Demon Slayer Tanjiro Model Kit Makes an Elaborate Figure

Sometimes, I like to pick up a low effort model kit. I want something relatively simple to build over an afternoon. I especially love when the finished product comes out looking like, well, I spent actual effort on it. Bandai’s various kits tend to be good at this. You don’t need glue. You often can get pieces out of runners without nippers. Paint ends up being optional. The Bandai Spirits Demon Slayer model kit, however, goes a step above when it comes to creating this Tanjiro Kamado figure.

Right off the bat, the box lets you know you don’t need a lot of effort. It shows no glue or painting is required. However, the extent it goes to is admirable. Aside from a few stickers, almost everything arrives completely done. Tanjiro’s face? The actual runner has the different colors and parts for his eyebrows and Demon Slayer Mark. His eyes, teeth, and tongue? intricate parts jammed together to form a cohesive unit. His earrings? Stickers that perfectly cover plastic parts. It means when everything comes together, the finished face is seamless.

I also appreciated that in instances where stickers are required, it’s a very subtle accent. You might not even see them. The “metsu” kanji on the back of the uniform for this Tanjiro figure is a good example. As you build this Demon Slayer model kit, you’ll eventually cover up his uniform’s shirt with his happi. However, the kit includes the stickers for the kanji. This is because if you did happen to look at him from below, you could actually still see it. It’s a nice touch that this element is acknowledged and included, even though someone might not see it. While I used tweezers to ensure certain stickers, like 7, 8, and 11 in particular, were properly placed, it’s incredibly easy to apply. (The button stickers are much more delicate.) But they’re handled in a way that, well, makes it difficult to notice they are stickers.

What’s also great is that the extra effort to ensure the colors are correct expends to his coat. Like Tanjiro’s face, the Demon Slayer model kit ensures the parts for the happi are already pre-colored. They’re also packaged separately, due to their poses. The checkerboard pattern is perfectly recreated. Which is fantastic, because it would have been a pain otherwise. The angles depicted and way the pieces are handled would have made painting difficult. The lines might have been off, and it could have been hard to position them so they’d dry properly. With stickers, the folds and recreation of fabric’s positions would also mean they might not stick properly. The execution means it looks great even before you assemble it.

The only downside is that the kit doesn’t include a stand. Often manufacturer’s model kits will provide parts to assemble one. Even if a figure is capable of balancing, it’s a nice security blanket. This Tanjiro figure can stand on its own. The ankles are even articulated. This means you can arrange the positioning properly. And to its credit, even with the dynamic pose, I’ve yet to see an issue with him toppling over. But I do have that concern due to the arrangement and wish there’d been even a flat base with foot holes to offer that sense of security.

The result is a pretty impressive Tanjiro figure. It doesn’t take too long to build. I’d say mine was finished in between an hour and an hour and a half. (I did spend some time filing down a few edges, though.) It looks incredible. The way the parts and molding are handled with the model kit, you can’t tell someone put it together unless you really get in close. (Or look at the earrings too closely, due to potential application issues. It’s a lot of fun and looks great on a shelf.

The Bandai Spirits Demon Slayer model kit of Tanjiro Kamado is available worldwide. It can be found for between $26–38, depending on the store.