Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary announced that it would cancel its collaboration with the drama VIVANT, and the same decision was announced in Japan. In response to mounting criticism in China, the company announced that reviews of related projects would be strengthened going forward.
Sanrio (Shanghai) International Trade, Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary, updated its official Weibo account on the night of 28 October 2026 and announced the cancellation of its collaboration project with the drama VIVANT. The same decision was posted on Sanrio’s Japanese website on 29 October. This brought news of the cancellation to fans in Japan.
The issue concerned torture scenes involving “Xinsi,” a Chinese-affiliated secret intelligence organization appearing in the drama’s second season. The broadcast included scenes in which Wada Mitsugu (和田貢) had a finger severed and scenes showing injuries to the abdomen and chest, with an on-screen warning about violent content displayed at the beginning. Criticism intensified on Chinese social media and online platforms, and Global Times took issue with the collaboration while criticizing the program for stoking a threat perception toward China.
TBS Television President Ryūhō Masataka (龍宝正峰) said that the company took the criticism seriously and indicated that it would need to continue considering whether the violent scenes caused discomfort to viewers.
The collaboration was announced in June, and sales of related products began in July. On 25 October, the program’s official X account announced the release of a second wave of merchandise, but criticism in China was also directed at the collaboration project. Sanrio International Trade released a statement on the night of 29 October, saying it had determined that the collaboration included expressions inconsistent with the Sanrio Group’s corporate philosophy, and that it would cancel the collaboration as well as future related projects and promotional activities.
The statement demonstrated the company’s commitment to its corporate philosophy, but did not specify which expressions were deemed problematic. It indicated a policy of further strengthening its review procedures for related projects going forward.