First BANDAI SPIRITS Adult Survey: “Realities of Plamodel and Figure Users” Conducted

BANDAI SPIRITS Co., Ltd., a member of the Bandai Namco Group specializing in high-target toy hobby business (President and CEO: Hiro Sakakibara, Headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo), has launched the “BANDAI SPIRITS Adult Survey” aiming to understand the hobbies and lifestyles of the Reiwa-era adult generation. This inaugural survey targeted 1,000 plamodel and figure users aged 18 to 59, to investigate the “Realities of Plamodel and Figure Users.”

The survey results revealed that younger generations of plamodel and figure users are more active in using social networks, especially notable in the collection, dissemination, and sharing of information. Furthermore, many of those who share information do so with the goal of finding others who empathize with their hobbies. Although there are differences in how plamodels and figures are enjoyed, the development of communication spaces between companies and users, as well as among users themselves, and the formation of fan communities, might become a key to expanding the fan base and diversifying the enjoyment of plamodels and figures in the future.

Survey Overview

• Survey Period: December 14th (Thursday) to December 18th (Monday), 2023
• Survey Region: Nationwide
• Survey Method: Internet survey
• Survey Subjects: 1,000 men and women aged 18 to 59
• Note: Participants who had purchased a plamodel or figure for themselves in 2023

TOPIC 1: Motivations for Purchasing and Ways of Enjoying Plamodels and Figures

• The primary motivation for both plamodel and figure users is “interest in favorite anime or manga characters,” ranking first.
• The most popular way to enjoy plamodels is “the process of assembling them,” while for figure users, “displaying/viewing them (e.g., placing them in a display case)” accounts for over 60%, making it the most common method.

TOPIC 2: Popular Product Categories

• The most purchased plamodel category in 2023 was the “Gundam series,” with over half of the users having bought them. In the figure category, “characters from manga, anime, and games” were the most popular, exceeding 60%.

TOPIC 3: Differences in Information Gathering/Sharing Across Generations

• For collecting information about plamodels and figures, users aged 18-29 primarily use social networks, including “X.” Those in their 40s and above tend to rely more on “official websites of manufacturers” or “physical stores.”

• While 33.2% of all users “share information themselves,” this percentage rises to 50% among plamodel users under 30 when broken down by age and category.
• The most common purpose for sharing information was to find “empathizers with one’s hobbies.”

TOPIC 4: Annual Spending Amount / Average Number of Items Owned per Person

• The average total amount spent in one year (2023) was 25,740 yen for plamodels and 26,105 yen for figures.

• The average number of items owned per person was 24.4 for plamodels and 24.9 for figures.

TOPIC 5: Time Spent on Plamodels and Figures / What They Mean to You

• The average time spent per week is 3.5 hours for plamodel users and 2.3 hours for figure users.

• Both plamodels and figures are seen as something that “excites/thrills, bringing joy and fun,” “helps to relax and distract, easing stress,” and “creates a personal world,” with over 60% of responses indicating such.

BANDAI SPIRITS Official Website: https://www.bandaispirits.co.jp/