Kitty vs. Stitch

A friend pointed to this article  about Hello Kitty's declining fortunes. If you read to the end, you come upon this interesting bit:

Characters developed by Walt Disney, in contrast, typically make their debuts in blockbuster movies that propel them to fame and provide a springboard for further storytelling. The hit Disney animated film “Lilo & Stitch,” for example, which featured a Hawaiian girl and an alien friend, made a successful transition to a television series, all the while bringing merchandising and licensing income to Disney.

In fact, “Lilo & Stitch” has been so popular even in Japan that the series has been localized — with a Japanese girl named Yuna in place of Lilo and Okinawa replacing the Hawaiian setting.

I guess it's official when it's of note to the venerable New York Times: Stitch is "big in Japan."