#Asako Kanda

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Subtle evolution

While Hello Kitty’s key features remained largely unchanged, Yamaguchi (who previously told Time magazine that the character doesn’t have a mouth “so that people who look at her can project their own feelings onto her face”) placed her in different scenarios, broadening her appeal.

“She’s good at sports, and she looks cute and chic too,” she explained.

“I think of her as a blank canvas that you can transform into all sorts of things. There’s not much that doesn’t suit her… I think that when everyone talks to Hello Kitty, she probably answers them in some way.”

Sales of Hello Kitty products flourished in Japan between the 1980s and mid-1990s.

Much of the company’s earlier merchandise was aimed at young girls, including school supplies and personal care items like toothbrushes.

But, even then, illustrator Yamaguchi knew the character would need to evolve and grow with her fans.

It’s a realization the illustrator traces back to a letter she received from a fan in 1987:

“She was a big fan of Hello Kitty but, in the letter, she wrote that her friends and parents had told her that it is a children’s character, and that she should have outgrown it.

But she didn’t want to, so she asked me to make products for high school students like her.”

Inspired by the trends she saw in Tokyo’s Harajuku fashion district at the time, Yamaguchi began incorporating contemporary style into her designs, in the hope of appealing to older fans.  

In 1999, Sanrio told the New York Times that the character was appearing on 12,000 new product lines a year, spanning almost every category imaginable, from clothing to board games, greeting cards to lunchboxes.

The company also began using Hello Kitty on more adult items, like electronics and kitchen appliances, as it became clear that nostalgia was becoming a major selling point.

As a result, some of today’s biggest Hello Kitty fans are those who grew up with her in the 1980s and ‘90s.

Among them is Asako Kanda, who started collecting Sanrio products in third grade and now owns over 10,000 items adorned with the character’s expressionless face.

“My mother gave me Hello Kitty stationery and school supplies like pencil cases and plastic boards.

When I saw them, I thought they were so cute, and they quickly became my favorite. That’s where it started,” she said, showing CNN around a dedicated Hello Kitty room in her Tokyo home.

“Once I began buying things for myself, I could get items for the kitchen, bathroom and other daily necessities. I wanted to unify everything with Hello Kitty from that point on."

After more than 36 years of collecting, Kanda still buys around two Hello Kitty items every month.

Sanrio releases new products on a weekly basis, and she scans them looking for anything that is “memorable or cute.”

“As life goes on, there are times when you face unpleasant or sad experiences,” she said, “During those times, looking at Hello Kitty goods have brought me comfort and solace.”

Going global

As Japan’s economy stagnated in the 1990s, Sanrio expanded its international presence.

In Hello Kitty’s early years, the company had sold products door-to-door in the US, before setting up the first overseas branch of its retail store, Gift Gate, in San Jose in 1976.

But following an explosion of Western interest in Japanese culture — from “Dragon Ball Z” to Tamagotchis and Beyblade — she captured the imagination of American consumers around the turn of the millennium, according to Atsuo Nakayama, a Japanese sociologist specializing in the entertainment industry.

“Just after 9/11, the world was changing,” he told CNN. “And I think that the Japanese ‘kawaii’ culture was an alternative fit for America, somehow.”

Much of Hello Kitty’s commercial success has been achieved through licensing.

She has spawned books, video games and animated TV series, like the long-running “Hello Kitty and Friends,” which helped further develop her character.

(Although, despite being raised in London, she was given a North American accent in English dubbed versions.)

She has also been part of deals with major consumer and luxury brands, and has appeared on an EVA Air plane, Fender Stratocaster guitars and Swarovski jewelry.

And while Sanrio’s declining fortunes at the turn of the 2010s sparked fears that Hello Kitty’s cultural relevance was fading, the company’s share price has rocketed in the last two years.

It now stands over 10 times its Covid-era low.

According to Atsuo, nostalgia is once again a key driving force — at home in Japan and abroad.

“Hello Kitty is on the rise again in America, and I think that this is because the first generation have now become parents and passed (their interests) on to their children,” Atsuo said, adding:  

“(Her popularity) has risen and fallen many times like this, and it creates a regular opportunity for people who were captivated by Hello Kitty to remember it and want to collect it again.”

Sanrio’s recent successes are also, in part, due to it diversifying away from Hello Kitty.

The character now only accounts for around 30% of Sanrio’s gross profit in product sales and licensing, down from 76% a decade earlier, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Recent creations like Gudetama (a lazy egg yolk) and Aggressive Retsuko (an introverted death-metal-loving red panda) have both featured in their own Netflix series.

Yet, even as Sanrio’s business model changes, Yamaguchi believes Hello Kitty will endure.

“Of course, there are many characters in the world that have been around longer than Hello Kitty,” the illustrator said, adding:

“I hope she continues working hard so she can celebrate her 100th anniversary in 50 years’ time.”

[theheartsofheroes]

[ @shoutaimu and I finally finished watching all of the Bandai Sera Myus. And since I don’t feel like sharing the document, here are our rankings for the Senshi actresses (plus Kakyuu) as well as ranking the roles of several recurring cast members. For double castings of Chibi Moon we put them in the same slot. I might come back and make another post with our explanations for the rankings but for now. Just have this list]

Senshi

Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon

Anza Ooyama

Marina Kuroki

Miyuki Kanbe

Fumina Hara

Mizuno Ami/Sailor Mercury

Ayako Morino

Chieko Kawabe

Minami Wakayama

Hisano Akamine

Yuikiko Miyagawa

Mariya Izawa

Rei Hino/Sailor Mars

Misako Kotani

Eri Kanda

Megumi Yoshida

Risa Honma

Aiko Kawasaki

Asuka Umemiya

Horoko Nakayama

Hiromi Sakai

Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter

Emi Kuriyama

Kanoko

Yuriko Hayashi

Akari Tonegawa

Emika Satou

Mai Watanabe

Ayano Sugimoto

Chiho Ooyama

Kaori Sakata

Takako Inayoshi

Marie Sada

Karina Okada

Minako Aino/Sailor Venus

Ayumi Murata

Nao Inada

Mizuki Watanabe

Nana Suzuki

Erica

Akiko Miyazawa

Momoko Shibuya

Kanatsu Nakaya

Yuki Nakamura

Miyu Otani

Chizuru Soya

Sakae Tamashita

Haruka Tenoh/Sailor Uranus

Nao Takagi

Sanae Kimura

Akiko Nakayama

Asako Uchida

Michiru Kaioh/Sailor Neptune

Yuuka Asami

Hiroko Tahara

Tomoko Inami

Sara Shimada

Takayo Ooyama

Miyuki Fuji

Kahoru Sakamoto

Chikage Tomita

Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto

Rei Saito

Yuuko Hosaka

Seiko Nakazawa

Yukiko Nakae

Miho Yokoi

Teruyo Watanabe

Yuki Kamiya

Miwa Hosoki

Hotaru Tomoe/Sailor Saturn

Ruria Nakamura

Keiko Takeda

Ayami Kakiuchi

Mao Mita

Chihiro Imai

Mario Tomioka

Eriko Funakoshi

Yui Iizuka

Asami Sanpei

Chibiusa Tsukino/Sailor Chibi Moon

Ayano Gunji

Tamaki Dai Shirai/Natsumi Takenaka

Mao Kawasaki/Ai Miyakawa

Noel Miyazaki

Kasumi Takabatake

Nanami Ohta

Moe Oosaki

Mao Ohno/Mina Horita

Arisu Izawa

Aisha Yamamoto

Mamoru Chiba/Tuxedo Kamen

Yuuta Mochizuki

Hironari Amano

Hidemasa Edo

Kenji Urai

Yuu Shirota

Yuuta Enomoto

Gyo Miyamoto

Mizuki Sano

Seiya Kou/Sailor Star Fighter

Sayuri Katayama

Chinatsu Akiyama

Taiki Kou/Sailor Star Maker

Hikari Ono

Akiko Nakayama

Yaten Kou/Sailor Star Healer

Momoko Okuyama

Mikako Tabe

Sailor Galaxia

Tamami Matsumoto

Yumie Sakaguchi

Saori Sara

Takemi

Princess Kakyuu

Sakoto Yoshioka

Ai Toyama

Recurring Cast Members

Ryuuji Kasahara

Tiger's Eye

Gilles de Rai

Kyaos/Chaos

MC Fly

Death Ra

Dark Nibiru

Prof. Tomoe/Undead Berserk

Kunzite [only at the bottom because we didn’t get to see this performance]

Ado Endou

Centi/Hanako Hoshino

Selkie

Sailor Lead Crow/Manila Karasu

Calaveras

Dark Menorah

Demon Lillith

Roi Malkuth

White Crow Ado/Dark Maya

Ensemble Roles ~ Death Nightmare ~ Lemures ~ Shadow Bug ~ Sailor Theta ~ Dark Moon

Miki Kawasaki

Esmeraude

Kaolinite

Kunzite

Le Fay/Olam Tiphareth

Dark Mirror

Zilpah Sapphire

Dark Sumer

(Death) Nightmare

Yoshiya Yukimura

Damask/Shintarou Hoshino

Mandrake

Kern

Hemachirou Taitou/Hematite

Death Pe

Nobitarou Oki (Crooked Ref)

Akiko Miyazawa

Elizabeth Bathory

Queen Beryl

Bilhah Emerald

Minako Aino/Sailor Venus

Hikari Ono

Taiki Kou/Sailor Star Fighter

(Prince) Demande

Bloody Dracul Vampir

Roof Merrow

Hawk's Eye

[seramyuconfessions]

Not a confession, but I would rlly like to know who your favorite and least favorite actors/actresses are, we always share our opinions and I’d like to know what are yours :)

Hahaha that’s very nice of you to ask! If you look on my personal blog @sailorzakuro I actually plaster my opinions everywhere on there lol, I think to a point where I annoy people but I’ll say a few here haha. I’ll just do the main senshi and Tux lol cos I’m p sure that’s the main ones people are interested in lol.

Favourites: Moon - Miyuki Kanbe, Fumina Hara Mercury - Hisano Akamine, Yume Takeuchi Mars - Eri Kanda, Asuka Umemiya Jupiter - Junna Ito, Emi Kuriyama Venus - Ayumi Murata, Hina Higuchi Chibi Moon - Ayano Gunji, Tamaki Dia Shirai Pluto - Seiko Nakazawa, Rei Saitou Uranus - Nao Takagi, Shuu Shiotsuki Neptune - Yuuka Asami, Tomoko Inami Saturn - Mao Mita, Mario Tomioka Tux - Kenji Urai, Hironari Amano

Least Favourites: Moon - Satomi Okubo, Shiori Kubo Mercury - Miyabi Matsuura, Hazuki Mukai Mars - Kanon Nanaki, Hiromi Sakai Jupiter - Kaori Sakata, Akari Tonegawa Venus - Kana Nakada, Mayu Tamura Chibi Moon - Airi Kanda, Kasumi Takabatake Pluto - Miho Yokoi, Yukiko Nakae Uranus - Asako Uchida, Akiko Nakayama Neptune - Takayo Ooyama, Kahoru Sakamoto Saturn - Ruria Nakamura, Karin Takahashi Tux - Yuga Yamato, Yuuta Enomoto

Lol that looks kinda big oopsie but thanks for asking again! Again my personal blog has countless rankings and stuff but yeah blog owner’s opinions for anon and anyone else who might have been interested! Haha.

[crazykacey]

@sailorzakuro made this wonderful tag which I’m gonna do xD

1. Favourite Bandai Myu song?

KNOCKIN’ DOWN HESITATION <3

2. Favourite Nelke Myu song?

Ai no Starshine <3

3. Favourite NogiMyu song?

Unmei no Gonin, Sailor Destiny <3

4. Top 5 actors (character wise)?

5. Mikako Ishii (Pluto) 4. Nao Takagi 3. Eri Kanda 2. Rimo Hasegawa 1. Miyuki Kanbe

5. Top 5 actors (personality wise)?

5. Karen Yoda (Admit it, THEY ARE AMAZING XD) 4. Nao Takagi 3. Hotaru Nomoto 2. Miyuki Kanbe 1. Rimo Hasegawa

6. Team MOON or Team STAR?

TEAM MOON FOR THE WIN! <3 MIZUKI <3 RIRIA <3 KAZUMI <3 AMI <3 HINACHAMA <3

7. Favourite Bandai musical (1993-2005)?

Eien Densetsu Kaiteiban <3 <3 <3

8. Favourite Nelke musical (2013-2017)?

Un Nouveau Voyage <3 😭

9. Dream role?

SAILOR VENUS OFC

10. 5 of your least favourite actors (character wise)? 

(are you ready with your pitchforks to burn me at the stake?)

5. SRD & KOK Starlights 4. Asami Sanpei 3. Asako Uchida 2. Ayano Sugimoto 1. Mariya Izawa

11. Favourite senshi intro song?

Make up! Kumikyoku Medley (Team Moon) 😍 (omg I love it SO MUCH can’t get enough of it)

12. Favourite Bandai Moon costume (Moon/Super/Eternal)?

Anza’s very first Eternal Sailor Moon costume from Yume K

13. Favourite Nelke Moon costume (Moon/Super/Eternal)?

Hotaru’s Eternal Sailor Moon costume from LMF

14. Actor(s) you used to like now dislike?

Asako Uchida (ikr it’s crazy that I used to like her), Momoyo Koyama (I DON’T DISlike her. It’s just that she used to be my favorite Mercury but not anymore), Ruria Nakamura

15. Actor(s) you used to dislike now like?

Chizuru Soya, Moe Oosaki, Tamaki Dia Shirai

[gracemyhearto]

1. Favourite Bandai Myu song?

FIRE

2. Favourite Nelke Myu song?

Music of the Spheres

3. Favourite NogiMyu song?

Moonlight Starlight, Unmei no Gonin Sailor Destiny

4. Top 5 actors (character wise)?

So it's obvious, that I'd put Yuuta Mochizuki, Miki Kawasaki, Hikari Ono, Ryuuji Kasahara and Akiko Miyazawa in this but since I think the Senshi actresses are meant here, I'll focus only on them. Hard to put them in an order and hard to pick just five but here we go:

5. Mai Watanabe; 4. Yumie Sakaguchi & Tamami Matsumoto; 3. Yuuko Hosaka; 2. Miyuki Kanbe; 1. Ayano Gunji

5. Top 5 actors (personality wise)?

Same as I mentioned above ⬆️ so just the Senshi here:

5. Hisano Akamine 4. Nao Inada 3. Shiori Sakata 2. Manami Wakayama 1. Miyuki Kanbe

6. Team MOON or Team STAR?

Team STAR, but I really, really love Ami Nojo!

7. Favourite Bandai musical (1993-2005)?

2000's Kessen Transylvania no Mori

8. Favourite Nelke musical (2013-2017)?

Petite Étrangère

9. Dream role?

Mine? Sailor Venus! Actually any girly Senshi. I wouldn't mind Mars or Neptune too.

10. 5 of your least favourite actors (character wise)?

That's mean but here we go (again hard to rank them...):

5. Kasumi Takabatake 4. Airi Kanda 3. Hotaru Nomoto 2. Karin Takahashi 1. Sayaka Fujioka

11. Favourite senshi intro song?

Koi no Senshi ja irarenai

12. Favourite Bandai Moon costume (Moon/Super/Eternal)?

Super Sailor Moon

13. Favourite Nelke Moon costume (Moon/Super/Eternal)?

Sailor Moon

14. Actor(s) you used to like now dislike?

Instead of dislike, I'd rather say 'actresses I don't hype anymore' and in this list, I'd include actresses too, which I actually still like but simply not that much anymore, that's why I leave out this question.

15. Actor(s) you used to dislike now like?

Tomoko Inami, Asako Uchida, Erika, Risa Honma

*new* Sera Myu Tag!

Felt like making a Myu tag of my own XD.

1. Favourite Bandai Myu song? 2. Favourite Nelke Myu song? 3. Favourite NogiMyu song? 4. Top 5 actors (character wise)? 5. Top 5 actors (personality wise)? 6. Team MOON or Team STAR? 7. Favourite Bandai musical (1993-2005)? 8. Favourite Nelke musical (2013-2017)? 9. Dream role? 10. 5 of your least favourite actors (character wise)? 11. Favourite senshi intro song? 12. Favourite Bandai Moon costume (Moon/Super/Eternal)? 13. Favourite Nelke Moon costume (Moon/Super/Eternal)? 14. Actor(s) you used to like now dislike? 15. Actor(s) you used to dislike now like?

MY ANSWERS (cos I can):

1. Favourite Bandai Myu song?

EVERLASTING MOONLIGHT.

2. Favourite Nelke Myu song?

Koisuru Satellite <3.

3. Favourite NogiMyu song?

Make Up! Kumikyoku ~ Venus ~ (HINACHIMA VERSION ONLY).

4. Top 5 actors (character wise)?

5. Tomoko Inami 4. Hina Higuchi 3. Ayumi Murata 2. Yuuka Asami 1. Nao Takagi

5. Top 5 actors (personality wise)?

5. Miyuki Kanbe 4. Ayumi Murata 3. Yuuka Asami 2. Hina Higuchi 1. Nao Takagi

(YES TOP 2 ARE MY MYU WIVES SHH).

6. Team MOON or Team STAR?

TEAM MOON ALWAYS TEAM MOON. Although I prefer Minami over Ami.

7. Favourite Bandai musical (1993-2005)?

Last Dracul Jokyoku, also best Myu of all <3.

8. Favourite Nelke musical (2013-2017)?

Amour Eternal <3.

9. Dream role?

Neptune, Mars, Venus or Mistess 9.

10. 5 of your least favourite actors (character wise)?

(in order of character) Kanon Nanaki, Kana Nakada, Asako Uchida, Takayo Ooyama, Karin Takahashi.

11. Favourite senshi intro song?

Honestly this might be cos of hype train but rn it’s Watashi-tachi Sailor Guardians, but once that goes down it might go back to Shira Tsuki Gonin Musume.

12. Favourite Bandai Moon costume (Moon/Super/Eternal)?

Classic Moon always looked best tbh.

13. Favourite Nelke Moon costume (Moon/Super/Eternal)?

Satomi’s Super, but I love Hotaru’s second Eternal as well.

14. Actor(s) you used to like now dislike?

Ayako Morino, you know who that people like to bring up when the topic arises, Yuriko Hayashi.

15. Actor(s) you used to dislike now like?

Tomoko Inami, Mariya Izawa, Chiho Ooyama, Kanoko, Ranze Terada.

K now I want all my Myu friends to do it! And anyone else that wants to!

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

Prepare to be overwhelmed by the world's largest collection of Hello Kitty memorabilia

Think you're Hello Kitty's biggest fan? Step aside, because your fandom has nothing on this world record holder.

Masao Gunji, a resident in Yotsukaido, Chiba, Japan, holds the Guinness World Record for most Hello Kitty memorabilia with an incredible 5,169 items lining the walls, tables, and floors of his bright pink home.

SEE ALSO: Sanrio fans rejoice! There's a new cafe where you can gorge on Hello Kitty sweets

With the help of his wife, Gunji built his extraordinary collection over the course of 35 years. The expansive assembly of all-things Hello Kitty ranges from stationary, plushies, towels, bento boxes, clocks, kitchenware, and bento boxes.

Take a look his unbelievable collection here:

“Hello Kitty has always cheered me up when I was unhappy,” the collector said.

Gunji's neighbors, who are fans of his extensive collection, encouraged him to count his items so that he could apply for the Guinness record.

Asako Kanda, another collector from Japan, previously held the record with 4,519 Hello Kitty items. Now that he's the record holder, Gunji says he continues to add to his collection whenever he can.

How much bigger can it get!?

(H/T Guinness World Records)

WATCH: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' teaser trailer is finally here

[chii-sweets]

Asako Kanda & her Hello Kitty collection.

[hellokittyroyalty]

It's our friend Kanda Asako again~

[spainvsjapanneworld-blog]

hello kitty fandom

Asako Kanda, Guinness Record (4159 Hello Kitty products)

[hellokittyinmyroom-blog]

[themelancholies]

"Asako Kanda from Japan has the largest Hello Kitty collection ever - over 4,519 different items! Her house is filled with Hello Kitty things, such as a Hello Kitty frying pan, a Hello Kitty electric fan and even a Hello Kitty toilet seat!"