Sanrio Ends VIVANT Partnership Over Uninformed Storyline Controversy

Sanrio has officially terminated its collaboration with the Japanese live-action series VIVANT, citing a lack of prior notification regarding the second season’s narrative direction. The mascot manufacturer clarified that it was only engaged in planning promotional content featuring characters from the first season and had no involvement in the show’s production or script development. Consequently, the company was unaware of the controversial plotlines that emerged later.

The decision follows significant backlash after an episode depicted graphic violence against Chinese agents, including torture and implied sexual assault. State broadcaster CCTV criticized the portrayal as historically insensitive, leading to scrutiny of Sanrio China’s merchandise sales. In response, both the Chinese branch and Japan headquarters announced the cancellation of all ongoing and future projects related to the series. A representative stated that the content conflicts with corporate values of kindness and connection, emphasizing that the partnership would not have proceeded had the studio been informed of these specific story elements beforehand.