These Cute ‘Mirumi’ Robots Are Labubus for Tech Lovers

By Danial Martinus • 06 Jan 2026 in Gear

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At first glance, the Mirumi charm robot might look like it belongs in the same universe as the Labubu. After all, it’s small, fuzzy, a little weird, and designed to use its cuteness to tug at your heartstrings. But if you take a closer look, you’ll realise this isn’t just some collectible charm.

Created by Tokyo-based startup, Yukai Engineering, Mirumi is what happens when the cute-core aesthetic collides with robotics, and the end result is something that’s far more interesting than your conventional Labubu.

A charm robot that steals a glance (and your heart)

Mirumi is a charm robot that’s built from the ground up to do one thing very well: look back at you (or anyone else in your immediate surroundings).

When you clip it onto your tote, backpack, or handbag, Mirumi occasionally turns its head, steals a glance, and then shyly looks away. It’s incredibly cute, and almost reminds you of a human baby.

Unlike Labubu, which rose to popularity purely based on personality and collectibility, Mirumi is very much for the tech-curious among us. Under its soft, made-in-Japan plush exterior is a network of sensors and a custom algorithm that lets it respond to sound and touch.

It nods, shakes, tilts, and turns its head in dozens of subtly different ways, expressing shyness, curiosity, and even hesitation. If you leave it alone long enough, it’ll even glance around unprompted, as if it’s checking whether anyone’s watching.

The way it signals a low battery level is also pretty charming: its head movements become more lethargic, making it seem like it’s sleepy or tired. Once you fully charge it, Mirumi will give you a sharp, satisfied nod.

The idea behind Mirumi was born from Yukai Engineering’s internal Make-a-Thon in 2024, with the team setting out to create a baby-like creature based on yokai (spirits and monsters from Japanese folklore).

According to CEO Shunsuke Aoki, Mirumi is a “happiness ambassador”, designed to spark small, shared moments between strangers. It’s the robotic equivalent to carrying a cute puppy on your back while walking around in a crowded space.

Its Kickstarter campaign is already underway, having launched on 3 December 2025 and set to end on 21 January 2026. Early backers can secure their own Mirumi charm robot at up to 20% off the expected retail price of US$150 (RM608).

Unfortunately for those of us living in Malaysia, Mirumi will not be shipping here. The closest Malaysians can get to securing their own charm robot is having it shipped to an address in Singapore or Thailand.