Liz OhanesianMay 25 is Hello Kitty Night at Dodger Stadium, where Sanrio's superstar joins up with the home team to show love for L.A. The Japanese character company has strong ties to the region; in fact, its U.S. headquarters are in El Segundo. Plus, L.A. has been the home of major Sanrio events, such as its 50th anniversary “Small Gift” event and Hello Kitty Con. We also think some of Sanrio's characters, with their distinctive personalities, match well with certain types of Angelenos.
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
1. Hello Kitty
You like everything from punk rock to the Dodgers and have friends spread out from the San Fernando Valley to the South Bay. You are the open-minded Angeleno who can't seem to go anywhere without knowing someone. When you walk into a room, everyone from little kids to rock stars stops by to say hi. You're a trendsetter who inspires fashion designers and jewelry makers, while all of your artist pals want you to be their muse. Your style is so on point that people try to copy it — sometimes very badly — but it doesn't matter because you're still the coolest cat in town.
Credit: Courtesy Sanrio
2. Aggretsuko
Your commute is hell. You wake up far too early to spend far too long en route to a job where your co-workers are annoying and your boss is a power-tripping jerk. You put up with them all day just so you can go through the same hell to get home. Aggretsuko lets off steam by singing metal songs at karaoke night. While you might do that, too, we suspect that you're more likely singing '80s jams while stuck in evening gridlock, probably on the 405.
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
3. Badtz-Maru
You're a rebel with big dreams and a big attitude. Where Badtz-Maru is a youngster who roams with his pet alligator, you prefer your skateboard for company. You're the kids on the Metro in band T-shirts and the grown-ups who once were those kids. Not much has changed. You're still a rebel, still looking for adventure, and you still have an attitude problem.
Credit: Courtesy Sanrio
4. Gudetama
You're totally over it. And, by “it,” we mean just about everything. That music festival that's all the rage? Forget it. You would rather stay in bed and watch the live stream. Your friends' party? Nah, you can't stay up past 10 p.m. All those errands you need to run? You probably should do them, but traffic is just so bad and you actually have a good parking spot today. You'll just take another nap. Gudetama is Sanrio's “lazy egg” line of characters and you relate to this more than anything else on most days.
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
5. Little Twin Stars
Kiki and Lala are twins with a penchant for hanging around barefoot. Kiki is an inventor. Lala is a poet and artist who likes to cook. They're also stars. We figure their L.A. equivalents live in Laurel Canyon, where quirky style and artistic pursuits are deeply embedded in the neighborhood history.
Credit: Courtesy Sanrio
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6. Hangyodon
Hangyodon is a character made for L.A. According to his Sanrio bio, this little fishlike character hides his insecurities by using his sense of humor as a mask. Meanwhile, his dreams are not becoming a reality. Hangyodon is most obviously the stand-up comics who can't catch a break, the comedy writers with stacks of unfinished screenplays, the actors signing up for one more improv class. Really, though, Hangyodon is all of us.
Credit: Courtesy Sanrio
7. Chococat
Chococat is known in the Sanrio world for always knowing what's happening. So are you. But, where Chococat tunes into the news via his whiskers, you keep tabs on your phone. You spend approximately half your day on Twitter and split the rest between Facebook and Instagram. It doesn't matter whether you're at home, in the office or at the local bar, you will always be the one to clue your friends in on everything from presidential tweets to your mutual pal's vaguebook status. Nothing escapes you.
Credit: Courtesy Sanrio
8. Cinnamoroll
Cinnamoroll hangs out at a place called Cafe Cinnamon, where he has mascot status and is tight pals with the customers. You spend so much time at your local coffee spot that you might as well be the mascot. The baristas know your order by heart; they might even have your drink ready when they see you at the door. You and your MacBook are such a familiar sight that, should you ever miss a day, you might get a concerned text from one of the employees.
Credit: Courtesy Sanrio
9. Kirimichan
Described on Sanrio's website as “a star in the sliced food world,” Kirimichan is salmon. More specifically, Kirimichan is salmon prepared and ready to eat. This anthropomorphic dinner is super cute and appears on items such as handbags and cellphone cases, so the L.A. equivalent is obviously the foodie. You're the sort of person who posts every meal to Instagram, collects enamel pins shaped like meals and hits up every foodie event.
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
10. Keroppi
Sanrio's adorable little frog, Keroppi, is the outdoorsy type who lives by a pond, plays baseball and likes boomerangs. We figure the L.A. version of Keroppi lives in Frogtown, with easy access to the L.A. River, Dodger Stadium and Elysian Park. You've biked, hiked and even kayaked, but sometimes you just want to find a shady spot for a picnic and throw around a boomerang (or frisbee).
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