Move Over, Labubus: Urupocha-Chan Plushies Are Coming to Town

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All the dolls are dolling this year.

This summer, as Labubu toys from PopSmart become increasingly popular on social media, Disney has introduced its own line of charming plushies to engage collectors and fill their bags with new treasures.

The business introduced a collection of adorable trinkets named Urupocha-chan, inspired by some of their well-known characters such as Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Chip ‘n’ Dale, Daisy Duck, Piglet, Stitch, Minnie Mouse, Tigger, and others. Much like Labubus, these soft pastel items are compact enough to be worn on a keychain, stored in a purse, or displayed as a collectible on a shelf.

If customers aren’t convinced by the size, the charm of Urupocha-chan lies in its adorable features. As the name suggests, these plush figures boast oversized proportions and expressive eyes. In Japanese, “Uru” signifies teary-eyed, “Pocha” means chubby, and “Chan” is a term of affection.

According to Variety’s report, Disney’s keychain collection was quickly sold out following its limited release in Asia.

It’s uncertain whether Lububu items will become market leaders like other popular brands. Nevertheless, celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Paris Hilton have jumped on the Lububu bandwagon this year. Intriguingly, Emily Brough, Pop Mart North America’s Head of Licensing, disclosed that these furry creatures, invented by artist Kasing Lung, raked in over $419 million in sales revenue in 2024.

In the past few months, particularly since the launch of ‘Into Energy,’ interest and enthusiasm for Labubu has exceeded what we anticipated, as she shared with NBC News in April. It’s delightful to witness how Labubu, our charming and playful character, is making a positive impact worldwide.

Keep reading to see more secrets about popular animated characters…

Many fans were left purrrrrfectly confused after this revelation.

Jill Cook, an executive at Sanrio, clarified to Today in July 2024 that Hello Kitty is not actually a cat. Instead, she’s depicted as a young girl who grew up in the London suburbs, with a mother, father, and twin sister named Mimmy, who is also her closest friend. In her spare time, she enjoys baking cookies and making new acquaintances.

It might not have come as a shock to everyone, but Cook wasn’t the first one to express this idea. In fact, Christine R. Yano – an anthropology professor who wrote the book “Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across the Pacific” – had already made it clear that Hello Kitty is not actually a cat.

In 2014, she clarified to the Los Angeles Times that Hello Kitty isn’t actually a cat; instead, she’s a cartoon character who represents a little girl and a friend. Although she doesn’t move on all fours like a typical cat, she does have her own pet cat named Charmmy Kitty.

Did you know some interesting details about Hello Kitty? According to Sanrio, she stands at a height equivalent to five apples, tips the scales at three apples, celebrates her birthday on November 1 (which means she’s a Scorpio), and aspires to become either a pianist or a poet in her dreams.

Gawrsh! Did you know this fact?

Bill Farmer, the voice behind Goofy for many years, shared insights on why Goofy is able to speak while Mickey Mouse’s dog companion Pluto remains speechless.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that as: During an August 2024 episode of the Popcorn Podcast with Leigh Livingstone and Tim Iffland, the voice actor clarified that Goofy isn’t just any dog, but rather a canine, much like a wolf. In essence, Goofy could be described as a “Goofus Canis” or even a “MOG,” which stands for man-dog.

However, Pluto, he added, is a “regular dog”—a blood hound as it turns out.

You’ll want to get to the (bikini) bottom of this discovery.

Stephen Hillenburg, the mastermind behind the beloved character SpongeBob SquarePants, once disclosed an intriguing detail: contrary to his name, Squidward Tentacles is not really a squid but rather an octopus in disguise.

In 2005, when the Case of the Sponge ‘Bob video was resurfaced by BuzzFeed, it was revealed that Squidward the Octopus, SpongeBob’s cranky neighbor next door, was named so due to his resemblance to an octopus. The character designer chose the octopus because they have a big, round head, which seemed fitting for Squidward, who fancies himself as intelligent and therefore portrayed with a similarly large and prominent head.

However, if you’re curious about why Squidward is depicted as an octopus despite having only six legs instead of the usual eight, Hillenburg had a solution for that: he explained that it was simply more straightforward for the animators to draw him with fewer tentacles.

Break out your handy dandy notebook and jot this one down.

It was revealed by the co-creator of the show, Angela Santomero, in a 2006 special called “Behind the Clues: 10 Years With Blue,” which was recently brought up again by Mental Floss, that Blue, who is known as a cat, actually had a different name originally. At first, he was named Mr. Orange, but they later changed it to Mr. Blue.

However, it’s worth noting that the concept for a show centered around a cat was being developed by Nickelodeon prior to this point. As a result, the initial plan for Blue to be a cat was abandoned, and the animators instead transformed Blue into a dog.

Now this really isn’t funnie, er, funny.

It’s interesting to note that Doug Funnie from the TV show “Doug” almost had a different name – Brian. The reason behind this alteration is not explicitly stated.

In an interview with HuffPost TV in 2014, creator Jim Jinkins explained that he initially thought Brian was too fancy a name for the main character. So, he simplified it and named him Doug instead. The name Doug sounds incredibly ordinary, which was exactly what Jinkins aimed to achieve – expressing the character’s perspective from an average point of view.

This fact is so good it’s scary.

In the book “Monsters, Inc.: An Augmented Reality Book,” it’s disclosed that the character known as Boo-the small girl who unintentionally enters Monstropolis and forms friendships with Mike and Sulley-is actually named Mary Gibbs, as reported by BuzzFeed. Interestingly, this name may ring a bell since it’s the genuine name of the actress who lent her voice to Boo in the movie.

For additional confirmation, take a look at the movie. You’ll find a scene where Boo is organizing her drawings, and attentive viewers will notice that “Mary” has been written at the top of one of them.

It’s interesting to note about names – even though Minnie Mouse, who is Mickey Mouse’s companion, is commonly known by that shortened name, the BBC disclosed back in 1942 that her full and formal name is Minerva.

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2025-08-08 01:17