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Bandai-owned Japanese toy manufacturer MegaHouse is releasing a very special item this coming October: a Hello Kitty Rubik’s Cube that celebrates both the 50th anniversary of the popular Sanrio kitten as well as the same-year anniversary of the Rubik’s Cube itself.
Via Gamer, the official collaboration marks the double milestone of Hello Kitty and the Rubik’s Cube, both of which were originally created in 1974. As such, the commemorative crossover toy features iconic images of Kitty White on each square, with bold and eye-catching designs ranging from 1974 to the present day. In the center square, the Rubik’s logo is decorated with Hello Kitty’s classic red ribbon.
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Hello Kitty’s Official Rubik’s Cube Features Designs From 1974 to Present Day
The MegaHouse toy comes with a red stand for display purposes, although it’s also a fully functional item with squares that can be arranged in exact chronological order (the ‘default’ setting when the package is first opened). Alternatively, fans of the adorable kitten can choose their favorite designs for each side of the cube in a more freestyle manner. At 57 mm in width, depth and height, the dimensions of the cube make it a standard size for the toy; however, since every block features a completely different design, there is technically no way of ‘solving’ the puzzle as there would be with a more typical Rubik’s Cube. The item has a release window of mid-October 2024 and will retail for 5,500 yen, including tax (approximately US$35).
The Rubik’s Cube Also Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary in 2024
While Sanrio’s Hello Kitty, aka Kitty White, has her roots in Japan as a fictional character initially created to appeal to pre-teen girls, the Rubik’s Cube was invented by Erno Rubik, a Hungarian sculptor architecture professor in Budapest. His aim at first was not to create a puzzle toy, but rather to solve the structural issue of moving a cube’s parts independently while keeping the overall mechanism intact. Originally called Magic Cube, the item eventually made its international debut at fairs in London, Paris, Nuremberg and New York in 1980 before then being rebranded as the Rubik’s Cube. Along with its latest Hello Kitty collaboration, the toy has received crossovers with other major franchises; in fact, in 2024 alone, its parent company Spin Master will celebrate the puzzle’s 50th anniversary with not just Hello Kitty but also Barbie, Wednesday Addams and even Mercedes-Benz releases, among others.
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Hello Kitty Fans Can Look Forward to Even More Special Releases This Year
Meanwhile, Hello Kitty has already had numerous releases to commemorate the character’s 50 years of life, with more set to be released later in the year. These include toy plushies, a new edition of Licca-chan (Japan’s own version of ‘Barbie’), a slew of fashion items such as a line of summer kimono and partnerships with major designers like Anna Sui, and more than one stunning anniversary watch, to name only a few.
Although Hello Kitty was not Sanrio’s very first kawaii mascots (with that honor belonging to 1973’s Coro Chan, a relaxed and cheerful-looking bear), she is now easily one of the most well-known to date domestically and across the globe — no mean feat considering that these characters now number over 450 in total. Fans can therefore expect many more special releases and collaborations to come throughout 2024 and beyond.
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