for the love of hello kitty . july 29, 2023

3475df77bca1f1ff6b8dc475f84625de-removebg-preview_edited.png

july 29, 2023

by sugar milk

call it frivolous, childish or not that deep. i dont care. hello kitty has been there for me through thick and thin. through being teased, puberty, new boyfriends, break ups and terrible jobs; hello kitty was sitting on my shelf when i got home, pristine and pretty, on my bed waiting to be cuddled, or dangling from my purse, glittering and turning heads.

let's be real. of course i know hello kitty and her friends are just a fictional sanrio characters but they're so cute! with simplistic, yet adorable designs, soft features and the ability to capture hearts just by existing. they're comfort characters, and they have been since i turned on the little tv in my bedroom at 10 pm and heard the theme song for the first time.

she's only 5 apples tall, she likes to read and travel, have tea parties and make new friends. she wants nothing but to have a good time and be peaceful. she is escapism to a pure world of nostalgia, baby pink and sweets. how could you not love her? look at her!!

i'll never forget when my mom bought me my first hello kitty bag as a little girl. when i looked at the tag that said sanrio japan, i was elated to learn where hello kitty came from. in those days i was just learning that the "weird" tv shows (anime) and games i loved were from japan. now this super cute, girly character i grew up loving was from there too! i went online and learned about hello kitty's history and her friends. the sanrio website looked a lot different than it does today. it was made completely out of flash, with character bios and sported endorsements from y2k icons like paris hilton and aly and aj. it was a girly-girl-whose-into-japanese-fashion's paradise. i'd spent hours there.

even as a full grown adult, the sanrio items i have in the display image aren't even all that i own. i'm still collecting and looking at more every day. i literally just did a whole mercari purchase. it might seem over the top but having her around just makes me happy. britney spears and mariah carey are two examples of adult women who do the same !

hello kitty might not be a real girl, and maybe to other people she doesn't "understand" me like i've always felt she has. i'll probably be forever called "a hello kitty girl" but it's a badge i'll wear proudly. the ones who get it, get it, and those who don't, dont.

xo sugar xo