Kitty is not a cat,” adding “she’s actually a little girl.” Additionally, Jill Cook shared that HK was born and raised in the London suburbs with her family, including her parents, twin sister Mimmy, and house cat Charmmy Kitty.
All the tea from one of the world’s most famous characters is available on their website. In addition to baking cookies, HK enjoys connecting with new friends as she believes “you can never have too many…”
Jill Cook has shaken the innanet with her comments. In large majority, people agree that the design of Hello Kitty definitely gives CAT, from the whiskers on her face to the triangle ears and white coat.
Internet reactions aside, though, the character’s designer, Yuko Shimizu, previously said her design was “a white cat with a red bow in its hair,” per BBC. As a child, she had received a “small white kitten” for her birthday and drew inspiration from that memory.
In recent years, Saniro has also reportedly confirmed that Hello Kitty is not a cat. Meanwhile, Yuko is no longer at Saniro, having left the company two years after designing a childhood favorite worldwide.
Keep scrolling to see how X (formerly Twitter) is cuttin’ up over the news.
What are your thoughts on Hello Kitty, roomies?
