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New Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the set

Casey Baseel Sep 17, 2024
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The Sanrio sisters get sporty in new Happy Meal team-up.

McDonald’s Japan has a packed schedule of beloved big-name characters to collaborate with, as shown by their recent Pikachu and Rilakkuma Happy Meals. Similarly, Hello Kitty never seems to sit idle, working recently with Uniqlo and Clinique.

But the always busy Sanrio character and fast food chain have found time to team up for an adorable new Hello Kitty Happy Meal toy line, and Kitty-chan’s sister is part of it too!

All of the toys have a sports theme, and as is becoming increasingly for such promotions, they’re being released in a staggered schedule. The first batch, which will be available from September 13 to 26, is all about playing sports, starting with a mini bowling set.

To allow for use in a more compact play space, there are six pins instead of 10, and with different point values written at their tips (either 10, 20, or 30 points). Kitty’s face graces the ball too, which even has finger holes.

▼ They’re pretty shallow, though, so maybe they’re sized for Kitty-chan’s paw pads?

The ball rolls well and has enough mass to knock the pins over, but not so much as to punch a hole in your wall, making it suitable for indoor use.

Next is the basketball set.

Once again, Kitty’s face is on the ball, which has a pebbled texture to mimic the bumps on a leather basketball. The hoop and backboard requires some assembly, but it’s just snapping a few pieces together, so it’s no problem even for kids or those unable to read the Japanese directions. Once ours was set up, we quickly got to trying to beat our personal records for how many buckets we could sink in a row.

▼ Note that the scale of the set is not conducive to slam dunks.

“Hey, why does Hello Kitty have a yellow ribbon instead of a red one?” you might be asking when you see the illustration on one of the paddles in the mini table tennis set.

Actually, though, that’s not Kitty at all with the yellow ribbon. It’s her twin sister, Mimi!

Being made of plastic, the paddles are light, but you can actually knock the ball around pretty strongly with them, so this might actually be best to play with outside, or at least in a room in your home with no breakable items out in the open.

Rounding out the first batch of Hello Kitty Happy Meal toys is the mini golf set.

Like the basketball set, the pin/flag and putter require some assembly, but just a few seconds’ worth. The bow-shaped putter head isn’t just cute, it also makes for a nice broad contact point, and the click as the ball rolls into the cup after a perfect putt is very satisfying.

Moving on to the second batch of toys, which will be available from September 27 to October 10, these four are the “sports spectating” items, starting with a pair of binoculars.

We expected these to be purely decorative, but it turns out they actually do have a magnifying effect. Granted, there’s no zoom or focus controls, but still, the effect is pretty neat

The racket mirror and comb set might not seem like an absolute must if you’re headed to the stadium to watch a live sporting event, but in our selfie and snapshot-loving society, odds are you’ll be snapping a few photos while you’re at the game, in which case they’ll come in handy if you want to check your makeup or hair.

Mimi makes another appearance with her sis on the badminton-themed clapper, which’ll save your palms some pain if you’re making some noise in the stands.

And finally, the towel case is something that’d be nice to have pretty much any time you’re headed out for the day, regardless of if sports are on your schedule.

Officially, McDonald’s says this is an oshibori, or moist towel, holder. Douse the towel in cold water before you close up the case, and you’ll have a refreshingly chilled cloth to wipe yourself off with whether you’re sweaty from sports, shopping, or simply your commute on a hot day.

There’s also a fifth, currently still-secret toy in the second batch, which looks to be a trophy of some kind.

Again, the first batch of toys is available now, with the second on its way October 10. And if you can’t make it to a McDonald’s Japan branch by then, don’t despair, because there’s a third round of Hello Kitty Happy Meals, featuring all nine possible toys, starting on October 11.

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