Month: June 2023

Review of nanoblock Great Wall of China NBH_136

June 29, 2023March 12, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Great Wall of China build. The Great Wall of China 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_136

Country: China

Number of Pieces: 640

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

This build is different than most of the buildings in the Sights to See Collection; instead of having 1 large plate, there are 5 smaller plates that are staggered to create the base.

The build begins with setting the plates up and laying out the base of the hills in green. The darker green is actually a much bluer green which looked a little funny building but looks ok in the finished build. Then the 3rd green and tree stumps are added in the second step to create a complete base where all the base plates are connected.

Over the next several steps, the walls are built up using yellow or tan bricks. I’ve been to the Great Wall, and as far as I remember, the grey went all the way down the wall, not just on top of the wall, so I find the color change confusing.

The build is straightforward as long as you are careful to make sure to count between 1, 2, 3, and 4 on each layer added. Sometimes the 1s can be a bit tough to see.

There are 2 towers in the build. They are both made of shades of grey. I feel like the towers are reasonably close to how the towers actually look in real life.

The build also comes with a couple nanoids. I didn’t include them in my build because I don’t feel like they match the scale.

Things I liked:

I like the collection of greens to create the illusion of hills at the base of the walls

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t like the yellow/tan bricks as a base for the wall

Review of nanoblock Himeji Castle NBH_197

June 22, 2023May 17, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Himeji Castle build. The Himeji Castle is part of the nanoblock Sights to See series. Wondering what else is part of the Sights to See series? Click here for a list.

Number: NBH_197

Number of Pieces: 490

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Himeji Castle is one of the significant landmarks in Japan. It’s a white castle with a grey roof. While there is a deluxe edition, I also wanted to try the smaller model because there is a collection of miniature castles built on the same size base.

As to the build, there is a collection of white and light grey bricks to create the building. In terms of the directions, it is easy to tell what shape brick goes where. However, I personally had some difficulty telling where the white bricks were in the previous layer and which were light grey in the current layer. I also had challenges with the outer wall. I think I had to rebuild it like 3 times until it was there and ready to keep going.

To me, it was a really lovely building of a castle. I’m not how much it looks like Himeiji, but it is still clearly a Japanese castle.

Review of nanoblock Dorami NBCC_042

June 15, 2023March 16, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Dorami build. Dorami is part of the nanoblock Character collection. Wondering what else is part of the Character Collection? Click Here for a list.

Number: NBCC_042

Number of Pieces: 290

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Dorami is the younger sister of Doraemon. She is bright yellow with a red bow. For more information about Dorami, check out her wiki page here.

Dorami’s nanoblock build has 2 pieces. There is a head and a body. She also has a gadget that she can hold.

The body starts with a base layer of mostly yellow bricks. As you build the body, you add her pouch and her arms. Once you have made the core of the body, you add the feet and the tail.

After building the body, you make the head. Building the head is basically building a sphere while adding the facial details. Dorami has eyes, cheeks, nose, and a mouth. You also add the base for her bow. Once you build the sphere, you add the bow to the back of her head.

Dorami has a gadget that she can hold. I think it is the Small Light that is also included in the Dokodemo Door. It is a very straightforward build.

Things I liked:

I loved that they made one of the other Robot Cats from the series. I wish they would make more.

Things I didn’t like:

Dorami has a pocket unlike Doraemon, but I’m not sure that is clear what it is in this build

Review of nanoblock Shizuka NBCC_041

June 8, 2023March 16, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Shizuka build. Shizuka is part of the nanoblock Character collection. Wondering what else is part of the Character Collection? Click Here for a list.

Number: NBCC_041

Number of Pieces: 220

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Shizuka is the main female in the Doraemon series. She is also the main love interest for Nobita. For more information about her and her changes over the years, check out her wiki page here.

This build is made up the 2 parts. There is the head and the body.

The build starts with a base layer of dark pink bricks to make the base of the skirt. The skirt is built up in layers, and eventually, you build the shirt with light pink bricks. I really like the detail of Shizuka holding the violin. Lining up the bricks for the violin was a bit tricky.

After you build the body, you need to build the head. The head begins with a base layer and builds up in layers. As you build the head up, you add the ears, nose, and eyes. Flip it over once you close the head and add the pigtails and mouth. Then you connect the head to the body and finish the build.

Things I liked:

The fact Shizuka is playing the violin

Things I didn’t like:

The bricks used for the skin seem to have an orangish tint

Review of nanoblock Suneo NBCC_040

June 1, 2023March 16, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Suneo build. Suneo is part of the nanoblock Character collection. Wondering what else is part of the Character Collection? Click Here for a list.

Number: NBCC_040

Number of Pieces: 200

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Suneo is one of the main characters in the Doraemon series. He often hangs out with Gian and picks on Nobita. For more information about Suneo, check out his wiki page here.

This build is different from many of the Doraemon builds. This is because it is all built together instead of 2 pieces.

The build begins with a base of golden bricking to create the pants. Layers are then added to make the pants and then the top. Once you finish the shirt, you go directly into building the head.

The head is a bit more complicated by adding bits of bricks to enlarge the head and add details. You will add the eyes, nose, and ears when adding the details. The most dramatic part of this build is the hair. Suneo has hair that sticks out in front of his head, and the build captures the hair nicely while allowing the build to still stand.

Once you have built the head, you need to add the arms and legs. The arms are straightforward, but make sure you are careful when you attach the hands to the arms because if you don’t, the build won’t complete properly. The placement of the finished legs is a bit tricky. If you don’t place them just right the build will tip over.

The final step is to build the little remote control car. It is very straightforward.

Things I liked:

The added detail of the little car
The detail in the hair

Things I didn’t like:

I wish they had used the skin-tone bricks from the Demon Slayer builds. The skin tone is a little orange for my liking.