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Okay, let's be honest. When the first images of the monsters x kow yokoyama collaboration dropped, the designer toy community had a collective "huh?" moment. I know I did. Here at PopNya, we live and breathe LABUBU. We've seen the Macarons, the Flowers, the epic One Piece crossover. But this? This was different.
You had Kasing Lung's adorable, big-eared monsters, the cornerstone of cuteness. And then you had Kow Yokoyama, a name that, unless you're deep into the world of military model kits, you might not even recognize. It felt like two completely different worlds colliding. My first thought was, "Who is this for?" The hardcore LABUBU fans who love the pastel colors of the Exciting Macaron Labubu series? Or the grizzled model kit builders who spend hours weathering tiny tank parts?
It turns out, it's for people like me. People who love both. And after opening dozens of these boxes and selling them to fellow collectors, I can tell you this series is one of the most interesting things Pop Mart has done in years. But it is absolutely not for everyone.
So, Who is Kow Yokoyama and What is a Maschinen Krieger?
Before we even get to the labubu mech*, you have to understand the other half of this equation. Kow Yokoyama is a legend. He's a Japanese artist and sculptor who, back in the 1980s, created a universe called Maschinen Krieger ZbV 3000* (Ma.K. For short).
Think of it as the polar opposite of Pop Mart. Ma.K. Is gritty, dystopian, and heavily inspired by World War I and II armor. The designs are famous for "kitbashing", a modeling technique where you take parts from different kits (planes, tanks, cars) and mash them together to create something new. The whole aesthetic is about lived-in, functional, slightly busted-up future tech. It's dark, serious, and incredibly cool. Fans don't just build Ma.K. Kits; they meticulously paint, weather, and customize them to tell a story.
So, taking that entire design philosophy and applying it to a blind box vinyl toy of a cute monster is… a bold move. A maschinen krieger labubu is a concept so wild it just might work.
*The Unboxing: What's the Quality Really* Like?This is where my seller-and-collector brain kicks in. The first thing I noticed about the monsters kow yokoyama ma.k. Series is the packaging. The boxes feel different. They have a more premium, matte finish compared to the glossy boxes of most other series. It immediately sets a more serious tone.
Inside, you get your figure, and the first impression is… solid. These things have heft. They aren't just a standard Labubu in a costume. The labubu mech suit is a whole new sculpt. Each character from The Monsters family, Labubu, Zimomo, Tycoco, Pato, and Yaya, is piloting their own unique walker.
Here's a detail you can't see in the official photos: The little monster inside is NOT removable. I've had so many customers ask this. The monster is a fixed part of the sculpt, peeking out from the cockpit. The arms of the mech have some basic articulation, so you can pose them a bit, but the figure itself is mostly a static piece.
Now, let's talk about the paint. The signature of Ma.K. Is the weathering, the rust, the oil stains, the chipped paint. On a $200 model kit, a master painter would spend days achieving that look. On this mak labubu*, it's printed on. And honestly? It's pretty good for what it is. It's not going to fool a model kit expert, but it effectively captures the vibe* of a Yokoyama piece. The decals, the warning labels, the subtle color variations, it's all there.
I did notice on a few of the early batch figures that the paint lines around the monster's face could be a little soft, but that seems to have improved in later runs. The quality feels a step above a standard blind box release. It feels less like a toy and more like a miniature statue.
The Lineup: More Than Just a Labubu in a Bot
While everyone calls it the labubu ma k series, it's actually a full set of The Monsters.
* Labubu (AFS Mk.I): This is the classic. Labubu is in a bipedal walker that looks like a direct nod to Yokoyama's iconic Armored Fighting Suit designs. It's the hero figure of the set. * Zimomo (P.K.A. Ausf.K): My personal favorite. Zimomo is in a bulkier, more aggressive-looking suit. The contrast between Zimomo's goofy grin and the menacing armor is perfect. * Tycoco (S.A.F.S.): Tycoco gets the most recognizable Ma.K. Design, the Super Armored Fighting Suit. It's round, it's iconic, and putting Tycoco's skull-like face in it is a stroke of genius. * Pato (Großes Knie): This is the weird one, and I love it. Pato the duck is piloting a towering, ostrich-like walker. It's the most unconventional design and really shows off the creativity of the collaboration. * Yaya (Kauze): Yaya, the shy one, is in a space-type suit. It has a sleeker, more aerodynamic feel compared to the others. * Spooky (Fireball SG): This is another space-themed suit, piloted by the ghost-like Spooky.
And then there are the secrets. The regular secret is a different colorway of the S.A.F.S., but the one everyone was hunting for is the Super Secret. It's a massive, bright red mech that's significantly larger than the others. The pull rate is listed at 1/144, but from the cases we've opened at PopNya, it feels even rarer.
Real Talk: Is The Monsters x Kow Yokoyama Overhyped?
So, is this series worth your money? Let's break it down.
This is not the series for you if you're a purist on either side. If you only collect the cutest, most colorful LABUBU figures, the gritty, militaristic vibe of the monsters mak might be off-putting. It won't look cohesive next to your Pink Labubu collection. Likewise, if you're a die-hard Ma.K. Modeler who spends 40 hours on a single kit, a mass-produced vinyl toy might feel like a novelty at best.
But for everyone in the middle? It's fantastic.
This series is for the collector whose taste is evolving. It's for the person who loves the character of Labubu but wants to display it in a way that feels a little more "adult" or sophisticated. It bridges the gap between "cute toy" and "designer art piece."
Now for the market data that other sites won't tell you. When this series launched in mid-2023, the hype was real. The retail price was around $17-$18 per box, slightly more than a typical Pop Mart series. On the secondary market, the Super Secret was instantly hitting $350-$400. It was nuts. Since then, things have cooled down, which is great for new collectors. You can now pick up most of the regular figures for $20-$25. A full case of 12 will run you a bit more than retail, but it's not the insane markup we saw with, say, the first Macaron wave.
My honest seller's warning: Don't chase the Super Secret unless you have deep pockets. The odds are brutal. It's a beautiful piece, but you're better off buying a full set of the regular figures, which are arguably the heart and soul of the collaboration anyway. The joy of this series is seeing the whole squad of The Monsters Mak Series lined up, ready for battle.
How It Compares: Yokoyama Labubu vs. Everything Else
Putting the Kow Yokoyama Labubu next to a standard Labubu is like putting a tank next to a cupcake. While other crossovers, like the fantastic The Monsters x One Piece Labubu, are about Labubu wearing a costume, this is different. This is about Labubu piloting a machine. It changes the entire narrative of the figure.
It's less of a dress-up doll and more of an action figure. It has a story. Why is Labubu in a mech suit? What is he fighting? It sparks the imagination in a way that a simple costumed figure doesn't.
This collaboration feels more aligned with the spirit of what makes designer toys so compelling. It's about an artist's vision being translated into a new medium. It's not just a cash-grab; it's a genuine, if unexpected, artistic partnership. It respects both Kasing Lung's world and Kow Yokoyama's legacy.
So, what's the verdict from a collector and seller?
The The Monsters x Kow Yokoyama Ma.K. Series is a triumph. It's a series that had every right to fail but instead created something truly unique. It's not just another cute blind box, it's a piece of design history, a conversation starter, and a genuinely cool object to have on your shelf. It's proof that the world of designer toys is big enough for both adorable monsters and gritty war machines.
It might not be the most hyped LABUBU on the market right now, but I guarantee that in five years, this is the series that collectors will be talking about as a high point of creativity for Pop Mart. If you've been on the fence, I say go for it. You might be surprised at how much you love these little mechs. If you're curious, you can always browse our LABUBU collection at PopNya to see the full lineup and decide for yourself. I kept the Zimomo for my own desk, and it makes me smile every time I see its goofy face peeking out of that killer robot suit.
*Disclosure: PopNya may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page.
