Labubu

Kasing Lung, born in Hong Kong in 1972, moved to the Netherlands at age seven, where he developed a love for Nordic fairy tales and elf mythology14. Drawing on this childhood fascination, Lung launched an illustrated book series called *The Monsters* in 2015, featuring a playful tribe of female elves called Labubus1. "That's why I wanted to create something that I've always known existed in my heart," Lung told CGTN Europe1.

In the stories, Labubus are kind-hearted creatures whose good intentions sometimes lead to chaos1. The series includes around 100 different Labubu characters1. One storyline follows a Labubu dating a shy skeleton named Tycoco, whom she playfully teases1.

Lung first released artistic toy figures based on the characters through the company How2Work shortly after the trilogy came out4. But the toys didn't take off globally until 2019, when Lung partnered with Pop Mart, the Chinese toy retailer specializing in blind box collectibles4. That first *Monsters* series launch "broke the sales record in the art toy category" according to Pop Mart1.

Labubu's commercial impact is staggering. Pop Mart's revenue from The Monsters IP reached $670 million in just the first half of 2025, and the brand's success made CEO Wang Ning one of China's youngest top-ten billionaires4. The toys sparked real-world incidents: UK stores temporarily closed due to customer altercations, Russia considered a national ban, and the counterfeit market grew large enough to earn its own slang ("Lafufus")41.

The Labubu craze sits at the intersection of several larger trends: blind box collecting (building on Japan's gachapon tradition), celebrity-driven fashion accessories, and the adult toy market pioneered by brands like Jellycat and Bearbrick41. Pop Mart's model of exclusive drops, limited runs, and retail scarcity mirrors the hype mechanics of streetwear and sneaker culture.

Sony Pictures acquiring film rights in November 2025, with *Paddington* director Paul King attached, signals Hollywood's interest in the brand's storytelling potential beyond toy shelves4.

The meme dimension added another layer, turning Labubu into shorthand for performative consumerism. The "slang overload" posts satirized how quickly products move from niche discovery to mainstream saturation to self-parody in the social media age3.

Labubu's journey from niche art toy to global phenomenon and internet punchline spans a decade and crosses multiple cultural boundaries.

Kasing Lung settled in Antwerp, Belgium after growing up in the Netherlands, and built a career as an illustrator before creating The Monsters4. The characters reflected his lifelong fascination with Nordic folklore, a somewhat unusual inspiration for a Hong Kong-born artist. When How2Work produced the first Labubu figures, they attracted a small but dedicated collector community in Asia and Europe4.

The 2019 Pop Mart partnership changed everything. Pop Mart's blind box retail model, with hundreds of stores across China and growing international presence, gave Labubu access to millions of potential buyers. The first keychain line, "Exciting Macaron," launched in October 20234. Other collections followed quickly: "Fall in Wild," the seven-figurine "Have a Seat" line, and "Massive into Energy"4.

Pop Mart also pursued brand collaborations aggressively. A Coca-Cola themed winter blind box series featuring eleven Labubu designs dropped in late 20244. A 13-figurine line reimagining The Monsters as *One Piece* characters arrived in early 20254. An exclusive "Labubu's Artistic Quest" series was sold at Pop Mart's store inside the Louvre in Paris4.

The celebrity endorsement pipeline proved critical to Labubu's breakout. After Lisa's April 2024 sighting, the toys became a fashion accessory. New York magazine's Liza Corsillo wrote in 2025 that the "toy's appeal is fueled by a hard-to-explain cuteness — they're kind of ugly, but huggable, with a devilish grin — as well as surprise and scarcity"4. Like Jellycat plush toys, Labubus blurred "the line between toys and fashion"4.

The collecting community that formed around Labubu was intense. Rare figures commanded huge markups on secondary markets1. A cottage industry of Labubu doll clothing emerged, along with the counterfeit "Lafufu" market1. Academic researchers began studying consumer behavior around the series, particularly how scarcity-based marketing strategies drove demand4.

People dressed in Labubu costumes appeared at a Los Angeles Pride parade and at a protest against immigration raids in June 2025, showing how deeply the character had penetrated popular culture beyond collecting1. Actors like Javier Bardem were photographed interacting with Labubu toys as part of unrelated film marketing campaigns4.

The entertainment industry took notice. In November 2025, Sony Pictures acquired rights to develop a Labubu film, with Paul King announced as director in December 20254. An anime adaptation of 156 short episodes was planned for broadcast in 20254.

Michelle Parnett-Dwyer, a curator at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., placed Labubu's appeal in the context of adult play and nostalgia. "I think there's a lot of things where the popularity among adults or young adults stems from childhood nostalgia," she said1. "I think play is crucial for everybody at all ages. It helps us to engage with each other"1.

Meanwhile, the meme dimension of Labubu developed its own trajectory. The "Labubu Matcha Dubai Chocolate" slang overload format worked because all three products hit peak virality in the same window. The memes functioned as satire of algorithm-driven consumer identity, mocking people whose personalities seemed constructed entirely from trending products3. Posts often stacked as many buzzwords as possible (Crumbl Cookies, Moonbeam Ice Cream, Stanley Cups, Weck Jars) for maximum absurdity3.