Summary
An officially licensedKirbyhoodie is being recalled in Japan due to the character’s name being misspelled. While customers are being offered refunds or exchanges for the defective item, someKirbyfans see the piece of children’s clothing as a potential collector’s item.
The first game to feature the popular character,Kirby’s Dream Land, was released in April 1992 for the Game Boy and was touted as a game that any person could pick up and play. The franchise has ballooned over the years to include 39 games, becoming one of Nintendo’s best-selling and most recognizable series. As with all popular Nintendo IPs, a wide array ofKirby-inspired goodshas been released over the years, from clothing and stuffed animals to lunch boxes and kitchen items. Unfortunately, one retailer recently made a big blunder when releasing an item of children’s clothing.
As spotted byAutomaton, the Japanese clothing store Shimamura is recalling a hooded sweatshirt that reads “Karby” instead of “Kirby.” Released in September, the pink kids' hooded sweatshirt features the beloved character’s face on the front, with his name spelled across the hood itself. The Japanese pronunciation of Kirby sounds very similar to “Karby,” making it easy to see how the misprint may have occurred, though many fans wonder how the mistake made it past so many people. Those who purchased one of these defective items can either get a refund or exchange their hoodie for one with the correct spelling, though showing up atthe Kirby Cafein this rare fit has the potential to be incredible.
Kirby Hoodies Recalled in Japan Due to Hilarious Misprint
While most fans of one ofNintendo’s most heroic characterswould likely want to get this issue corrected, some fans responding to Shimamura’s Twitter post say they’d like to snag one of these flawed items, as they may someday be valuable to collectors. One commenter also noted that Shimamura has been making more mistakes lately, asking employees at the company to slow down and put more thought into their work. It’s unclear how many of these imperfect hoodies were sold, but it wouldn’t be surprising if some popped up for sale online.
The most recent mainline Kirby game,Kirby and the Forgotten Land, was released in 2022 for the Nintendo Switch. A remake of the Wii titleKirby’s Return to Dream Landwas released for the Switch in 2023, and many fans are already expecting to hear news aboutanother Kirby title coming in 2025. The character’s popularity has only grown over the years, inspiring Kirby cafes in Japan that are constantly filled to capacity. Fans are eager to see where the pink puffball appears next.
Kirby
The Kirby game franchise stars the adorable pink blob with a voracious appetite. Kirby games have covered the 2D and 3D platformer genre for decades and are set across multiple consoles, with plenty of spin-offs along the way. Kirby’s unique ability allows him to suck up enemies to gain their powers.
