From long-time fans to first-time viewers, LEGO’s new One Piece sets are inspiring builders in very different ways. We set sail with three contributors to explore how each brought their own experience aboard the pirate saga.
Read MoreManga and anime-inspired LEGO creations are rare outside of Asia, but French builder Benjamin Walter is breaking the mold. From intricate characters to life-size builds, we explore his techniques, inspirations, and passion for Japanese pop culture.
Read MoreAny time I hear "Queen of hearts" two things happen: I think of the character from Disney's animated classic Alice in Wonderland (not the Burton film, she was just weird) and that terrible song (which will now be stuck in my head the rest of the damn day). I would really like to shift those things to this imposing but beautiful lady by builder LegoWyrm, I'd much rather think of her. Of course we'll have to wait and see (fingers crossed). But for now, the terrible song continues in my skull...
While my new Airstream has fundamentally changed how I camp, I spent the first half century of my life tent camping. I've always enjoyed adding a bit of separation between myself and the real world and decompressing while "roughing it" (and of course eating camp food). These adorable figures based on the comic Yuru Camp by MikeVd are getting away from it all, and I have to admit I'm just a little jealous.
We've seen a number of this iconic manga classic in bricks of the years. The complex curves and sculpted form of the Yamamoto make it a challenge, but builder marchetti36 nails it in one of my favorite versions ever. The level of sculpting and details at this scale is really impressive, click through for more pics.
I've never seen this haunting image of Neo-Tokyo's dystopian harbor with Tetsuo's face, I'm not sure of it's origins. But the awesome LEGO depiction of it is by builder gan.marco, and it's excellent. It's also enough to make me think to myself that it's been too long since I've watched Katsuhiro Otomo's animated classic and masterpiece Akira. Time to break out the DVD.
I won't begin to pretend I know or understand anything about Girls & Panzer, but this MOC by Moko is stunning for both militaristic and squee factors. And as if it wasn't jaw-dropping enough, this thing is remote controlled! Check out the video to see it's power functions goodness.
Christmas time is here, and Miku is celebrating by conjuring presents for everyone! Builder MikeVD knows how to spread a little yuletide fun, and his latest MOC has it all, action pose, wonderful color, clever building and of course a huge helping of Christmas cheer.
I happened into the room while my son was watching Death Note a couple months ago. I was impressed with the art style and concept, and fascinated with this guy, Ryuk. He's almost like Jiminy Cricket's alter ego, getting into your head and wreaking havoc mainly because he was bored. The series is dark, very dark, but strangely beautiful, much like this bust of Ryuk by builder Combee!
I'm afraid I haven't seen Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, so I can't speak on this figure by Pate-keetongu with much authority, but as a MOC, it's splendid. I especially like the stance, with great weight distribution and pose. A seamless background would have been better for the photography, but overall I'm pretty impressed with this figure.
So what do you do when your school is going to be shut down? Become School Idol's to save it! I suppose if I had actually watched the show instead of googling it that would make more sense to me, but I'm baffled by most anime. But awesome building doesn't baffle me at all, and this collection of adorable characters by Moko is just that, awesome.
One of the things I most love about the AFOL community is it knows no borders and speaks a common language. I have contact with builders from all over the world, and very much enjoy sharing their work on this blog. Through it I have made friends in so many countries I've lost count. It also exposes me to different pop culture, that while I may not completely understand, I can totally appreciate. One of these builders is Mike Dung. He's one of the reigning kings of manga builders, and his lovely characters are responsible for a great many Google searches on my part, but all worth it.
Read MoreThis sword wielding lovely comes to us from builder pb0012. Once again I have no idea where she's from or have any knowledge of what she does. All I do know is I like her style and building a fully posable figure wearing a skirt is no small feat. Click through for many more poses and pictures
Once again my ignorance of anime is brought to my attention. And as usual my quick little research to familiarize myself with the subject matter has left me with more questions than answers. I really like this cute little MOC by MikeVD, but I have no idea who it is. To quote One Piece Wiki: "Tony Tony Chopper is the doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates. Chopper is a reindeer that ate a Devil Fruit called the Hito Hito no Mi". So, yeah.
Thanks for the head's up Bill!
Tis the season for awfully cute MOCs, and this one by Moko is awfully awfully cute. That's a whole lot of personality packed into a small holiday MOC. The pose, expression and construction is perfect. What a wonderful little bundle of seasonal fun.
Once again I find myself on the fringes of understanding an anime character. Through some quick searches I can see it has something to do with a festival? I dunno. What I do know is this build by Mike Dung is gorgeous. The contouring and building is excellent, but and posing and photography is what sets this apart. She evokes emotion and draws you in, and that's what characters should do.
Builder Moko is back with a lovely super deformed version of Yamato Armor Girl. Nothing says cute like pigtails, bangs, big eyes....and a cold steel, armor plated battle-ready gun battery. I'd like to say I knew what this was by just looking, but without Google I'm worthless.
Really how can you go wrong with big eyes, a small mouth, fantastic hair...and a tank! Builder MikeVd is back with another anime inspired MOC that I have no idea about, and this morning is too crazy to fake it with Google. OK, I know a little about it, she's from Girls Und Panzer, which brings together the natural combination of teenage girls and WWII weaponry.
MikeVd once again shows off his masterful character building skills with this perfect rendition of Reimu Hakurei, the main character from Touhou Project. Of course it's once again only through the power of Google that I know any of this. But I know good building, and this MOC rocks.
Ahoy, me hearties! It be Talk Like A Pirate Day! Are you ready to set sail on an adventure through the history of classic LEGO Pirates? Where did it begin, what was it all about, and where has the theme showed up since? Join us on a treasure hunt through history!
Take a seat as we explore clever LEGO chair techniques that will leave you sitting pretty. From boat studs to bucket handles, here are some simple ways to design your own stylish chairs.
Identifying individual LEGO parts from bulk second-hand purchases can be challenging, so what are the most common elements that people want to know, “What is this!?”
The same bricks have sailed under many names in Alexander Zarkowski’s LEGO shipyard. We talk cruise ships, building at scale and how it feels to take apart a massive build after only a few weeks.
Which country has the cheapest LEGO? We’ve crunched the numbers across 22 countries spanning Europe, North America, and Australia and found a surprising result…
LEGO Castle has featured quite a few factions like the Wolfpack and Fright Knights. But what would kids name them after only seeing their shields? Make way for the Mean Rocktopusses!
Brian Hickey is back with another installment of LEGO According To Kids. This time he asks his to young children about their thoughts on LEGO color names. Read on to find the interesting and comical results!
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LEGO Speeder Bikes are back with a new community building challenge inspired by Citizen Sleeper. Build an airbike, create its messenger, and see what you can squeeze into just three studs wide.