It's time for another episode of Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures! And today's episode was written by our good friend, Randy Heeren. Learn about his favorite type of stories to write and what his favorite video game is!
And don't miss out on the new Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures episode that airs today at 1PM (PST) on Hello Kitty and Friends YouTube channel.
Hello Friend! Introduce yourself and tell us what you do for Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures.
Hello! My name is Randy Heeren and it’s my privilege to be one of the people writing stories for the show.
When did you first hear about Sanrio?
Certainly when I was in grade school, but it's a little fuzzy in my head as I slowly became aware of the brand over time. For some reason I have this image of girls walking past me wearing these crisp Hello Kitty backpacks and I just didn't know what to think of it. In all fairness, the girls didn't know what to think of me either!
What Hello Kitty and Friend character is your favorite, or do you relate with the most from the series?
Well, Kuromi is my favorite because she's just so spunky in this really fascinating, dark way. It's almost like I gotta remind myself to stay on her good side! But my friends tell me that I can be kind of naïve and innocent, so when I see Keroppi running headlong into some new situation and bumbling around it's hard not to see myself in him.
This episode “The Wiltening” takes Hello Kitty and Friends on a very fun VR adventure, are you into gaming? And if so, which game is your favorite?
I'm so glad you asked! My favorite game of all time is Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube. It's supposed to be "just a kid's party game," but for whatever random reason there is this enormous amount of competitive depth that feels incredibly rewarding. I've never see another game even come close to allowing you to express yourself so perfectly. I'll always call it the best hobby in the world.
I also have a particular soft spot for fantasy adventure games, so I was over the moon when I heard that I would get to take our lovable Hello Kitty characters on their own medieval journey. I think playing an adventure game cooperatively with friends is one of the coolest things people can do, and it was such a joy to harness that enthusiasm in this episode!
What are your favorite types of stories to write?
I grew up watching a lot of anime featuring a group of friends going on a long journey together, so I gravitate toward action adventure stories. But no matter what the genre, if I can manage to get the audience emotionally invested in the characters, and cause the story's visuals to drive it all home in the end… That's one of the most fulfilling experiences I could ever ask for.
