Shy Gal’s Building Blog - Page 20 - Your reference for LEGO and nanoblock builds

Review of nanoblock San Francisco Cable Car NBH_132

June 16, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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This post is a review of the nanoblock San Francisco Cable Car build. The San Francisco Cable Car 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_132

Country: USA

Number of Pieces: 240

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

When you open the box, you will notice the block with the raised center, which is not a normal nanoblock. I enjoyed building around the outside of the brick, and it created all the windows. After making the base, you build the roof with some details. It was a little tricky getting the top attached since there were so many 1×1 stacks on the main body of the build.

Overall I think it is a nice build and fun. The colors are ones you don’t see in many builds, which is a nice change of pace.

Things I liked:

I really like how the colors and details look together

Things I didn’t like:

There aren’t wheels that spin
I don’t really like the people and didn’t put them on my model

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Glaceon NBPM_072

June 14, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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

Names:

English: Glaceon
Japanese: Glacia

Number: NBPM_072

Number of Pieces: 160

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

As of this posting, nanoblock has released kits for all 9 eeveelutions. The builds have gotten more detailed as time has passed, so the first 3 builds are a bit simpler. I find that all the kits are recognizable for the pokemon they are supposed to be. Glaceon is the grass type of eeveelution from generation 4. Glaceon has various shades of blue with triangular ear decorations and tail.

This nanoblock build is made of 3 blues, there is a navy, a pastel, and a cerulean blue. You begin the build by making a base. You build up the body in layers of blue bricks. Once you have built the body, you add the triangular tail.

The next step is to build the head. You begin creating a base of all three blues. Next, you build up the head in layers using the various shades of blue. Framing the main pastel blue of the head you add the details for the rest of the face. I really liked how they used the cerulean to frame and create the top of the head. Once you finish the head you attach it to the body.

The final step is to add the details. First, you attach the triangular ear decorations to the head. Then you attach the feet and you have a completed build.

Overall I really did enjoy the build. I really liked the amount of detail they put into the build.

Things I liked:

The creation of the ear details

Things I didn’t like:

It took a long time for the head to be solid and not falling apart

Review of nanoblock Slime Knight

June 9, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Slime Knight build. The Slime Knight is part of the nanoblock Dragon Quest series. Wondering what else is part of the Dragon Quest series? Click Here for a list.

Number of Pieces: 140

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

The Slime Knight is a reasonably common monster in the Dragon Quest series. It looks like a knight that is riding on the slime. When I initially looked at the set, I was worried that the kit would be super hard. I was pleasantly surprised when I got around to building how great the directions were. The build is made of 2 parts the slime and the knight.

The slime begins with a base, and you start building up like the other slime builds. In the second layer, you begin to develop the face of the slime. Over the next 4 steps, you create the rest of the face and close up the top of the slime. Starting in stage 6, you begin to build the knight, but you also add the final bits to make the slime a teardrop.

One of the things I really like about the knight is that none of its limbs are symmetrical. You build the knight on your almost completed slime. You start with legs going in two different directions. Next, you add the knight’s body. After making the body, it’s time to attach the arms. One arm holds a sword, and one arm holds the shield. Both arms have a ton of detail, so you can really tell what the knight is holding. The final detail is the head. It is seated at an angle, so it is lined up with the front of the slime.

Things I liked:

The amount of detail and how both sides of the knight don’t match

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t love the clear with the solid color on the slime

Review of nanoblock Leafeon NBPM_071

June 7, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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

Names:

English: Leafeon
Japanese: Leafia

Number: NBPM_071

Number of Pieces: 140

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

As of this posting, nanoblock has released kits for all 9 eeveelutions. The builds have gotten more detailed as time has passed, so the first 3 builds are a bit simpler. I find that all the kits are recognizable for the pokemon they are supposed to be. Leafeon is the grass type of eeveelution from generation 4. Leafeon is generally cream with leaves for ears and tail.

The nanoblock build begins by creating a cream base. You add layers of cream to make the body adding little details of cream. The final step of the body is to add the green two-tone leaf tail.

The next step is to build the head. Once again, you begin with a cream base. You add layers of cream but bring in brown, white, and cream for various face details. I had some problems adding the detail of the leaf in the center of the head because it liked to push down. Then you add the ears using 2 shades of green with brown, adding a centerline to the ears. Once you have completed the head, you connect the head to the body.

The final step of the build is to add the feet. They are a little hard to line up since the directions have the bricks upside down.

Overall I enjoyed the build. I really like how the 2 shades of green look in the finished build. I also liked how clear the directions were overall.

Things I liked:

The use of 2 shades of green to create the leaf effect

Things I didn’t like:

Getting the head leaf lined up

Review of nanoblock Slime King

June 2, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Slime King build. The Slime King is part of the nanoblock Dragon Quest series. Wondering what else is part of the Dragon Quest series? Click Here for a list.

Number of Pieces: 370

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Slime Kings are giant slime. In some games, you battle a smaller Slime that calls friends. Once there are 5 or so Slimes on the battlefield, they merge into a Slime King. In other games, the Slime King is a monster you can talk and interact with.

Like most of the other slime builds, this build is created with clear blocks. Regular nanoblocks are used for the face and crown. This build is similar to the Slime L build for the base. Over the first 5 steps, you lay out the bottom of the build while also making the second layer that holds the base together. After completing the base, you begin to add height to the build. You do this by tracing around the outside. You add a few layers of just blue to make up the fat body of the slime. Then you add the details of the face, including eyes and a mouth, in additional layers. After you add the face, you begin to close up the body. Once the head of the slime is almost closed up, it’s time to add the crown. You start with a layer of goldish yellow bricks to form the base of the crown. You then add the green and purple detail of the body of the crown. The crown is topped off with a gold detail as a finish.

Overall after completing the base, I found this build to be delightful. The base is tricky, along with some of the steps to close up the body. I feel like the build is highly recognizable as a King Slime. I really like some of their details to make it look right. This includes the coloring of his crown and the fact that they created puffed-out cheeks.

Things I liked:

The cheeks are puffed out, though it is a bit hard to see.
I like the detail in the crown

Things I didn’t like:

I’m still not a fan of clear bricks

Review of nanoblock Umbreon NBPM_044

May 31, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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

Names:

English: Umbreon
Japanese: Blacky

Number: NBPM_044

Number of Pieces: 130

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

As of this posting, nanoblock has released kits for all 9 eeveelutions. The builds have gotten more detailed as time has passed. I find that all the kits are recognizable for the pokemon they are supposed to be. Umbreon is the Dark-type of eeveelution from generation 2. Umbreon is black, with yellow details on its legs, ears, and tail. Unlike earlier builds, Umbreon appears to be standing.

Umbreon is built by separately building the body and attaching the tail, head, and legs. The body begins with a rectangle with areas for the legs jutting off the rectangle. The rest of the body is built up like normal. The tail is also a simple build. The head is a standard build up from a base. The ears can be tricky to get things lined up since each ear is different. It can also be tricky to get the head lined up correctly.

Overall I really like the Umbreon build because the details that make Umbreon recognizable are there. I also like that it stands compared to the generation 1 eeveelutions.

Things I liked:

That it appears to be standing

Things I didn’t like:

The grey nose is kind of random

Review of nanoblock Dracky

May 26, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Dracky build. The Dracky is part of the nanoblock Dragon Quest series. Wondering what else is part of the Dragon Quest series? Click Here for a list.

Number of Pieces: 170

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Dracky is one of several recurring monsters in the Dragon Quest series. It kind of looks like a bat. I liked the navy color, which is also unique for a nanoblock. The model is round and balanced on three 1×3 bricks. I was worried the model would have difficulty standing, but I was pleasantly surprised that it balanced just fine.

The build begins with a base of navy bricks. On the second layer, you begin to add the mouth. You continue to build up the outside of the monster, eventually adding the details of the fangs and eyes. You ultimately close up the beast, and then it’s time for more details. First, you build wings that mirror each other. I like that these wings have some depth instead of just being flat. Next, you add the tiny antennas that are just a chain of 1x2s. The final step to the Dracky is to add his little feet and tail. Once you have the completed monster, it’s time to get it up on the stand.

Things I liked:

The unique color
How solid it is standing

Things I didn’t like:

The instructions for the feet and tail are super compact

Review of nanoblock Espeon NBPM_043

May 24, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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

Names:

English: Espeon
Japanese: Eifie

Number: NBPM_043

Number of Pieces: 130

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

As of this posting, nanoblock has released kits for all 9 eeveelutions. The builds have gotten more detailed as time has passed. I find that all the kits are recognizable for the pokemon they are supposed to be. Espeon is the Psychic-type of eeveelution from generation 2. Umbreon is black, with yellow details on its legs, ears, and tail. Unlike earlier builds, Espeon appears to be standing.

Espeon is an average nanoblock build where you start with a base and build up to create a body. Once you build the body, you make a head. The head’s trickiest part is getting the ears just right. The directions are pretty straightforward for building them, but it can be tricky. Then you need to attach the tail. I had difficulty lining up all the squares in the tail perfectly and wish they had used round bricks.

Overall I like the Espeon build. I think that the lavender bricks are close to the actual color.

Things I liked:

The color that they used

Things I didn’t like:

wish they used round bricks for the tail

Review of nanoblock Empire State Building NBA_001

May 19, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of one of the nanoblock Empire State Building builds.

Number: NBA_001

Number of Pieces: 740

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

One of the most recognizable buildings in New York City is the Empire State Building. Almost every building company has made at least one if not multiple models. I know nanoblock, for example, has 2 or more because they have different product numbers. Overall I feel like this model does an excellent job of including multiple major details of the building, including where the building has indents.

Overall I did not love the build. You start with a base plate and build up. The first couple of layers are annoying because you are putting 2 wide bricks on top of one-line stacks, which means things can be leaning into the center. After the first couple of layers, things just get repetitive. There is actually a direction telling you to repeat steps 6 more times.

Things I liked:

It looks like the building

Things I didn’t like:

Very repetitive build

Review of nanoblock Jolteon NBPM_021

May 17, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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

Names:

English: Jolteon
Japanese: Thunders

Number: NBPM_021

Number of Pieces: 170

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

As of this posting, nanoblock has released kits for all 9 eeveelutions. The builds have gotten more detailed as time has passed, so the first 3 builds are a bit simpler. I find that all the kits are recognizable for the pokemon they are supposed to be. Jolteon is the thunder type of eeveelution from generation 1. Jolteon is generally very spikey, especially with its collar and tail.

The Jolteon build is pretty straightforward with building up off rectangle. The spikes for the tail are created by using L-shapes and T-shapes using 1 stud to hold the piece in place and having the rest hang off. In general, things are layered, so the spikes are kept in place instead of being pushable to move. The trickiest part of the build was getting the tail lined up and completing the ears.

I enjoyed the Jolteon build overall. I feel that they did an excellent job with the spikiness of Jolteon’s tail.

Things I liked:

The tail detail

Things I didn’t like:

Not as much detail as the more recent eeveelution

Link to order: Amazon