Kitty chan enjoys a hot girl summer for a limited time. 

Hello Kitty is always hard at work throughout the year, jumping from one collaboration to the next and earning herself the unofficial title of hardest-working cat in Japan. Now, the beloved Sanrio character is combining work with play for a new appearance with sweet magazine, where she can be seen showing off her suntan in a colourful bikini.

The suntanned, or “sun-kissed”, Hello Kitty is said to have the aesthetic of a “Heisei gal” or “Heisei gyaru” as it’s known in Japanese. This term refers to the fashion subculture that flourished in Japan during the Heisei era (1989–2019), where young women — and sometimes men — rebelled against traditional beauty norms with flashy nail art, micro miniskirts, bleached or lightened hair, and suntanned skin.

Hello Kitty keeps the Heisei gal aesthetic to a minimum for maximum appeal here, giving hot girl beach vibes to a collection of bonus items that come free with the regular and special editions of the sweet issue released on 11 July. Those who purchase the regular edition for 1,670 yen (US$11.31) will receive the “Sun-Kissed Hello Kitty Plush Pouch Charm & Three-Piece Sticker Set”, which contains the two items below.

For fans of suntanned Kitty-chan, this is an irresistible, deluxe combo you won’t find anywhere else, with the star item being the adorable plush pouch shaped like her face, complete with suntan.

A hibiscus accessory adds extra colour to her summer look while amping up the kawaii factor, and it even comes with a pink carabiner and phone attachment so you can attach the pouch directly to your bag or smartphone.

The plush pouch is wonderfully fluffy, super soft to the touch and large enough to sit in your palm, making it quite the statement item.

▼ Kitty chan might be enjoying a beach vacation but she’s still hard at work, holding on to your small items for you.

Moving on to the stickers, there are three in the set, each featuring a suntanned Hello Kitty. In one sticker she’s sporting what looks to be a frangipani, in another she’s walking with a surfboard under her arm, and in the other she’s wearing heart-shaped sunglasses and a frilly white bikini, with three bows on her head and a drink by her side with a bow-adorned straw.

The stickers have a sparkly, holographic sheen that’s perfect for blinging out your smartphone, just like the gyaru did with their flip phones back in the day.

Lovers of the gyaru look will fall in love with these items, but there’s one more product to collect — the “Sun-Kissed Hello Kitty Jumbo Bikini Tote”, which comes with the special edition of the magazine for 1,720 yen.

This is a total eye-catcher, with a bold print of Hello Kitty in a bikini with a surfboard in hand — an image that’s impossible to ignore. Measuring in at approximately 41 centimetres (16 inches) in length and 44 centimetres in width, the bag is made from a high-quality material that’s delightfully soft to touch.

It also has a wide gusset and surprisingly large capacity that can easily fit a few A4-sized notebooks or even a laptop.

▼ You can fit three two-litre (67.6-ounce) bottles in there as well.

There are no fastening clasps to get in the way so you have easy access to the contents, making it especially useful for holding beach towels, swimsuits, and other beach necessities.

Simply carrying it around will make you start dreaming of summer holidays, filling you with a wanderlust for seaside getaways. The only problem is deciding which items to choose, but with the cost of both magazines totaling 3,390 yen, Hello Kitty fans can easily purchase both, for the ultimate in suntanned Sanrio cuteness.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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