char array weirdness

[Jack Stouffer via Digitalmars-d-learn]

void main () {
    import std.range.primitives;
    char[] val = ['1', '0', 'h', '3', '6', 'm', '2', '8', 's'];
    pragma(msg, ElementEncodingType!(typeof(val)));
    pragma(msg, typeof(val.front));
}

prints

    char
    dchar

Why?