China Arts & Entertainment
Leaked Audio Clip of Deceased Pop Star Coco Lee Denouncing ‘Sing! China’ Sparks Anger on Chinese Social Media
The leaked Coco Lee recording has been dominating online discussions, with one related hashtag receiving over 2,6 billion (!) views on Weibo.
Published
2 years agoon

A leaked audio recording of the late superstar Coco Lee discussing her negative experiences with Chinese talent show Sing! China (中国好声音/The Voice of China) has become the no 1 searched topic on Weibo these days. The accusations against the popular show have shaken up China’s entertainment circles and the online condemnation of ethical standards in the industry also has offline consequences.
Coco Lee (李玟), an iconic Hong Kong-born pop star who had been active in the music industry for nearly three decades, tragically ended her own life on July 5th of this year. Her passing unveiled her previously hidden struggle with depression, exposing a more vulnerable side to her glamorous and impeccable image. Later, public discussions about Coco Lee focused on her marriage and family situation.
That is until this week, when a troubling audio clip featuring Coco Lee was exposed in which the singer accused the production team of talent show Sing! China (a revamped editon of The Voice of China), alleging mistreatment. This revelation has sparked public discontent and reshaped public perceptions of both the singer and the show.
The 9-minute-long audio recording surfaced on Weibo on August 17, originating from undisclosed sources. It presented a candid and emotionally charged narrative of Coco Lee’s experiences as a mentor/judge on the talent show.
Sing! China (中国好声音) is a music competition show broadcasted by Zhejiang TV (浙江卫视) and produced by Star (CM) Holdings Ltd. It is the Chinese version of the international reality television singing competition franchise The Voice, based on the reality singing show The Voice of Holland.
Not long after Coco Lee’s passing, fans raised concerns about the alleged unpleasant experiences Coco had with Sing! China and its production team back in 2022, during the recording of the seventh season. This included a fall that resulted in a leg injury, which further exacerbated Coco Lee’s already declining mental and physical health condition.
The leaked recording of Coco Lee’s experiences on the show primarily covers several points:
◼︎ First, while she was secretly battling breast cancer, Coco Lee chose to participate in The Voice of China to support young music enthusiasts. She joined without even knowing what the exact compensation would be.
◼︎ Coco Lee disagreed with the show’s competition format, which eliminated contestants without assigning scores. She advocated for fairness but faced resistance from the program. The production team allegedly even physically confronted her, grabbing her clothes, and a director’s assistant threatened her to leave immediately.
◼︎ Coco spoke out for contestant Fige (菲戈), who she thought faced unfair treatment. A video of her defending Fige circulated online, pressuring the production team to address the issue. They eventually gave Fige another chance in the show but demanded that Coco Lee would clarify on Weibo that there were no problems with the production team, attributing the issue to misunderstandings.
◼︎ On the final recording day of Sing! China on October 14th, despite Coco Lee’s declining health—complaining of numbness and loss of warmth in her left leg—she chose not to use a wheelchair or crutches. She wanted to maintain her appearance by wearing high heels. However, the production team denied her request to have guest artist Wang Zepeng stand by her side.
◼︎ Last, following the show’s airing, Coco Lee expressed deep disappointment. She felt as if her efforts and dedication were invisible, and her body had suffered for the sake of the show.
By now, the related Weibo hashtag “Leaked Recording of Coco Lee Denouncing ‘Voice of China’ Before her Death” (#李玟生前控诉中国好声音录音曝光#) has received a staggering 2,6 billion views.
After the recording was exposed, the production team behind Sing! China issued a late-night statement on August 17. The statement said:
“Recently, some self-media accounts have spread maliciously edited audio clips regarding Coco Lee denouncing ‘The Voice of China’ before her death, in 2022. This is disresprectful to the deceased and also seriously damages the show’s image. We strongly condemn it. As a coach on ‘Sing! China’ 2022, Ms. Coco Lee fully devoted herself to her work. Any misunderstandings that might have come up during the period have already been dealt with. Out of respect for the deceased, we won’t go into this matter too much and we will always remember her true dedication to the show. Let the deceased rest in peace!”

Statement by “Sing! China”
Although the talent show accused netizens of editing the audio recordings, Coco Lee’s own sister confirmed the authenticity of the recording. A related hashtag garned over 400 million views (#李玟姐姐称网传视频属实#).
Sending Ripples Through China’s Entertainment Sphere
By now, the Coco Lee audio clip has completely shaken up China’s entertainment circles and has been dominating social media platforms. Many Coco Lee fans, as well as regular netizens, have united in outrage over her alleged mistreatment.
Other Chinese celebrities have also voiced their support for Coco Lee. The hashtag “Celebrities Speaking Out for Coco Lee” (#为李玟发声的明星#) has garnered over 170 million views on Weibo by now. Respected Chinese stars such as Jin Xing (金星), Hang Hong (韩红), Yang Pei-an (杨培安) say they believe Coco Lee and hope for justice.
Following the viral spread of the clip, ‘Jammy’ Li Jiajie, a previous contestant on Sing! China, also expressed his solidarity with Coco Lee on Weibo and further condemned the show. He accused the program of engaging in practices such as position buying, enforcing extensive binding contracts, and showing disregard for rules and disrespect towards contestants.
The next morning, however, Li’s posts were removed and he suddenly issued a statement expressing that the comments he made were not actually “based on facts,” making apologies and asking netizens to refrain from spreading misinformation (#李嘉捷向好声音致歉#). If anything, Li’s words and their sudden disappearance caused more confusion and added fuel to the fire.
“This only further strenghthens my believe that Sing! China is rotten to the core,” a popular comment said.
Online Crusade Against Zhejiang TV
As public indignation grew, people started shifting the blame from the Sing! China show to the broadcaster behind the program, Zhejiang Television (浙江卫视), as well as producer Star Holdings (星空华文传媒).
Some netizens even coined the term “Murderer TV” (杀人卫视) to refer to Zhejiang TV, pointing out other disturbing incidents associated with this network’s reality shows.
As early as 2013, Zhejiang TV was condemned by netizens for “disregarding human life” after a young team assistant drowned during a training session for the show Celebrity Splash China.
One of the most notable cases mentioned is the tragic death of 35-year-old actor Godfrey Gao (高以翔) during the filming of the sports reality show Chase Me (追我吧) by Zhejiang TV in 2019. The Taiwanese-Canadian model and actor reportedly suffered a heart attack while on set. Afterward, the show faced criticism for pushing contestants to physical exhaustion and reportedly failing to implement proper safety measures – both factors allegedly contributing to Gao’s unexpected death.
The massive online critique on the TV station also has some potential offline consequences. On social media platforms such as Douban, netizens have compiled lists of sponsors for the upcoming 2023 Sing! China season, urging others to join them in boycotting them.
According to Bloomberg, producer Star Holdings witnessed a significant decline in its stock by 23%, marking the largest drop since the company’s listing in December. This decrease resulted in the eradication of approximately $1.5 billion in market value from the stock, which had surged to more than quadruple its initial value at its highest point.
Rather than solely targeting Zhejiang TV, some netizens have implicated the broader Chinese entertainment industry for putting too much pressure on the people working on their programs. They argue that the industry’s prioritization of viewership and profitability has seemingly contributed to the blurring of ethical boundaries across the sector, and netizens have collectively been calling for more transparency and fairness in China’s entertainment industry.
For now, people are demanding that Sing! China should stop airing until they have corrected their mistakes; Zhejiang TV should critically do a self-inspection and publicly disclose the results. Lastly, audiences are waiting for a public apology to Coco Lee from Sing! China, and an acknowledgement that those involved should be penalized.
Many believe that the truth will eventually always come to light. The fact that Coco Lee, from beyond her grave, managed to cause such a storm in the Chinese entertainment realm is yet another testament to her influence in China’s pop culture and her pursuit of justice within a profit-oriented industry. Weeks after her death, it is her voice that has managed to make a huge impact in China, and there is a hopeful sentiment that the current shock following the recording will bring about positive changes in the future.
By Ruixin Zhang and Manya Koetse
Part of featured image via Nextapple.com
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China ACG Culture
A Very Short Guide to China’s Most Popular Designer Toys

Published
2 weeks agoon
July 6, 2025
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 global pop culture IPs. I now want to give you a small peek into the main characters in the field that are currently relevant.
Even if these dolls aren’t really your thing, you’ll inevitably run into them and everything happening around them.
Before diving into the top trending characters, a quick word on the challenges ahead for Labubu & co:
🚩 Bloomberg Opinion columnist Shuli Ren recently argued that Labubu’s biggest threat isn’t competition from Wakuku or knockoffs like “Lafufu,” but the fragility of its resale ecosystem — particularly how POP MART balances supply, scarcity, and reseller control.
Scarcity is part of what makes Labubu feel premium. But if too many dolls go to scalpers, it alienates real fans. If scalpers can’t profit, Labubu risks losing its luxury edge. Managing this dynamic may be POP MART’s greatest long-term challenge.
🚩 Chinese Gen Z consumers value authenticity — and that’s something money can’t manufacture. If China’s booming IP toy industry prioritizes speed and profit over soul, the hype may die out at a certain point.
🚩 The same goes for storytelling. Characters need a solid universe to grow in. Labubu had years to build out its fantasy universe. Cute alone isn’t enough — characterless toys don’t leave a lasting impression and don’t resonate with consumers.

Examples of popularity rankings of Chinese IP toys on Xiaohongshu.
With that in mind… let’s meet the main players.
On platforms like Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Weibo, users regularly rank the hottest collectible IPs. Based on those rankings, here’s a quick who’s-who of China’s current trend toy universe:
1. Labubu (拉布布)
Brand: POP MART
Creator: Kasing Lung
Year launched: 2015 (independent), 2019 with POP MART.
The undisputed icon of China’s trend toy world, Labubu is a mischievous Nordic forest troll with big eyes, nine pointy teeth, and bunny ears. Its quirky, ugly-cute design, endless possibilities of DIY costume changes, and viral celebrity endorsements have made it a must-have collectible and a global pop culture phenomenon.
2. Wakuku (哇库库)
Brand & Creator: Letsvan, backed by QuantaSing Group
Year launched: 2024 with first blind box
Wakuku, a “tribal jungle hunter” with a cheeky grin and unibrow, is seen as the rising star in China’s trend toy market. Wakuku’s rapid rise is fueled by celebrity marketing, pop-up launches, and its strong appeal among Gen Z, especially considering Wakuku is more affordable than Labubu.
3. Molly (茉莉)
Brand: POP MART
Designer: Kenny Wong (王信明)
Year launched: 2006 (creator concept); POP MART 2014, first blind boxes in 2016
Molly is a classic trend toy IP, one of POP MART’s favorites, with a massive fanbase and long-lasting popularity. The character was allegedly inspired by a chance encounter with a determined young kid at a charity fundraiser event, after which Kenny Wong created Molly as a blue-eyed girl with short hair, a bit of a temperament, and an iconic pouting expression that never leaves her face.
4. SKULLPANDA (骷髅熊猫)
Brand: POP MART
Creator: Chinese designer Xiong Miao
Year launched: 2018 (creator concept); POP MART 2020
Skullpanda is one of POP MART’s flagship IPs —it’s a goth-inspired fantasy design. According to POP MART, SKULLPANDA journeys through different worlds, taking on various personas and living out myriad lives. On this grand adventure, it’s on a quest to find its truest self and break new ground all while contemplating the shape of infinity.
5. Baby Zoraa
Brand: TNT SPACE
Creator: Wang Zequn, CEO of TNT SPACE
Year launched: 2022, same year as company launch
Baby Zoraa is cute yet devlish fierce and is one of the most popular IPs under TNT SPACE. Baby Zoraa is the sister of Boy Rayan, another popular character under the same brand. Baby Zoraa’s first blind box edition reached #1 on Tmall’s trend toy sales charts and sold over 500,000 units.
6. Dora (大表姐)
Brand: TNT SPACE
Year Launched: 2023
Dora is a cool, rebellious “big sister” figure, instantly recognizable for her bold attitude and expressive style. She’s a Gen Z favorite for her gender-fluid, empowering persona, and became a breakout sucess under TNT when it launched its bigger blind boxes in 2023.
7. Twinkle Twinkle [Star Man] (星星人)
Brand: POP MART
Creator: Illustrators Daxin and Ali
Year launched: In 2024 with POP MART
This character has recently skyrocketed in popularity as a “healing star character” inspired by how stars shine even in darkness. POP MART markets this character as being full of innocence and fantasy to provide some relaxation in this modern society full of busyness and pressure.
8. Hirono (小野)
Brand: POP MART
Creator: Lang
Year launched: In 2024 with POP MART
This freckled, perpetually grumpy boy has a wild spirit combining introversion and playful defiance. Hirono highlights the subtle fluctuations of life, its ups and downs, incorporating joy, sadness, fear, and more – a personification of profound human emotions.
9. Crybaby (哭娃)
Brand: POP MART
Creator: Thai artist Molly Yllom (aka Nisa “Mod” Srikamdee)
Year launched: 2017 (creator concept), 2023 POP MART launch
Like Wakuku, Crybaby suddenly went from a niche IP to a new hot trend toy in 2025. Together with Wakuku, it is called the “next Labubu.” Thai artist Molly Yllom created the character after the loss of her beloved dog. Crybaby is a symbol of emotional expression, particularly the idea that it’s okay to cry and express feelings.
10. Pouka Pouka (波卡波卡)
Brand: 52TOYS
Creator: Ma Xiaoben
Year launched: 2025
With its round, chubby face, squirrel cheeks, playful smile, and soft, comforting appearance, Pouka Pouka aims to evoke feelings of warmth, healing, and emotional comfort.
Other characters to watch: CiciLu, Panda Roll (胖哒幼), NANCI (囡茜), FARMER BOB (农夫鲍勃), Rayan, Ozai (哦崽), Lulu the Piggy (LuLu猪), Pucky (毕奇).
By Manya Koetse
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China ACG Culture
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
2 weeks agoon
July 6, 2025
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 for the next made-in-China collectible toy to start trending on Chinese social media.
Now, the name that’s trending is Wakuku, a Chinese trend toy created by the Shenzhen-based company Letsvan.
In March 2025, a new panda-inspired Wakuku debuted at Miniso Land in Beijing, immediately breaking records and boosting overall store revenue by over 90%. Wakuku also broke daily sales records on May 17 with the launch of its “Fox-and-Bunny” collab at Miniso flagship stores in Shanghai and Nanjing. At the opening of the Miniso Space in Nanjing on June 18, another Wakuku figure sold out within just two hours. Over the past week, Wakuku went trending on Chinese social media multiple times.

From left to right: the March, May, and June successful Wakuku series/figurines
Like Labubu, Wakuku is a collectible keychain doll with a soft vinyl face and a plush body. These designer toys are especially popular among Chinese Gen Z female consumers, who use them as fashion accessories (hanging them from bags) or as desk companions.
We previously wrote in depth about the birth of Labubu, its launch by the Chinese POP MART (founded 2010), and the recipe for its global popularity in this article, so if you’re new to this trend of Chinese designer toys, you’ll want to check it out first (link).
Labubu has been making international headlines for months now, with the hype reaching a new peak when a human-sized Labubu sold for a record 1.08 million RMB (US$150,700), followed by a special edition that was purchased for nearly 760,000 RMB (US$106,000).
Now, Wakuku is the new kid on the block, and while it took Labubu nine years to win over young Chinese consumers, it barely took Wakuku a year — the character was created in 2022–2023, made its retail debut in 2024, and went viral within months.
Its pricing is affordable (59–159 RMB, around $8.2-$22) and some netizens argue it’s more quality for money.
While Labubu is a Nordic forest elf, Wakuku is a tribal jungle warrior. It comes in various designs and colors depending on the series and is sold in blind boxes (盲盒), meaning buyers don’t know exactly which design they’re getting — which adds an element of surprise.
➡️ There’s a lot to say about Wakuku, but perhaps the most noteworthy aspect is how closely it mirrors the trajectory of POP MART’s Labubu.
Wakuku’s recent success in China highlights the growing appeal and rapid rise of Chinese IPs (beyond its legal “intellectual property” meaning, ‘IPs’ is used to refer to unique cultural brands, characters, or stories that can be developed into collectibles, merchandise, and broader pop culture phenomena).
Although many critics predict that the Labubu trend will blow over soon, the popularity of Wakuku and other Labubu-like newcomers shows that these toys are not just a fleeting craze, but a cultural phenomenon that reflects the mindset of young Chinese consumers, China’s cross-industry business dynamics, and the global rise of a new kind of ‘C-pop.’
Wakuku: A Cheeky Jungle Copycat
When I say that Wakuku follows POP MART’s path almost exactly, I’m not exaggerating. Wakuku may be portrayed as a wild jungle child, but it’s definitely also a copycat.
It uses the same materials as Labubu (soft vinyl + plush), the name follows the same ABB format (Labubu, Wakuku, and the panda-themed Wakuku Pangdada), and the character story is built on a similar fantasy universe.
In fact, Letsvan’s very existence is tied to POP MART’s rise — the company was only founded in 2020, the same year POP MART, then already a decade old, went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and became a dominant industry force.
In terms of marketing, Wakuku imitates POP MART’s strategy: blind boxes, well-timed viral drops, limited-edition tactics, and immersive retail environments.
It even follows a similar international expansion model as POP MART, turning Thailand into its first stop (出海首站) — not just because of its cultural proximity and flourishing Gen Z social media market, but also because Thailand was one of the first and most successful foreign markets for Labubu.
Its success is also deeply linked to celebrity endorsement. Just as Labubu gained global traction with icons like BLACKPINK’s Lisa and Rihanna seen holding the doll, Wakuku too leans heavily on celebrity visibility and entertainment culture.
Like Labubu, Wakuku even launched its own Wakuku theme song.
Since 2024, Letsvan has partnered with Yuehua Entertainment (乐华娱乐) — one of China’s leading talent agencies — to tap into its entertainment resources and celebrity network, powering the Wakuku marketing engine. Since stars like Esther Yu (虞书欣) were spotted wearing Wakuku as a jeans hanger, demand for the doll skyrocketed. Yuehua’s founder, Du Hua (杜华), even gifted a Wakuku to David Beckham as part of its celebrity strategy.

From Beckham to Esther Yu; celebrity endorsements play a big role in the viral marketing of Wakuku.
But what’s most important in Wakuku’s success — and how it builds on Labubu — is that it fully embraces the ugly-cute (丑萌 chǒu méng) aesthetic. Wakuku has a mischievous smile, expressive eyes, a slightly crooked face, a unibrow, and freckles — fitting perfectly with what many young Chinese consumers love: expressive, anti-perfectionist characters (反精致).
“Ugly-Cute” as an Aesthetic Rebellion
Letsvan is clearly riding the wave of “ugly trend toys” (丑萌潮玩) that POP MART spent years cultivating.
🔍 Why are Chinese youth so obsessed with things that look quirky or ugly?
A recent article by the Beijing Science Center (北京科学中心) highlights how “ugly-cute” toys like Labubu and Wakuku deviate from traditional Chinese aesthetics, and reflect a deeper generational pushback against perfection and societal expectations.
The pressure young people face — in education, at work, from family expectations, and information overload — is a red thread running through how China’s Gen Z behaves as a social media user and consumer (also see the last newsletter on nostalgia core).
To cope with daily stress, many turn to softer forms of resistance, such as the “lying flat” movement or the sluggish “rat lifestyle” in which people reject societal pressures to succeed, choosing instead to do the bare minimum and live simply.
This generational pushback also extends to traditional norms around marriage, gender roles, and ideals of beauty. Designer toys like Labubu and Wakuku are quirky, asymmetrical, gender-fluid, rebellious, and reflect a broader cultural shift: a playful rejection of conformity and a celebration of personal expression, authenticity, and self-acceptance.

Another popular designer toy is Crybaby, designed by Thai designer Molly, and described as follows: “Crybaby is not a boy or a girl, it is not even just human, it represents an emotion that comes from deep within. It can be anything and everything! Laughter isn’t the only way to make you feel better, crying can be healing too. If one day, a smile can’t alleviate your problems, baby, let’s cry together.”
But this isn’t just about rejecting tradition. It’s also about seeking happiness, comfort, and surprise: emotional value. And it’s usually not brand-focused but influencer-led. What matters is the story around it and who recommends it (unless the brand becomes the influencer itself — which is what’s ultimately happening with POP MART).
One of the unofficial ambassadors of the chǒu méng ugly-cute trend is Quan Hongchan (全红婵), the teenage diving champion and Olympic gold medallist from Guangdong. Quan is beloved not just for her talent, but also for her playful, down-to-earth personality.
During the Paris Olympics, she went viral for her backpack, which was overflowing with stuffed animals (some joked she was “carrying a zoo on her back”) — and for her animal-themed slippers, including a pair of ugly fish ones.

Quan Hongchan with her Wakuku, and her backpack and slippers during her Paris Olympics days.
It’s no surprise that Quan Hongchan is now also among the celebrities boosting the popularity of the quirky Wakuku.
From Factory to Fandom: A New Kind of “C-pop” in the Making
The success of Wakuku and other similar toys shows that they’re much more than Labubu 2.0; they’re all part of a broader trend tapping into the tastes and values of Chinese youth — which also speaks to a global audience.
And this trend is serious business. POP MART is one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer brands, with a current market value of approximately $43 billion, according to Morgan Stanley.
No wonder everyone wants a piece of the ‘Labubu pie,’ from small vendors to major companies.
It’s not just the resellers of authentic Labubu dolls who are profiting from the trend — so are the sellers of ‘Lafufu,’ a nickname for counterfeit Labubu dolls, that have become ubiquitous on e-commerce platforms and in toy markets (quite literally).
Wakuku’s rapid rise is also a story of calculated imitation. In this case, copying isn’t seen as a flaw but as smart market participation.
The founding team behind Letsvan already had a decade of experience in product design before setting out on their journey to become a major player in China’s popular designer toy and character merchandise market.
But their real breakthrough came in early 2025, when QuantaSing (量子之歌), a leading adult learning ed-tech company with no previous ties to toys, acquired a 61% stake in the company.
With QuantaSing’s financial backing, Yuehua Entertainment’s marketing power, and Miniso’s distribution reach, Wakuku took it to the next level.
The speed and precision with which Letsvan, QuantaSing, and Wakuku moved to monetize a subcultural trend — even before it fully peaked — shows just how advanced China’s trend toy industry has become.
This is no longer just about cute (or ugly-cute) designs; it’s about strategic ecosystems by ‘IP factories,’ from concept and design to manufacturing and distribution, blind-box scarcity tactics, immersive store experiences, and influencer-led viral campaigns — all part of a roadmap that POP MART refined and is now adopted by many others finding their way into this lucrative market. Their success is powered by the strength of China’s industrial & digital infrastructure, along with cross-industry collaboration.
The rise of Chinese designer toy companies reminds of the playbook of K-pop entertainment companies — with tight control over IP creation, strong visual branding, carefully engineered virality, and a deep understanding of fandom culture. (For more on this, see my earlier explanation of the K-pop success formula.)
If K-pop’s global impact is any indication, China’s designer toy IPs are only beginning to show their potential. The ecosystems forming around these products — from factory to fandom — signal that Labubu and Wakuku are just the first wave of a much larger movement.
– By Manya Koetse
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