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I wouldn't be so sure of that. It seems that Friends are the enemy, but it could be that they are going to unite against the Duplos.

Boba Fett and Yoda look great. The rest, I don't care much for.

I saw the swoop bikes set, and it looks fantastic. Glad to see that Enfys Nest and Weazel are going to be available in a smallish set. Also, I like the Boba Fett and Yoda Brickheadz. Nice stuff.

Ugh. Better than nothing, I guess...

And that was my point, really. Minidolls were created to appeal to females. This gives them soft curves. I don't find them to be more realistic than minifigures, just a different take on realism. Minidolls have cartoonish and exaggerated proportions in my eyes. As for the colors, yes, there will always be some males and females who appreciate the color schemes aimed at the opposite gender. The point is, though, that those color schemes are aimed at and predominantly appeal to particular genders. And I'm not entirely opposed to individual colors, it's just that girl oriented themes use them heavily. Having spoken to some girls and women about this, these colors can often alienate females as well, making them feel condescended to and patronized, like all girls must love these colors, when many many girls like standard colors schemes.

Semantics. The point is the same. It may be somewhat more realistic, but in many ways it is less realistic (unless you tie your legs together and keep your arms and wrists straight). It is also a gendered representation, one that works to feminine sensibilities. Sure, they can. But are they? Elves and Friends have color schemes that are much more tailored to the feminine. This much is obvious.

That is fantastic! I love it!

In those respects, yes. But I find that the bigfig fits better next to the minifigure. If I had to choose which 2 worked best together, between the minifigure, bigfig, and minidoll, it would certainly be the minifigure and bigfig. I wish that the bigfig was more versatile. Maybe using the word "extreme" was a bit extreme in itself, but Elves is clearly and definitely on the female end of the spectrum. There is some cross-gender appeal (with everything). The dragons and animals have a cutesy and feminine appearance, as does the color palette. It has been discussed that the majority of parts are not in the 'feminine' color palette, but looking at the sets most people detect a decidedly feminine feel to the sets. The main cast is split, but overall the cast is predominantly feminine in nature. Honestly, I didn't think this was anything that needed a debate, because it is so clearly designed to appeal to a female demographic. While this is true, there is much more to the theme that is gender-neutral. The basic color schemes of the old sets can be appreciated by both genders. Of course, a little more from the 'feminine' color palette here and there could help to draw in more of the female demographic, but overall the colors are fairly neutral. You mention horses, and while more animals would be nice for both genders, horses have always been among the favorites of many females. There have always been plenty of females in Castle sets throughout the years. Most of them have been royalty, but there have also been peasants, and the occasional knight. But you are right in that this balance is more male heavy, and that is a point that I have always wanted to change as well. While I agree with the first point here, I disagree with the second. There are certainly some men and boys who would shy away from more positive female representation and play features that are suited more to female play. I think that would be a small group, personally. But I think adding in some livable spaces would help the theme as a whole, regardless of any attempt at appealing to females. On the other hand, I do think that a successful gender-neutral theme should use the classic minifigure rather than the minidoll. If not that, then something in between that appeals more evenly to both genders would be necessary, but I don't think many would accept a new type of figure. This is a good point. I can definitely see how some would prefer minidolls, and there are some great prints and parts available. However, while the minifigure is not perfect, it has been established as a fantastic standard with a multitude of variations that appeal to just about any demographic. The minifigure is celebrating 40 years of this success, and is growing more and more versatile and diverse every year. Still, there have been times when I wish that female minifigures had a molded torso that differentiated them a bit from the standard (a waistline, for example). Ultimately, I accept and appreciate the beauty and simplicity of the original minifigure design, and I love the wealth of different characters possible from the mixing and matching of so many different colored and printed parts. I find that many molded creatures adhere to the look, feel, simplicity, and posability of the standard minifigure. They look vastly superior to brick-built creatures, in my opinion, even with molded heads (which just look inconsistent with the creature in my opinion). The creatures created for the minidoll themes feel more at home with the minidolls than with the minifigure, and the same works in reverse. Having said that, I would really appreciate more versatility in the bigfigs. A separate head would be a start, as would headpieces to top them off. Removing the torso from the legs would be great as well. But these gripes are minor and more about customization than about appearance, and while the minidolls may be slightly more customizable, they lack an appearance that I can appreciate. And like I said above, the bigfigs look much better next to minifigures than they do next to minidolls, and better than minidolls do next to minifigures. Anyways, sorry about the long-winded reply, but there was much to reply to.

Congratulations!

What mole? The niffler? The creature he is holding? Yeah, that's the highlight of the set for me. Good catch on the whips though, I didn't notice those the first time.

I agree. If the issue is that the old mold is no longer working, then hopefully a new Fawkes will be molded some day. Replacing it with a brick-built substitute feels cheap. I know they were already over budget on molds and such, but this is one thing that just doesn't work well.

I love the bigfigs, though it did take me a bit to fully accept them. Now that they have standardized the concept, they work for most of the characters done in that style. Most of them are bulky characters, so there is a reason they don't match minifigure proportions and that's OK with me. I'd like to see a little more done with them, though. Maybe allow their heads to accept helmets or hair (even if they are in special bigfig sizes). Still better than the minidoll, which is more of an attempt at making a better minifigure (a failure in that aspect). The worst is the lack of interchangeable parts. The best example comes from Pirates. A minifigure can lose a single leg or a hand, and you can swap it with a peg leg or a hook hand. That can't be done with the minidoll (ironic, since dressup and accessorizing is a big part of "traditional girl" play). But more than that, I hate that LEGO is differentiating on the gender lines and introducing more gendered play rather than reinforcing the elements that both genders share. This is because it reinforces gender stereotypes while also creating themes that are at the ends of the spectrum rather than the middle. Nexo Knights and Elves are the prime example here, being the extreme "boys" and "girls" versions of the classic fantasy setting most commonly seen in Castle.

No I do not. Another regular series would appeal to me the most.

Which was the point of the statement...

I'm guessing he meant Finn, not Emmett. However, maybe Sweet Mayhem is the LEGO analogue to Finn's sister, as Emmett is the analogue to Finn. This could in some ways make Sweet Mayhem Emmett's sister...

I just want this Duplo set:

Right, but that's in the other direction... I don't think they'd introduce a new Castle theme in this movie before the actual theme launches (which is what I assume he was saying). And I don't think they'd include the 2013 Castle theme in the movie, though I could be wrong and we may see a different incarnation of it, damaged and post-apocalyptic. But this is why I assume we will see maybe Nexo Knights if anything as a representation of Castle. But even more likely, they ditch Castle references altogether and feature Elves instead.

Thanks for the information! I may be delaying my order a little longer.

Never played the game, so no idea what this is, but the build is great! I looked it up really quick to see what the original looks like, and you nailed it! Good job!

I'm guessing just tables and things you can use to build on with LEGO. Like kids play furniture.

I'm thinking that we could see Elves more than any Castle variation. I have heard that the Queen is a shape-shifter, which is interesting and makes your reading of the name more meaningful.

Thanks for posting. Interesting stuff! There were a few things I missed, so it was good to take another more detailed look.

I feel like the list of themes is full every year, then I hear about another one. So yeah, time will tell...

You never know. Of course I'll be excited if it happens, but it wouldn't surprise me if they stupidly replaced Castle with Harry Potter for the time being...

That's a good point. In fact, I almost expect Nexo Knights to show up in some form in place of Castle, especially if it is true that this movie will explore the differences between how boys and girls play with toys. I worry that, if this is true, they may be pushing gender roles.