Hello Kitty’s popularity has allowed the beloved Sanrio character to appear in all kinds of media, having notable Easter eggs inBreaking Bad,Ready Player One, andAnt-Man and the Wasp, as well as starring in anime over the years. Althoughdifferent Sanrio animefollow her everyday life as an ordinary girl,Hello Kitty has now ventured into the Japanese mob.
This was possible thanks to the unexpected appearance of Hello Kitty inLet’s Go Karaoke,one of the new anime inCrunchyroll’s summer 2025 lineup.Let’s Go Karaokefollows the story of a Yakuza member who asks a middle school student to teach him how to sing to avoid getting last place in a karaoke competition.
New Crunchyroll Anime Shows Hello Kitty as Part of The Yakuza
Hello Kitty Makes a Hilarious Cameo in Let’s Go Karaoke
InLet’s Go Karaokeepisode #1, it’s revealed that whoever places last in the karaoke competition will receive a hideous tattoo of something the loser hates from the mob boss. The wildest thing is that Hello Kitty turned out to be the motif of a previous loser, not because the Yakuza disliked her, but because he was afraid of her.
One of the sucky-song kings stated that he was so afraid of Hello Kitty that he felt his heart was crushed just by looking at her, and the Yakuza boss knowingly tattooed her on the back of his hand. This is a hilarious impression of Hello Kitty, who has become an adorable icon that has charmed people around the world.
Hello Kitty Went From a Cute Character to a Symbol of Fear
The Kind of Hello Kitty Tattoo That No One Would Want To Have
Luckily for the sucky-song king, it was unveiled inLet’s Go Karaokeepisode #2 that the Yakuza boss was an amateur artist, and the Hello Kitty tattoo ended up being unrecognizable, resembling more a monstrous cat with a bow than the mascot character. However, the anime gives viewers one of themost original takes on a Sanrio characterin fiction.
Just asLet’s Go Karaokepresents an endearing perspective of the Yakuza, showcasing an unusual mentor-student relationship, it also proves the versatility of the lovable mascot character, demonstratingHello Kitty’s unexpected potential to be scaryby making a member of a criminal organization known for felonies such as extortion, fraud, and all kinds of violence tremble in fear.
Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty is a globally recognized character created by Yuko Shimizu in 1974 for Sanrio. Initially designed for children, its popularity expanded to teens and adults, becoming a major part of kawaii culture. Depicted as a friendly, anthropomorphic cat from London, Hello Kitty has appeared in numerous animated series, comics, films, and video games. The brand is known for extensive merchandising, with over 50,000 products worldwide.
