Tag: Sights to See

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 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 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

Review of nanoblock Kaminarimon NBH_115

August 31, 2023March 12, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Kaminarimon build. Kaminarimon 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_115

Country: Japan

Number of Pieces: 390

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

The Kaminarimon is part of the outer gate leading to Senso-ji, which is a Buddist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. For more information, check out the wiki page here.

This is the second Kaminarimon build that I have done. The other is a lit version that you can read my review of here.

This build has an unusual base. While most of the landlocked buildings are on grey or green plates, this build is built up from a clear brown base.

The first step is to lay out the base layer. This creates the base for the two sides of the gate, the base for a fence, and some bushes around the edge.

The next few steps build the sides of the gate. Building the gate adds the details of the statues that live inside and creates the base to attach the roof.

There are a few more steps to prepare everything so that you can attach the roof. The trickiest part is the triangles are off-center, so getting everything centered is tricky. This is also the step where you build and attach the large lantern. The lantern is straightforward, with a sticker to create the Kanji. I don’t normally like to use stickers on builds, but the kanji on the lantern is so important to completing the build I went ahead and added the stickers.

The final step is to build and attach the roof and add the final details. It is very straightforward.

The build also comes with a nanoid. I didn’t include them in my build because I don’t feel like it matches the scale. There is also a rickshaw that I didn’t include because it doesn’t attach to the build.

Things I liked:

The difference between the red and clear red added a nice detail

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t really like all the extras that got added to the build. The scale doesn’t seem right

Review of nanoblock Musee du Louvre NBH_086

August 24, 2023August 11, 2024shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Musee du Louvre build. Musee du Louvre 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_086

Country: France

Number of Pieces: 320

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

The Louvre is one of the largest museums in Paris, France. It is best known as being the home of the Mona Lisa. The other thing that makes the Louvre famous is the huge glass pyramid out front of the museum.

This build focuses on the front of the building and the glass pyramid. Since I haven’t seen the Louvre in person, I can’t speak to how accurate the building in the background looks.

The Louvre comes with a clear base plate. The first layer of the build creates a mostly grey base that becomes the path around the pyramid. There is a gap where the pyramid goes, which means you could light the glass pyramid with the LED base plate.

There is a lot of detail at the ground level that is created in the 3rd layer of bricks. After adding this detail, you build the background building. The building is very straightforward.

To create the actual pyramid, first, you create the center columns with ball joints that will eventually hold up the side. The next step is to build the 4 sides of the pyramid. Each side is attached to the center post with a ball joint. I really like how it created the look of the finished pyramid.

The build also comes with a couple of nanoids. I didn’t include them in my build because I don’t feel like it matches the scale.

Things I liked:

The finished pyramid looks cool
I liked that they made it lightable using the LED baseplate

Things I didn’t like:

The building in the back is a little bland

Review of nanoblock Saint Basil’s Cathedral NBH_051

August 17, 2023May 17, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Saint Basil’s Cathedral build. Saint Basil’s Cathedral 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_051

Country: Russia

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

I think Saint Basil’s Cathedral is probably the most famous building in Russia. The building is just off the Red Square in Moscow. While it was originally a Cathedral, today it is a museum. It is famous for the multi-colored domes that are at the top of the building.

The first part of the build is to create the main body of the Cathedral. It begins with laying out an outline of the building on the 20/20 board. The building goes up in layers.

In the 5th step, you add a roof that covers the entire building. Unlike a lot of other builds, the main 10×10 section of the roof fits on the outline instead of the bricks under just hanging out.

After adding the roofs, the next step is to build the bases for the various domes. There are a lot of nice details in the building between the various colors used and the style of bricks used.

Once the core of the building is completed, it’s time to build and create the various domes.

Each step adds several domes. In general, the directions are straightforward. However, the base of many of the domes are 3x1s crossed on each other on the center stud. This means that the bricks can act like a teeter-totter, so it can be tricky to get the bricks to be square.

Things I liked:

While it doesn’t have the detail of the actual Saint Basil’s Cathedral, I feel the building is recognizable
I really like all the colors in the domes

Things I didn’t like:

Several of the domes are held on by one stud so it can be tricky to get them straight

Review of nanoblock Osaka Castle NBH_173

August 10, 2023May 17, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Osaka Castle build. The Osaka Castle 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_173

Number of Pieces: 520

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Osaka Castle is one of the many castles in Japan. As far as the castles in Japan go, Osaka is unique because of its green/teal roof. They create this roof by using turquoise bricks.

Overall the build is straightforward from starting with an outline on the solid 20×20 base. You build up the base that creates the actual castle’s base. Then you build the castle. Making sure you are using the correctly slanted pieces is tricky because it can be tricky to tell it is one or two bricks wide. Overall the details in the layer in between the roof layers also look really lovely.

I really like the build. I think it is recognizable as a traditional Japanese Castle. I think the use of the teal does an excellent job of giving it the correct color roof.