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Mandarin Unpeeled
by Mandarin Unpeeled
Can you peel a mandarin in under 10 minutes? We think so!Mandarin Unpeeled is your zesty shortcut to decoding China, minus the overwhelm. In each punchy, bite-sized episode, we peel back the headlines to reveal the juicy insights underneath, with fresh takes from history, culture, language and lived experience.Hosted by Kelly—a trained linguist, journalist, and cross-border strategist who’s split her life between China and the West—this is your go-to cultural snack with plenty of pulp.
Episodes
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When Machines Learn To Touch- What A Misread Chinese Word Tells Us About AI-enabled Robots
What can something as simple as misreading a brand name reveal about cultural blind spots, technology, design philosophies—and maybe even your future love life? And how do Michelangelo’s paintings, 90s Japanese anime, and China’s robotics labs all point toward the same question: how we are...
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Why Chinese Women Are 'Selling' You Their Exes
What if your ex didn’t block you... but endorsed you like a LinkedIn referral? Right now on China’s social apps, women are listing their former boyfriends with full specs — “Emotionally stable, owns an apartment, good with children, breakup due to long-distance, available immediately.” It sounds...
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The Labubu File: A Chinese Toy Story (Final Chapter)
As we close out this investigative journey into Labubu, we’re left with one lingering question: is this all just a fad? Because right now, everything about Pop Mart’s rise points in that direction. The founder claims these wide-eyed figures are “empty vessels” designed to hold your emotions— but...
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The Labubu File, Ep. 4: Journey To The West
You might look at Popmart and think: we’ve seen a Chinese brand blow up like this before. Well — not quite. But I think we’re about to. Popmart’s rise — powered by its mischievous little mascot, Labubu — isn’t a fluke. It’s the result of a perfect storm: shifting pride at home, a restless…
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The Labubu File, Ep. 3: Small But Certain Happiness
What do Haruki Murakami, burnout, and blind box toys have in common? Pop Mart’s founder once asked: “If you pulled the head off a doll and found a USB stick inside… would you still buy it?” Strange question, right? But hidden in it is the secret to why millions of people are spending billions on...
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The Labubu File, Ep. 2 : The Cat That Started It All
Last time, we cracked Pop Mart’s blind boxes wide open. But here’s the bigger mystery: why are millions of twenty-somethings hoarding plush toys like they’re Birkin bags? To find the answer, we have to rewind fifty years. To a sketch of a cat. In this episode, we travel from Hello Kitty’s birth…
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The Labubu File, Ep. 1: The Blind Box Truth
Many say that Pop Mart is “loot-box economics.” Cute toys + gambling mechanics = $$$. But… if it were that simple, every blind box brand would be a billion-dollar hit, right? In this episode, we rewind to Pop Mart’s scrappy mall-vendor days and dig into the hidden forces that catapulted them to...
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The Labubu File: A Chinese Toy Story (intro)
Headlines say Pop Mart’s Labubu craze is all about clever marketing, blind boxes, and ‘ugly cute’ design. But that’s just scratching the surface… The REAL juicy bits? A layered, cultural, and strategic puzzle that turned a humble Chinese toy brand into one of the most fascinating commercial...
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Game of Thrones, Chinese style | The cycles of power
🎧 Episode 1: Game of Thrones, Chinese Style | The Cycles of Power Runtime: ~10 minutes What if the key to understanding China’s long game—its moves in trade, diplomacy, and power—was hidden in a 14th-century epic? In this premiere of Mandarin Unpeeled, we slice into one of China’s most enduring...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Can you peel a mandarin in under 10 minutes? We think so!Mandarin Unpeeled is your zesty shortcut to decoding China, minus the overwhelm. In each punchy, bite-sized episode, we peel back the headlines to reveal the juicy insights underneath, with fresh takes from history, culture, language and lived experience.Hosted by Kelly—a trained linguist, journalist, and cross-border strategist who’s split her life between China and the West—this is your go-to cultural snack with plenty of pulp.
HOSTED BY
Mandarin Unpeeled
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Mandarin Unpeeled have?
Mandarin Unpeeled currently has 9 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Mandarin Unpeeled about?
Can you peel a mandarin in under 10 minutes? We think so!Mandarin Unpeeled is your zesty shortcut to decoding China, minus the overwhelm. In each punchy, bite-sized episode, we peel back the headlines to reveal the juicy insights underneath, with fresh takes from history, culture, language and...
How often does Mandarin Unpeeled release new episodes?
Mandarin Unpeeled has 9 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Mandarin Unpeeled?
You can listen to Mandarin Unpeeled on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Mandarin Unpeeled?
Mandarin Unpeeled is created and hosted by Mandarin Unpeeled.
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