Labubus: China's plushy, soft power tool

拉布布斯:中国的软实力玩具,柔软而富有魅力

Post Reports

2025-09-02

20 分钟
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Labubus — small plush toys that look like mischievous monsters — have taken the world by storm. Chinese toymaker and retailer Pop Mart has sold millions of dollars’ worth of Labubus. There’s even a booming resale market, on top of a thriving operation of counterfeits called Lafufus. Host Elahe Izadi speaks with reporter Kelly Kasulis Cho about how Labubus became the latest trend, and why these little toys have become a symbol of China’s developing economic strategy. Today’s show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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  • I wouldn't say obsessed.

  • I'm a little embarrassed, though, if I'm going to be honest.

  • This is a safe space.

  • I unboxed one on camera for The Washington Post for a video.

  • And then after that, I became like a little addicted.

  • And I was like, I'm feeling lucky today.

  • I just want to buy one with my own money.

  • That's Kelly Kisula's show.

  • She's a reporter and editor for The Washington Post based in Seoul.

  • And she's talking about a little plush toy that's taken the world by storm.

  • The Labubu.

  • A Labubu is a figurine of like an elf.

  • gremlin monster type character with bunny ears and nine fangs and like a human-like face with these big cartoon anime eyes.

  • And it's like a doll about the size of your hand,

  • but it's also a keychain that you can clip onto bags, kind of like a fashion accessory, if you will.

  • The official retailer of Labubus is a Chinese company named Popmart.

  • The dolls go for about 30 bucks a piece.

  • And they come in a variety of colors.

  • There are also some limited edition ones called secret rares, and those are coveted.

  • But you don't get to just buy the Labubu you want.