Hiya!

Okay, I was supposed to to discuss about why I decided to stick to the PlayStation 4 for this generation of consoles but something came up. Something BIG came up… at least for me. So, after 72 consecutive episodes of continuity, I decided I had to break the Episode streak because this couldn’t wait for next week.

It’s been reported that Hello Kitty is not a cat.

That’s what I said!

Okay, here’s the “official” story:

On August 26, 2014, an article was written in the LA Times about Sanrio’s lovable 40-year old mascot in preparation for the first ever Hello Kitty Con in two weeks as well as a retrospective of Hello Kitty merchandise at the Japanese American National Museum. The LA Times interviewed Christine R. Yano, who wrote literally wrote the book on the character and who also wrote the synopsis for the memorabilia that will be displayed in the museum.

When she sent her written works to be approved by Sanrio (they’re supposed to know the character since, well, they created Hello Kitty), Ms. Yano was told that the cute puffball of fur was, in fact, not a cat:

“That’s one correction Sanrio made for my script for the show. Hello Kitty is not a cat. She’s a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend. But she is not a cat. She’s never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature. She does have a pet cat of her own, however, and it’s called Charmmy Kitty.”

You tell ’em, Grumpy Cat!

Look, far be it for me to “correct” Sanrio but Hello Kitty is obviously a cat! Okay, she’s a cartoon cat with humanized features but a cat nonetheless! I don’t know who the heck in Sanrio got his/her information but that person’s incredibly wrong!

Even the logic given is dumb! Okay, she is a cartoon character. Fine. I totally agree. But to say just because Hello Kitty never is seen on all fours, walks and sits like a two-legged creature makes her not a cat? Oh, I take issue with that argument! In fact, let’s look at another character who fits that description: Mickey Mouse

As seen here running away from Hello Kitty

I mean, look at him! He meets every piece of criteria Sanrio mentioned! This is a (possibly) giant mouse who is never seen on all fours! Mickey Mouse doesn’t just walk on two legs, he can run, dance and skip just like Hello Kitty. Heck, I’ll do you one better, Sanrio! Both Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty wear clothes! Sure, it’s odd for a mouse to wear shorts and gloves but he’s wearing some form of clothing!

And the argument that Hello Kitty takes care of Charmmy Kitty, a pet cat? Well, Mickey has a dog! His name’s Pluto! Like Hello Kitty, Mickey takes care of Pluto! Because he’s his pet!

Whoops! Wrong Pluto!

And if Hello Kitty isn’t a cat and is a “little girl” as what was mentioned in the quote, then there’s something really, really wrong with that little girl!

I don’t like to get my panties (Hello Kitty panties, mind you!) in a bunch and I know it’s something I shouldn’t really be this upset about. But Hello Kitty has been a big part of my life growing up. I loved the featureless face of the character. I love the fact that she can be anything she can put her mind to. Yes, I know it really shouldn’t matter whether or not she’s a cat or not. But it matters. It matters to me. Hello Kitty is a cat in my mind and I’ll stick by that thought!

Look, right now, I’m chalking it up to some weird misunderstanding or really poor translation of the answer from Japanese to English or something like that. Hello Kitty is a cat. A fictional cartoon can, for sure, but a cat nonetheless.

Okay, now that I got that off my chest, next week, I’ll go talk about why I’m going to get a PS4.

Byee!

(Hello Kitty is not a cat, my ass!)

What’s your thoughts on the entire “Hello Kitty is not a cat” scenario? Whatever they are, leave your thoughts in the comments below!