Tag: NBH

Review of nanoblock Shaun the Sheep NBH_040

January 16, 2025August 11, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Shaun the Sheep build. Shaun the Sheep 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_040

Country: UK

Difficulty Rating: 2

This build is divided into four sections: the head, the body, the tail, and the base.

The tail is a very straightforward 4 layers of white bricks.

The head begins with a layer of black bricks. The head goes up in layers, leaving gaps that create the nose. To create the eyes, you take a socket and put a round 1×1 into the socket. I’m not a fan of this technique, but it does get the job done by creating the eyes. After adding the eyes, you add the white to the top of Shaun’s head. The last part of the head is adding the ears.

I started the body on my pad but after a couple layers, I did most of the building in my hands. The body section is straightforward and creates a hollow tube for the body.

At this point, I connected the head, body, and tail together to create one complete unit.

The last section is adding the legs to the base. Creating each leg was very straightforward since all I needed to do was count 10 1x1s. The hardest part was making sure that I counted where exactly to put the build so that it was properly centered.

The last step was to add the body unit to the legs. I was surprised by how easy it was to get the body attached to the legs.

Things I liked:

How easy it was to connect the body to the legs

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t like the technique for creating the eyes

Review of nanoblock Shaun the Sheep – Shaun NBH_067

January 9, 2025August 11, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Shaun the Sheep – Shaun build. Shaun 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.

This is the second Shaun build. The first build was NBH_040, and Shaun stands on all 4 legs. This build has Shaun standing on 2 legs.

Number: NBH_067

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Shaun is one of the many characters in the Shaun the Sheep tv series. This build is created by connecting sets of ball joints together to create a posable sheep.

This build is broken up into 5 sections. There is the head, body, tail, arms, and legs.

The body is the first major section of the build. It begins with creating smaller builds A-E. Each section is made up of white bricks and is very straightforward. The next step is to connect sections A-E to create the actual body of the sheep. I think this is a creative way to build the body instead of it being a solid layer of bricks.

After connecting all the sections, it is time to build the tail. The tail has very simple instructions. After building the tail, it is attached to the body.

The next step is to build the head. I was able to easily build the head using my pad. The hardest part was getting the eyes in place because getting the 1×1 in the socket was a bit challenging. I really like the poof of wool on Shaun’s head.

The final 2 sections can be built in unison. The sections are the arms and legs. Both sections are simple chains of bricks that require counting the number of bricks properly.

The final step is to connect all the sections with the ball joints. The hardest part is keeping the head attached because the top brick doesn’t have bricks on top of it to lock it into place.

Things I liked:

I really like how the main body is created by creating the various sections that are all connected

Things I didn’t like:

I think the eyes would have been better if it had been a black socket with a colored eye instead of a white socket
The socket that holds the head in place isn’t locked in place, so it can easily fall off.

Review of nanoblock Moominhouse MOM-042/NBH_062

November 23, 2023October 20, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Moominhouse build. Moominhouse is part of the nanoblock Moomin collection.

Number: MOM-042 or NBH_062

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

The Moominhouse is the home of Moominmama, Moominpapa, and Moomintroll. It is a multi-story blue cylindrical building with a red cone-shaped roof.

When I opened the kit, I was surprised that there were 2 bags of 1×2 blue pieces. I guessed after seeing that the build would be just building the outline of the house.

The build begins by laying the outline of the building. This outline includes the porch, which comes off the front of the building.

The building goes up in simple layers. The first few layers include the main body of the house and, the building on the porch, and other details of the house. After adding the details to the base layers of the house, all that is left is to finish building the main section of the house.

For the main house, it is all blue other than the windows. Because the sides are built stacking 1×2 that rotate each, it is hard to keep the build perfectly squared. This made adding the roof a bit tricky.

After adding 3 floors to the house, it’s time to add the roof.

The roof is very straightforward. Each layer makes the roof a bit smaller and creates a cone. Adding the roof is where you can see the cumulative effect of the main tower not being perfectly square. I was able to add on my roof, so I didn’t need to go back and square the main section.

Things I liked:

How many little details there are in the house between the porch and the chimney on the roof

Things I didn’t like:

How hard it was to keep the main tower of squared between floors

Review of nanoblock Umeda Sky Building NBH_172

October 26, 2023August 9, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Umeda Sky Building build. Umeda Sky Building 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.

Umeda Sky Building is one of the tallest buildings in Osaka Prefecture. It is 2 towers that are connected by bridges and escalators. For more information, check out the wiki page.

Number: NBH_172

Country: Japan

Number of Pieces: 680

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Umeda Sky Building was a kit I bought open; I ensured there were bricks and instructions. Before starting the build, I pulled the kit that arrived apart and split all the bricks into reasonable piles. I then started the build.

This build has 2 major sections there is the building and the roof.

The first thing I noticed about the build was that starting from the base layer wasn’t symmetrical. This made me excited to see how the final build would look.

The first step is to create a base layer on the 20×20 base. There are a variety of colors in the base to create the various textures around the building.

The next step is to create the base of the building. Starting in step 4, the actual windows on the outside of the building are outlined and begin creating the walls of the buildings. The building goes up in layers over the next 20 steps. Each layer is different from the previous one and needs to be carefully tracked.

The trickiest part of building the main section of the building is creating the elevators. This is because it is a chain of 1×1 bricks that can easily snap as you are adding bricks. It is also easy to miss adding a brick to any given layer since the new brick just hangs out separately from the large chunks in the directions.

After building most of the building and locking the elevators in place, it’s time to add the escalators that go across the open area between the towers. I really like that this detail is included and how the escalators are created.

The main building is completed with a few more layers of bricks that create the top of the building

The roof was very straightforward. I could lay the roof out on my pad to create the roof. Finding enough round clears took a while because they were hard to see and like moving.

After building the roof, the final step is to attach the roof to the building.

Things I liked:

That the build isn’t symmetrical
The escalators in the center of the build

Things I didn’t like:

I’m not sure what all the details at the bottom of the building are supposed to be

Review of nanoblock Korilakkuma Panda de Goron NBH_112

October 19, 2023August 9, 2023shygal

Korilakkuma Panda de Goron build and box

This post is a review of the nanoblock Korilakkuma Panda de Goron build. Korilakkuma Panda de Goron 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_112

Number of Pieces: 250

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Korilakkuma Panda de Goron build front view

This is a build of Korilakkuma from the Rilakkuma line dressed up as a panda bear.

The build is made up of 2 sections. There is the base with the body and Korilakkuma’s head.

Korilakkuma Panda de Goron build front 3/4 view

The first couple of steps of the base requires the most work to get the bricks in the right place. This is because you are putting bricks on the 20×20 base to act as bases for the bear and the flowers.

After getting the base set up, you build the body of the panda costume. I really like that nanoblock kept the detail of Korilakkuma’s red bell in the build. Building the flowers was very straightforward but unique because of the use of round bricks.

Korilakkuma Panda de Goron build side view

The head is pretty straightforward. It begins with a base layer and builds up in layers. As I got to the end, I was worried because there was a gap in the head. It ended up being ok because the holes were covered by the ears. It was tricky to figure out exactly where the head was attached to the body, but I was able to figure it out.

Korilakkuma Panda de Goron build back 3/4 view

Things I liked:

I think the flowers that are in the build. I think they are cute.

Things I didn’t like:

It was a bit confusing how the head actually attaches.

Review of nanoblock London Bus NBH_113

October 12, 2023August 9, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock London Bus build. The London Bus 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_113

Country: UK

Number of Pieces: 300

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

The double-decker bus used to be a common sight in London. After a series of bombings, they were mostly removed. I believe they have come back to some extent in recent years.

When I opened the box, I had a pleasant surprise that there were wheels which I knew meant the finished model would be able to move when pushed. It was a nice surprise because the tour bus didn’t have moveable wheels.

The first step was by far the most confusing. This is because each layer is not drawn out. You can’t tell for sure how many studs you need in some layers.

After managing to get through the first step, the next few create the rest of the base of the bus.

The next several steps build up the sides of the bus. Sometimes you add one layer in a step, and sometimes you add 2 layers in a step. The steps by themselves are very straightforward. When you reach the top, the back corners cut in and look incredibly odd.

The final step is to attach the wheels to the bus.

There is a sticker to create the banner on the side of the bus. I didn’t add the sticker because I don’t feel like it adds anything to the build. In general, I don’t add random stickers to builds. You can read about it here.

Things I liked:

I like that the wheels on the build move

Things I didn’t like:

The indents on the back windows look funny and not how I remember the busses

Review of nanoblock Rilakkuma no oyatsu time NBH_041

October 5, 2023August 9, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Rilakkuma no oyatsu build. Rilakkuma no oyatsu 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_041

Difficulty Rating: 2

Rilakkuma no oyatsu time build front view

This is a build of Rilakkuma relaxing eating and afternoon snack. According to Google, oyatsu “refers to an afternoon snack that was originally eaten at yatsudoki (approximately 2 p.m.) according to the old Japanese way of counting time.”

The build shows Rilakkuma lying on his side, eating a snack, and watching tv.

Rilakkuma no oyatsu time build side view

This build is made of 2 parts. There is the base with the tv and the body. There is also the head.

The first section is building the body and tv. Both sections are built-in layers. The tv is super straightforward. I had a bit of difficulty keeping track of exactly which step I was on while I was building the body. It was easy to get back on track.

Rilakkuma no oyatsu time build back 3/4 view

The other major section was the head. It goes straight up in layers. It was a bit of a challenge to tell exactly which bricks to use when due to the coloring. I think backlines between the bricks would have been easier to see the differences.

The last step is to put everything together and add the final details. It was a bit hard to tell exactly where exactly the head went, but I was able to get something that looks close to right. There are also very straightforward details of the antenna and snack.

Rilakkuma no oyatsu time build front 3/4 view

Things I liked:

I think it is a cute build, but I’m not sure why it’s part of the Sights to See collection

Things I didn’t like:

I thought the red thing was an apple, not a tv. But it must be a tv based on the details on the box

Review of nanoblock Tower Bridge NBH_065

September 28, 2023August 9, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Tower Bridge build. Tower Bridge 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_065

Country: UK

Number of Pieces: 460

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Tower Bridge is one of the most recognizable sights in London. You can see it from the Tower of London.

Tower Bridge is built by combining 1 large and 2 small base plates to create the total baseplate. The first few steps are very straightforward and create where the bridge meets the water.

Next, you build the road that makes up the actual draw bridge. Building the segments of the road is straightforward. I really like how you set the bridge parts on the side to create the ability to move the draw bridge.

Next, you build the towers on each side of the draw bridge. This took a while because there are so many 1×1 pieces, but it was clear where to put everything.

The build is finished off by connecting the 2 towers. This was a bit tricky to keep them straight because of how the banners are chained.

Tower Bridge build front view bridge open

Things I liked:

Overall it is highly recognizable, and I like the amount of detail and coloring in the build

Things I didn’t like:

The banner connecting the 2 towers was difficult to get in place straight

Review of nanoblock Optical Fiber LED+ Kaminarimon NBH_157

September 21, 2023August 11, 2024shygal

Optical Fiber LED+ Kaminarimon box and build

This post is a review of the nanoblock Optical Fiber LED+ Kaminarimon build. The Optical Fiber LED+ Kaminarimon 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.

Optical Fiber LED+ Kaminarimon lit in the dark

Number: NBH_157

Number of Pieces: 420

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Optical Fiber LED+ Kaminarimon build front view

I picked up this version of Kaminarimon because it came with an LED plate. The plate is NB-026, and I will write a separate review for the plate. I liked that the lantern in the model would light up, and I wanted to see exactly how that would work in a build.

The build began a bit different than the build I had done before because the first thing you need to do is line the hole in the base plate up with the indent in the LED plate. After that, you build a usual build by adding to the build to create the outline of the building. After a few steps, you begin the tricky balancing act of building around the pole. The pole is inserted into the hole in the base and goes up through one side of the gate. You create the rest of the structure around the pole from that point on.

Optical Fiber LED+ Kaminarimon build back view

Then you build the lantern in the middle of the gate; the build for the lantern is straightforward. In a rare fashion for me, I put the stickers on the lanturn. (Click here to read why I don’t normally use the nanoblock stickers). I used the stickers here because I knew that I would be able to move the lantern in one piece if I did need to take the build apart to move. Getting the lantern to hold on was tricky because it was only held on by 1 stud. Once you have the center Lantern hanging, you take the pole and insert it into the lantern. For me, This was the most challenging part because the pole kept breaking loose or popping off the bricks meant to hold it in place. At this point, you can turn on the LED plate and see how the lantern lights up. I thought this was really cool.

Optical Fiber LED+ Kaminarimon front 3/4 view

The last significant step of the build is to put the roof together. After fighting with the pole and the lantern, the roof was simple. It was tricky to attach the roof since it was all in one piece, but I managed to get it on without anything breaking. After that, I put the tree and carriage together. I did not add the little people that came with the build. I personally don’t think that the people really go with the rest of the build in terms of size and detail.

Overall I was delighted with how Kaminarimon turned out. I really like what the lighting adds to the build, especially when the light is set to red.

Optical Fiber LED+ Kaminarimon back 3/4 view

Things I liked:

The additional detail adds the light to the lantern

Things I didn’t like:

Fighting with the pole. Maybe things would have gone better if I had let it rest overnight with a weight on it to bend it.

Review of nanoblock Plum Bonsai NBH_134

September 14, 2023August 9, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Plum Bonsai build. The Plum Bonsai 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_134

Number of Pieces: 170

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

The Plum Bonsai is one of several smaller Bosai builds nanoblock has made. I really like the shades of pink and white used to create the flowers on the tree. I have seen flowering plums bloom before they have leaves, so there is no green in this build.

I’m not sure I agree with this build only being a 2/5. Getting the branches lined up can be quite challenging, so I’m unsure why it is only a 2. You begin by creating the table base and creating the planter for the build. Both of these steps are really straightforward and clear. Once you build the base, I recommend skipping to step 10 and adding the feet to the table, so you don’t need to flip the build over once the fragile tree is built.

The central part of this build is creating the tree. In general, the directions are very clear about where exactly to put each brick in the build. However, to keep the branches delicate, you are generally chaining a 1×1 or a 1×2 onto another 1×1. This means in very few places can you push down really hard without popping off what you were building.

Overall I found this build very challenging for a level 2. I think it should have a level 3, at least. I really like how the different shades of pink give the variation that real flowers would have.

Things I liked:

How delicate the branches look when completed

Things I didn’t like:

I had some problems when attaching branch sections