Aggretsuko, the kawaii anti-capitalist
August 12, 2017
Meet the cutie-ified, you-wouldn't-wanna-mess-with corporate slave in red panda form, Aggretsuko, Sanrio's latest addition to its "kawaii" consumer merchandise. If I were to meet her in real life, I mean, complete with her white-collar panda garb and crabby tail, glaring at me next to a coffee dispenser machine, I'd probably burst into a "cuddles plssss!!!" fit, in between bites and scratches. Adorable-ness IS the BOSS.
"If Hello Kitty represents happy-go-lucky submission to globalization, Sanrio’s newer characters respond to the market with soul-crushing resignation or seething rage. Aggretsuko 'is a symbol and expression of the pent-up stress and irritation that is rife in the world today,' her designer, Yeti, wrote in an email. And Gudetama, Amy wrote, parallels 'the people in modern society who despair amid economic hard times'."
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