I bought this as a gift for my 11-year old grandson who is very keen on construction kits and particularly identified this model ship as the one that he really wanted. He absolutely loves it and managed to have it built in record time. He is now busy painting it in the appropriate colours. I would recommend this to adults or older children who are enthusiastic model makers. It has some very small and delicate parts so needs very careful handling.
Great model and pride of the IJN. Must read and study the entire manual several times BEFORE startinig to paint or assemble. Should re-consider the building sequence based on size of parts and installation. Must be very, very careful removing and building the antenna due to the fragility of the pieces. The four airplanes stand out becaues they are painted green and care must be taken when putting them together,painting and applying decals. This is my fourth Tamiya 1/350 Battleship model and I found out these kits will be very scarce and consequently the price will increase dramatically. Tamiya paint is also have to find.
When I saw the great reviews on these detailed models combined with a great sale price I decided to pass some cold winter time (well not so cold this year) putting this together. About 10 hours into the project it is immensely enjoyable. The detail is terrific. The parts are exceptionally well marked and packaged. The larger scale is making this look great as it comes together. The inticacies remind me of trying flies or loading shells and it is equally relaxing. It has also lead me back to researching and reading some excellent material on the Pacific naval battles and ships which is as much fun as the model building. This would be great adult/child project but is probably a bit too detailed for a young modeler on their own.
Like many of my generation I spent enjoyable hours as a kid putting together ship and aircraft models with my dad. Like most of his generation, he and his brothers had all served in WWII or in his case built aircraft. The stories that went with the models were real and told by uncles with simple anchor or U.S.M.C. tattoos. I admit this makes the model all the more fun as it would for others with similar upbringings.