News

One of Hello Kitty's most mischievous friends is celebrating her 20th anniversary with a brand-new Seiko watch.

Per Japan Select, Seiko is celebrating Kuromi's 20th anniversary with a new watch, limited to only 2,000 units. The "Seiko x Kuromi 20th Anniversary Collaboration Watch" features Kuromi seated at the six o'clock marker above a black bow, while the twelve o'clock marker is adorned with a gold crown. The watch dial comes in bands of lush purple tones, all of which is housed in a 34.8 mm by 29.1 mm stainless steel case that is water-resistant to 10bar. The band is also made of stainless steel.

New Seiko x Kuromi International Watch Release Celebrates One of Sanrio's Best Characters

Kuromi is just the latest in a long line of fan-favorite Sanrio mascots to be celebrated with their own limited-edition Seiko watch designs. Earlier this month, Seiko unveiled their Seiko x I.Cinnamoroll, which...

Hello Kitty's Sanrio is celebrating some major anniversaries in style, collaborating with the Japanese watch brand Angel Heart for new anniversary watches inspired by the characters My Melody and Kuromi.

Via PR Times, Angel Heart will release its anniversary watches for Kuromi and My Melody in stores and online. Angel Heart is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, as is Kuromi, and is joined by My Melody's 50th anniversary. The pair will also appear together in Netflix's stop-motion animated series premiering this year. Priced at 16,500 yen (~$110), the watches are accompanied by vanity bags that match their designs and also function as watch boxes. Readers can check out the official images and more information below.

RelatedHello Kitty Goes Mecha With Official New 'Super Robot' Release

Hello Kitty's new Bandai mecha collectible reimagines the kawaii Sanrio mascot as a flying, fist-shooting Super Robot that can fly with her bow.

Sanrio's Kuromi...

Sanrio's Kuromi is due to celebrate her 20th anniversary this year. However, these celebrations have hit a roadblock given that her manufacturer has been sued for moral rights infringement over her true creator, with the company now publicly responding to the lawsuit.

Sanrio has issued an official response to reports of Studio Comet's lawsuit regarding moral rights infringement over the creator of Kuromi. "Our company has been sued by Studio Comet Inc. for copyright infringement in relation to our character 'Kuromi,' and the lawsuit is still pending," the statement reads.

RelatedHello Kitty & Friends Become Adorable Easter Bunnies in Exclusive U.S. Peeps Plushie Release

Hello Kitty and Friends and Peeps' new collaboration sees beloved Sanrio characters transform into bunnies for a new Easter-themed plush toy release.

Hello Kitty's Sanrio Maintains Kuromi 'Clearly Belongs to Us' Image by Morena Perez Vitale

Sanrio continues, "We believe that the copyright of...

Sanrio, known for iconic mascot characters like Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and more, has been sued by anime company Studio Comet over moral rights infringement regarding Kuromi. Comet is known for anime series like Jewelpet, Initial D Season 1 (alongside Gallop), School Rumble and numerous others.

Daily Shincho reports that a dispute over Kuromi's copyright has erupted between Studio Comet and Sanrio, with the former arguing its moral rights were violated after Sanrio claimed someone else created the character. Moral rights refer to respecting the intent and integrity of the original work. Parties can agree not to exercise them but otherwise include the right to be credited for work done. Studio Comet president and animation producer Hiromichi Mogaki said this: "In fact, Kuromi is a character designed by an animator belonging to our company. What the animator created is a work of our company, to which she belongs. However, Sanrio is now...