Do we like them?

Do we like Hello Kitty?

A character from Hello Kitty (Sanrio franchise) (1974–present)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Absolutely. She spends her time baking, playing piano and making friends, and no one has ever caught her being unkind. Backing her is easy.

Hello Kitty is Kitty White, created by Sanrio in 1974. According to the official biography, she is a third-grader who lives in suburban London with her parents and her twin sister Mimmy. She has a small round face, a yellow nose, no mouth and a red bow on her left ear. Her friends include a rabbit, a bear, a raccoon and a pair of monkeys. She debuted on a coin purse in 1975 and has since appeared in cartoons, games and countless products.

There is no big plot to her. Her stories are about small, wholesome things like baking cookies, playing the piano, travelling and, above all, making friends. She is kind, curious and gentle, and she has no dark side.

The score is high because she is steadily good-natured and harms no one. She loses a point or so because she's more a comforting presence than a hero. She doesn't face real dilemmas or make hard choices, so there isn't much to test her.