Meet Karby. No, it’s not Kirby’s cousin from New Jersey, but instead a typo of the pink puffball’s name that got put on a hoodie in Japan. The typo has led to a recall for the pink apparel that sports Kirby’s face on the front and (wrong) name on the top of the hood.
Automaton spotted that Japanese clothing store Shimamura posted about the issue on X. The shop is reportedly offering refunds or exchanges for the Kirby typo on the hoodie for kids, though some commenters believe the misspelling could make the sweatshirt a collector’s item. Automaton adds the mistake isn’t actually that surprising, since Kirby in Japanese sounds more like Karby.
9/25(水)発売「星のカービィ キッズ プルパーカ」をしまむら店頭でお買い上げのお客様へ
一部プリントに誤植が見つかったため、
返金をご希望の方は、しまむら店舗にて返金対応を行っております。
交換をご希望のお客様は下記URLの参照をお願いいたします。
URL：https://t.co/zLSYn7Sihs… pic.twitter.com/s4uSWfuoiI— ファッションセンターしまむら (@shimamura_gr) October 10, 2024
In the US, Karby seems like the name the pink puffball should have after inhaling a car in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. But that could open up a can of worms for ensuring the character has a new moniker for every object he sucks up. Meanwhile, GameSpot’s Eddie Makuch points out that maybe Karby is a good nickname after the mascot eats too much pizza.
Source: Gamespot Kirby Hoodie Misspells Pink Puffball's Name, Gets Recalled In Japan