Review Review - 41002 Emma's Karate Class

[LuxorV]

I'm not really into Friends, but I find some of the sets very appealing (some strange colour combinations apart). So far, I always got smaller sets, and this one is no exception. My choice was primarily driven by the echo of Ninjago in this Karate Class, especially in the Dojo door/glass part (which missed in the original Ninjago release) and the kendo mask. The new Friends kimono print is well done, too. But let's start the review before I write everything in the intro!

Theme: Friends

Set name: Emma's Karate Class

Set Number: 41002

Price: 9.99 $, 9.99 £, 9.99 Euro

Pieces: 93 (+ 8 extras)

Minidolls: 1

Year of release: 2013

Master martial arts in Emma's Karate Class!

Emma's dojo is a piece of the Far East, right here in Heartlake City. Practice Emma's favorite martial arts and help her to prepare for another fantastic performance. Train hard to win the trophy by chopping the practice block in half! After a great practice, wind down in the tranquil environment with the cute bonsai tree and drink some water. Then use the mask and sword to start mastering kendo! Includes Emma mini-doll figure.

• Includes Emma mini-doll figure

• Features a functioning chopping block, Japanese-style screen, bonsai tree and trophy display case

• Accessories include kendo mask, trophies, a sword, handbag and a bottle of water

• Use the chopping function to help Emma break the board in half!

• Store all of Emma's trophies in the display case for everybody to admire!

• LEGO® Friends pieces are fully compatible with all LEGO bricks

• Collect all of the LEGO Friends sets for a whole world of LEGO Friends fun!

• LEGO mini-dolls are LEGO figures made especially for the world of LEGO Friends that can be customized and combined in thousands of ways

• Measures over 2" (7cm) high, 1" (3cm) wide and 9" (23cm) long

Links: Peeron, Bricklink and Brickset

The Box

Front

The box is almost square (15.5 x 14 centimetres, or 6.11 x 5.52 inches) and shows the many sub parts of the set arranged in a dojo display. The background is pretty varied and integrates the set with fictional wooden floor, full-body window and pastel green walls with a nice sakura decoration.

The LEGO and Friends logos, Friends girls group shot and typical Friends 'curtains' complete the layout.

Back

The back shows some details of the set, like Emma wielding a katana and sporting a (quite disproportionate without the armour) kendo mask, or relaxing with a sip of water after a long exercises session, or even admiring her latest trophy and shiny medal. In the upper right portion of the back we see the usual Friends minidoll assembly instructions and Emma's mug shot and tag name, for those who did not recognise her in the new kimono version. The lower left corner brings on this theme, by showing a group shot with name tags for the five main characters in the Friends line.

Sides

Not mush to say here, as the sides sport the usual LEGO legal stuff and safety warnings. What I find interesting is the choice of the piece depicted in the 1:1 shot: instead of the expected minidoll, it's a nice lavender bag.

Contents

Inside

Upon opening the box, we find two plastic bags and one instructions booklet. No stickers in this set!

Once we open the bags, too, we get a cascade of parts and two smaller bags containing the minidoll's parts. Notice how there isn't a dominant colour proper, but a mix of pastel hues with some more common brown, tan and white parts.

New pieces

There is just one new part in this small set: Black Tile 1 x 2 with White Lavender Friends Accessories Hair Decoration, Bow with Heart, Long Ribbon and Pin. But do not let it discourage you: we'll see in a moment that the lack of new moulds is more than amended for by the abundance of rare parts.

Re-colours

Re-colours include: Minifig, Headgear Ninjago Kendo Helmet (Men) (a re-colour of sorts, being this just a variant of the Ninjago version, but without the white trimming of the visor) and Medium Lavender Friends Accessories Basket.

Rare parts

Parts collectors and MOCers will be interested in the following rare parts also: Bright Light Orange Brick 1 x 2 (only available in 2 other sets: 3938 Andrea's Bunny House from 2012 and 41004 Rehearsal Stage from 2013), Bright Light Orange Tile 2 x 4 (only available in 2 other sets: 3184 Adventure Camper from 2012 and 41004 Rehearsal Stage from 2013), Bright Pink Tile 1 x 1 with Groove (only in 5 sets so far), Dark Pink Slope, Inverted 45 2 x 1 (only available in 1 other set: 3184 Adventure Camper from 2012), Magenta Slope 33 3 x 1 (only available in 2 other sets from 2008), Medium Azure Brick 2 x 4 (only in 4 Friends sets so far), Medium Lavender Plate 2 x 4 (only available in 1 other set: 3185 Summer Riding Camp from 2012), Medium Lavender Plate 1 x 8 (only in 4 Friends sets so far), and Glass for Window 1 x 4 x 6 with Asian Characters on White Background Pattern (only in other 3 Ninjago sets from 2011, among which the fabulous 2507 Fire Temple).

Extra pieces

We get 8 extra parts, including the usual spare small round plates and tiles plus one ribbon and one katana. It would seem people at TLG are trying to sneak an extra weapon in each set these days!

Minidoll

I really like the new kimono version of the Friends minidoll. It is a nice conversion of the CMF series 1 karate man, and adds some variety to the girls' activities. I can see people complaining it is too specialised to be used in many other ways (we'll see if this is true in a moment), but, personally, I think a bit of specialisation is welcome in a theme which is likely to go on for quite some time in the future.

Since the Friends' apparel is quite poor in the trousers' compartment, it is nice to have a cheap set including this part. Moreover, the kimono blouse (I know it must have a proper name in Japanese, but I'll keep this simple) works pretty well in other contexts, too.

The only real con I see for this minidoll is the fact that it can't be used for Andrea and all the other dark skinned Friends characters. Maybe we'll see new versions in the next waves? Or will it be a one-shot minidoll?

Instructions

Only one instructions booklet in this set, thankfully. As always, the front cover uses the same image and art as the front of the box.

The instructions are standard fare for a Friends set. Lavender background with a faint decoration in the lower outer corner of the pages, no distractions and simple pieces call outs as usual.

The parts list covers two pages and shows the variety of colours and small pieces used in this set. Of course, the extra parts are not listed here.

The last pages display a collection of sets from this line. If I'm not mistaken, they are all from this year's first wave.

On the left we see the smaller sets, one for each girl (Andrea, Emma, Mia, Olivia and Stephanie), while on the right there are the bigger sets, with a repetition of Mia, Olivia and Stephanie's smaller ones to fill the page.

Building

Start

This little set is composed of a number of smaller builds. We start with the bonsai, a nice little model which adds an 'oriental' feel to the scene with quite few pieces and simple but effective techniques.

Karate chop!

Next up is the 'karate chop station' by positioning a trio of connected parts on a non-connecting base, we have a chop-able board for Emma to work her tricks on.

I'd like to add a small remark: since the board is a bit too high in the position depicted in the instructions, I suggest lowering it on the second row of supports. It looks more natural this way.

Meditation corner

With a printed door/window and few more parts, LEGO designers build a really nice looking corner where Emma can 'sit' (as we know, Friends minidolls can't actually use connections when sitting like normal LEGO minifigures do) and relax or meditate between an exercise run and the next. The addition of the water bottle is also a nice touch.

Trophy wall

This combination of a trophy wall and a bench is also well done. The use of the hinge brick allows a number of different arrangements girls (and kids in general) can play with.

Finished set

Front

Here we have all the mini-models together. As you can see, the open bench part helps in creating a more 'enclosed' feel to our little dojo.

Bonus images

Girls at war

Nya didn't like Emma's mushy attitude towards her boyfriend during their kendo lessons.

Final comments

Overall, this is a really nice set, with some creative use of parts and especially a good selection of mini-models that girls/kids in general can arrange to create their scenes.

Design & Colour scheme – 9/10 (As said, nice little builds that work together to form a complete scenery. The colour choice is, of course, nowhere near that of a real life dojo [at least, I do not think it is], but it is in line with the general Friends theme.)

Minidoll – 9/10 (A good rendition of the classic kimono in Friends format. The rare trousers, here in white, will be an useful addition to any collection. Again, the only con is it is limited in use to light skinned characters.)

Parts – 9/10 (Being this a small set, the parts' variety is not superlative, but the amount of rare pieces, plus the small price, make this set a must buy for any parts collector.)

Playability – 10/10 (I can envision hundreds of scenes that kids will spend hours enacting with this little set.)

Build – 8/10 (Nothing too complex, but some efficient solutions are used, like the use of the hinge brick to allow some re-styling of the trophy wall-bench assemble.)

Price – 10/10 (€ 9.99 for 93 parts, many of which rare, is very near the optimum these days, and quite better than most of the small sets I remember from last year, or even this year's selection.)

Overall: 9.2/10 Excellent

As always, questions, comments, and pic requests welcome!

If you like my reviews, and would like to learn how it's done, please consider joining the Reviewers Academy:

[TheLegoDr]

Thanks for the review. A very interesting set indeed. I enjoy what Friends can bring to the table. I don't build in those colors, but it's nice that they exist now. I do like when they come out with some new pieces though. There are some nice pieces here that may be worthwhile to pick up, even if not a Friends fan. But my daughter is, so I may end up getting this for her.

Is it bad that my favorite picture is the last one which has nothing to do with the set??

[Maya]

It's a very cute set, but it's a bit hard for me to get over with the writings "ninja" and "kaiten"(meaning "spinning" for the spinning door) on the door... For some Western people, ninjas and martial arts may go together, but as a Japanese person, it's simply strange to see "ninja" written in a karate dojo. There are a few other strange things about this set (such as the way the sword is displayed and Emma wearing shoes), but I guess it's kind of difficult to execute the authentic feel with the exisiting elements without losing Friends' charm. It certainly is cute and I enjoy seeing different things in Friends theme. Thank you for the nice review!

[wwjj3]

Thank you for the review! It's a very cute set

[lightningtiger]

Thanks for the first review of this set 'LuxorV', such a cute set and she is one girl you don't mess with.....note the image of her with sword in hand.....she slices, she dices.....future boyfriends beware - don't break this girl's heart.

It's a nice colourful set to add to any friend's collection, but don't ask Nya if she likes them or not eh ?

Brick On Review On with your Friend's 'LuxorV' !

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Nice set and new colored pieces!

OSS!

[TrumpetKing]

Great review, LuxorV!

Coming from a martial arts background, I believe the kimono blouse is called a "gi".

[eliza]

Not mush to say here, as the sides sport the usual LEGO legal stuff and safety warnings. What I find interesting is the choice of the piece depicted in the 1:1 shot: instead of the expected minidoll, it's a nice lavender bag.

I was at the store with my 9-year-old daughter earlier today and she felt it was very amusing that the lavender bag appears to be the "main character" of this set.

[Ferrik]

Excellent review.

This set is made up of a number of great little builds. The karate chop station looks really good as does the meditation corner.

[Kristel]

Thanks for the great review, LuxorV. This is one of my favourite Friends sets so far and I totally agree with the perfect score on playability. I've had as much fun doing karate chops with Emma as my daughter has! I will also be raiding it for the parts.

[Meyerj]

I was at the store with my 9-year-old daughter earlier today and she felt it was very amusing that the lavender bag appears to be the "main character" of this set.

Funny mine did the exact same thing.

[LuxorV]

Thanks for all the comments and feedback.

I think one of the key pros of this set is the fact it's made up of a number of small builds that can be arranged and used to customise the play scene just like minifig and minidoll parts allow customisation of the characters. It's definitely something TLG designers have been working on more and more in recent years (especially in City/Town and Action sets, I think).

@ TrumpetKing67 - Thanks. Not that you mention it, I should have known, too; I just forgot about it.

[Legogal]

The minute I saw this set (at Target), I had to have two of them...it is just so wonderful. Brilliant design for the Friends' target markets, who don't know which parts to expect in a dojo anyway. (Did enjoy Maya's comment!) Two weeks later the set appeared online at Lego US and in our local Lego store.

Chinese daughter-in-law and I play with and adore our sets while giggling a lot and then giggling more! The kimono outfit is perfect! And the 10USD price is perfect for so much entertainment.

A BRILLIANT set and an outstanding review.

Lego, please introduce more Asian themed Friends sets and mini-dolls to match so my D-I-L can have a Friends character that looks more like her. And so she has more Asian themed sets for gifts when she visits China.

[Maya]

Great review, LuxorV!

Coming from a martial arts background, I believe the kimono blouse is called a "gi".

It's actually "karategi". "Gi" is only part of the word for the karate outfit and it has to be attached to another word like "karate". Other examples include "judogi" (judo + wear) or "mizugi" (water + wear= swimsuit). But of course, I've heard people use just "gi" to mean a martial arts outfit here in the US (but not in Japan), so I guess it's considered correct here.

[Mr Copperhead]

Nice set and nice review. I'm tempted to army build this minidoll.

[LuxorV]

It's nice to have more female feedback on this set, as we males tend to see things from a pieces and minidolls' aesthetic point of view and/or to hype the cute factor in Friends sets.

Also thanks to Maya for the more in-depth explanation of the karategi name.

[dr_spock]

Thanks for the review. I would probably MOD the way the katana is displayed.

[Brad Watson]

Thanks for the review!

[meyerc13]

Brilliant design for the Friends' target markets, who don't know which parts to expect in a dojo anyway.

I'm not sure I agree with this. My 7 year old son is a red belt, and has been learning Karate for over 3 years now. While there are certainly more boys than girls at his Karate school, there are quite a few girls studying Karate, from ages four on up. I know a few of them are also KFOL, so I'm sure there are plenty of girls who know what is in a dojo from personal experience or even from watching brothers learn Karate.

LuxorV, great review. I always like to see mutliple perspectives on a set, and I think this is a set that both my kids will like. We'll need to pick up two of them so that two of the LEGO Friends can spar.

[xray]

Another good addition to this series. Not a fan of the Friends figs (but very popular with my young female students), but I have been using the sets to furnish some of my Creator houses. it's kind of like hiring an interior decorator with a very different color sense to liven things up.

[pup]

With a slight mod, you can build a new weapons rack wall, holding the katana horizontally. Add a reddish brown long bar (Gandalf's staff) and short bar (lightsabre blade), and you have a great bo and jo to display also.

I couldn't resist this set -- it's now modified in tan, red, black, and white, with a full weapons rack, and is displayed in my office. When clients come by with their kids, both the boys and the girls have enjoyed playing with it.

[Kristel]

I couldn't resist this set -- it's now modified in tan, red, black, and white, with a full weapons rack, and is displayed in my office. When clients come by with their kids, both the boys and the girls have enjoyed playing with it.

Sounds interesting. Any photos?

[Esurient]

Very nice review. Great job and great effort.

[pup]

Here's my mod. First off, I adjusted her color scheme. The original little shelf and bench build was great -- it just didn't hold the katana properly. So, I built her a weapons rack wall for a bo, jo, and katana. (And yes, technically, each weapon would be cradled in two supports, not clipped to the wall...) Since her breaking station was huge, I adjusted it to look more like what we use: two cinder blocks. Also changed her board from white to brown.

LEGO has done a great job with these Friends sets -- they're cute and they're fun builds. (And fun mods!)

karate set by seven7mice, on Flickr

Edited February 11, 2013 by pup

[LuxorV]

Thanks again for the feedback and the insight in your comments. It feels great to be part of a community where everyone can bring his/her unique contribute from personal experience like this.

karate set by seven7mice, on Flickr

Really nice MOD, pup! Thanks for sharing it.