To mark Hello Kitty's 45th anniversary, the Japanese designer talks about her character's cute look
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Read the following story by Kanokporn Chanasongkram from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
On Nov 1, Hello Kitty turns 45. But despite her advancement into middle-age, the enormously popular cat/girl character remains as youthful and cute as ever.
Since 1980, Kitty has celebrated her birthday with Yuko Yamaguchi, the designer behind the adorable looks that make her the queen of kawaii ("cute" in Japanese). Ahead of the big birthday, Yamaguchi was in Bangkok recently for the "Central | ZEN Sanrio Fair 2019" and the launch of the Hello Kitty 45th anniversary collection at CentralPlaza Ladprao.
Kitty, by the way, is not a cat.
BRIT SCHOOL
Some of us could be forgiven for making that mistake. After all, with her whiskers and pointed ears, Kitty does look rather like a cat. However, Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty since she was first introduced in 1974, insists that she is -- and has always been -- a British schoolgirl called Kitty White. The issue remains controversial among fans of the character.
"We made the character a warm, bright and kind-hearted girl. My job is to give life to the character through designs that show her different sides," said Yamaguchi.
The original character wears a red bow on the right ear. A recent redesign in Hello Kitty London features a Union Jack bow worn in the centre of her head to represent her "roots". According to Sanrio, Kitty and her family were designed as Londoners because, in the 1970s, the idea of the quintessential British lifestyle was extremely popular among Japanese girls.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Kitty has a twin sister Mimmy, recognisable by the yellow bow on her left ear. They are also best friends, and of the same height, measuring five apples. Kitty weighs around the same as three apples. Unless, that is, she eats too much of the apple pie baked by her mother Mama.
Hello Kitty merchandise comes in all manner of forms. It started with the vinyl coin purse launched in 1975. Now, the plush dolls are the most common, but there are many other products to choose from. By the late 1970s, however, sales of Hello Kitty products weren't doing so well. This led to the appointment of Yamaguchi as the third chief designer in 1980. She quickly turned things around and Sanrio and Kitty haven't looked back since.
Yamaguchi joined Sanrio after graduation and initially worked in non-character design such as patterns and logos. As Hello Kitty designer, she continued to sketch the character with clean lines and created versions without the black outline.
"This is the best part of the job, since I get to travel a lot both in Japan and abroad. It's rewarding to see the love that people have for Kitty White, who's an idol and a symbol of friendship," she said. "I would ask ideas of the next designs. This is one of the reasons that Kitty continues to appeal, as we respond to requests from the fan club."
The 45th anniversary collection features plush Hello Kitty dolls in a range of guises; she is depicted as an angel, as a fairy, flying a yellow aeroplane and riding a blue dolphin.
Besides the official Sanrio merchandise, the character can be seen on all manner of products, following partnerships with leading brands. Yamaguchi has been actively involved in these collaborations, resulting in products that have widened Hello Kitty's appeal to people of all ages. On the character turning 45, Yamaguchi said: "Age is just a number for Kitty, who is not subject to the ageing process. I cannot imagine a middle-aged Kitty. She will remain young and cute, with a positive outlook on life."
Section 1: Read through the story and answer the following questions.
1. Kitty was born in 1980. True or false? …………….
2. What is Kitty’s surname? …………….
3. What city is Kitty from? …………….
4. Who wears a yellow bow? …………….
5. When did Yamaguchi join the Hello Kitty team? …………..
6. Yamaguchi first worked as a Kitty character designer. True or false? …………….
7. There is a Kitty pilot doll for the 45th anniversary. True or false? …………….
8. Both young and old people like Kitty. True or false? …………….
Section 2: Write the noun form of the following words.
9. celebrated .…..…10. introduced ……..…11. original …….…12. weighs.…… 13. flying .…………
Section 3: Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
Yamaguchi said that she would like to see Kitty as an entertainer …14… English songs. But …15… can she do that without a mouth? Yamaguchi explained that mouthless design …16… mean that Kitty can't speak or sing. The lack of a mouth …17… Kitty reflects the mood of the person looking at her. This makes her …18… happy or sad when people feel that way. No doubt this is a huge aspect of her enduring …19… .
14. a. for sing b. to sing c. singing
15. a. who b. how c. when
16. a. doesn’t b. wouldn’t c. couldn’t
17. a. mean b. means c. meaning
18. a. looks b. look c. looking
19. a. popularity b. popular c. populism
Section 4: Find words that match the following definitions.
20. causing a lot of public discussion and disagreement ……………
21. the feelings that you have with a place because you came from there ……………
22. representing the perfect example of something ……………
23. printed designs or symbols that a company uses as its special sign …………
24. neither young nor old ……………
Answers: 1. False. 2. White. 3. London. 4. Mimmy. 5. 1980. 6. False. 7. True. 8. True.
9. celebration. 10. introduction. 11. original/originality. 12. weight. 13. flight.
14. c. 15. b. 16. a. 17. b. 18. b. 19. a.
20. controversial. 21. roots. 22. quintessential. 23. logos. 24. middle-aged.
SCORE 21-24: Excellent! 17-20: Good. 13-16: Fair. 12 or fewer: You'll do better next time!
