China ACG Culture

Chinese Media Ascribe ‘Traveling Frog’ Game Hype to China’s Low Birth Rates

Is the Traveling Frog more like a husband or like a baby? It’s a topic of debate on Weibo.

Published

9 years ago

February 7, 2018

The Japanese mobile game ‘Traveling Frog’ is a hit among young working – mainly female – adults in China. According to various Chinese media, the ‘virtual frog’ fills a void in a society that faces year-on-year declining birth rates.

“Has your frog returned home yet?” – it is a somewhat odd question that has become normal since the ‘Traveling Frog’ (旅行青蛙／旅かえる) mobile game has become all the rage in China.

In the Traveling Frog…

China ACG Culture

A Very Short Guide to China’s Most Popular Designer Toys

Published

1 year ago

July 6, 2025

Manya Koetse

Note: In this What’s on Weibo chapter on the story behind China’s designer toys, also read Inside the Labubu Craze and the Globalization of Chinese Designer Toys and The Next Labubu: What the Rise of Wakuku Tells Us About China’s Collectible Toy Wave.

In our last article, we’ve determined how Wakuku’s rise is not just about copying & following in Labubu’s footsteps and more about how China is setting the pace for…

Chapter Dive

The Next Labubu: What the Rise of Wakuku Tells Us About China’s Collectible Toy Wave

From ugly-cute rebellion to a new kind of ‘C-pop,’ the breakout success of Wakuku sheds light on Chinese consumer culture and the forces driving China’s trend toy industry.

Published

1 year ago

July 6, 2025

Manya Koetse

Wakuku is the most talked-about newcomer in China’s trend toy market. Besides its mischievous grin, what’s perhaps most noteworthy is how closely Wakuku follows the marketing success of Labubu. As the strongest new designer toy of 2025, Wakuku says a lot about China’s current creative economy — from youth-led consumer trends to hybrid business models.

As it is becoming increasingly clear that Chinese designer toy Labubu has basically conquered the world, it’s already time…