(Written by William)
Whenever I have the opportunity to check out a LEGO Ideas set, I usually take it. Because they are originally fan-created and fan-submitted models, each of them reflects the personalities and priorities of their creator, and thus always provides an interesting building experience. Sometimes it’s about playability, sometimes size, sometimes clever building techniques, sometimes artistry, and sometimes making the model as realistic as possible despite the piece count and cost.
When it comes to the #21365 LEGO Ideas Love Birds, I initially wasn’t that interested. Not because it’s unattractive or anything like that, but I think my brain was focused on the things I wasn’t looking for instead of what was great about it. This is a little hard to explain. The model excels in so many areas that it was challenging for me to categorize it into a specific theme or category. So, I subconsciously thought if I can’t say why I want it, what about it I don’t want? And that in turn was how I convinced myself I didn’t need it. So let’s talk about this set that hits so many themes and categories!
LEGO IDEAS LOVE BIRDS – IT’S AN IDEAS SET!
This seems obvious. The LEGO Ideas Love Birds has all the hallmarks of a great LEGO Ideas set. The set is highly detailed. There are vines that look as though they are wrapping around the tree limbs. Slopes and tiles make intricate angles and grooves in the bark. The model does its best to avoid creating artificial-looking structures. And it is not stingy when it comes to giving you foliage for the parts of the tree that really need it.
As for the design of the birds, they are not meant to be any particular bird. Rather, they are realistic sculptures to capture the concept of love birds. And the set introduces fans to a new color, “warm-pink”. All in all, this is the stuff that LEGO Ideas models are made of.
LEGO IDEAS LOVE BIRDS – IT’S A BOTANICAL SET!
It’s the LEGO Botanicals line that has been bringing to life photo-realistic organic plants made out of LEGO parts into the world. The tree in this set is clearly an example of this level of excellence. The fan designer mentioned doing research on trees in order to get the look just right. In fact, it seems like most of the time and effort went into designing and building the tree. The birds only make up a small portion of the model.
LEGO IDEAS LOVE BIRDS – IT’S A CREATOR SET!
Sculpting realistic animals, you say? Putting them in their natural environment, you say? Well, friends, it sounds as though we entered the realm of LEGO Creator brick-built animals!
The LEGO Creator line has been coming up with some of the best-looking brick-built animals I’ve ever seen. Even their more affordable offerings still bring amazing levels of detail, just like the birds you see here. LEGO Creator also doesn’t care if the animals are real or not. Real-life depictions stride side-by-side with mythical beasts. So, clearly, this set could fall into the LEGO Creator animal sculpture collection.
LEGO IDEAS LOVE BIRDS – IT’S A SEASONAL SET!
Valentine’s Day just called and said, do you even remember what the origin of this set is? It was submitted to a contest on LEGO Ideas that asked LEGO fans to build something for Valentine’s Day! And since Valentine’s Day is all about love, it’s going to love to prove all the other claims wrong.
This set is one of symbolism. If you focus too much on the tree and birds, then you’ve lost the message. Even the instructions encourage you to grab the building app and use it to build the set together with your loved ones. This set is all about togetherness and how we care for one another through love.
LEGO IDEAS LOVE BIRDS – FINAL THOUGHTS
As I mentioned at the beginning, I was initially not too interested in getting the LEGO Ideas Love Birds. I don’t collect seasonal sets, and I’m already overflowing with LEGO Creator animals. And because that’s all I saw, I didn’t think I wanted it. But the set fits well in all the above-mentioned themes and categories. So, whether you have interests in intricate botanical displays, brick-built animals, or seasonal gifts, this set might fit your wants and needs.
Another reason I kind of rejected this set is because of the rather affordable $49.99 price tag. I think my brain informed me that it was way too cheap for a LEGO Ideas model. It couldn’t possibly give me the kind of intense building experience and great parts selection I’m usually looking for in adult-oriented sets. But it is actually a great parts-pack with a treasure trove of brackets, studs-not-on-top bricks, slopes of all kinds in browns, and a healthy amount of plant leaves. And that doesn’t even touch on the new warm-pink elements.
So overall, if you’re interested in the type of sets we mentioned above, you would probably be happy with the LEGO Ideas Love Birds. Because this model is a little too good at doing everything right. If you want to check it out, it’s availabl eat the LEGO Ideas section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Ideas Love Birds? Do you have it already? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below!
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