Editorial Methodology & Fact Verification

1. Source Hierarchy & Verification Protocol

Our editorial team follows a strict tier-based verification hierarchy:

1. Tier 1 — Primary Official Sanrio Corporate & Character Archives: Current official Sanrio character profiles, official corporate history releases, Sanrio Character Ranking official result books, and verified Strawberry News (いちご新聞) publications.
2. Tier 2 — Official Licensed Media & Product Records: Verified licensed stationery catalogs, official art books (e.g. Sanrio Golden Memories), and official digital assets (e.g. licensed LINE sticker releases).
3. Tier 3 — Cross-Referenced Historical Archives: Historical exhibition documentation and primary Japanese archival records.

Unverified fan wikis, resale platform titles, and automated database scrapers are never allowed to override official Sanrio primary documentation.

2. Ranking Data Architecture: Stage Separation

To prevent data collisions and misleading claims, our database enforces strict separation between ranking stages:

• Entry Number vs. Final Rank: Ballot nomination numbers (such as "Entry No.7") represent a character's catalog number on voting ballots, not their rank. They are always stored in a separate entry_number field.
• Interim Rank vs. Final Rank: Mid-term vote counts (announced mid-way through voting in Japan) are explicitly labeled as interim snapshots and never confused with final results.
• Participation-Aware Records: If a character did not participate in a given year's ballot, their entry is recorded as Did Not Participate rather than displaying a false zero, placeholder number, or database row index.
• Database Roster Index Isolation: Internal database IDs and extended roster positions (such as #89 or #90 in unranked catalogs) are strictly isolated and never rendered as official ranking positions.

3. Entity Classification & Anti-Hallucination Standards

Sanrio properties range from single individual mascots to multi-character units, duos, and ensembles. We model each property according to its genuine structure:

• Individual Characters: Singular characters with established birthdays, hobbies, and personal bios (e.g. Hello Kitty, Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll).
• Ensembles & Groups: Multi-character teams or friend groups (e.g. Hapidanbui, Small People, Twee Dee Drops, Beatcats, Maimaimaigoen). Group properties are never modeled as single characters, and individual member traits are not incorrectly attributed to the entire group.
• No Hallucinated Canon: When official details such as birthdays, numeric ages, romantic partners, or family members do not exist in Sanrio canon, we explicitly state that they are unstated rather than fabricating claims.
• No Invented Media Lore: Visual concepts (such as pirate outfits or superhero capes) are described as visual design themes and never exaggerated into unverified anime series, movie adaptations, or narrative backstories.

4. Editorial Corrections & Ongoing Audits

As Sanrio publishes new official retrospectives, anniversary art books, and ranking results, our database undergoes continuous verification audits. If you notice any factual discrepancy or have archival documentation to share, our editorial team cross-references primary records to update our centralized character registry immediately.