LEGO Creator 3in1

Aquatical or Botanical? 31158 Sea Animals [Review]

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Another review from Branko today. We asked for a copy of 31158 Sea Animals to look at (Thank you LEGO® Team), and what started as a simple look at a nice looking set got a bit out of hand!

Botanical sets have become an integral part of the Grown-up LEGO® Experience. Since the release of the first life-sized flowers in 2021, they have become such a regular and expected release that LEGO has now decided to explicitly dedicate a theme to it: Botanicals, rather than continue to release them under the generic ‘ICONS’ banner. The theme is expanding in a way that suggests that it is popular (see these newly announced sets and this Botanic garden). But today I would like to look at an alternative to these plants, that may serve a similar purpose: Aquascaping!

An aquarium serves a similar purpose of colourful natural decoration, emphasizing moving living creatures more than plants, so how does this translate to LEGO? Is it possible to create a pleasant natural decoration based on underwater creatures as an alternative to plants?

Read on to see how we explore the comparison “Fish or Flowers” based on the set 31158 Sea Animals (AU$49.99/£24.99/$29.99/€29.99)

Fish or Flowers

Tyger Tyger Burning Bright: Majestic Tiger [Hands-On Review]

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Tyger Tyger, burning bright, 
In the forests of the night; 
What immortal hand or eye, 
Could frame thy fearful symmetry? 

The Tyger, William Blake

Organic forms were, once upon a time, difficult to construct with any significant degree of realism using LEGO bricks. If you were to attempt such shapes in before the turn of the century, you would have created a relatively blocky form. The continuing evolution of elements over the last 15 years has led to the parts palette including a significant number of curves, both along the vertical and horizontal planes of an element’s axis as well as bricks with studs on the side, and a variety of clip and bar connections. These have seen the LEGO System continue to evolve beyond a simple toy and into a model-making medium, allowing these organic shapes to become easier to replicate. Once restricted to fan creations, the 31129 Majestic Tiger brings a demonstration of complex techniques, and downright elemental trickery that would not have been so easily possible in 2020!

This set also has alternative models of a red panda, as well as a koi fish. I will come to these in a subsequent review, but I was keen to share the details of the tiger with you today.

I would like to thank the AFOL Engagement Team from the LEGO Group for sending this prerelease set to the Rambling Brick for an early review.

The set is due for release on the 1st of January 2022, and has 755 pieces. It will cost AUD79.99. International pricing is yet to be revealed.

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