Shy Gal’s Building Blog - Page 5 - Your reference for LEGO and nanoblock builds

Review of nanoblock X’mas Tree NBC_029

December 12, 2024March 12, 2024shygal

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

Number: NBC_029

Difficulty Rating: 1

This is a limited-release kit that was available at only George’s. I’m not sure what kind of shop it is, but several of the early nanoblock kits were only at George’s.

I bought this kit used, so I don’t have the package. When I purchased the kit, I knew I would be getting the instructions, which was the key thing I was looking for. I ended up getting the instructions and all the bricks to build the kit.

The first step is to build the truck of the tree. It starts with a 10×10 base. Brown bricks are added in layers to create the trunk.

The next step is to build the green main section of the tree. The tree begins with a small section that spreads out after a couple of layers.

Once the tree reaches its maximum diameter, the tree goes up in layers. Every couple of layers, the circumference gets a bit smaller. In every layer, a few tree decorations are added using 1×1 clear round pieces. It is important not to accidentally rotate the tree because the tree decorations wouldn’t be in the right place.

The tree is then connected to the trunk.

The final step is to build the star on top of the tree. In my opinion, the star is too big for the overall tree. The star is very straightforward to build.

Things I liked:

I like how many decorations are on the tree. Each layer seems to have some decorations on every edge

Things I didn’t like:

The star is way too big for the rest of the tree. I’m not sure how to make it smaller, but it is just too big

Review of nanoblock X’mas Wreath NBC_046

December 5, 2024March 19, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock X’mas Wreath build. X’mas Wreath is part of the nanoblock Mini Collection Series. Wondering what else is part of the Mini Collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBC_046

Number of Pieces: 120

Difficulty Rating: 1

The sale of this kit was limited to George’s, which I understand is a store in Japan.

The wreath is a few layers of bricks tall. I lay the base layer of green bricks on my nanoblock pad. It would need to be the larger pad to be able to lay out the base layer.

When I got to the second layer, I built the bell in the center of the wreath. After adding the bell, I added the second and third layers of green.

The final layer is all the decorations on the wreath. They are spread out around the wreath in a matter that looks somewhat random.

The final step is to add the bow on the top of the wealth.

Things I liked:

I like how nanoblock creates the curved circle. Creating circles with squares isn’t super easy

Things I didn’t like:

I’m not sure what the brown decorations are supposed to be. They seem really large and random

Review of nanoblock Greater Flamingo NBC_055

November 28, 2024March 20, 2024shygal

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

Number: NBC_055

Number of Pieces: 110

Difficulty Rating: 3

I bought this kit used, which meant it had been opened and possibly built before. I wasn’t sure if all the pieces were included when I bought the kit. Sadly when I opened the kit, I learned that I had all the pieces, but there was some discoloration of the white and light pink bricks.

The instructions for this kit are unusual because instead of step-by-step instructions, there is a picture of the finished flamingo and instructions for how to build each section: the body, head, and leg.

The leg is the most simple section. It is simply a stack of 1×1 bricks on the base.

I built the body on my nanoblock pad. I laid out the base layer and added the layers to create and close up the top of the build. Then, I flipped the build over, added some more detail, and added the second leg. The second leg is a stack of bricks built to look like stairs.

The head and neck are very straightforward. The neck is a stack of 1x1s broken in the middle by a 2×1. The head is simply a few layers of bricks.

To complete the build, all three sections are combined to complete the finished flamingo.

Things I liked:

I find the fact that the build is fairly stable; standing just one leg is impressive.

Things I didn’t like:

Sadly since this is a kit I bought used, there is some discoloration of the white and light pink bricks

Review of nanoblock Dinonix NBC_182

November 21, 2024March 20, 2024shygal

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

Number: NBC_182

Number of Pieces: 110

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

The build begins by building the body. Unlike a lot of builds, the legs are not symmetrical, so the body isn’t the same from side to side. The build goes up in fairly straightforward layers, including adding the front arms.

There is a step where the tail is added. I initially missed there was more to the step than just the tail, so I needed to go back and finish the step. I think it’s because the additional instructions were on the edge; I missed them.

Then, the head is built. The head is fairly straightforward, other than most of the build being off-center. The head is then attached to the head. I found the directions for where to add the head as really rough. It wasn’t clear where to attach the head to the body. I think if they had given a different view of the Dinonix, it would be much clearer how to attach the head.

The last step is to build the legs. They are a bit tricky because there are bricks just hanging out and hanging off the legs. The legs are not symmetrical, which is a nice detail to the build.

Things I liked:

I like that the legs are not symmetrical. This is a nice detail to the build

Things I didn’t like:

I didn’t like the directions for attaching the head to the body

Review of nanoblock Raccoon Dog NBC_303

November 14, 2024March 20, 2024shygal

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

Number: NBC_303

Number of Pieces: 150

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

This build has 2 major sections, the head, and the body.

I began the body by laying my base layer on my nanoblock pad. I was able to easily follow the directions for all the layers. The layers seemed a bit haphazard, and it was hard to tell what I was creating as I put the bricks together.

The top of the body has a layer of flat bricks where the head will be attached. Because there is a flat layer with only 1 stud to hold the head, the head can rotate around.

I wasn’t able to figure out how to lay the head out on my nanoblock pad, so I just built it on the table. Other than lining up the front and back sections, the head is fairly straightforward.

The final steps are to add the front legs and attach the head. The front legs are very straightforward. Figuring out exactly where to attach the head was a bit tricky but the instructions did make sense on close inspection.

Things I liked:

I really like the stripy tail and how the head looks
I like that the head is posable

Things I didn’t like:

When I picked the build off my pad, I kept popping off the hind legs

Review of nanoblock Giant Panda NBC_328

November 7, 2024March 20, 2024shygal

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

Number: NBC_328

Number of Pieces: 220

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

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

The body begins with a base layer of black and white bricks. I used my nanoblock pad to lay out the first layer. The body then goes up in layers. The instructions are fairly straightforward, but caution is required to avoid missing the use of similarly shaped pieces.

Once the main body is built, the top layer is mostly flat bricks with a single stud available on top. This means that once the head is attached the head can rotate.

The final step of building the body is to build the arms of the panda.

The head is built out of a base layer featuring lots of smaller bricks. I once again used my nanoblock pad to layout the head. When building the head, I needed to be careful to make sure that I used the correct piece and that each 1×1 that is partly hidden in the instructions was visible.

After building the head, I attached it to the body of the panda, making sure to get things lined up properly. The head appears to be more forward than in the pictures.

The bamboo is a couple of stacks of bricks and is very straightforward to put together. It simply lies near the panda. I wish there was a good way to have the panda hold the bamboo.

Things I liked:

I like that the head can rotate to create a more dynamic pose

Things I didn’t like:

I wish there was a way for the panda to hold the bamboo
I think the panda looks like its head is out further in the build than in the pictures

Review of nanoblock Jack-o’-Lantern NBC_097

October 31, 2024March 12, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Jack-o’-Lantern build. Jack-o’-Lantern is part of the nanoblock Mini Collection series. Wondering what else is part of the Mini Collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBC_097

Number of Pieces: 160

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

I bought this kit used, knowing I would at least get the instructions. I also ended up getting all the bricks to complete the kit. Sadly, however, some of the bricks have become with age. The discolored bricks may be visible in my photographs.

This is one of several versions of a Jack-o’-Lantern. This one is unique because of the witch in the background. The Jack-o’-Lantern is also glow-in-the-dark, so it appears lit if the bricks get enough light.

The first section is to build the actual Jack-o’-Lantern. It begins with a base layer of orange bricks that I lay out on my nanoblock pad. The pumpkin section goes up in straightforward layers. The gaps in the Jack-o’-Lantern are backed in glow-in-the-dark bricks. The pumpkin is wearing a witch hat, which is once again simple layers.

The second section is the moon. The moon is a simple stack of bricks. I really like how the bricks are laid out, making the moon appear curved. The curve is very natural-looking.

The last major section is the witch riding a broom. The build is very detailed, creating a tiny human.

All three sections are connected together on a double-sized base. The base isn’t held together very tightly, so it’s possible for things to fall apart. The Moon section is very top-heavy, so you need to be careful when moving the build.

Things I liked:

I like the glow-in-the-dark bricks. I didn’t know there were glow-in-the-dark bricks
I like the curve of the moon. It looks natural

Things I didn’t like:

The 2 bases aren’t held together very well, so things can fall apart when moving

Review of nanoblock Sesame Street Halloween

October 24, 2024March 19, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Sesame Street Halloween build. Sesame Street Halloween is part of the nanoblock Universal Studios Japan(USJ) collection. Wondering what else is part of the USJ collection? Click here for a list.

Number of Pieces: 150

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

This kit is to build an Elmo dressed up as a vampire.

This build is broken up into 3 sections. They are the head, body, and legs.

The head begins with a base layer of red bricks. I laid the bricks out on the nanoblock pad. The head goes up in layers. It is fairly straightforward.

The body creates Elmo’s body and the cape he is wearing. There is a large base layer of bricks. I was able to lay the layer out on my nanoblock pad.

The body then goes up in layers. It is a bit tricky to keep track of where each brick goes because the layer is so large.

After building up the body, additional details are added to the bottom of the cape.

The legs are very straightforward. They are simply placing the bricks on the base with the legs attached. The feet are staggered, so it looks like Elmo is walking.

The final step is to connect the 3 sections. The directions are confusing as to how exactly to connect the sections.

Things I liked:

I really like that Elmo is walking and is in action instead of being static

Things I didn’t like:

I didn’t like trying to get the 3 sections to line up when completing the build

Review of nanoblock Boo! Sesame Street Trick or Treat!

October 17, 2024March 12, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Boo! Sesame Street Trick or Treat! build, which is Elmo as a witch ghost. This build is part of the nanoblock Universal Studios Japan collection. Wondering what else is part of the Universal Studios Japan collection? Click here for a list.

Number of Pieces: 130

Difficulty Rating: 2

I bought this kit as just a set of directions. To build this kit, I needed to buy individual bricks. I bought the bricks via Rakuten using Buyee as a proxy. I ended up getting orange 1x2s instead of orange 2x2s. I completed the build with the 1x2s, but there are a few extra lines on my finished build where there are orange bricks.

This build is broken into 2 parts there is the Elmo section and the hat.

The Elmo section begins with a base 10×10 brick. Then, the build goes up in layers, starting from a very small base. As I got to the top of Elmo, it was a bit tippy as I put on the next layer. A few times, the main section of Elmo would pop off the base, so I needed to line the body back up and reattach it to the base.

The hat section begins with a base layer of black bricks. I lay the bricks on my nanoblock pad as a starting point. The hat is very straightforward and goes up in layers. There is a break in all the black because an orange ribbon is going around the hat.

Things I liked:

I really like how there is a band on the hat. Normally, witch hats are just solid black, so the extra detail is nice

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t like how tippy Elmo is on the base. I think if the bottom couple of layers had more bricks, then it may have fallen off less when building

Review of nanoblock Polar Bear NBC_012

October 10, 2024March 19, 2024shygal

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

Number: NBC_012

Number of Pieces: 120

Difficulty Rating: 2

I bought this kit used, knowing I would at least get the instructions. I ended additionally getting all the bricks to complete the kit. Sadly, however, the white has become yellow with age. The discolored bricks may be visible in my photographs.

The build begins with a layer of white bricks that I lay out on my nanoblock pad. It goes up in fairly straightforward layers, and the head of the polar bear is built into the layers.

After building the body, the feet and legs are added to the bottom of the build. For some reason, the front of the feet is black, which makes me think the paws look funny.

Things I liked:

I feel that the polar bear is very recognizable for how early of a build this kit

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t like the feet because the black on the feet stands out so much because the front of the feet are black