近年來在玩具公仔圈，打破了傳統精緻可愛的審美觀，另類的醜萌怪奇也有一番市場，從風靡全球的拉布布 (Labubu)，及來自英國的放克牙寶 (Fuggler)，都獲得不少人的追捧，這些怪誕卻充滿療癒感的怪獸與娃娃成為年輕人裝飾包包的首選，就連奇幻故事中的虛構生物哥布林（Goblin），也有翻紅的跡象，在許多遊戲或動漫中，身材矮小、皮膚綠色、長相醜陋、性格貪婪又狡猾的哥布林是作品中的反派，不過，在展場上有一款《哥布林也想談戀愛》系列盲盒與限定配色公仔，人氣很高，就連我也有點心動，可能就是這種另類的反差，讓人忍不住想擁有。
媽祖是是中國民間信仰中的海洋女神，信仰遍及廣東、福建、香港、澳門、臺灣、南洋沿海華人，本名林默娘，生前既有神異，逝世後因為頗多聖蹟，民間則尊稱為天上聖母、天后娘娘，親切的則稱為媽祖婆，而也有不少創作者，從媽祖身上提取想法，把媽祖遶境與進香隊伍中，陣頭各司其職，共同維持神聖的儀式秩序並護衛媽祖聖駕，常見的核心陣頭有報馬仔、開路鼓與千里眼、順風耳等，有些創作者將之轉化為商品，讓我一看到，就倍感親切，又有些驚嘆。
生活中的大小事物也是創作者的靈感來源，台灣的夜市文化，舉世聞名，融合美食小吃、庶民娛樂及購物採買活動而成的夜間流動市集，讓夜市成為不少市井小民們下班後消費、社交與解決晚餐的重要去處，夜市中常見的攤販，也被創作者汲取為想法，並轉化為商品，珍珠奶茶是我最愛的飲料之一，看到奶茶攤的玩具，讓我不自覺地露出會心一笑，至於麵茶攤，我倒是從來沒見過或注意到，或許在某些區域，麵茶攤在夜市很常見到。
說實話，展場內的潮流玩具，都還蠻有故事的，有我小時候陪伴我成長的，也有近幾年爆火的，更多的是我聽都沒聽過的，而我想說的話也蠻多的，因為我本來就喜歡這類事物，不是有種說法，男人的成熟往往只是外表，但是內心深處始終保留著一個純真、渴望玩樂且需要被理解的小男孩，雖然我在展場現場看到的女生們也蠻多的，可能大家都渴望那種單純、沒有算計與煩惱的童年生活吧，總結一下吧，這個展覽真的是我今年上半年，沒有之一，最好玩、最好逛的展覽。
In recent years, the designer toy scene has moved beyond the traditional idea of "cute". Weird, ugly-cute characters have become incredibly popular. From the world-famous Labubu to the UK's Fuggler, these quirky little monsters and dolls have won over fans everywhere. They've even become trendy bag charms for young people. Even goblins, the fictional creatures from fantasy stories, seem to be making a comeback. In many games and anime, goblins are usually portrayed as short, green-skinned, ugly, greedy, and sneaky villains. But at the exhibition, a blind box series called "Goblins Want to Fall in Love Too", along with its limited-edition color variants, attracted a huge crowd. I have to admit, I was tempted to buy one myself. Maybe it's that unexpected contrast that makes them so charming.
Mazu is the sea goddess in Chinese folk religion, and her worship is widespread across Fujian, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia. Her real name was Lin Moniang. According to legend, she displayed miraculous powers during her lifetime, and after her passing, countless stories of her divine blessings spread among the people. She is respectfully known as the Heavenly Holy Mother or the Queen of Heaven, though many simply call her "Grandma Mazu". Many artists have drawn inspiration from Mazu culture, especially the famous pilgrimage processions. Every member of the parade has an important role in protecting Mazu's sacred journey, from the messenger leading the way to the drummers, as well as Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Following Ear. Some creators have transformed these traditional figures into designer toys and collectibles. Seeing them on display made me feel both nostalgic and genuinely impressed.
Everyday life can also inspire great toy designs. Taiwan's night markets are famous around the world. They combine delicious street food, shopping, games, and local culture, making them a favorite place for people to grab dinner, hang out, and shop after work. Many artists have turned familiar night market vendors into creative collectibles. Bubble tea is one of my favorite drinks, so seeing a toy based on a bubble tea stand instantly made me smile. As for the malt tea stand, I honestly don't remember ever seeing one before. Maybe it's more common in certain parts of Taiwan.
To be honest, almost every designer toy at the exhibition had a story behind it. Some reminded me of the toys I grew up with, while others were the hottest new trends of the past few years. There were also plenty of brands I'd never even heard of before. I could probably talk about this exhibition all day because I've always loved this kind of stuff.
There's a saying that men only grow up on the outside, while deep inside there's always a little boy who just wants to play and be understood. That said, I noticed there were plenty of women enjoying the exhibition too. Maybe all of us, regardless of age or gender, miss that simple childhood feeling—a time without so many worries or complicated thoughts.
To wrap it all up, this was hands down my favorite exhibition of the first half of the year. No question about it. It was simply the most fun and enjoyable exhibition I've visited this year.
