Kirby hoodie recalled by Japanese clothing store due to awkward mistake  

An officially licensed item of children’s clothing featuring Japanese video game character Kirby has been found to have an awkward mistake in its design. The clothing store that sold it is offering refunds or exchanges to affected customers, however some people are viewing the misprinted top as a future collectors’ item. 

Created by Masahiro Sakurai in the early 90s and going on to star in over 35 games, Kirby has retained his popularity over the years, especially in Japan. Merchandise featuring the cute monster-inhaling pink blob continues to be released and he has also been involved in many collaborations, such as the Kirby pancakes released by Japanese convenience store Family Mart earlier this year. However, it seems like part of Kirby’s latest collaboration with casual clothing store Shimamura didn’t go quite as planned. 

The Kirby Kids’ hooded sweatshirt released in September has Kirby’s name spelt wrong on the hood- “Karby” instead of “Kirby.” Considering the way that the name of the lovable pink character is pronounced and written in Japanese is closer to “Karby,” it is easy to see how this error occurred.  

Post translation: To customers who purchased the Kirby Kids’ Hooded Sweatshirt, which went on sale on September 25 (Wednesday). 
As it has been discovered that part of the design has been misprinted, customers who would like their money back can get a refund at Shimamura stores. 
For customers who would like a replacement, please refer to the link below. 
We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience. 

However, some commenters responding to Shimamura’s post thought it would be best to hang on to the misprinted top, as it could become a rare collectable for diehard Kirby fans in the future. 

Verity Townsend
Verity Townsend

Automaton West Editor and translator. She has a soft spot for old-school Sierra adventure games and Final Fantasy VIII (yes, 8!). Can often be found hunting down weird forgotten games and finding out everything about them. Frequently muses about characters and lines from Metal Gear Solid and Disco Elysium. Aims to keep Automaton fresh and interesting with a wide variety of articles.

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