Arrival, Hong Kong; Departure, Japan. Hello Kitty brought a record-breaking crowd, estimated at over one thousand Chinese fans, thundering in to see her "Hide and Seek" exhibition on opening day. What was inside? Hello Kitty — as art, as phenom, as merchandise and merchandise and more merchandise. Pictured above, lead Sanrio designer Yuko Yamaguchi stood by her creation "Fairy Hello Kitty," the latest in redefining a product by catalog number and limited-edition volume. Hello Kitty as mercurial sprite is as good as any illustration for the appeal of a demure cartoon cat heretofore inscrutable: Sanrio leaves a single, subtle variation on an old theme under its pillow for which this pop culture pixie will exchange, overnight, goodness knows how, several million dollars in profit.