Hey Gen Z, Meet Labubu: The ugly-cute gremlin
Hey, Gen Z peeps! Gather around because we need to talk about the fuzzy, sharp-toothed chaos gremlin that’s dangling from backpacks and blowing up our TikTok FYPs and Instagram feeds. Yes, I am talking about Labubu.
If I show Labubu to my mom, she’ll probably say, “What is this ugly thing?!” And honestly? She is neither wrong nor right. Labubu is peak “ugly-cute.” It’s so weird-looking that it becomes cute. And somehow, we’ve all decided these scruffy little monsters are worth blowing half our savings on.
From Nordic Fairy Tales to Pop Mart Hype
But where does this toothy elf even come from? Why are we all losing our collective minds over it? Grab your iced coffee and plug in your lo-fi beats. Let’s dive into Labubu’s origin, its glorious absurdity, and how it wiggles its way into our chaotic Gen Z hearts.
Labubu isn’t just some random plushie we catch with a claw machine at a carnival or buy from a shop. Nope. It’s the brainchild of Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong-born artist who grew up in the Netherlands. Back in the day, he doodled these quirky creatures with big eyes, pointy ears, and mischievous grins, all inspired by Nordic fairy tales and folklore. It’s this magical fairy-tale origin that gives Labubu its oddly enchanting vibe, like something straight out of a twisted bedtime story.
The Monsters Universe: Labubu and Her Crew
In 2015, Kasing dropped a picture book series called “The Monsters,” starring these weird little dudes. He says, “What if fairy-tale monsters escape the woods and move into your backpack?” Labubu, the scruffy star, instantly became the fan favorite. Imagine a raccoon, gremlin, and stray cat had a baby. Labubu is a mischievous female elf with big eyes, pointy ears, and her signature nine tiny sharp teeth. It says “I bite, but cutely,” energy, and we are so here for it.
Pop Mart’s Blind Box Mania: Unbox Your Chaos
Fast forward to 2019, and Kasing teamed up with Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company that’s the king of collectibles. They turned Labubu into a physical toy, and that’s when things started getting wild. Pop Mart’s genius move? Selling Labubu in blind boxes. You don’t know which version you’re getting until you rip it open, like a Kinder Egg but way cooler. This blind box model created pure mania—it turned Labubu into a high-stakes surprise game that tapped straight into our dopamine circuits. There are over 300 designs now, from tiny keychains to massive 79 cm “mega” editions that cost, like, $960. Who’s got that much cash?
Why Are We Fighting Over a Toothy Elf?
Okay, let’s be real. Labubu is absurd. It’s not like our average teddy bear. Some people call it “ugly-cute,” and honestly, that’s the perfect vibe. It’s not perfect or polished, and that’s exactly why we love it. We’re all about embracing the weird.
A 1.2-meter mint-green Labubu sold for $170,000 at a Beijing auction. $170k! Seriously? In Singapore, people shove each other at Pop Toy Shows just to grab a Merlion-themed Labubu. There are stories of folks breaking into claw machines or straight-up snatching Labubus off people’s bags. From a fairy-tale sketch to becoming the prize in global toy wars—it’s no wonder we’re hooked. This isn’t just a toy—it’s a full-on cultural fever dream.
So,why do we love it (Labubu) so much?
Honestly? It’s so random. So weird. Not so Pinterest-perfect, and that’s the point! We crave stuff that feels unique, unhinged, and chaotic, like a tiny monster that looks like it could either guard our secrets or rob us. And the outfits! Labubu can be a pirate, vampire, knight, cactus… literally anything. They’re chaotic little Pokémon—except our wallets hate us for it.
If we scroll TikTok lately, we see the unboxing videos: a pastel desk, lo-fi beats, and someone tearing open a Pop Mart box like they’re about to find buried treasure. “OMG, did I pull the secret rare Labubu?!” The comments section? A chaotic handful of people ready to trade, flex, or cry over their 87th duplicate. Each Labubu feels like its own character. From the “Exciting Macaron” series in dessert colors to the “Have a Seat” collection, where they’re just chilling with different eye expressions. Some come with tiny outfits like denim overalls, knight helmets, and even pride-themed gear. It’s like having a tiny, edgy Barbie. More gremlin, less perfect princess. The randomness of blind box collecting plus the quirky storytelling makes Labubu more than a toy—it’s an interactive fairy tale that never ends.
There’s a whole storyline too. Labubu isn’t alone. She's part of The Monsters crew with Zimomo (the spiky-tailed leader) and Tycoco (her skeleton boyfriend). Yep, that’s real. It’s a weird Netflix series in toy form. The thrill of not knowing which one we’ll get is like a gacha game. But instead of pixels, we get a cute monster for our backpack
Why is it so Gen Z? Labubu is everything we stand for. It’s weird, chaotic, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. We’re done with polished, picture-perfect aesthetics. Now give us a donut monster in armor, please. Collecting these tiny gremlins gives us that weird sense of control like, “Yeah, we can’t fix the world, but we can curate our Labubu army.” And let’s be honest. There’s something oddly comforting about having a tiny monster buddy silently judging us while we procrastinate.
Celebs, TikTok, and the Global Labubu Obsession So, what catapults Labubu into global obsession? One word: Lisa. Lisa from BLACKPINK casually drops a pic with a Labubu keychain on her bag. Next thing we know, the internet explodes. Pop Mart’s site crashes, stores sell out and Labubu instantly becomes our emotional support gremlin.
Other celebs like Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and even David Beckham jumped on the trend, rocking Labubus like they’re the new luxury bag charm. TikTok does the rest. Millions of views under #Labubu, unboxing videos, memes, and people flexing their rare editions or trading them like Pokémon cards for grown-ups.
Labubu: Our Fuzzy Little Rebellion
At the end of the day, Labubu is so much more than a fuzzy monster. It’s nostalgia mixed with rebellion. It’s our way of saying, “Sure, we could get a normal teddy bear, or we could get a toothy gremlin in a pirate hat.” It’s the community too. The thrill of the blind box, the hunt for that rare design, the memes, the trades, the collector meetups. It’s our collective weird little rebellion against boring trends. Sure, the hype has a dark side—scalpers, fake “Lafufus”. Even Russia is trying to ban Labubu for being “too scary” for kids. But honestly? If our plushie gets banned by an entire country, that’s peak icon behavior.
Embrace the weird
Labubu is the ultimate Gen Z icon: quirky, chaotic, and unapologetically unique. From its Nordic fairy-tale sketchbook roots to its viral takeover thanks to Lisa and TikTok. This toothy elf has us all in a chokehold—and we’re not mad about it.
So dear GenZs, are we lining up at Pop Mart, scrolling AliExpress for a donut-knight Labubu, or just here for the chaos? Either way, this is our sign: embrace the weird. Buy the monster. Dress it up in tiny clothes and let our inner gremlin out.
