Sanrio Co. has bought the rights to the Mr. Men animated characters from Chorion Ltd., looking to cut its reliance on Hello Kitty, which generates 80 percent of the company's overseas licensing revenue. Sanrio will acquire all shares of the Mr. Men animated film development and production unit from London-based Chorion, the company said in a statement that didn't include the terms of the deal.
Sanrio Co. aims to spend as much as ¥30 billion to buy the rights to a character for the first time and cut its reliance on Hello Kitty. "We want to diversify our character portfolio instead of spending time to boost recognition of our existing characters in overseas markets," Managing Director Susumu Emori, 62, said in an interview.
Enjoy the “Kawaii” (cute) experiences with the cute and popular Japanese cat Hello Kitty as it opens its own indoor amusement facility called “Hello Kitty’s Kawaii Paradise.” The amusement park opened in Tokyo on Friday, October 22, 2010. PleasureCast Co, a subsidiary of Namco Ltd, opened the theme park on the 1st floor of Venus Fort commercial complex located in the Odaiba waterfront area, Tokyo. The facility expects 700,000 visitors within the first fiscal year.
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