Labubus, TikTok and KPop Demon Hunters: how childhood went east Asian

拉布布斯、TikTok与KPop恶魔猎人:童年如何东渡亚洲

Today in Focus

2025-12-15

26 分钟
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Has east Asia replaced the US as the world’s cultural centre? With Jeff Yang. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
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  • This is The Guardian.

  • Hi it's Lucy Hoff here just to let you know that this edition of Today in Focus was recorded before the shocking terrorist attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach but we will be bringing you the latest on this in our afternoon edition and you can of course read live updates at The Guardian online throughout the day.

  • Today, how East Asian culture conquered modern childhood.

  • You guys look fantastic.

  • I look like a floating head in the darkness, which is what I am right now, actually.

  • It's atmospheric.

  • Yeah.

  • All right.

  • I think we're good.

  • I think we're good.

  • Let's go ahead and Jeff Yang is a journalist and the author of a pop history of Asian America.

  • He's in Hong Kong when we speak on video call and he is a foremost expert on the region.

  • So naturally, my first question is about one of the most inescapable trends of 2025.

  • Can you start by telling me about labubus?

  • Of course.

  • The Labooboo.

  • We call her Labooboo.

  • All my friends are like Labooboo.

  • The soft-bodied vinyl-faced fluffball taking the market by...

  • Labooboos are these odd-shaped troll doll type creatures.