Hobby Industry Inside Vol. 22: Appealing to a demographic that has never made plastic models!　The hidden potential of Bandai's "HAKOROM Winnie the Pooh" series

The biggest selling point of Bandai's plastic models is that they are color-coded in parts and require no glue. With these beginner-friendly specifications, could Bandai create a toy for the younger generation and girls who have never made plastic models before? --This simple idea led to the development of the "HAKOROM Bear School" series, which Bandai's Play Toys division began rolling out in late April.
The lineup includes cute bear characters and dollhouses that can be reassembled. What is the goal of "HAKOROOM"?　How will "HAKOROOM" change the plastic model market?　We spoke with Mayuko Misawa and Shunsuke Miyaji of the Play Toys Division and Aki Ohki of the President's Office and PR team.

Is "HAKOROOM" a plastic model or an assembled toy?

───First of all, please tell us how the "HAKOROOM" project started.

Misawa: As you may know, there is a factory in Shizuoka called Bandai Hobby Center, which mainly produces plastic models. We had been talking about the possibility of using the technology developed at the Hobby Center to create plastic models that looked more like toys for some time. However, we had difficulty in achieving this goal because of the cost hurdle of domestic production and problems that could not be cleared from a technical standpoint.
This time, there was a challenge contest, an internal project for which we invited applications from the public, and the Play Toys Division, to which I belong, submitted a "toy project for girls that uses plastic model manufacturing technology. The project passed with flying colors, and the company provided us with development funds to get started.


─ Was this a plastic model project or did it end up becoming a plastic model?

Misawa: This project started with the idea of "Can't we use the mechanism of a plastic model to create an assembled toy for girls? Even though it did not start with the concept of a "plastic model," it may have ended up in the form of a "plastic model. As those of you who have built plastic models know, they are easy to find parts by comparing them with the instruction manual, because they are classified by color and numbered. I once bought a dollhouse assembly kit, but it was very difficult to find the parts. On the other hand, plastic models have the parts organized from the start, so I thought they were very good as an assembly toy for elementary school children.

─ Have you tried assembling the plastic models yourself?

Misawa: HAKOROM is intended for ages 8 and up, so I tried assembling plastic models for younger children. I assembled plastic models of "Anna and the Snow Queen" from the "Castle Craft Collection" plastic model series for women, and plastic models of "Yokai Watch" and "Pokemon" for children.

─ You use not only plastic, but also stickers and paper crafts to enhance the level of completion, don't you?

Misawa Yes. HAKOROM is molded in four colors, so it can be finished beautifully even when unassembled, but there are also areas where stickers are applied. The original picture book ("Kuma no Gakko") is based on watercolor paintings, so it is easier to reproduce the colors of the original work by printing on paper. The completion of the book is also enhanced by attaching stickers and assembling the paper. Girls love to play with stickers, so we have made detailed arrangements so that they can arrange their clothes with ribbons. The stickers to put on the mouth come with three sheets so that there is no need to worry about making mistakes. But don't worry, they stick perfectly and neatly.


─ There are also two different faces, aren't there?

Misawa: That's right. A sleeping face is included among the optional parts. Ears with holes are also included so that ribbons can be attached. We have included elements that allow you to change facial expressions and customize the doll even within a single doll.

─ Is it correct to say that the planning is done by the Playtoy Division and the manufacturing is done by the Hobby Center in Shizuoka?

Misawa: Yes, the Hobby Center is responsible for design and production. Normally, employees who design plastic models, mainly Gundam models, design the HAKOROOM.

─ Was it the planning side's particularity that even the runners (frames with parts attached) were made in the shape of a bear?

Misawa: Actually, we received a proposal from the Hobby Center to make the runner in the shape of a character, as it would be a waste of unused space in a single mold!　So it was difficult to realize this kind of character-shaped runner, but they said, "If we want to catch the girls' hearts, we have to do it! and we were able to make it happen. So this bear-shaped runner is a bit extravagant.