The reason a Char Custom hose reel sells for 9,900 yen. Gundam is infiltrating 'adult daily life'
A Char Custom hose reel is being released.
When I first saw it, I actually laughed.
I thought, are they really going that far with the Char Custom branding?
The product name is 'Mobile Suit Gundam Hose Reel 10m Char Custom Model.' It is a red hose reel inspired by the Char Custom Zaku II, and the price is 9,900 yen (tax included).
If you think about it normally, a hose reel is a daily necessity you buy at a home improvement store.
However, when you make it 'Char Custom,' the story changes.
While it might look like a mere novelty item, I actually think it is a very interesting piece of IP business.
Gundam is no longer just an IP for toys
When people think of Gundam, they think of Gunpla.
But looking at recent products, it is not just that.
Toolboxes, screwdrivers, parts cases, tables, coffee mills, outdoor gear. And now, this hose reel.
It has completely entered the world of household goods.
When you think about it, it is only natural.
The broadcast of 'Mobile Suit Gundam' began in 1979.
Someone who was 10 years old at the time will be 57 in 2026.
The boys who used to buy Gunpla have become adults, owning cars, owning homes, tending to their gardens, and enjoying camping and DIY.
If that is the case, the Gundam side should just follow along.
Instead of just selling Gunpla, they are turning the things fans use now into Gundam products.
This hose reel seems to be a symbol of that.
'Char Custom' goes well with daily necessities
Among them, the Char Custom is strong.
When you think of character goods, you imagine items with a large character's face printed on them.
As an adult, these are a bit difficult to use.
However, the Char Custom is different.
It is red.
It has the Zeon emblem.
It has a model number on it.
That alone makes it work.
Whether you put it in the garden or in the garage, at first glance, it's just a cool-looking red tool.
Only those who know will
"Hey, that's a Char Custom!"
notice it.
If it were a normal hose reel, it would be compared by price
This is where it gets interesting as a business.
If you were going to buy a normal hose reel, you would compare them on Amazon or at a home improvement store.
Is it 10m or 20m?
Is it lightweight?
Is it easy to wind up?
How much does it cost?
It becomes a complete functional comparison.
However, for someone who wants a 'Char Custom hose reel,' a regular red hose reel is not a competitor.
What they want is not a hose reel, but
a 'Char Custom hose reel'
that is why.
Once this happens, you can escape from price comparisons.
It turns mature daily necessities into different products through IP.
In other words,
it is de-commoditizing a commodity.
I think this is the most interesting part of this product.
Japan's mature market and IP are actually a good match.
Thinking about it more broadly, this is also quite an important story for Japanese companies.
If the population decreases, it becomes difficult for the sales volume of daily necessities to grow.
It is difficult to double the sales of hose reels every year.
Even so, there is a limit to continuing to add functions.
We made it lighter.
We made it easier to wind up.
We made it easier to store.
Competitors will do the same thing, so in the end, it becomes a price war.
That is where IP becomes effective.
Even for products with similar functions,
Just by becoming 'Char Custom',
the reason for buying changes completely.
Moreover, Japan has not only Gundam, but also a massive amount of huge IPs that have been loved for decades, such as Dragon Ball, Evangelion, Pokemon, One Piece, and Sanrio.
I think this is a quite unique asset that Japan possesses.
What will be the next thing to become 'Char Custom'?
At this point, it's also interesting to think about the next products.
Char Custom high-pressure washer.
Char Custom electric air pump.
Char Custom tool set.
Char Custom portable power station.
Char Custom lawn mower.
These seem like things that could realistically exist.
Personally, I would like to see a 'Char Custom robot vacuum'.
A red machine autonomously driving around the house.
And it's faster than the standard model.
It even fits strangely well as a concept.
And eventually, a 'Char Custom reading glasses' will be released.
Thinking 10 or 20 years further ahead, it gets even more interesting.
Gundam fans are naturally getting older too.
In that case, the IP should just age along with them.
Char-exclusive reading glasses.
Zeon military walking shoes.
Gundam health equipment.
Char-exclusive electric assist bicycle.
It looks like a joke now.
But considering that a Char-exclusive hose reel was actually released, it's not that absurd.
Until now, character business has been strongly focused on how to capture young people.
However, long-running IPs have another way to fight.
It is to grow old together with the fans from the past.
Gunpla when you are 10 years old.
Apparel when you turn 30.
Camping gear when you turn 40.
Garage supplies when you turn 50.
Health products when you turn 60.
That is how it keeps running alongside your life the whole time.
When you think about it, it is an incredibly strong business.
When I saw the Char-exclusive hose reel,
I thought,
'Are they really going that far?'
But as I looked into it, it was the opposite.
There is still more that can be done.
Rather than Gundam jumping out of the toy market, the lives of the fans themselves, nurtured over more than 40 years, have become a new market.
Thinking about it that way, this 9,900 yen red hose reel...
might actually be a product that anticipates the future of long-running IP business.