Hello Kitty is Sanrio’s flagship character and the face of ‘kawaii’ merchandise the world over. With a name like Hello Kitty, you’d expect her to be, well, a kitty. However, there has been some mystery over whether Hello Kitty is really a cat after all. She looks just like one, but is that what she actually is?
Just like other Sanrio characters, like Cinnamoroll and Kuromi, things may not be what they seem when it comes to Hello Kitty. Let’s dive into her character design origins, her character, and what ‘animal’ she actually is.
Is Hello Kitty Really A Girl?
The official Sanrio website has profiles for all of its characters, and these descriptions tell us a little more about the character, including what animal they are. However,Hello Kitty’s doesn’t mention her being a cat, but it does mention her being a"bright and kind girl."
Her real name is Kitty White. She was born in the suburbs of London, England. Her height is the size of five apples. Her weight is the size of three apples. She is a bright and kind girl.
Yes, Hello Kitty, the character, is actually British, rather than Japanese.
In an interview with Todayfor Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary, Jill Cook, an executive at Sanrio, said,“Hello Kitty is not a cat. She’s a little girl born and raised in the suburbs of London.”
As Hello Kitty is an anthropomorphic cat,Cook likely meant that Hello Kitty has more human features than a ‘regular’ cat,so she’s more like a little girl than a cat, not that she is actually a human wearing a cat costume.
Hello Kitty has an actual pet cat, Charmmy Kitty, so that’s likely why Sanrio has decided to make the distinction between the two.
After the initial interview with Cook,Sanrio clarified that Hello Kitty isn’t a human, butshe is a personification of a cat, similar to Disney’s Mickey Mouse.
So,Hello Kitty isn’t your average cat, but she’s not a human girl either, despite what some sources say.
