Shy Gal’s Building Blog - Page 4 - Your reference for LEGO and nanoblock builds

Review of nanoblock Blinky and Inky NBCC_106

June 25, 2024May 28, 2024shygal

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This post is a review of the nanoblock Blinky and Inky build. Blinky and Inky is part of the nanoblock Character collection. Wondering what else is part of the Character collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBCC_106

Number of Pieces: 180

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Blinky and Inky are 2 of the ghosts from the Pac-Man video game. They travel around the map trying to kill Pac-Man.

There are 2 other ghosts in the video game, Pinky and Clyde. However, there isn’t a kit for Pinky and Clyde. I have looked at the parts required for each ghost, and currently, the bricks required to build Pinky and Clyde are not produced, so it doesn’t seem possible to make the ghosts at this point in time.

Blinky and Inky are identical builds, except 1 build is in light blue for Inky, and 1 build is in red for Blinky.

The build is made of several smaller sections that are stacked on top of each other to create the main body of the ghost.

First, there is the base layer that creates an outline of the base of the ghost.

Next is a section of a few layers that creates the back of the ghost.

Next is a section that creates the eyes.

The final section is a hat that closes up the eye section and the back section.

Once the main body of the ghost is complete, the build is flipped over, and the little legs are added to the bottom of the build.

Things I liked:

I really like how the eyes are offset and how the angles are created sadly, this means special blocks are needed, so special blocks are needed to build the other 2 ghosts

Things I didn’t like:

That only 2 of the ghosts are represented, and the other 2 can’t be created with leftover parts

Review of nanoblock Chimpanzee NBC_069

June 20, 2024February 29, 2024shygal

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

Number: NBC_069

Number of Pieces: 130

Difficulty Rating: 4

This section is broken into 3 parts. There is the head, main body, and the Chimpanzee’s rear end.

The head is a bit difficult to build. This is because, overall, the head is very flexible while you are building it. Whenever I added new bricks to a new section, some of the previously added bricks would fall off.

The Chimpanzee’s hips and rear end are another major section of the build. This section was very straightforward.

The third major section is the body. I would highly recommend building on a nanoblock pad. This is because there are bricks that are added to a level but not pinned in place until a couple layers later. Besides things not getting pinned in place by each layer, the build is fairly straightforward.

These 3 sections are connected to build the main body of the Chimpanzee.

The last step is to add the legs. The back legs are identical and are very simple. The front legs are trickier and require reading directions full of arrows, which makes reading more difficult. There is a display stand for the Chimpanzee. I had a surprisingly difficult time getting my build to sit on the stand.

Things I liked:

I like how recognizable the build is as Chimpanzee

Things I didn’t like:

Lining him up on the base was surprisingly difficult. I was able to attach it, but it took much longer than I expected

Review of nanoblock Pesuke NBCC_026

June 18, 2024May 28, 2024shygal

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

Number: NBCC_026

Difficulty Rating: 1/5

Pesuke is from “Pesuke and Usagi.” I’m not sure if he is a chick or a ghost, but I think both the anime style and nanoblock build are cute.

Since this kit is so old, I had a hard time finding the kit. I was able to find a kit that had been completed with the instructions. The kit arrived prebuilt in a Tupperware container. I don’t have the packaging for the kit. I’ve written my description of the build based on the directions.

Pesuke has tiny feet. For this reason, the build is built on a 2×10 base. The feet are placed on the front section with a clear brick on the back. However, according to the directions, Pesuke is placed on one end of the base instead of being centered, which is unusual.

After placing the feet on the base, the rest of the build is built in simple layers. At the beginning of the build, the layers are white. Once you reach the head, colored bricks are used to create cheeks, nose, and eyes.

After building the face, the head is closed up, creating a rounded dome shape.

Things I liked:

I really appreciate that nanoblock keeps his feet small so he looks like the character

Things I didn’t like:

I wish the instructions recommended centering the build on the base brick instead of having it off to one side

Review of nanoblock Dachshund NBC_010

June 13, 2024February 29, 2024shygal

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

Number: NBC_010

Number of Pieces: 80

Difficulty Rating: 1

This kit’s instructions were in black and white with the colors labeled in Japanese. It was still fairly easy to put the kit together because most of the build is the dark brown brick color.

The build begins with a layer of brown bricks. I lay the bricks out on my nanoblock pad. The body of the dog goes up in layers to create the entire body.

The next step is to build the head. The head is straightforward layers. There are black details to create the eyes and nose. The head is flipped over, and the ears are added.

The body of the dog is flipped over, and the legs and paws are added. I attached the head to the body, and then I attached the finished dog to the build.

The final step is to build the food bowl and bone. The bowl is very straightforward. The bone is loose and can fall out of the bowl.

Things I liked:

I really like the color of the Dachshund

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t like that the bone is loose. I never like it when there are loose parts to the build

Review of nanoblock Chipmunk NBC_089

June 6, 2024February 29, 2024shygal

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

Number: NBC_089

Number of Pieces: 160

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

This build was a bit tricky because there are white and cream bricks. The colors are similar, so making sure I selected the right color just took paying extra attention.

This build is a level 3 difficulty. This is because there are a number of points where things are not square. This creates the idea that the blocks are smaller than they are. It is tricky to work around these non-centered pieces, but the instructions are good, so everything lines up properly.

The Chipmunk is broken into 3 sections, the head, body, and final details.

The first section is to build the head. The second step is where off-center bricks are introduced to the build. Other than the off-center bricks, the rest of the head goes up in simple layers. I really like how puffy the chipmunk’s cheeks are.

The second major section is to build the body of the chipmunk. The first layer of bricks includes an off-center brick. Then the body of the chipmunk goes up in fairly straightforward layers. At one point, the brick is actually held in place from the top instead of being held in place from the bottom.

The head is then attached to the body. There is a diagram that shows how to position the head on the body.

The final details are a couple of simple steps. The first is to add the feet to the chipmunk. To put the chipmunk on the base, I set the feet going straight instead of at an angle. The other step is to build and attach the tail. The tail is straightforward. There is also an acorn which is very straightforward.

There is a side-view photo that clearly shows how to attach the tail to the body.

Things I liked:

I really like how the chipmunk’s cheeks appear to be full and puffed up

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t like the random pink bricks that are used to create the paws

Review of nanoblock Son Goku CN-38

May 30, 2024December 7, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Son Goku build. Son Goku is part of the nanoblock charanano collection. Wondering what else is part of the charanano Collection? Click here for a list.

Number: CN-38

Number of Pieces: 300

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

This is a review of the super-detailed charanano Son Goku build. There is also a Son Goku and a Super Saiyan Son Goku that are part of the Dragonball Z collection. I really like the amount of detail that is in the build for the hair and the fact that he is making the classic blast move.

Unlike most builds, I had quite a bit of difficulty with this build. Normally I am able to tell which color I am supposed to use, but in this case, I wasn’t able to tell which steps used which shades of blue. I needed my husband to help count the 3x1s to figure out which blue should be used in each step.

This nanoblock build is made up of 3 main sections. There is the head, the body, and the Ki blast.

The first step of the nanoblock build is to create the head. The base layer is made of 2 sections that you build and combine. One of the sections has the studs off-center, so I wasn’t able to build the head using my pad. This meant that if I pushed too hard, the head could become separated. Most of the head build is creating the hair. I really like how the build captures the spikes of Goku’s hair.

The second major section of the build is to create the body. I was able to use my pad to build the body. The body is built up in layers like a normal build. The hardest part of this build is the fact that the body uses 2 shades of blue. When I looked at the directions, I couldn’t tell which shade was correct. I eventually figured it out and managed to complete the build.

The third major section is the Ki blast. It is a very straightforward build.

The final step is to put all the pieces together to complete the build and put the build in the display.

Things I liked:

The amount of detail in the hair
The background that you get for the display box

Things I didn’t like:

The fact that the blues are practically identical in the directions.

Review of nanoblock Katsuki Bakugo CN-31

May 23, 2024December 7, 2023shygal

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

Names:

Real Name:Katsuki Bakugo
Nickname: Kacchan
Hero Name: Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight

Number: CN-31

Number of Pieces:

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Bakugo is a member of class one 1A along with Izuku. His quirk is Explosion, allowing him to ignite his sweat to create explosions. He has been friends with Izuku since they were children. To read more about this character, check out the myheroacademia wiki.

This build is broken up into several parts. There is the head, both arms, the torso, the legs, and the feet. Bakugo’s arms have large pieces that look like grenades that are built up in brick form.

The most significant part of this build is by far the head. The head begins with a layer of skin-colored bricks. Next, you add a layer of black that creates the bottom of his mask. You continue to add layers to the front of the face. After a few layers, you begin a base layer and build up the back of the head. Then combine the front and back of the head to create a full head. Once the pieces are connected, you add layers of hair creating detailed spiky hair.

The next chunk you build is the torso. The torso is a simple 3 layers of bricks.

The next step is to build the left arm. You build up layers of bricks from a base. There is a skin-tone brick that sticks out on the back of the arm. There is also an excellent detail of the arm where you can see his fingers or hand at the end of the grenades. This is done by attaching the black bricks to the side of the section. You stick this arm to the torso.

Next, you build the right arm. The build is very similar to the left arm. The major difference is there the skin-tone piece comes out of the center of the build instead of the side. Once you build the left arm, you attach it to the torso.

The next step is to build the legs. I found the legs extremely tricky compared to the rest of the build. This is because there are a lot of finicky bits. I also have difficulty reading directions when the build is upside down. Once you build the legs, you attach the torso to the legs. At this point, you can also attach the head.

The final part of the build is to add the feet to the base. Once you build up the feet on the base, you attach the body and head. When I did my build, the legs kept breaking apart, and the arms didn’t want to stay connected.

Overall I really like this build. There is a ton of detail in Bakugo’s hero costume and hair.

Things I liked:

The amount of detail in the costume and hair

Things I didn’t like:

The fact the legs kept falling apart when I was building

Review of nanoblock Rilakkuma CN-23

May 16, 2024December 7, 2023shygal

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

Number: CN-23

Number of Pieces:

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

There are several Rilakkuma builds created by nanoblock. Most of the builds are part of the character line. This bear is unique because it is part of the charanano line. This line is unique because the finished model comes in a display box, so you don’t have to dust the model.

This build is split between the head and the body. You begin with a base layer of brown. Next, you add layers using brown and white. Once you reach the top of the body, you build and attach the arms. The final step of the body is to take the base, attach the legs, and attach the body to the legs. The next step is to build the head. The head begins with a brown base. You add layers of brown to create the head. After a few layers, you add a custom brick that makes the nose. Once you add the nose, you add a layer with a gap for the eyes. Next, you add the eyes, which are also unique because they are more like circles on a pole instead of a brick. You hold the eye brick in place with 2×2 bricks. After adding the face details, you build the head in layers. In the layer where you close off the head, you add the golden brown for the inside of the ears. Then, you build up the ears to complete the head. The final step is to attach the head to the body.

Things I liked:

The custom nose brick and how it looks like it’s made of bricks
The round eye bricks

Review of nanoblock Korilakkuma CN-24

May 9, 2024December 7, 2023shygal

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

Number: CN-24

Number of Pieces:

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

There are several Rilakkuma builds created by nanoblock. Most of the builds are part of the character line. This Korilakkuma is part of the charanano line. This line is unique because the finished model comes in a display box, so you don’t have to dust the model.

This build is split between the head and the body. You begin with a base layer of cream. Next, you add layers using cream and white. While building up, you add the red button on the top of the stomach. Once you reach the top of the body, you build and attach the arms. The final step of the body is to take the base, attach the legs, and attach the body to the legs. The next step is to build the head. The head begins with a base of cream. You add layers of cream to create the head. After a few layers, you add a custom brick that makes the nose. Once you add the nose, you add a layer with a gap for the eyes. Next, you add the eyes, which are also unique because they are more like circles on a pole instead of a brick. You hold the eye brick in place with 2×2 bricks. After adding the face details, you build the head in layers. In the layer where you close off the head, you add pink for the inside of the ears. Then, you build up the ears to complete the head. The final step is to attach the head to the body.

Things I liked:

The custom nose brick and how it looks like it’s made of bricks
The round eye bricks

Review of nanoblock King Doraemon CN-25

May 2, 2024December 7, 2023shygal

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

Number: CN-25

Number of Pieces:

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Doraemon is a robot that comes from the future. There is a line of builds featuring several different characters from the anime in the character line. King Doraemon is for the 50th anniversary of Doraemon and is part of the charanano line, which is unique because of the display boxes.

I really like this build because it has an asymmetrical shape for the body. The build begins with a clear base and an outline of white bricks. You then add a layer of white bricks. It is hard to tell which bricks are part of the new layer and which were in the previous layer when you are laying white bricks throughout the build. In the third step, you add Doraemon’s blue and the cape’s red. You continue to layer up the red, white, and blue to create the build adding various details. In step 6, you add the outstretched right arm and held it in place with 1 stud. The one stud is locked in place in the next layer, so it is sturdy in place. Because the brick from Step 6 is curved, you can angle the arm as you want. The next major step after adding on the arm creating and attaching the scepter. I found this step tricky because the bottom was so flimsy it kept breaking off as I continued to build. I ended up waiting until the end to attach the scepter so that it wouldn’t fall off. The final step for the body is to connect the bell on the front of Doraemon.

The next major part of the build is to build the head. You begin with a ring of blue and white bricks. You add layers of blue and white along with pink and red for the mouth. You continue to add layers, adding facial details and slowly closing up the head. After closing up the head, you add the crown. You add yellow and red that curves up and flatten out to create a crown. You add a final brown brick at the top of the crown. Since the head is completed, you can now attach the head to the body. Once connected, you add Doraemon’s whiskers as the final step of the build.

Now that you have the completed build, it’s time to get it into the case. This build is more complicated than the other charanano builds because the bottom of the robe flows over the edge of the base brick. This means that the cardboard doesn’t curve down over the build.

Things I liked:

The fact I can position the arm

Things I didn’t like:

Getting the scepter to attach properly is difficult.