Month: January 2024

Review of nanoblock Grand Piano NBC_017

January 25, 2024November 20, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Grand Piano build. Grand Piano is part of the nanoblock Mini Collection series. Wondering what else is part of the Mini Collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBC_017

Number of Pieces: 150

Difficulty Rating: 2

The build begins with creating the main body of the piano. It is a simple 3 layers of bricks that can easily be built on the nanoblock pad.

Next, the legs are added. It is a little hard to see where exactly to connect the bricks to the main body. Getting things lined up is important because the main piano can be connected to a 10×10 base that is provided with the kit.

The next part is the trickiest part of the build. It is building the piano cover. It is tricky because it isn’t actually connected to the main body of the piano. The large section can be built on the nanoblock pad. It was straightforward, but getting a clean line at the edge of the top section was a bit tricky. The top section lays at angles on the top of the piano. It creates the image that the Grand Piano is open.

The final step is to build the stool for the piano. It is very straightforward.

Things I liked:

I like how the piano appears to be open even though it is created by just laying a section on top of another section

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t like how there is a base for the piano but not the stool, so the matching set is at different heights

Review of nanoblock Cockatiel NBC_009

January 18, 2024November 20, 2023shygal

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

Number: NBC_009

Number of Pieces: 90

Difficulty Rating: 1

This was a kit that I bought used, knowing I would get the bricks and instructions. However, due to their age and used nature, the white bricks are a bit discolored. The slight yellowing of the white bricks can be seen in some of the photos.

This kit is unusual for an NBC kit compared to the other kits I have purchased. The instructions are completely in Japanese. For most other kits I have bought, the colors are at least in English. I think that this could be one of the original kits from one of the early production runs.

I know some Japanese from school, and there is a photo on the package, so I worked to build the kit and was able to match the colors to be able to build the Cockatiel.

The build begins with a base layer of white bricks. I built the layers using my nanoblock pad. The main body of the bird is white.

The body narrows to create a head. At this point, the head changes to yellow with additional colors to create details.

At this point, the build is flipped upside down, and the legs and feet are added to finish the build. The Cockatiel came with a 10×10 display stand that holds the finished bird.

Things I liked:

It was a nice, simple build, and a cute little bird model was created. There is also a nice amount of detail, considering how low of an NBC number it has.

Things I didn’t like:

Reading the Japanese was a bit hard, but again, I think it’s because I got such an early production run kit

Review of nanoblock Blue Parakeet or Budgerigar NBC_016

January 11, 2024November 20, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Blue Parakeet build. Blue Parakeet is part of the nanoblock Mini Collection series. Wondering what else is part of the Mini Collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBC_016

Number of Pieces: 80

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

I’m not sure which name to identify this kit as. This is because I have 2 kits that both have the number NBC_016; however, each kit has a different name. I think the name may depend on where the kits were sold. I’m not sure where in the world these kits came from. I’ve chosen to identify this kit more as Blue Parakeet since I’m pretty sure there are multiple kits named Budgerigar.

The kit begins with bricks in two shades of blue. The parakeet goes up in layers, shifting between blues and brown to build the body.

After building the body, the head is built in white. Details like the beak and eyes are added while the head is being built.

The final step is to add the legs and feet. The parakeet comes with a base to place the finished bird on.

Things I liked:

I like the number of colors that go into the build between the shades of blue, brown, and white.

Things I didn’t like:

The fact that the kit has multiple names is confusing

Review of nanoblock Geoffrey NBC_165

January 4, 2024November 20, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Geoffrey build. Geoffrey is part of the nanoblock Mini Collection. Wondering what else is part of the Mini Collection? Click here for a list.

Geoffrey is a very famous Giraffe. He is the mascot for Toys R Us.

Number: NBC_165

Number of Pieces: 160

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Geoffrey was a kit that I bought totally opened; I did make sure there were bricks and instructions. Before starting the build, I pulled the kit that arrived apart and split all the bricks by size and color. I then started the build.

The nanoblock set has several different sections. There is the head, neck, arms, legs, and body.

A common technique in this build is to put round 1×1 into the non-ball section of the ball joint. I generally don’t care for this technique because it makes the builds much harder to put away later.

The head I was able to start building on my nanoblock pad. It went up in simple straightforward layers. The hardest part was getting the ears lined up because there was only one stud on top. After building the top of the head, it’s flipped over, and the bottom jaw and mouth are attached.

The neck is a very straightforward 2 layer chain of bricks.

The legs are very straightforward. Attention to detail is required to make sure that the legs line up straight.

The body I once again built on my pad. I enjoyed all the ways that the layers were arranged differently to create gaps in the yellow for the orange spots. After building to the top of the body, you flip the body over and add the hips and tail.

The arms are straightforward. It creates elbows in the layers of bricks.

The last step is to connect all the sections at the ball joints.

I was surprised that the final build was able to stand on its own. I’ve had a hard time posing Geoffrey to make him look like the photo on the package.

Things I liked:

That the final build is able to stand

Things I didn’t like:

I think his arms look really funny and are hard to pose well.