The track is cleared, the lights are on, and the roar of the crowd is deafening. But this race isn’t on a turf field; it’s on your workbench. For fans of the smash-hit franchise Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, a unique and rewarding way to bring your favorite horse girls to life exists: plastic model kits.

Marrying the intricate engineering of modern snap-fit kits with the vibrant, athletic aesthetic of the Umamusume, these kits quickly became a favorite among builders and collectors. Unlike pre-painted figures, model kits offer a hands-on, creative outlet and the satisfaction of watching a champion materialize from plastic runners through your own effort—it’s an active act of fandom.

Let’s dive deep into the world of Uma Musume model kits, focusing on the main lines available, the building experience, and how to get the most out of your finished champion.

The Contenders: Key Model Kit Lines

While the Uma Musume franchise inspires a variety of merchandise, from PVC statues by Kotobukiya and Good Smile Company to small prize figures, Bandai Spirits primarily dominates the actual plastic model kits. They have released two distinct lines that cater to different aspects of the hobby.

1. Bandai’s Figure-rise Standard (FRS) Series

The Figure-rise Standard (FRS) line is Bandai’s premier series for character model kits, which builders know for its focus on articulation, color separation, and dynamic posing. The Uma Musume entries in this line capture the horse girls in vibrant, mid-race action.

Featured Characters:

The initial, and most prominent, releases in this line include fan-favorites like Special Week, Silence Suzuka, and Tokai Teio.

Key Features & Building Experience:

• Snap-Fit Assembly: True to modern Bandai kits, you don’t need glue for the basic assembly. The parts lock together firmly because of their engineering.
• Dynamic Articulation: The articulation is a major selling point; Bandai designed it to allow for the iconic “forward leaning” running posture seen in the anime and game. Clever engineering, like the movable tail and the segmented race skirt, achieves this. The skirt splits into sections to allow extensive leg movement without compromising the overall silhouette.
• Impressive Color Separation: Bandai’s renowned molding technology recreates the intricate race suit colors using separate plastic pieces. Parts like the ears, hair accessories, and uniform layers are color-separated, which greatly reduces the need for painting.
• Face Expressions: Each kit typically includes three facial expressions. One face is often tampo-printed (pre-painted) to ensure a screen-accurate look right out of the box. The other two are blank faces that come with both stickers and water-slide decals, offering builders choice between easier application and a seamlessly painted look.
• Accessories: The kits come with interchangeable hand parts (for racing, singing, etc.) and a clear-molded pedestal (Action Base 6 style). Bandai designed this pedestal specifically to support dynamic, mid-run poses. The soles of the shoes even depict the horseshoes accurately, often with small stickers.
• Skill Level: While generally beginner-friendly, some small, thin pieces for uniform accents and headgear can be fiddly. Builders note the Tokai Teio kit, in particular, for having extremely small, fragile parts in the chest and head assembly, so we recommend it for those who have some character kit experience. You can estimate the build time at around four hours.

2. Bandai’s 30 Minutes Sisters (30MS) Series

The 30 Minutes Sisters (30MS) line is Bandai’s highly successful customizable “mecha musume” line, akin to Frame Arms Girl or Megami Device, but it focuses on quick assembly and cross-compatibility. Uma Musume crossed over into this line, offering a different take on the characters.

• Featured Characters: The most notable release here is the 30MS Tokai Teio, with Bandai slightly adapting her design to fit the 30MS aesthetic.
• Key Features & Customization:
  • Interchangeability is Key: Its vast customization potential forms the primary appeal. All 30MS parts use standardized joints, which allows the Uma Musume characters to swap body parts, outfits, weapons, and accessories with any other kit in the 30MS or 30 Minutes Missions (30MM) lines.
  • Simpler Build: The design philosophy aims for faster, easier assembly—hence the “30 Minutes” moniker. The build is generally less intricate than the Figure-rise Standard line.
  • Soft Material Skirt: The 30MS Tokai Teio kit uses a soft, sheet-shaped material for her skirt. This maintains a smooth silhouette and ensures maximum leg movement without obstruction.
  • Focus on Expression: The 30MS kits also include multiple pre-printed face plates, making them very expressive right away.
  • The Trade-Off: While incredibly customizable and fun to build, 30MS kits may sacrifice the direct, screen-accurate detail of FRS kits for modularity, offering a unique, stylized version of the Uma Musume.

The Builder’s Edge: Advanced Techniques

While Bandai designs these kits for a great snap-fit experience, they become a blank canvas for true customization for the dedicated hobbyist.

Painting and Detailing

Even with excellent color separation, small details will remain for stickers or decals. For a truly professional look, builders can choose to paint these details instead.

• Panel Lining: This is the easiest and most impactful step. Applying a dark, thin wash (like Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color) into the recessed lines of the uniform and joints immediately makes the kit look sharper and more detailed by adding depth.
• Top Coating: Applying a matte or semi-gloss Top Coat protects the plastic and decals while giving the figure a uniform finish. A matte coat eliminates the “plastic toy” sheen for a cloth-like appearance.
• Metallic Accents: Metallic Accents on parts like buckles, clasps, or horseshoes look much better with a touch of metallic paint (using a fine brush or marker) than with the provided stickers.

Customization and Posing

The high articulation of the Figure-rise Standard kits allows for incredibly dynamic posing.

• The Running Pose: Mastering the Running Pose is key. The segmented skirt, flexible tail, and articulated torso work together. Use the included clear pedestal and support strut, which attaches to the back, to suspend the figure and perfectly recreate that mid-stride moment of acceleration.
• Mixing Parts (30MS): If you’re building the 30MS Tokai Teio, the possibilities are nearly endless. You can swap her head onto different bodies from the line, give her alternate costumes, or even equip her with the wide array of mechanical option parts available in the 30 Minutes lines for a truly unique look.
• Posing with Care: Posing with care is crucial. Be mindful of the small, delicate parts on FRS kits; forcing a joint can lead to a break. We often recommend gently loosening or sanding down joints slightly during the build for smoother movement.

Final Lap: Which Kit is Right for You?

Choosing your first Uma Musume kit depends on what you value most in the hobby:

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