Labubu Lure and the Layers of Longing

At first, I didn’t get the hype. Why would anyone collect a doll that looks... haunted? 

But the more I saw it, the more I felt something. A weird sense of comfort, of recognition. Occasionally, the oddest things feel like home. Labubu may not be the first thing that strikes you as something you would love It has bulging eyes, an impish grin and it feels weird more than sweet. It's placed somewhere between a cartoon character and a creature from a fairy tale. Nonetheless, people love Labubu. Millions of them are buying, collecting and posing with it. 

There’s a psychological term called the “uncanny valley.” It refers to the uneasy feeling we get when something appears to be ‘human’ but not quite exactly. Labubu, with its offbeat features, tiptoes that line. It doesn’t look quite like it is alive, but it is not that far off either. Its strangeness should produce discomfort for the viewer but instead the oddity is drawing them in. Part of this is because it is also related to another aesthetic which is called “kawaii” or cuteness in Japanese. It is more than just about looking cute, it is about vulnerability and things that feel ornately imperfect and somehow fragile. Labubu is not perfect and that points towards realism. It does not try to be curated or pretty. It constellates between the colors and the sensations that are reflective of our own parts that are messy, imperfect and tender.

People don’t just like Labubu because it’s trending, they connect with it emotionally. This bond is explained by attachment theory. Like children often connect with fuzzies or blankets for comfort, adults also find comfort in things, especially when they are undergoing distress or witnessing significant transitions in life. Labubu becomes a soft anchor in a hard world. It doesn’t talk or judge, but it stays. 

Psychologists also talk about something called the self-extension theory. This means that we often see parts of ourselves in the things we own. Labubu is not just a doll sitting on a shelf but a reflection of who we are or perhaps who we want to be. A person might see their fun-loving side, their weirdness, their softness or even their pain in it. When they hold Labubu, they are holding a piece of their own identity. When they post an image with it online, decorate their bedroom with Labubu or share relatable thoughts about it with others, they are not just promoting a consumer product. They are expressing a part of themselves. 

Social identity theory offers another layer. We all want to belong somewhere. When someone collects Labubu and joins groups or communities where others do the same, they form a kind of tribe. A space where being different is normal, where loving the odd and unusual becomes a shared language. For people who often feel like outsiders, Labubu offers not just comfort, but connection. It becomes a pass to a world where you don’t have to explain yourself. You just belong.

Still, there’s a quiet confusion that sometimes lingers. Why are we so attracted to a doll that is not even considered "traditionally cute?" This is an instance of cognitive dissonance which refers to the feelings of uneasiness or discomfort we may have when we act on conflicting or contradictory beliefs. We have been conditioned to adore beautiful, symmetrical and sweet things. Labubu is none of these. So to reconcile our love for Labubu, we change the narrative. For example, we may insist that Labubu is not creepy or ugly, but it is certainly unique and expressive. If we change the story, we begin to accept those same characteristics in ourselves. 

Even beneath its stitched grin, Labubu carries varied forms of human emotions: nostalgia, comfort, identity and longing. It reminds us that not everything we love makes sense. Often what seems familiar is not a face, but the feelings attached to it. Labubu is not a trend. It is a reflection. Not everything worth loving comes wrapped in beauty. Some things come wrapped in truth and that’s what makes them unforgettable.

We don’t choose Labubu. Something broken, soft and unspoken in us does and it never chooses wrong. You stare into Labubu’s eyes long enough and one day, you stop seeing the doll and start seeing the child in you, finally being held.

Written By : Ms. Yatika Sehgal

Psychology Honors, Delhi University