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We talked about several of the recently released LEGO Monkie Kid sets (see links at the end of this post), but there are a couple of sets we haven’t discussed yet. LEGO Monkie Kid sets mix the Chinese legend of the Monkey King with modern fantasy elements. Thus, we get traditional Asian motifs and characters blended with futuristic mechs, drones, and other vehicles. The sets are creative, imaginative, and visually pleasing, and they have some impressive play-features, and unique elements.

The two sets we will talk about today are the #80021 LEGO Monkie Kid’s Lion Guardian, and the #80022 LEGO Monkie Kid Spider Queen’s Arachnoid Base. Both of these sets prominently feature some of the baddies, ruled by the evil Spider Queen, and have ominous black mechs shaped like spiders.

The #80021 LEGO Monkie Kid’s Lion Guardian set is fairly well balanced between the sides of Monkie Kid and his friends, and the baddies led by the Spider Queen. Monkie Kid rides on a fully posable Lion Guardian Mech with snapping jaws and two hidden spring-loaded shooters, while the Spider Queen’s Battle Rig has movable legs and two spring-loaded shooters.

I normally like the Monkie Kid mechs, but I feel like that the design of the Lion Mech is just too messy. We know that LEGO can make excellent brick-built lions and dragons, so I’m not sure why this one went wrong. The black internal frame and mechanical parts showing through are unsightly, and the outer cladding doesn’t look very good either.

The Spider Queen’s robotic spider looks a lot cleaner in terms of design and I like that they spring-loaded shooters double as the eyes of the spider. Overall, this is a small but fun design.

The real attraction of this set though is the arcade with a working toy-grabbing claw game that can actually dispense small pieces. I also like the overall color-scheme of the arcade and that the layout can be changed from open to closed. In the video-review below, you can see how the claw machine works..

The five minifigs are Monkie Kid in his usual attire and with the Golden Staff, Mei also in her usual attire with the Jade Dragon Blade, Lu who seems to be just a generic civilian, Spider Queen, and a Huntsman. All the minifigs are highly detailed, but you can get them from other sets, except for Lu, who is exclusive to this set.

In summary, this set is probably not worth it to most people, however, some of the design elements could be copied from the instructions for other applications. The arcade is especially nice and could be incorporated into your LEGO city. Even the design of the Spider Queen’s mech could be used as a template for small spider-shaped vehicles. This is a 774 piece set, so the $79.99 doesn’t seem too bad, however when you look at what you get, and how much of it is actually useful, it may not be worth it to you at full price. You can find it at the LEGO Monkie Kid section of the Online LEGO Shop.

Now, let’s take a look at the enormous #80022 LEGO Monkie Kid Spider Queen’s Arachnoid Base. This set is obviously dedicated to the Spider Queen, and there is very little provided for Monkie Kid and his team. But that’s alright, because the giant spider-shaped mech/HQ is definitely awesome!

The Spider Mech features lever-operated attack pincers, poseable legs, and the spider’s body (the round section at the back) opens up to reveal a detailed lab and prison.

The overall size is 10 in. (25 cm) high, 13.5 in. (34 cm) long, and 17.5 in. (44 cm) wide, so yeah, it’s big! The color-scheme is also great and the lime-green really pops against the purple and black. You really have to see this spider in action to appreciate the details, so make sure you watch the video-review below.

The six minifigs are Spider Queen, Syntax, Monkie Kid, Pigsy, Monkey King, and a generic civilian. They are highly detailed, as usual, especially the Spider Queen. You also get a small robotic spider as well as a tiny flyer for Monkie Kid, but the main highlight of this set is really the mech itself. It’s sturdy, looks great, and full of fun play-functions.

The #80022 LEGO Monkie Kid Spider Queen’s Arachnoid Base comes with 1,170 pieces and the price is $119.99. The price per piece ratio is pretty standard (10 cents), and if you like what you see, it would be worth it at full price or close to full price in my opinion. If you want to check it out, it’s available at the LEGO Monkie Kid section of the Online LEGO Shop.

I should also mention that spider mechs are fun, even outside of the LEGO Monkie Kid universe. Think about what you could do with them for Halloween! What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Monkie Kid spider mechs? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below!

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The recently announced #21328 LEGO Ideas Seinfeld display model of Jerry’s apartment is now available for LEGO VIP members (general release will begin on August 1st). Seinfeld is known as ‘the show about nothing’ that made everyone laugh, and the LEGO version is packed with authentic details to further delight fans. Some key features are the kitchen/living room where Jerry and friends would hang out and the hallway from where neighbor Kramer would burst in. And of course, all five beloved Seinfeld characters are included to spark nostalgic memories and sidesplitting scenes; Jerry Seinfeld, George Costanza, Cosmo Kramer, Elaine Benes, and Newman. The set also includes a small, buildable stage for stand-up comedian Jerry.

It’s worth noting that this is the fourth LEGO set based on a sitcom, after the #21302 LEGO Ideas The Big Bang Theory from 2015 (retired), and two sets based on the F.R.I.E.N.D.S television show; the #21319 LEGO Ideas Central Perk from 2019, and the recently released #10292 LEGO Friends Apartments, both of which are still available at the Online LEGO Shop.

The #21328 LEGO Ideas Seinfeld set is packaged in the typical black box that has become the norm for the 18+ collection, and comes with a flip-up lid. The front of the box features the set from a frontal view, the five characters in minifig form, and the yellow and red Seinfeld logo. The back of the box shows the set from a slightly above view, which I think displays the unique features of the set better than the picture at the front. There are a few additional images at the back, but the only interesting one in my opinion is the blueprint.

The instruction booklet is 175 pages, and has a bit of info about the original show, each of the characters, the set’s fan creator, Brent Waller, and the three LEGO designers who worked on the set. Although the cover of the booklet and these introductory pages are black, thankfully, the pages with the building instructions are light colored. This was done in response to the many complaints from adult fans that the black pages of the 18+ sets were very hard to see. The box also includes nine numbered bags for the pieces, a few separately packaged larger pieces, as well as a single sticker-sheet with twenty stickers.

Building begins with the stage for Jerry and the base for the interestingly shaped main section from bags #1 and #2. As this set is based on a sitcom, the living space doubles as a stage, and to maximize viewing from the front, all the walls are placed at slight angles. This is achieved by using hinged plates to place to walls at an angle on a smoothly tiled surface. Building this surface is kind of monotonous, but it doesn’t take too long.

Bags #3 and #4 are for building the left side and back of the structure. A unique feature of this set compared to the earlier sitcom-based sets is that it features three partially or completely enclosed spaces that surround the central area. This makes the layout far more interesting for both play and display. On the other hand, building this early section was a little boring. It’s basically just building plain light-gray and white walls with occasional clever accessories like the radiators, ac unit, and computer desk.

However, once you’re done with this section, things get more interesting. Bag #5 and #6 are for building the kitchen, and this is my favorite part of the entire set. The fridge with stickers, the microwave, the sink with a paper towel roll above, the cleverly built stove, the kitchen counters, and the crammed kitchen cabinets are an absolute joy to build. Bags #7, #8, and #9 are also pretty engaging with finishing the rest of the walls, and adding various furniture pieces.

Overall, the set is not as colorful and jammed packed with unique building techniques and accessories as the #21319 LEGO Ideas Central Perk set, which remains my favorite, but it does have some nice details to offer. I feel that the building instructions could have been better balanced between boring sections and more interesting sections. I didn’t really enjoy building this set until about half way through the construction (kitchen and beyond).

Speaking of details, the set is also full of Easter eggs for fans of the Seinfeld TV show. I’m not an expert on this, as I only watched a couple of episodes, but I included a video below by Ashnflash who lists over 30 references from the show. The second video is a full video-review of the set, also by Ashnflash.

My impression from the feedback I have seen is that Seinfeld fans are happy with the set, LEGO designers got all the authentic details right, and they also really nailed the characters. From the perspective of a LEGO fan who doesn’t care about the show, the set still has a lot of value. First, the price / piece ratio is unusually low (1,326 pieces for $79.99 comes to only 6 cents apiece!). Also, many of the design elements and furniture pieces could be directly transported to your own layouts, and all the minifigs can be used as regular civilians in a LEGO city.

In summary, I would recommend this set to both friends of the show and LEGO fans who like detailed interior designs. It may not be a day-one purchase, but it’s worth picking up just for the parts due to the unusually low price. If you would like to check it out, it’s available at the LEGO Ideas section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Ideas Seinfeld set? Do you have it already? Or are you planning to get it? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below!

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