在中國風靡一時的潮玩角色LABUBU，當進軍日本市場時卻未能延續同樣的熱度。這個齜牙咧嘴的小怪物，在日本始終處於「不溫不火」的狀態。這不僅反映出一個IP在跨文化傳播中的挑戰，也揭示了日本潮玩市場對「內容性」的高度依賴。在這場文化與商業的碰撞中，LABUBU顯然面臨著巨大的適應壓力。

日本市場擁有全球最成熟的ACG（動畫、漫畫、遊戲）文化體系，消費者的情感黏性往往建立於角色本身的故事背景與個性魅力之上，而非單一的外觀設計。例如《寶可夢》起初是GameBoy遊戲，透過動畫與劇場版不斷擴展故事世界；Hello Kitty雖無明確劇情，但長年累積的聯名合作、動畫短片與主題樂園等內容，使其形象深入人心；甚至角落生物也透過療癒系漫畫與動畫建立起角色特色與粉絲社群。而LABUBU的問題則在於，它沒有明確的故事背景，僅靠一個「長得怪又可愛」的形象，很難打動日本消費者。消費者不知道它來自哪裡、性格如何，也缺乏讓它「活起來」的媒介與內容，導致角色難以產生情感連結。

更進一步地看，日本潮玩市場的主力幾乎都是既有IP的衍生商品。從《鬼滅之刃》《咒術迴戰》到《星之卡比》，這些IP都從漫畫、動畫或遊戲發跡，再擴展至手辦、毛絨玩具、景品與扭蛋等商品領域。內容為主，商品為輔，是日本潮玩運作的邏輯。而泡泡瑪特的LABUBU則是反其道而行之——先有玩具，再補內容，這種模式在日本顯得難以被接受，甚至被視為「本末倒置」。

對此，泡泡瑪特也不是沒有意識到問題。近期成立專門的影視部門，並宣佈為LABUBU製作動畫劇集，明顯意在彌補其「無故事」的短板。然而，即便動畫順利上線，也面臨三大挑戰：首先是市場競爭過於激烈，日本每年新番動畫多達上千部，LABUBU能否脫穎而出尚是未知；其次是文化審美的差異，日本偏愛「圓潤可愛」的萌系風格，而LABUBU偏尖銳的牙齒與詭異笑容，或許不易被主流接受；最後，內容本身的品質將成為成敗關鍵，如果只是生硬的行銷廣告，觀眾恐怕不會買單。

與之對照的成功案例是Sonny Angel。這款同樣是潮玩的角色，在日本卻能長年保持熱度。它成功的原因在於形象治癒、風格統一，並藉由季節限定、城市限定等主題化設計激發收藏慾；同時也透過輕量內容如繪本與展覽營造角色氛圍。雖然Sonny Angel也沒有動畫，但其傳達出的情緒價值與文化契合度，使其順利嵌入日本市場。而LABUBU若欲仿效其成功，不僅需調整外觀設計與敘事方式，還須尋找更貼合日本文化的切入點。

在日本，最火的潮玩IP幾乎全部來自已有內容的衍生品：

總結而言，潮玩產業未來的關鍵，在於「內容化」。LABUBU在中國的成功建立在盲盒經濟與新奇造型之上，但在重視角色故事與文化共鳴的日本市場，這樣的模式難以為繼。泡泡瑪特拍動畫的決策方向是正確的，但真正的考驗是——是否能賦予LABUBU一個有魅力、有靈魂的角色身份，使其從「商品」昇華為「人物」？是否能打破「中國IP無法打進日本」的魔咒？

若能成功，LABUBU或許將成為首個以「內容逆輸出」方式征服日本的中國潮玩IP；若失敗，它則可能終究只是中國市場上的「小眾怪趣」，在日本被遺忘於ACG的巨浪之中。

The Rise and Stall of LABUBU in Japan: A Cross-Cultural Stress Test for Chinese Designer Toys

Once a sensation in China’s designer toy scene, LABUBU—a quirky, toothy little monster—has failed to replicate its explosive popularity in Japan. Despite its distinctive appearance, the character has remained lukewarm in the Japanese market. This disparity underscores the cultural barriers that IPs face in cross-border expansion and highlights Japan’s heavy reliance on content-driven character engagement. In this collision between culture and commerce, LABUBU finds itself under intense pressure to adapt.

Japan boasts one of the most sophisticated ACG (Anime, Comics, Games) ecosystems in the world, where emotional investment in characters is built not merely on looks, but on narrative and personality. For instance, Pokémon originated as a Game Boy game and expanded its lore through anime and feature films; Hello Kitty, despite lacking a defined storyline, cultivated deep cultural resonance through decades of cross-brand collaborations, animated shorts, and themed parks; even Sumikko Gurashi leveraged healing-themed comics and animations to carve out a loyal fanbase. In contrast, LABUBU suffers from a lack of clear origin, personality, or story, relying solely on its “weird but cute” appearance. Japanese consumers are left asking: “Where is it from? What kind of character is it?” With no narrative vessel to animate the figure, emotional connection remains out of reach.

The challenge is further compounded by Japan’s character goods market, which is predominantly content-first, product-second. Leading figures like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Kirby all began as rich storytelling IPs—whether manga, anime, or video games—before branching out into figures, plushies, and capsule toys. In Japan, merchandise serves to extend a beloved story, not define it. LABUBU, born as a toy before its story, inverts this logic—a reversal many see as missing the point.

To its credit, Pop Mart, the Chinese company behind LABUBU, has acknowledged this shortfall. It has launched a dedicated film and television division and announced an upcoming animated series starring LABUBU to fill the narrative gap. However, even with a show in the pipeline, three major challenges loom:

1. Oversaturation of the market – Japan releases over a thousand new anime titles each year. LABUBU would face stiff competition just to get noticed.
2. Aesthetic disconnect – Japanese audiences generally favor soft, round, “moe” (adorable) character designs. LABUBU’s jagged teeth and eerie grin might not sit well with mainstream taste.
3. Quality of content – If the show feels like a shallow marketing stunt rather than genuine storytelling, viewers are unlikely to buy in.

A contrasting success story is Sonny Angel, another designer toy that has flourished in Japan. Its enduring popularity stems from its soothing visuals, cohesive aesthetic, and strategic use of seasonal or city-specific limited editions to spark collector interest. While Sonny Angel lacks a full narrative universe, it evokes emotional value and cultural relevance through picture books, exhibitions, and light storytelling—allowing it to blend seamlessly into Japanese lifestyle culture. For LABUBU to emulate this success, it would need not only a redesign of its visual and narrative approach but also a stronger cultural foothold within Japanese norms and values.

In short, the future of designer toys lies in contentification. LABUBU’s success in China stemmed from the novelty of blind boxes and quirky designs, but this model struggles to sustain itself in Japan, where stories and shared meaning drive fandom. Pop Mart’s decision to produce an animated series is a step in the right direction, but the true test lies in whether LABUBU can evolve from a product to a personality—a character with heart and soul.

If successful, LABUBU could become the first Chinese designer toy IP to conquer Japan through content export, flipping the usual cultural flow. If not, it may remain a niche oddity adored in China but swallowed by the waves of Japan’s ACG universe.