Bad Kitty! BALZAC Hello Kitty Goes Goth

Hello Kitty BALZAC edition is horribly cute
Hello Kitty is not for kiddies anymore, as this collaborative effort from Sanrio and Japanese punk-goth band BALZAC so graphically illustrates.

As Japan's birthrate continues to sink like a stone, the nation's toymakers find themselves between a rock and a hard place. The answer? Go upmarket to an older demographic desperate to hang onto their idyllic youth! The result, when it comes to icon of cuteness Hello Kitty, is a succession of new products that are anything but childlike.

Take the Sanrio Hello Kitty x BALZAC Cell Phone Strap. The official collaboration with BALZAC (one of Japan's leading goth-punk bands over the past decade & a half) results in Hello Kitty's classic red hair bow featuring a skull motif. Her tight black cat-suit now shows off her skeleton! As cellphone maven Strapya World so eloquently puts it, "Kitty shouts in horror punk look! She's a cutie and horrible horror punk kid!"

Sanrio's co-marketing venture with BALZAC extends beyond cellphone charms to mugs, posters and more - though one has to wonder whether BALZAC will be displaying Hello Kitty graphics at their concerts and live shows... I'm guessing NO.

The Sanrio Hello Kitty x BALZAC Cell Phone Strap is available from Strapya World's online store for 630 yen (about $6.42) plus shipping - you can use your Hello Kitty credit card. It comes complete with a black & white braided cellphone strap and chromed hardware that lets you attach the punk puss to your backpack, purse or car rearview mirror.