When one thinks of Sanrio , what come to mind? Usually Hello Kitty and other  cute characters, but  while  Hello Kitty was just barely  off the  drawing board, the owner Shintaro Tsuji had other plans: Media and Hollywood.  From the  mid 1970’s to 1980 Sanrio  cranked out  a number of  films  most  had moderate success  but one film  in particular Metamorphoses  was a bomb.  Eventually  Mr. Tsuji  put his  film making  ambitions on the back burner, shut down  its California office,  and concentrating the growing popularity  of Hello Kitty. Now Sanrio wants to reenter  the  entertainment  business.  First Sanrio is releasing one of  their early  attempt  of filmmaking: The  Nut Cracker.  Second  Sanrio is reentering  the entertain business with  Sanrio Pictures Entertainment, and there’s Show by Rock.

Show by Rock is anime  is about Cyan, a shy and timid high school sophomore  who  while playing  and rhythm   game, she is awarded with a guitar call Strawberry Heart, she is suddenly whisked  away, a la Tron, to an alternate  reality called  Tokyo Midi City.  Where she discover her playing  is a weapon against monsters. She  wanders around  until she is picked  up by Maple Arisugawa, the BSDM loving manger of Braded recodes. She spends her time with her new band mates while  trying to unravel why and he purpose  in  Tokyo Midi City.   One interesting  fact is the target of the  show is young  men who are anime and game fans.

Hello Kitty doesn’t make a showing except for a  slight reference in the first episode  in a kittyish plush.  The show seems un-sanrio like in  the character Maple Arisugawa, who is known for having a BSDM session with his secretary who happens to be a dominatrix and in the second episode obviously drunk. Show may have found  it stride in Japan  , during the  30th annual  character ranking Shingan Crimsonz (Show by Rock) is first, Plasmagica (Show by Rock) is fourth  and Hello Kitty is 10th at this  time.  Perhaps  Sanrio  is making the right call in the age of declining but still dominant  in popularity of Hello Kitty It also appears Funimantion  is  streaming  a  dub version of Show By Rock.