Shy Gal’s Building Blog

Review of nanoblock Optical fiber LED+ Merlion NBH_158

March 6, 2025August 11, 2024shygal

This post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. This commission allows me to give you more information about brick builds by enabling me to buy more sets. See my full disclosure here .

Optical fiber LED+ Merlion build and box

This post is a review of the nanoblock Optical fiber LED+ Merlion build. Optical fiber LED+ Merlion is part of the nanoblock Sights to See collection. Wondering what else is part of the Sights to See collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBH_158

Country: Singapore

Number of Pieces: 300

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Optical fiber LED+ Merlion off build front view

The Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore. I believe this build is the 8.6m tall statue at Merlion Park but there are several other statues around Singapore.

Optical fiber LED+ Merlion off build side view

This is a lit version of the nanoblock Merlion build number NBH_105. There is an optical fiber that directs the light from the NB-26 LED base plate.

The first step is to prepare the base of the fountain. The first step is to attach the blue plate making sure you end up with the holes lined up. Then you add the docks and the splashes in the water.

Optical fiber LED+ Merlion ok build front view

Most of this build is to create the actual Merlion. Overall the steps to build the Merlion are pretty straightforward. In a few cases, it is a bit tricky to tell where exactly to place the bricks depth-wise. Sadly once I had built several layers of my Merlion I noticed there were some gaps between layers. When I pushed tried to push the layer together, things would fall off instead of the build getting closer together.

The final step is to build the trees. They are very straightforward. Getting the taller trees to stand up straight was a bit tricky.

Optical fiber LED+ Merlion on build front 3/4 view

Things I liked:

I really like how the build looks when it is lit up
I like that when it is not lit up how it still looks like a normal fountain

Things I didn’t like:

When I noticed that there were gaps partway down, I couldn’t push them in place without the whole build collapsing

Review of nanoblock Ceruledge RS NBPM_R05

March 4, 2025January 24, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Ceruledge RS build. Ceruledge RS is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBPM_R05

Number of Pieces: 500

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Ceruledge is built in several small pieces that are all connected to each piece. Other than telling whether bricks were navy or black, each step was very straightforward.

Ceruledge was a bit more tricky than Armarouge because of the use of navy and black pieces and the fact that it is hard to tell the difference between the two colors in poor lighting.

The first step is to build the hips. These are only a few steps that are quickly completed.

The next step is to build is to build the 2 legs. There is one set of directions for each leg so that the legs are correctly mirrored.

The next step was to build the torso. It added the ball joints for the arms and the head connection.

The next step is to build the arms. I really like the use of clear bricks to make the blades. Once again, each arm has a set of directions to ensure things are correctly mirrored.

The next step is to build the stand. I really like how they gave Ceruledge a stand since there is no way it would be able to stand on its own.

The final step was to build the head. For some reason, I suddenly started having difficulty telling which blue to use based on the printed instructions. I was able to figure out which colors to use and was able to build the head.

Things I liked:

I really like that they gave you a stand so the model is able to stand up

Things I didn’t like:

I didn’t like how it was hard to tell which shade of blue to use looking at the instructions, and not every step said which blue to use

Review of nanoblock Five-Storied Pagoda NBH_088

February 27, 2025August 11, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Five-Storied Pagoda build. Five-Storied Pagoda is part of the nanoblock Sights to See collection. Wondering what else is part of the Sights to See collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBH_088

Country: Japan

Number of Pieces: 320

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

This kit is labeled as Bic Camera Limited. Bic Camera is a shop in Japan, so I’m guessing the set was only available there.

The Pagoda is built on a clear base and has clear blocks throughout it, which means that if the build is put on one of the LED plates, the entire pagoda will light up.

The build begins by laying the base layer of bricks on the clear 20×20 base. This includes the walls and the base of the pagoda. Over the next few steps, the wall is built, and the larger base story of the pagoda is added.

While building the base story of the pagoda, there are some clear green bricks added. In the instructions, they appear to be clear kiwi green instead of the dark green bricks that were provided. I was very confused with this instruction, and it took me a while to figure out to use the dark green.

After building the base story, the 4 additional stories are all identical and added using large steps showing about 5 layers of bricks in one step. Even though there are lots of layers, there is a lot of space, and the printed arrows are clear, so the instructions are easy to follow.

After building all 5 layers, the roof and roof decoration are added. Both are very straightforward.

This kit did come with 3 nanoids that I chose to not include because I’m not sure if they are in scale with the building. A lot of time, nanoids are not to scale.

Things I liked:

I like the use of the clear blocks so that the pagoda can be lit

Things I didn’t like:

I wish the color in the instructions for the clear green had been closer to the actual brick color

Review of nanoblock Armarouge RS NBPM_R04

February 25, 2025January 24, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Armarouge RS build. Armarouge RS is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBPM_R04

Number of Pieces: 600

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

The first step is to build the center body. I built it on my nanoblock pad. It began by laying the base out on my nanoblock pad. It went up very straightforwardly in layers.

The next step is to build the legs. There is an independent direction for each leg. I built each on my nanoblock pad. The directions for each leg are slightly different to get the correct piece to show in the upper leg section.

The next step is to build the hands and arms. There are 2 sets of directions, one for each arm. They are mirrored so that the hands appear correctly.

The next step is to build the shoulder guards. These are straightforward. I like how the arms are poseable even though such large guards are on the shoulders.

I was super excited to see that there was a stand for this kit. Based on how the legs are built, it would be super hard to get the build to stand on its own. The stand was very straightforward to build and attach.

The hardest part of this build was putting the head together. After building the base of the head, it goes up in layers. As I was placing bricks, the placement seemed kinda random, so I had to trust the process. After building the front of the head, I built the flame coming off the back of the head.

Things I liked:

I really like that the build comes with a stand because it was clear that the build wouldn’t stand on its own

Things I didn’t like:

Surprisingly, I had difficulty making the head, so I had to remove and redo several layers. I’m still not sure that the head is 100% right

Review of nanoblock Shigezo NBH_120

February 20, 2025August 11, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Shigezo build. Shigezo is part of the nanoblock Sights to See collection. Wondering what else is part of the Sights to See collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBH_120

Number of Pieces: 190

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

I bought this kit used, knowing I would at least get the instructions. I ended up buying a second set in order to get the bricks I was missing since I couldn’t buy them individually. Sadly, however, the white has become yellow with age. The discolored bricks may be visible in my photographs.

Shigezo was a popular entertainer who is/was active in Yoshimoto Shinkigeki. Yoshimoto Shinkigeki is a variety show in Osaka.

This kit has 3 sections. There is the head, the body, and the feet.

The head begins with the layer that has his teeth, face, and hair. I was able to lay this layer out on my nanoblock pad which was nice so that the teeth couldn’t roll away. The head goes up in fairly straightforward layers building the on the face and hair in each layer. After building the top of the head, I flipped the head over and added the chin area. Adding the chin was difficult because it was upside down, so I was guessing a bit as to which bricks to use.

At no point while I was building the body was I really positive about what I was doing. I began the build by laying the base layer of bricks on my nanoblock pad. I added each layer as instructed, even though each step seemed random at the time. In the end, I ended up with a completed body section that appears to be holding a sword.

The feet are very straightforward. It is just a few layers of bricks connected to the base.

The last step is to combine the 3 sections into 1 complete piece.

Things I liked:

I actually really like how the finished model looks, especially the body. It looks complete with a lot of little details, such as how the fabric would flow

Things I didn’t like:

I didn’t enjoy building upside down. Normally, I can figure out where things are connected, but this time, I had a really hard time

Review of nanoblock Quaxly RS NBPM_R03

February 18, 2025January 24, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Quaxly RS build. Quaxly RS is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBPM_R03

Number of Pieces: 280

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

This kit begins with building the main section of the body. It is building the front and back of the body with a gap in the middle. The entire section I was able to build on my nanoblock pad.

The next section is to build the wings. There is a center pillar that has some ball joints for the wings to attach. Then, I built the wings and attached them to the ball joints.

Now that the body is complete, it is time to add the feet. I built 2 identical feet and attached them to the bottom of Quaxly’s body.

The next major section is to build Quaxly’s head. I was able to build the first several steps on my nanoblock pad. The base was fairly straightforward. At some point, I added the dark blue eyes.

After building a lot of the head, it is time to build Quaxly’s most distinguishing feature, his hair. The steps to build the hair are very clear. Building the hair adds a checkerboard pattern in front, which I think looks a little odd. I do like how there is a wave in the front of the hair.

The final step is to add some details to the bottom of the head and to attach the head to the body.

Things I liked:

I like how poseable the figure is between the wings and feet

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t like the checkerboard in front of the hair

Review of nanoblock Succhi NBH_119

February 13, 2025August 11, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Succhi build. Succhi is part of the nanoblock Sights to See collection. Wondering what else is part of the Sights to See collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBH_119

Number of Pieces: 190

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

I believe from research there is a typo in the translation of the Romanji. Other people refer to the build as Sutchi. They were popular entertainer who is/was active in Yoshimoto Shinkigeki. Yoshimoto Shinkigeki is a variety show in Osaka.

The build is made up of 3 sections. There is the base, body, and head.

The head is by far the most difficult section to build. This is because of the glasses. The head starts with a base that builds up in layers. There are several sections where there are overhangs held on by one stud. The glasses are tricky because they are created with 1×1 and 1×2 with 1 stud on top. Getting everything lined up is tricky.

The skirt and body were fairly straightforward. The hardest part was building the arms. Once again, each arm was held in place with one stud. The arms are locked in place, so once they are put together, they have an easy time staying in place.

The base section is very straightforward and is simply attaching the legs to the base.

The hardest part was was putting the final build together. Each section is at an angle. There isn’t really much guidance on where to put each section.

Things I liked:

I like the depth and detail in the glasses

Things I didn’t like:

I didn’t like the lack of guidance as to how to put the sections together

Review of nanoblock Fuecoco RS NBPM_R02

February 11, 2025January 24, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Fuecoco RS build. Fuecoco RS is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBPM_R02

Number of Pieces: 410

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

The first thing I noticed when I looked at the directions was how cramped the directions were. This meant that I needed to be more careful as I was building the set since there were so many little cutouts in the directions.

The build begins with building one side of the base of the Fuecoco. Over the next several steps the base of the Fuecoco is built. Once the entire base was built, I began to build the body section in layers. There was one step where it took me a while to figure out what brick was needed. This is because it appeared to be slanted in the directions and I had missed there was a flat piece used in the step.

The next step is to build the stubby little legs off the body and attach them. Overall, the legs are clear on how to build them and attach them.

The next step is to add the little arms.

Next, I built the head. It started from a maroon base of the mouth. Once again, it begins with a corner and builds out to create a base of the mouth. After building the entire base, the rest of the head goes up in layers. Fuecoco has dark grey eyes, which is unusual in Pokemon builds, which typically feature black eyes.

The final step is to build the neck section. The following section is straightforward, and it is clear where to connect the pieces. I really like how Fuecoco can have his mouth open a little bit. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a photo where Fuecoco has closed its mouth all the way

Things I liked:

I really like how the mouth is slightly open because that is how the Pokemon is usually seen

Things I didn’t like:

I didn’t like how cramped the directions where

Review of nanoblock Milky Peko NBH_063

February 6, 2025August 11, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Milky Peko build. Milky Peko is part of the nanoblock Sights to See collection. Wondering what else is part of the Sights to See collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBH_039

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Peko is an unusual package because her name is written in Japanese characters, whereas most of the other kits are written in English or Romanji. It’s also strange because all the imagery I can find of Peko has her name written in Romanji, not Katakana. Peko is one of the mascots for a confectionery shop in Japan named Fujiya. She has been around since the 1950s.

This build has 3 major sections. There is the base, the head, and the body.

The base is a piece of candy the Peko sits on. It is white with speckles of pink and baby blue. It begins with building the center section of the candy. Then the ends of candy are added. Then the top of the candy is added and rounded up.

The head is truly a marvel in getting things to line up. This is because there are a huge number of bricks that have space for 2 studs on the bottom and only 1 stud on top. These bricks require extra work to make sure everything lines up properly. The instructions were very clear, but it could be a bit difficult to tell where the off shifts were.

The body fairly straightforward. The first layer had from bricks offset so I wasn’t able to use my nanoblock pad. After the first layer was lined up and locked in the rest of the body is very straightforward.

Things I liked:

I really like how the build catches details of Peko-chan, such as her tongue being out and the buttons in her overalls

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t like the large brick that represents her mouth. Peko-chan appears to only have a smile with her tongue out, so making her seem like her mouth open is an odd choice

Review of nanoblock Sprigatito RS NBPM_R01

February 4, 2025January 24, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Sprigatito RS build. Sprigatito RS is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBPM_R01

Number of Pieces: 280

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Sprigatito is the grass starter for Generation 9. This kit features a custom brick color for the lighter green.

The build has 3 sections, the body, tail, and head.

The build begins with building the body. I lay the body out on my nanoblock pad. The body is very straightforward.

After building the body, I flipped the body over and added the legs.

The next section to build is the tail. It is also very straightforward.

The last major section is the head. The beginning of the head is a bit unusual because it takes about 10 steps to create the entire base building from the back to the front.

Once the base of the head is created, the rest of the head is fairly straightforward. I just needed to be careful about which slanty pieces I used. The eyes were also a bit tricky to connect because it wasn’t clear where things lined up or when higher than the base.

Things I liked:

I really like the custom green color that nanoblock created for this build

Things I didn’t like:

I wish the instructions were a bit clearer for the eyes