Japanese Figure Maker Re-ment’s Blind Boxes Hugely Popular in China! Also Sold Pre-Opened?

Blind box figures and goods are currently experiencing a boom in China. Led by the Chinese toy manufacturer POP MART, this blind box craze has prompted not only domestic Chinese companies but also numerous overseas manufacturers to focus heavily on the Chinese market. Among these, the Japanese manufacturer Re-Ment stands out as a particularly representative presence.

A key characteristic of Re-Ment, which sets it apart from many other Japanese toy manufacturers, is that it does not currently have a local subsidiary on the Chinese mainland. Instead, it exports its products through Chinese trading companies.

Re-Ment’s Product Lineup in China

Currently, Re-Ment’s blind boxes in the Chinese market primarily fall into two categories. One category is themed around popular anime and games. This includes a wide array of character IPs such as Poketto Monsutaa, Yuu☆Gi☆Ou, Hoshi no Kaabii, as well as Hatsune Miku and Sumikkogurashi. Interestingly, while POP MART also offers collaborative products with Japanese anime, the variety is still relatively limited compared to Re-Ment.

The other category consists of their original puchi sanpuru series. These products feature a rich variety of miniature items, ranging from food themes like cakes and deli items to traditional Japanese snacks (dagashi), as well as interior goods and more.

Various types lined up in stores (Photo: Godou Gaisha Rouse, Ri Keigen)

While their original products are popular, the anime series blind boxes enjoy even greater success, with the Poketto Monsutaa series garnering significant attention. Re-Ment’s Poketto Monsutaa series products are sold in China for prices ranging from 59 to 89 yuan (approximately 1,200 to 1,800 yen). The types and contents of the products are largely the same as the Japanese domestic versions, although each product typically launches in China about a month later than in Japan.

The history of Poketto Monsutaa‘s popularity in China dates back to the late 1990s when the Poketto Monsutaa anime was broadcast on Chinese television, leading to characters like Pikachu gaining widespread popularity. Many people born in the 80s and 90s likely grew up watching the anime.

Poketto Monsutaa games began to appear in China in the 2000s, but the games at the time did not include Chinese language support. Translations were largely done by volunteers, often resulting in inaccuracies. However, with the release of Poketto Monsutaa San and Poketto Monsutaa Muun in 2016, Nintendou included Chinese language for the first time, significantly expanding the Poketto Monsutaa fanbase in China.

In recent years, Poketto Monsutaa continues its popularity in China across various forms of entertainment, including anime, games, trading card games, and toys. Poketto Monsutaa has cultivated a massive and dedicated fanbase throughout China.

Why Re-Ment Captures Hearts: Differentiation and Practicality

With numerous blind box manufacturers operating in China, why has Japan’s Re-Ment garnered such passionate support? From a collector’s perspective, its differentiation strategy is key.

While similar blind box products often feature just the character figure, Re-Ment’s products are characterized by combining the character with diverse diorama backgrounds. Furthermore, they develop items that also have practical use. These can function as smartphone stands or pen stands, allowing fans to enjoy their figures in their daily lives.

Example usage (smartphone stand) (Photo: Godou Gaisha Rouse, Ri Keigen)

An Interesting Chinese Market Phenomenon: Pre-opened Sales

An interesting aspect of the blind box market in China is the presence of shops that sell products after they have been pre-opened. These stores open the items beforehand and set prices based on the character’s popularity. This practice is popular with consumers as it guarantees they can purchase the specific character they want. For similar reasons, purchases are also frequent on flea markets, with many items listed on China’s version of Mercari, “Xianyu” (Shienyui). While this differs from the original enjoyment of blind boxes, it’s understandable given consumer demand.

Price setting based on popularity (Photo: Via online shopping site Taobao)

By partnering with numerous anime-related companies and developing new figure products that combine practicality with charm, Re-Ment has successfully captured the hearts of many Chinese anime fans. With the recent surge in popularity of Chinese anime works, such as Nata: Matoo no Ooabare, there is anticipation for the development of products incorporating Chinese anime series and characters in the future.

《Ri Keigen》

_

Source