I was packing an order the other day for The Monsters "Let's Christmas" series, and the buyer left a note in the checkout. It said, "I'm so excited! Hope I get a cute girl Labubu!"
And it hit me. We need to talk about this.
That single sentence contains the two biggest points of confusion I see every single day as a seller and collector. First, the idea that "The Monsters" is just another name for Labubu. And second, the big question about Labubu's gender. People in forums and on social media get really passionate about these topics, so I figured it's time to set the record straight from my perspective, surrounded by boxes of these little guys.
So, is The Monsters the same as Labubu?
No. Not even close.
Think of it like this: Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe the same as Iron Man? Of course not. Iron Man is a character within the MCU. He might be the most popular, the one who kicked everything off, but he's not the whole universe.
That's the exact relationship here. "The Monsters" is the name of the entire universe created by the brilliant Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung. It's a whimsical, slightly spooky world filled with a whole cast of characters. Labubu is just one of them. The breakout star, the face of the franchise, the one that went supernova... But still, just one resident of a much larger world.
If you've only ever collected the most recent Pop Mart series, you could be forgiven for thinking it's all about Labubu. But the old-school collectors, the ones who were around when Kasing Lung was first releasing his creations with the toy company How2work before the massive Pop Mart partnership, know the whole gang.
There's Tycoco, the little guy with the big skull head and a perpetually grumpy expression. There's Spooky, the two-legged ghost who often looks terrified of its own shadow. There's Pato, the squat, round monster who looks like a grumpy potato. And there's Yaya, the mysterious, beautiful flower-like creature. These are the core members of The Monsters family.
When you buy a blind box from a series like "The Monsters Toys" or the original "The Monsters Mischief" series, you're not just pulling for Labubu. You have a chance to get any of these characters. It's a richer, more diverse collecting experience that tells a bigger story. The story of this strange, wonderful forest and all the creatures who live in it. And for some collectors, finding a rare Tycoco is a bigger thrill than pulling another Labubu.
So why the confusion? Well, that leads us to the star of the show.
Labubu: The Monster That Became a Phenomenon
Labubu is the mischievous, buck-toothed creature with long, floppy ears that you see everywhere. It's the character that Lisa from BLACKPINK famously collects, the one that has entire series dedicated to it, like the iconic Macarons, the whimsical Flower Elves, and the adventurous "The Monsters Exciting Macarons" series.
There's no denying it: Labubu is the main event.
Kasing Lung's creation just has it. That perfect blend of cute and creepy. The toothy grin isn't just happy; it's a little bit wild, a little unpredictable. It captures that feeling of childhood mischief perfectly. As a seller, I can tell you that for every one customer who asks for Tycoco by name, I have fifty asking for Labubu. The demand is on another level. This popularity is also why so many people are searching for things like Labubu PNGs and clipart, the character has become a cultural icon.
Pop Mart, being a very smart company, saw this and leaned into it. Hard.
They realized Labubu was the golden goose. So we got more Labubu-centric series. More collaborations. More colorways. More everything. Labubu became the face not just of The Monsters, but one of the flagship characters for Pop Mart as a whole, right up there with Molly and Dimoo.
This is why the lines got blurred. Newer series are often branded as "LABUBU The Monsters," putting the character's name front and center, sometimes even in a larger font than the name of the universe itself. It's a marketing decision, and a smart one, but it does a slight disservice to the rich world Kasing Lung originally built. A world I personally love exploring, which is why I wrote a bit about my own journey with Kasing Lung's creations beyond just Labubu.
And the sheer number of them is staggering. People often ask, how many Labubus are there in the world? The honest answer is: nobody knows, and the number grows every month. Between the dozens of blind box series (each with 12+ designs), the chase figures, the secret figures, the super-secret figures, special event exclusives, collaborations like the Naruto one, and the massive Mega and Jumbo-sized figures, the number is easily in the thousands of variations. I have hundreds of different ones in my store and personal collection, and I know I've barely scratched the surface.
This brings us back to that buyer's note. Now that we know who Labubu is (and isn't), we have to tackle the other part of her request: "a cute girl Labubu."
The Big Gender Question: Are Labubus Male or Female?
Let's get this out of the way immediately: Officially, Labubu has no gender.
Kasing Lung, the creator, has been asked this many times and his answer is consistent. He leaves it open to interpretation. Labubu is a monster, a creature of fantasy. It's not a boy or a girl; it's just Labubu.
But that's the official answer. The collector's answer is far more complicated and, honestly, more fun.
In the absence of an official gender, the community has created its own rules. I've seen it all. Some people decide based on color: pinks, purples, and pastels are "girls," while blues, blacks, and greens are "boys." Some decide based on the theme: the Labubu holding a flower is a girl, the one dressed as a pirate is a boy. Some look at the expression: a sweet smile is female, a mischievous grin is male.
The Reddit threads and Facebook groups are full of these debates. "How do you all decide what gender your Labubu is?" is a common post. And the answer is always a beautiful mess of personal headcanon.
So, what gender are Labubus? Whatever you want them to be. Do Labubus have genders? Not in the way we do, no. The question "are Labubus male or female" is fundamentally missing the point of the toy.
And I think that's brilliant.
It makes the toy more personal. When you unbox a new Labubu, you're not just getting a piece of plastic. You're getting a character that you get to help define. You can name it. You can decide its personality. You can decide its gender, or decide that it doesn't need one. It becomes your Labubu, not just a Labubu. It's a blank canvas for your imagination, which is a big part of why people get so attached and start drawing their own Labubu fan art. The character is a vessel for your own creativity.
Real Talk: My Seller's Take
Okay, let me give you the honest take from behind the counter at PopNya.
The whole "Labubu vs. The Monsters" thing is a double-edged sword. On one hand, Labubu's insane popularity has brought millions of new people into the world of designer toys. It's been incredible for the hobby and for businesses like mine. I get to share something I love with more people than ever.
On the other hand, it has completely overshadowed the rest of Kasing's amazing work. I have a personal soft spot for Tycoco, and it breaks my heart a little that there hasn't been a dedicated Tycoco blind box series in years. The focus on Labubu can feel a bit repetitive sometimes.
On an older box, or a series that's a true ensemble, you'll see "The Monsters" by Kasing Lung featured prominently. But on a box for the Macaron series? The word "LABUBU" is massive. It's the star. Pop Mart knows exactly what they're doing. They're selling the character first, the universe second.
And a contrarian opinion? I think the market is a little too Labubu-saturated right now. It's created a weird bubble. I've seen a standard Labubu Macaron figure that retails for about $15 jump to $50 on the secondary market overnight, just because of a TikTok trend. Meanwhile, an arguably more detailed and interesting character like Zimomo (another one of Kasing's monsters) from the same series might sell for retail or even less. It doesn't always make sense. The hype is real, and sometimes it disconnects from the art itself.
This intense focus also makes the market ripe for knock-offs. Scammers know that "Labubu" is the money keyword, so they slap it on everything. Knowing the difference between The Monsters universe and the Labubu character can actually help you spot a fake Labubu. A real listing for an older series would likely mention Tycoco or Spooky; a fake one might just call them all "Labubu variations."
So, What Does This All Mean For You?
If you're just getting into collecting, please don't feel overwhelmed! It's perfectly okay to just love Labubu. You don't need to know the entire lore to enjoy how cute they are. Start by browsing a wide LABUBU collection and just pick out the ones that make you smile. That's the whole point.
But if you want to go deeper, my advice is to start looking at the group photos on the collector cards and boxes. Notice the other little guys hanging around in the background. You'll start to recognize Tycoco's distinct skull. You'll spot Pato's round little body. It turns collecting into a fun "Where's Waldo?" game and opens up a whole new level of appreciation for the artist's world.
And as for the gender, embrace the ambiguity. The real magic of Labubu isn't about whether it's a boy or a girl. It's about that mischievous spark in its eyes, that promise of adventure and fun. The character isn't demonic or evil, it's just a little wild, a concept I explored in another post about the real meaning behind Labubu.
For me, making the distinction between Labubu and The Monsters is about respect for the artist's vision. Kasing Lung didn't just design a cute rabbit with teeth; he built a world. And while Labubu might have the starring role right now, the whole ensemble cast is worth your attention. They're all part of the same beautiful, strange family.
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