Hello Kitty and Friends Star in Sanrio’s Adorable New Official Model Kit Collection
Image by James RichardsonBandai and Sanrio have officially unveiled an adorable new collection of model kits that lets fans build and display Hello Kitty and her friends in miniature scenes inspired by their everyday lives.
The “SNAP SCENE Sanrio Characters: Welcome Home” collection introduces a new model kit series with eight collectible designs featuring Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi and Cinnamoroll.
Sanrio has been creating characters for more than five decades, with Hello Kitty making her debut in 1974 before becoming one of Japan’s most successful international mascots.
My Melody followed in 1975, with Cinnamoroll and Kuromi joining the lineup in the 2000s and developing their own large international fanbases.
The four characters have frequently appeared together in merchandise collections, games and collaborations, with their different personalities and appearances making them popular subjects for collectible figures.
Bandai first revealed the new SNAP SCENE series at the 64th All Japan Model and Hobby Show in October 2026, introducing a different approach to the company’s usual plastic model kits.
The series is designed around the idea of capturing a small moment from a character’s daily life, combining simple assembly with miniature displays that can be completed without glue or specialized tools.
One of the collection’s most interesting features is its specially designed plastic runners, which form decorative house-shaped frames instead of the ordinary rectangular supports found in most model kits.
The characters and their accessories can be assembled into miniature scenes, but the runners are also designed to form part of the display rather than simply being discarded once the pieces are removed.
Each kit includes partially pre-painted components and its own display base, allowing builders to recreate the intended colors and details without needing to paint the finished model.
Bandai has also designed the accessories and selected components to be interchangeable across the collection, giving fans the opportunity to experiment with different arrangements when collecting multiple kits.
The “Welcome Home” lineup features four Sanrio characters, each available in two different versions:
- Hello Kitty: Standard Color and Clear Color
- My Melody: Standard Color and Clear Color
- Kuromi: Standard Color and Clear Color
- Cinnamoroll: Standard Color and Clear Color
The standard versions use each character’s usual coloring, whereas the Clear Color variants incorporate translucent plastic for a different appearance.
All eight designs are sold in blind boxes, meaning buyers won’t know which character or color version they have received until the package is opened.
The straightforward snap-together construction is intended to make the kits accessible to people without previous model-building experience, with assembly estimated to take approximately 15 to 30 minutes.
Sanrio has previously explored a similar concept through Agatsuma’s “Sanrio Assemble Plastic Doll – Candy Factory” model kit series, which launched in 2025.
That earlier collection also featured Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi and Cinnamoroll, but used individual magnetic display bases that could be connected to create a larger Candy Factory scene.
Bandai has also produced several other collectibles featuring the same characters, including its “Sanrio Characters Lollipop Candy Charm Collection”, which recreated seven Sanrio mascots as miniature chocolate-dipped lollipops.
Pre-orders for “SNAP SCENE Sanrio Characters: Welcome Home” have already opened in the US, with BigBadToyStore offering individual blind-boxkits for $9.99 and an estimated arrival in April 2027, whilst Gundam Planet is also accepting pre-orders at $9.95, with stock currently expected in May 2027.
If you enjoyed this article, you can see more from us directly in your Google feed by adding us as a preferred source.
This post may contain affiliate links, and Essential Japan may earn a commission if you purchase through them.
