DIY Delights: Customizing Your Anime Figures

Just like with any form of storytelling, we all find ourselves drawn to certain Anime characters for various reasons. We connect to fictional characters because they were brought to life through rich storytelling, fun artistry, and equally animated voice acting. You may find the intrigue of the Zabi family in Gundam irresistible, you are a secret fan of Pokemon’s Jessie and James, you have over 9000 memes of Dragon Ball Z’s Vegeta, or maybe you enjoy the nostalgia of Mario and Princess Peach. For whatever reason, you either cheer on your anime heroes or indulge in villain narratives. It’s only natural to want a figure of that character. 

Once you find the character that speaks to you, what’s left to do is find ways to have that figure speak for you through personal expression. Here are a few of the many fun and creative ways that you can add some DIY to your anime persona and customize your action figure!

Use a Posable Action Figure

One of the easiest ways to customize your action figure is to start with one that lets you change your figurine’s posture and, in some cases, facial expressions! Posable action figures are especially popular in Japan for this reason, as they provide quick and entertaining ways to bring life to your favorite character, helping to enhance your space with the right stance that can exude any emotion you want — surprise, confidence, trepidation, or joy, just to name a few, along with deciding whether they are standing, dancing, or running. 

We offer a wide variety of action figures you can customize through poses and other features, particularly its line of Figma from Good Smile Company to help you do that.

Make a Scene!

This can be an especially playful way to DIY your anime figure’s statement. Perhaps you want to recreate a famous scene from your character’s journey entirely with a 3D diorama that pays homage to a favorite moment. But just as excitingly, consider it a plot twist: your figurine is now the canvas for the art itself, as even the sky doesn’t have to be the limit for where you’d like to customize your action figure. Do you long for Totoro to be your neighbor? Recreate the scene to make Totoro your office coworker! Is Kamado Nezuko giving a rousing speech? Sure, why not? Have you dreamed of Godzilla knocking over Bowser to have tea with Princess Peach? It’s your DIY anime adventure, so we figure you should have fun with it! 

Customizing by juxtaposing your action figure in new and even silly settings is a creative way to tell a new story or even use your figure to tell your own. While creating from scratch is delightful, Plaza Japan is also here for this part of your creative journey, especially if you are looking for painting tools or building a few model buildings to help create the scene.

Decals

Decals of various kinds are tried and true ways to add distinction to your buildable models, particularly for customizing plastic action figures. To go wild, you can even mix and match from different fandoms - why not have a flame decal go on Roy Mustang’s uniform? It can be done in a snap!

Customization

Are you looking to get into a hobby like knitting or crocheting but don’t know where to start? Let your anime figure be your DIY muse! Whether you’re a veteran crafter or looking for a friendly subject to test your wares, adding a new hat, scarf, or even a felt pet can be a cute way to customize your anime figure. 

Once again, this is where Plaza Japan can help you along the way with your crafty projects, from embroidering to sewing and more.

Let the inspiration guide you!

At the end of the day, customizing your action figures is an extension of your hobby, your fandom, and your creative outlet. These suggestions are only springboards to wherever inspiration takes you next. As you ponder ways to add some DIY flair to your anime figures, consider some of the many reasons you simply like that figure, or even how your favorite character loves to express themselves: for example, are they a cook? Singers? Do they have secret talents? Finding ways to merge your fandom and character’s story with your own story can be a surprisingly profound experience with those real moments of delight. 

Ganbatte — you can do it!

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