THERE, behind that crystal clear glass, a pair of highly recognisable twins stare back at me with soft smiles dancing on their tiny lips and twinkles in their eyes. They’re like old friends from a time long forgotten. A time where all it took to make me happy was a small gift of stationeries embellished with the iconic duo.
I’ll never forget Kiki’s pastel blue hair or Lala’s soft pink curls. I’ve never quite forgotten how it felt like Christmas in the middle of June when I found a box hidden within the depths of an old cupboard, filled with Little Twin Stars merchandise left forgotten by my late grandfather. It was truly a five-year-old’s dream come true to have discovered such an unexpected treasure.
A sudden tap on my shoulder startles me out of my reverie. Goh Yoke Leng, the public relations executive points me out to a vintage Little Twin Stars display encased in glass that dates back to 1975. Fascinatingly, this is just one of the many displays available for viewing at the Sanrio’s Time Tunnel, the first of the 13 zones at the Our Sanrio Times — Kuala Lumpur exhibition held at Quill City Mall, KL until February 17. Believe it or not, this exquisite exhibit is just one of over 300 other vintage items and collections on display here.
“Come! This is just the beginning… There’s more to see around the bend,” beckons Goh enthusiastically.
CHARACTERS GALORE
I’ve been to several theme parks before, including the ever popular and iconic Disneyland in Tokyo. I’ve also visited various museums exhibiting items that most people may dismiss as eccentric. This showcase, however, is a different ball game altogether. The riot of colours splashed on the walls with characters from Sanrio’s bank of 400 plastered on every part of the 1,500 square-metre venue is truly a sight to behold.
Sanrio is one of Japan’s largest character merchandise company, and was founded in 1962 by Shintaro Tsuji. The company’s humble beginnings began with Tsuji selling rubber sandals with flowers painted on them. Through the years, he realised that his profits increased when cute designs were added to his sandals. This prompted him to hire cartoonists to design cute characters for his merchandise, thus kickstarting an era ruled by the idea of “kawaii” (cuteness overload) — an “identifier” that would eventually become ingrained in much of Japanese culture.
With every step you take through this exhibition, you will be greeted by the ever popular Japanese mascots ranging from Hello Kitty to Pompompurin, and even the currently famous Gudetama inviting you to come, throw aside your adult sensibilities and play. Trying to avoid any of them is futile to say the least. The only spot ‘clean’ enough to rest your eyes from the technicolour garden is a little black box containing a replica of the very first Sanrio merchandise ever made — a half-transparent, half-red, vinyl Hello Kitty coin purse.
It may sound like a dizzying roller coaster ride at every turn but rest assured, this is a ride you’ll definitely want to take. It doesn’t matter if you’re an adult or a child. Every nook is an Instagram-worthy opportunity, and every room is filled with an abundance of interactive activities that hark back to the good old days of the 80s and the 90s.
REMINISCING YOUR CHILDHOOD
Taking a deep breath, I brace myself for whatever is coming next. However, just before I step around the corner, two brothers, Sam and Ben Goh, waltz in through the cut-out Hello Kitty door and bid me a friendly welcome. After quick introductions, they offer to be my guide around the remaining halls, relieving Yoke Leng of her duties.
Both directors of Alata Events together with their partners at MACEXPO are the brains behind the magic of Our Sanrio Times — Kuala Lumpur. “This is actually our second Sanrio exhibition. We did the first one back in 2017 at Macau and it was such a great success,” Sam shares, continuing: “So, we wanted to replicate that success here by giving fellow Malaysians the opportunity to enjoy something so special and rarely seen on our shores.”
Chipping in, Ben says: “It’s always nice to put a smile on the faces of children as well as adults by bringing them closer to characters and cartoons that they adore. There is just something magical about it. You’ll know what I mean when you see what’s in the next room we’re heading to.”
Excitedly, they usher me towards a brightly lit room where a giant 3.5-metre tall Hello Kitty welcomes us. It is hard not to squeal at the sight of the towering doll and all efforts to remain composed is lost.
“This is the largest item in this exhibition. We had to remove the glass windows and hire a crane to bring it up,” explains Ben, adding: “It was really not easy I tell you! And if you know how much it cost (a whopping 650,000 HKD), your heart will also drop if anything happens.”
Fortunately for the duo, it now sits obediently in perfect posture at the entrance of Plushy World.
“Each plush toy you see here are meticulously stuck on one by one. Every space covered and all the characters have a fair shot of being loved by the visitors,” shares Sam, the younger of the brothers.
Each zone after Plushy World is more interactive than the other. The Paper Doll Fun room for example, allows visitors to relive their memories of playing with paper dolls (and changing their outfits) while the Drawing classroom helps visitors to play ‘designer’ and emulate their favourite character designs via their easy step-by-step video guide. There are chalkboards available for visitors to practice what they’ve learnt.
At the end of the maze-like fun park and right before the gift shops, a special limited edition room called Sanrio visits Malaysia awaits me. The walls feature Sanrio characters visiting various iconic Malaysian landmarks such as the Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower and even a traditional Malay kampung house.
“This design is specifically only for our country,” reveals Sam with a grin, adding: “We got our in-house designers to do the decor and it is all approved by Sanrio. There are even approval codes on each design!”
MORE TO COME
With my head reeling from the sights and sounds of this exhibition, the brothers are amused at the large grin that hasn’t quite left my face from the moment I stepped into the exhibition. Ben, the more serious of the two confides that they have more exciting things installed for 2019.
“We are planning for a large Gudetama installation in the city sometime this year, and we are hoping to bring more Sanrio characters here as well as to other various Southeast Asian nations,” he reveals.
With Sanrio grounded in the philosophy of “Small Gift, Big Smile” for over 50 years, both brothers admit to gladly adopting it in their work culture too.
“If an exhibition like this is able to get the older generation to recall their happy childhood moments and help them bond with their children now, why not bring more?” questions Sam rhetorically.
Smiling, he concludes: “It is not an easy task to set up an intellectual property exhibition this big, but being able to see the smiles on the faces of the people who come here is more than good enough for me to continue on.”
OUR SANRIO TIMES - KUALA LUMPUR
Venue: Hall 5, Level 5, Quill City Mall Kuala Lumpur
Time: 11AM - 9PM daily until February 17
Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketcharge.com.my or at the venue.
Website: www.oursanriotimes.my
Facebook: Our Sanrio Times Malaysia