This is a Shokugan? A direct interview with the person in charge of the development of "Super Miniplat," which has attracted attention for its high quality and maniac lineup!

The lineup includes "Juuranger," "Galian," "Zambot 3," and "GaoGaiGar." ......Animation robots and special effects robots from the 1970s to the 1990s are the mania of the lineup. After the launch of the series in 2016, 2017 was a year of great growth in terms of both quality and product development.

Information on 2018 products has already begun to appear, and many "Super Miniplat" fans are probably excited.

To find out, we interviewed a person in charge of development in Bandai's Candy Division!　We asked him about the secrets of "Super Miniplat" and the hot new items "Live Robo" and "Live Boxer.

The "Format Brand of Shokugan Plastic Model Kits" was born in pursuit of the possibilities of Miniplat!

───Can you tell us the story behind the birth of "Super Miniplat"?

The "Miniplat" series has been loved by everyone and has been nurtured by our Candy Division for many years, but in response to the strong sales in recent years, there was a feeling within the Candy Division that "the Miniplat series is now only being developed for Sentai Robots, but this is a waste of money. In the Candy Business Department, there was a sudden feeling that "Mini-Pla" is a "food" that is "eaten".

We now realized that if we view "Mini-Pla" as a "format brand for plastic toy kits," there is ample potential for developing other characters as well.

When we reevaluate the value of the "Mini-Pla" brand in this way and think about it from a broader perspective, we realize that we have been very wasteful in making our own limits,

I realized that we had been making limitations on our own and were wasting our time.

After that, we were thinking about how to horizontally expand Miniplat within the Candy Division, and since the number of adult users of Miniplat has increased greatly in recent years, we decided, "Then, let's go all out and do Miniplat for adults! We decided to go all out and do a Mini-Pla for adults.

At the same time that this idea was gaining momentum, we were also working on the "Zabungle Remake Project.

It was inevitable that the two would come together. As a result, the first Super Mini-Pla model "Battle Mecha Zabungle" was born.

─ What is the composition of the "Super Miniplat" team?

There is no official Super Miniplat team. The two Super Mini Pura members of the Shokugan team (Nishi and TA) work together with the development and design staff of the partner factories to develop each product.

─ What is the concept of "Super Mini Pura" and what is your focus?

It is a full-scale model kit series that applies the know-how and technology cultivated in the "Minipla" brand of plastic toy assembly kits, and aims at the highest level of movable mechanisms, modeling ability, and assembly technology for adults.

We are particular about pursuing the "value (specifications and lineup)" that only Super Mini-Pla can offer.

─ ─ How is the product lineup decided?

We start with enthusiasm and back it up with data. Enthusiasm can be the enthusiasm of the individual in charge, or it can be the strong enthusiasm of the people involved. After that, we conduct user analysis and sales simulation through questionnaires and past sales data, and commercialize products that can achieve a proper balance between sales volume and price.

A hot topic! New items "Live Robot" & "Live Boxer!

───After "Daijushin," "Dragon Caesar," and "King Brachion" from "JURANGER," why were "Live Robo" and "Live Boxer" from "Liveman" chosen?

There were many requests for commercialization in the product survey for "Daijushin," and there were only a few major products available at the time, so they seemed to have selling power.

─ ─ Are there any robots or mecha from anime or special effects that you would like to release as Super Miniplat products in the future?

I know this is a bit clichéd, but I would like to release robots that will make people happy and surprised.

I would like to put the spotlight on "robots that are popular and wanted by everyone (and have selling power), but there are few products in the world, or only real-time products are available.