Aanchir

Yeah, the issue is that the people making that episode either forgot to mirror the ninja or actively chose not to (since they are really visions of the future and not true reflections). Note also that the little nick in Jay's eyebrow is above what would be his left eye if it were a true reflection, and even more conspicuously, Jay and Kai's hairstyles were not mirrored.

Different types of building can require different levels of attentiveness to the instructions. There have been a number of times when sites like Brickset have reviewed a Bionicle or Hero Factory set for ages 7+ or 8+ and put shells on in the wrong orientation, for instance. And with sets that use Technic, you have to be VERY careful to put parts on in the correct order and the correct orientation or the set might not function properly. So on some levels, the age recommendations are a measure of how many opportunities there are to make careless mistakes if you're not used to that style of building, or how difficult those mistakes might be to spot and fix after the fact. I think it was at my seventh birthday that my brother and I had a LEGO-themed party, and my dad ordered a bunch of $6 Throwbots sets as activities/party favors. I think that was where I first became aware that some types of LEGO building DID take a certain amount of skill/experience. Throwbots are extremely simple by Technic standards, but even so there were issues where some of the kids at the party were using the wrong length axles, attaching them through the wrong holes, etc. Most of them had never built a LEGO set quite like these, and as such they didn't know what kind of mistakes were possible, let alone what kind of mistakes to look out for.

It isn't? It's definitely in the US catalog (it's even on the cover of the fall issue). The back cover has the number you can call to order over the phone if that's any help. Definitely, unless your local LEGO store is sold out for some reason. Last weekend they had an incredible offer where if you bought the Temple of Airjitzu you would get a free copy of Enter the Serpent (normally a $60 set), so it's possible that some stores might have cleared out a lot of sets during that promotion.

It's a LEGO exclusive, so if you don't want to buy it online you basically have to get it at a LEGO store or LEGOLAND park. Regular stores like Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us don't carry these kinds of exclusives.

There are probably a number of girls who despise the classic minifigure. Or, at least, who have little to no interest in playing with it. It is a bit frustrating that girl-oriented and boy-oriented themes have different styles of figures, but neither figure is inherently better than the other, and kids shouldn't have to love the traditional minifigure to deserve a LEGO building experience as rich and exciting as those who do. The mini-doll is the first LEGO figure that girls tend to love as much as boys tend to love the minifigure. LEGO Friends is not popular in spite of the mini-doll. In fact, I'm sure some of the theme's success can be attributed to the mini-doll's popularity. The LEGO Friends builds are just as complex as any LEGO City builds. Several of them arguably more so — Pop Star Tour Bus is far more complex than any LEGO City set its size (note the age recommendation 8–12 instead of 5–12 or 6–12; it's that way for a reason). There are a number of Friends sets that use very little pink or none at all, like Heartlake Skate Park, Heartlake Private Jet, First Aid Jungle Bike, and Mia's Magic Tricks. And really, you could make the exact same color argument about LEGO City with the colors red and yellow. Pink is not an inherently worse color than red or yellow. Some people just have an irrational phobia of it because they consider it "girly".

Amazon.com now has cover art and a description for The Book of Monsters. This is the British edition by Ladybird, which is coming out in February. The American edition by Scholastic will apparently be coming out in June.

Hey, it's all plastic.

I think Playmobil has a very different business model in general, though... they seem to keep their sets in circulation longer, which enables them to release new sets that expand on existing sets rather than taking the place of them. I can't remember who or where, but I recall reading a comment from somebody that pointed out one reason for this. I think it was in a discussion of how Playmobil is able to offer things like zoo sets that include so many more animal molds than LEGO ever introduces at any one time. Playmobil parts in general are way more specialized than LEGO ones, to the extent that many are only used in certain individual sets. Thus, for Playmobil to get their money's worth out of a mold they have to keep producing more of those same sets that use it. So for Playmobil to keep those older, still-in-production sets relevant, they have to keep producing compatible expansion sets. LEGO, on the other hand, can introduce new sets that reuse many of the same molds as older ones. That means they are able to get their money's worth out of molds without keeping the same exact sets in production year after year after year. But it also means that to LEGO, a part's value is in how many DIFFERENT sets and themes it can be used in, not how many of one INDIVIDUAL set they can manage to sell. Hence LEGO having so many fewer animal molds as a general rule. So despite the similarities between LEGO and Playmobil, their very different design philosophies result in a very different business model, and that means a theme that works for Playmobil (like a zoo theme, or a castle theme that constantly expands with new sets and figures) might not work so well for LEGO.

Personally, I see these kinds of "mash-ups" as more of an older kids' thing. I think it's partly a matter of novelty. When you're very young (say, four or five), the traditional genres like Medieval, Western, etc. are still fairly fresh and new and exciting. You're hearing stories within many of those genres for the first time. As you get older, though (let's say, nine or ten), these things no longer have so much novelty. You're used to them. So that's when kids start seeking out things that are less familiar, and mix tropes normally associated with different genres. For instance, when I was a teen/preteen, I was into book series like Harry Potter (modern day boarding school meets witchcraft and wizardry) and Artemis Fowl (sci-fi action thriller meets fairy tale), cartoons like Jackie Chan Adventures and Xiaolin Showdown (Chinese mythology meets modern day culture), and of course LEGO themes like Bionicle (futuristic science fiction meets tropical island cultures). There are even whole genres like steampunk and urban fantasy that are dedicated to particular genre mash-ups, and the audience for these genres tends to be skewed towards adults and teenagers who are already moderately familiar with the time periods and genres in question. I can't speak for everyone, of course. Some people might stick with a passion for a particular genre all their lives. Others might experience this shift as adolescents but then drift back to more traditional fare as they become adults. Still more might be interested in the wacky mash-up type fare even as very young children. Anyway, does anybody think we might see some more traditional Castle sets when The LEGO Movie 2 rolls around? I know the LEGO Movie was pretty much defined by wacky mash-ups, but when it came to sets, there were a few like Benny's Spaceship that stuck pretty firmly to one theme category aside from their minifigures, and even the "2-in-1" sets like Castle Cavalry always had one "normal" version and one "mash-up" version. So I think that could be a good opportunity for LEGO to introduce some technically advanced sets based on some of the classic LEGO themes that right now are looking a bit neglected, such as Pirates, Castle, and Space. Of course, that's still like two and a half years away, so by then the landscape of LEGO themes might be looking a lot different. Maybe by then there will be a "proper" Castle or Pirates or Space theme, in which case there's not a whole lot the LEGO Movie sequel could offer in terms of "traditional fare" that existing themes couldn't cover more thoroughly on their own.

I think there exist rubber bands for use as hair ties that are more or less the same size and material as the old ones from the Turaga. That might be a cheaper option than BrickLink, if you can find the right size. The new round cross section rubber bands from more current LEGO sets would probably last longer than the old ones, though they'd stand out a bit more due to the small ones being white instead of black.

I agree, Dragon Lands is incredible! Though it's probably a good thing that we're not getting a Castle theme like that next year, since between Ninjago and Elves, next year is already front-loaded with plenty of beautiful brick-built dragons! Perhaps once Elves has moved to a different story arc, there might be room for another dragon-heavy theme, though, whether that's a theme like Dragon Lands or something more akin to a Vikings reboot. My favorite of Nuju Metru's Dragon Lands designs might still be this one that uses space/submarine windscreens as magical force fields — a brilliant repurposing of what are normally sci-fi elements in a fantasy context! Given Nexo Knights' blending of sci-fi and fantasy tropes, this might be a good sort of technique for it to implement in future sets. It seems very much like the sort of "digital wizardry" we might expect to see in that theme.

Note that Bionicle isn't among the themes that are being released on December 1. It's just City, Creator, Technic, and Disney Princess. Bionicle will probably be coming in January, same as this year.

Not really, because the new sets would cannibalize demand for the sets that are already out. The Christmas shopping season is when the vast majority of "summer sets" get sold. If you release sets in December as well, then not only would a lot of stores have to put summer sets on clearance sooner just to make room for the new ones, but the brand-new sets would distract people from the summer sets. As it is, releasing new sets in January generates new demand to make up for the drop-off in demand after the holiday season, gives retailers new inventory to fill all the shelf and warehouse space that opened up after the holiday shopping season, and keeps the holiday shopping focus on the sets that are already out — which really IS a win-win.

You seem to be operating under the assumption that "futuristic=bad". That's a really hard-line position to take, considering that LEGO Space has been around as long as LEGO Castle. I can understand you being mad that there's not a "traditional" Castle theme currently, but that doesn't justify throwing those kinds of insults at the Nexo Knights theme, which is a rather imaginative theme in its own right, and one that seems like it could offer a lot of building, play, and storytelling value. Whether Nexo Knights is or isn't a Castle theme will vary depending on who you ask, because there isn't and never has been a strict, 100% agreed upon definition for "LEGO Castle". Really, the only indisputable requirement for a LEGO Castle theme is that it has castles, and Nexo Knights meets that requirement. The LEGO Group doesn't tend to obsess over "themes" and "subthemes" the way we AFOLs do, so there probably isn't any kind of "official" classification — Nexo Knights would simply be treated as its own theme. What I find kind of ironic is that a lot of people and websites do consider Ninja a Castle theme. Back in the 90s when it came out, I certainly didn't think of it as a Castle theme. I thought of it as its own, separate theme. But even though no previous Castle theme had ever focused on a part of the world other than Europe, a lot of people seem to have decided that Ninja is "castle" enough to qualify. Clearly, just because LEGO Castle has previously always been limited to a particular setting does not mean it must always be limited to that setting. And if there can be a Castle theme in a different place, why not a Castle theme in a different time? It would be interesting to see if there could be a way for Nexo Knights and more traditional Castle to coexist. I for one am open to that possibility. And really, there's no reason to assume LEGO wouldn't be prepared to consider that possibility. If a current Castle theme were being canned to make room for Nexo Knights it'd be a different story, but as it is, when Nexo Knights was announced, Castle had already been on hiatus for over a year and a half.

I'm not sure why everybody seems to be automatically assuming the silver creature heads and gold masks won't look good together? We haven't seen them together so it's impossible to know for sure. Believe it or not, silver and gold CAN look good together. Artists and artisans have been using them together for centuries, and LEGO designers and MOCists have managed it on several occasions as well. Just look at Ekimu's shield as one recent example. Or the Sir Jayko, Sir Rascus, Sir Danju, and King Jayko sets from 2005–2006. Personally, I found that the gold masks looked good on just about all this year's Toa, whether or not they had other gold armor besides that. And I don't see why the 2015 Toa should be any different, with or without the creatures attached. But somehow, people seem to have gotten it into their heads that the creature heads MUST match the Toa's masks or else it's an aesthetic disaster. I think it's only fair to wait and see. Maybe a contrasting color will look better than most of us could have anticipated. Now, as for those who really just want a wider variety of masks in Silver, I can sympathize with that. Silver's a great color for MOCs, after all.

It's honestly a good question. I agree, there are some things that more organic-looking figures (like, say, the mini-dolls) work better for than traditional minifigures. Elves, for instance, is well-suited to the more lifelike mini-dolls, which do a great job reflecting the art direction of the box art and TV special, plus allow for details like character-specific dresses, boots and sandals that would be tougher to replicate on the legs of a minifigure (minifigure toes are short and don't allow printing on the top, and shaped dresses on minifigures have the unfortunate side effect of preventing the figure from sitting down). To this day I kind of wonder what the Exo-Force theme might have been like if it had access to a more lifelike figure like the mini-doll. The figures were already inconsistent with other minifigures in terms of facial features, but yet they weren't totally consistent with the theme's anime-inspired art direction, either. Instead, they occupied this weird space somewhere in between. And being mech pilots, they didn't entirely even need the extra articulation that the traditional minifigure affords. Mike Yoder's mini-doll customs show just how cool mini-doll mech pilots can look! At the same time, when it comes to non-licensed themes, the character designs can be created to suit the assets and limitations of the figure the sets are going to use. The character designers for themes like Ninjago or Nexo Knights manage to do a good job working with the constraints of the minifigure rather than against them. The characters tend to be depicted as minifigures across all sets and media, so they can be designed according to those specific constraints. With a theme like Knights Kingdom or Exo-Force that is going to have multiple types of figure or a different design language between sets and media, the character designers have a somewhat tougher job, because the design constraints will vary depending on how how the character is being presented.

Fair enough. Personally, I don't know if the prospects for more traditional medieval fantasy sets are really so dire. After all, we've already seen LEGO produce licensed sets that are more or less within the same "genre" as existing non-licensed themes. And as the LEGO Group continues to grow I think there will be more and more room for non-licensed sets and themes that are inspired by similar subject matter. After all, if Castle and The Hobbit could coexist even temporarily, why couldn't a non-licensed Castle theme coexist with Nexo Knights? Surely those two themes would be even MORE different from one another. I believe some people in the Castle forum have brought up the possibility of LEGO Creator stepping outside its comfort zone of modern-day buildings and vehicles and introducing "3-in-1" sets inspired by medieval fantasy. That doesn't seem all that far-fetched to me, particularly without a competing medieval fantasy theme on the shelves. There is also the possibility of more Castle-inspired minifigures in future collectible minifigure series. Or of future medieval fantasy sets through LEGO Ideas. Or even of occasional Nexo Knights sets that steer clear of the more sci-fi elements of the series, much like Enter the Serpent, Jungle Trap, Lava Falls, and Master Wu Dragon did in this year's Ninjago range. This is the Nexo Knights discussion topic. I believe that means this is the place to share what you have to say about Nexo Knights, be it positive or negative. Reading opinions that are different from yours over and over can be frustrating, but people should be able to share those opinions when they're relevant to the discussion. Otherwise we run into a situation where everybody on Eurobricks stays in their own little bubble of preferred themes. The fact that x105 Black continues to contribute to this topic means he's willing to read opinions that he disagrees with, even if they disturb him. Those of us who like the theme should probably extend the same courtesy. If you really feel like those dissenting comments get in the way of discussion you can just ignore them.

Awesome! I'd seen some of these stop-motion adverts before but I had no idea they were actually produced by Aardman Animations!

I see no reason why it should be. Different people like different things. The current theme I most dislike is Disney Princess (which, to me, feels highly sanitized compared to the movies it's based on, a trait it shares with Disney Princess merchandise in general), but I don't find it disturbing that others like it. Just because other people like this theme doesn't mean you're wrong for disliking it. But conversely, just because you dislike it doesn't mean other people should. It really just boils down to personal taste.

Maybe because some of the LEGO Group's greatest successes in those 30 years (LEGO Space, LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Bionicle, LEGO Ninjago, LEGO Friends, The LEGO Movie, etc) were themes in which they stepped outside their comfort zone? Nexo Knights isn't the first "radical change" the LEGO Group has undergone and it certainly won't be the last.

Knights' Kingdom did that, but we don't have any idea how well those sets sold. Personally, I never felt anywhere near as strong an emotional connection to the new knights as to the originals.

This offer. I'd certainly take advantage of it if I didn't already have both sets.

But putting her in green on the package would have just confused people who hadn't seen the last couple episodes of the season. Minor episode-specific details of the story like that aren't a very good basis for a packaging design. You want something that can reflect the story arc as a whole and not just a specific moment.

This is what LEGO designer videos are usually like: a short explanation of the set's key features. The designer videos for the Toa were out of the ordinary, to say the least. It would have been cool to get some concept art like last time, but it's not a given (and besides, the main mask in this set is the Mask of Creation, which we've already seen plenty of concept art for on the LEGO Bionicle Facebook page).

Not going to speak to the Ghostbusters HQ controversy, but anybody who thinks the SHIELD Helicarrier set was ripped off from LEGO Ideas is clearly completely clueless. I think it's kind of ridiculous that it even comes up in these discussions of "LEGO Ideas controversies". The 22,000-piece Helicarrier project (which was never remotely viable) went live in May 2014. The 6700-piece updated version (still not remotely viable) didn't go live until July 2014. The final design of the Helicarrier was formally revealed without any resemblance to the project in January 2015. And only a total buffoon would think LEGO could design a nearly 3,000 piece set in less than eight months. Even ordinary-sized sets usually begin development at least eighteen months in advance. LEGO Ideas sets can be released on an accelerated timeline because the designer often has done a lot of the groundwork. For the Helicarrier, the designer on LEGO Ideas did hardly any of the groundwork. While a great digital MOC, the Helicarrier they designed was ludicrously large and never once built physically. There's no reason to even assume it could have supported its own weight, let alone passed the LEGO Group's standards for stability. And seeing as the final set was at an entirely different scale, there's nothing the LEGO Ideas project creator's work could have told LEGO except "hey, the helicarrier is a thing that exists", which, needless to say, the designers already knew. If believers in the SHIELD Helicarrier non-troversy could pose any kind of threat to LEGO, then there's hardly anything they could do to escape that group's ire, because people who subscribe to that hogwash have already abandoned their reason at the door. Apologies for the rant.