Bungo Stray Dogs is bigger than Labubu! Bungo stray dogs vs labubu? Please do not come at me, Blink! As someone who loves everything trendy, my 15-year-old niece is a Blackpink fan, but I’m unsure if she is a Blink (Blackpink fandom). She follows Blackpink closely, singing and dancing to their songs. Naturally, I assumed she’d be all in when Labubu—the quirky furry toy craze is popping up all over social media, and even politicians are into it.
After all, Labubu’s popularity exploded in part thanks to its connection with Blackpink’s Lisa, who shared it on Instagram. The fandom synergy was immediate. Labubu series practically flew off the shelves from POPMart (which owns exclusive rights to Labubu), and suddenly, owning a Labubu is a must for collectibles.
So naturally, I thought my niece would be obsessed. But when I casually brought it up over lunch, her reaction surprised me. “I hate that thing,” she said flatly. Stunned, I asked, “Then what do you like?” She sighed, “Nothing beats Bungo Stray Dogs.!” So, Bungo Stray Dogs vs Labubu is getting serious now!
The Brand Behind Labubu Craze
To understand my initial assumption, we need to look closely at Labubu, the latest collectible craze, and the brand behind it.
Labubu is designed by artist, Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong native. Labubu is a designer toy. Labubu’s distinctively quirky trademark grin, playful themes, and furry monsters make it a standout in the designer toy world.
Pop Mart, a Chinese company that revolutionized the blind-box collectible market, owns the exclusive rights to Labubu. Founded by Wang Ning in 2010, Pop Mart has become a cultural phenomenon with annual revenues exceeding $900 million in 2021 and listed on the Hong Kong exchange in 2020. Its collaborations with brands and pop culture icons fueled its success, attracting designer toy collectors and casual fans. Try visiting the branch in Orchard Wisma; you will know how successful Pop Mart is. The store is not walkable on a weekend!
Enter Bungo Stray Dogs
So, instead of quirky collectible toys, my niece was all about Bungo Stray Dogs—an anime based on a manga series written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa. The series debuted in 2012 in Young Ace magazine and has since become a cultural phenomenon. It has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and its anime adaptation, which premiered in 2016, has only added to its fame.
The story is about an armed detective agency fighting crimes, and the plot revolves around a group of detectives with supernatural powers. The main characters are Atsushi Nakajima, Osamu Dazai, Edogawa Ranpo, and Ryunosuke Akutagawa.
Beyond the anime and manga, Bungo Stray Dogs has spawned movies, stage plays, and even spin-offs, making it a multi-faceted franchise with a global fanbase. The anime has ranked on MyAnimeList, boasting a score of 7.81/10 with hundreds of thousands of user reviews.
A Surprise Among My Peers
My curiosity didn’t stop with my niece. As someone who is not well-informed about Anime, I tried to test my surroundings by casually bringing up Bungo Stray Dogs in conversations with my peers (the millennials and the Xs), and expecting blank stares. To my surprise, most of them heard of it. In that instance, I feel like I am just climbing out of the well!
Bungo Stray Dogs isn’t just a “young people’s thing.” I told myself I needed to catch up on Netflix. After watching season 1 and into season 2, it is pretty appealing, and I like the main character of Atsushi, who joins hands with Akutagawa to fight off the guild master!
Finally, I asked my niece what her favorite character was, and without hesitation, she replied, “Ranpo. He’s a genius and hilarious.” Edogawa Ranpo is a quirky detective in the series, known for their super deduction ability that helps to solve crimes effectively. My niece admires his sharp, eccentric, and effortlessly charming qualities.
It was clear to me: her love for Ranpo perfectly encapsulated why she connects with Bungo Stray Dogs and how she hunts around for Ranpo’s original merch, which is not easy to find in this part of the world, or maybe we are yet to find out.
What I Learned – It not about Bungo Stray Dogs Vs Labubu!
I love this connection with my niece, where I learn bits of Labubu and its designer and explore the anime world. For Labubu, I am open to collecting; after all, I own some collections in Bearbrick, which is why I can understand the craze behind Labubu.
Thanks to my niece, I feel healing from exploring a new world in anime. Bungo Stray Dogs is a decent series, which explains why I follow it into season 2. Now, I am way more open to other anime series. For now, my only thing is that I want to look for Bungo Stray Dogs’ merch for my niece.
