Hello Kitty Just Fulfilled an Unexpected South Park Prophecy
When you think about Hello Kitty, let's face it – South Park does not come to mind. Sanrio's iconic cat has been around for decades and is known for spreading the word of all things kawaii. South Park has the total opposite reputation thanks to its crude animation and unhinged humor. There are few worlds in which you'd put the series together, but now, reports suggest Hello Kitty has fulfilled a South Park prophecy.
For some context, we need to go back to 2006. Years ago, South Park released an episode that follows Cartman and the gang as they get revenge on a World of Warcraft player. After seeing the mission through, Butters tells the gang he doesn't even play World of Warcraft, and he spends all his time online playing Hello Kitty Island Adventure.
Of course, this reference was made to show just how different Butters' taste in games was. It gave the boys a reason to rag on Butters, and at the time, no such Hello Kitty game ever existed. The 2006 quip went on to become a meme in the South Park fandom, and Sanrio has acknowledged the joke a number of times. Most famously, the company announced an MMO expansion for Hello Kitty Online named after the South Park callout, but it was all for April Fools' Day.
But now? Well, it seems like Sanrio is not joking around anymore. The game studio Sunblink, in tandem with Sanrio, just announced Hello Kitty Island Adventure... for real. The game will be available on iOS starting July 28th, and it gives big Animal Crossing vibes. The game will be a sim that allows Hello Kitty loves to design homes, make friends, and explore a tropical Sanrio island. And of course, the app bears the name of South Park's famous 2006 nod.
At this point, no word has been given by Sanrio or Sunblink about the game's name. The callback could be a coincidence, but given Sanrio's previous pranks, plenty of fans believe this nod is intentional. But either way, we just hope South Park lets Butters play this mobile game as soon as it goes live.
Did you ever expect to see Hello Kitty bring this meme full circle? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!