Ayumi Hamasaki and Hello Kitty join forces to create a fantastically lame product

What is this hideous creature? Maybe Kyodo News can explain:

Pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki and Hello Kitty, the popular Japanese feline character, have joined hands to create a new character set to hit Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Shanghai shortly, companies that created the new character said Friday.

The new character — a young girl who resembles the Japanese singer holding Hello Kitty in her arm — will be made into a 33 millimeter by 49 mm figure with a price tag of 600 yen as well as a mirror for sale at 2,200 yen, Avex Group Holdings Inc and Sanrio Co said. “I’m so happy that I could collaborate with Kitty, which I have loved since I was little,” the singer said in a statement, describing the feline character as “a fabulous being that is loved by many women regardless their age and nationality.”

As stupid as this new product is, I must compliment the character designers on their great job of re-creating Ayu’s gigantic artificial/extraterrestrial eyes.
[Photo via Iza]