A Toyota sedan driver has gone viral for attaching a Labubu plush toy keychain to the rear bumper of his car.
The Chinese netizen, who saw this while holidaying in what looks to be the United States, shared it on social media: “Why are overseas people so cruel, I can’t bear to watch.”
By now, most of us would have witnessed, or have even been a part of the Labubu craze. The Pop Mart character, which first went viral in April 2024, has seen its toy figurines, plush toy keychains, and all sorts of related merch flying off the shelves. Some people have even bought special clothing and accessories to doll up their Labubu plushies, toting them everywhere in theft-proof plastic cases.
So you can only imagine the reaction of Labubu lovers who encountered this video featuring a Labubu with a far less fortunate fate.
“How can the driver bear to do that?” lamented one netizen, while another wrote: “This Labubu has a very tough life.”
Some also began sharing pictures of their own pristine plushies, accessories and all, highlighting just how good their Labubus have it in their care. “My husband wanted to hang my Labubu on his car as well, I did not let him,” remarked one netizen.
While many agreed that the driver’s actions are “heartless”, there were as usual, those who do not understand the craze behind the character.
A few people guessed that the driver might have gotten the toy for “very cheap”, while others believed he might have been “acting in subtle rebellion against the Labubu craze”.
“Why are people so concerned over this? What makes it different from other toys people hang beneath their cars?” asked one netizen.
There might be reasons as to why some drivers hang soft toys from their cars.
While it may be purely for aesthetic purposes, some of these plushies serve as drift charms, a practice originating from street drifting in Japan — the toy serving to show the extremity of one’s drifts. For the more superstitious, some also believe in hanging plushies from their cars to appease bored spirits who have perished on the roads.
Photos: 大胖爱潮玩/ Xiaohongshu