Old Fishing Store (21310) - Our Next Build!

The hardest part of completing any build is to decide what to do next! We were tempted to do another Ninjago set (Ninjago City Docks) to complete the series (at least the part of it we want to do) but changed our minds when we saw this sitting in the closet.

There was just something so charming about the run-down, ramshackle look of this set that really drew us to it. As odd as it is to label something so decrepit as "refreshing", this set truly is a nice breath of fresh air from the typical pristine sets that we build. Having the patchwork roof and other evidence of things that have just been cobbled together gives the building real character and a feel of something more. Similar to the battle damage and on-the-go repairs on the Millennium Falcon, the gritty, scruffy look of this building suggests a history and one can only imagine what it has been through.

You can imagine this sea shanty and the salty old dog that runs it being located in a small fishing town, eking out an existence just as his fishing father and grandfather before him did and just as all the other inhabitants of the village continue to do. It's not a fancy tourist trap that caters to vacationers and out of towners. This place is the sort where the proprietor knows your name and won't try to rip you off.

Anyway, stay tuned and watch us cobble this together!

Temple of Airjitzu (70751) - Final Thoughts

Yet another detailed and enjoyable Ninjago set. The overall color scheme and design fits well with our existing Ninjago sets (Destiny's Bounty and Ninjago City). There were some very unique elements to this set, including the working fireworks launcher, the flying weapons backpack and of course the Shadow Play theater.

I have to say that we were most impressed with the Shadow Play - aside from it being one of a kind that I have not seen in any other set, it merges so well with Japanese culture. I like the mechanism that is used to generate the images - a push to activate the light and then the turning of the crank to rotate the figurines inside.

Our biggest complaint with the set are the protruding roof struts. These pieces jut out from each corner of the roof on all levels and while they do add a measure of detail and aesthetics to the set, they are a real pain to work around. When attaching the main roofing sections, we were forever bumping into them and knocking them off. It would have been nice for them to be held onto the set more securely - as it is, each was held in place only by a single stud, and were very easy to dislodge.

 

The second item that we weren't huge fans of was the open back design - and yes, we understand this is to allow play functionality vs. having to remove each level to access the interior. I think the design is really something that depends entirely on what the end goal of the set builder is. For those who intend to play with the sets considerable, having the open back deign definitely makes it easier to place mini-figures. However, as we primarily build these for display, we definitely prefer having the building entirely enclosed. Again, just a personal preference and not a negative of the set.

Given the large number of ninja mini-figs in the set, we really appreciated the number of available roof top perches for them. It made sense to us that the majority of the ninjas would be skulking around on rooftops and other hard-to-reach areas instead of doing more banal things like shopping at the market. That said, the set has enough "civilian" mini-figs that the everyday activities are still represented.

You can see below that someone is doing some crab fishing by the market, others are having a chat on the bridge and the blacksmith is out surveying the landscape in front of his shop. Look carefully and you'll see Master Wu standing in front of one of the temple entrances and enjoying some fresh air. Look even more carefully and you'll see 4 ninjas - 3 waiting to pounce on something and 1 just leaving the temple after a training session at the dojo.

Displayed from the front, this is a great looking set - lots of detail, very true to the Japanese theme and with imposing height to really make the set stand out. We added a sheet of blue paper, as the middle area of the set is supposed to be a small pond or at least wet marsh of some sort and that definitely helps to set the scene.

Here we have it sitting beside its sister set, Ninjago City, to help give perspective on the overall size. 

Temple of Airjitzu (70751) - Fireworks, Flying Weapons Platform and More!

We had a very productive weekend on this set, finishing it off and attaching each of the separate pieces to form the whole.

There were a couple of pieces that I thought were very neat and wanted to draw attention to. The first is a flying weapons backpack that one of the ninjas flies around in and carries out airborne attacks. It's quite an impressive device - with large black wings (that completely remind me of Batman) mounted on a sturdy wood frame with a series of javelins mounted on the back. The method of securing the wearer does leave something to be desired though. There is no strapping system of any sort - the Ninja simply holds on  to the 2 protruding bars that emerge from the pack. He better not let go! Great for waiting for an unsuspecting victim from the temple roof top and then pouncing.

The other really cool mini-build is the fireworks cart. This self-contained mobile cart contains a rotating cylinder that not only holds but SHOOTS the fireworks! And it propels them a very respectable height and distance! We learned that after giving it a whirl and having to hunt around for the ejected pieces! The launcher holds 6 fireworks and the set provides another 6 to reload with once the first salvo is off.

Moving back to the main structure itself, we take a final peek into each of the 3 levels, which are now complete. Starting at the 2nd floor, we see that it is indeed a gathering spot of sorts. A low table sits in the center of the room where a tea set has been provided. The table is not secured and can be moved around to fit the users and to make room for other events is required.

The 3rd floor is the dojo, which we previously saw in detail. The finishing touch added here was a sticker on the floor tile. As you can see, the sticker suggests that the floor on this level is bare wood, which is very suitable for a dojo where sweat, blood and all manner of other body fluids could end up flying.

The 4th and final floor did end up being an artist's nook as we had guessed. Final touches added here include the paint brush in a cup on the shelf - you can just see it peeking out at the left edge of the photo. There were also a number of books added to the bookshelf - against the far wall with the white clam-shell pieces. Interestingly, the attic seems to serve as a hiding place for someone named Cole. Unfortunately, the writing is not too clear in this picture but above the ceiling of the artist book, you can see a large crate sitting in the rafters with a handwritten sign on it that says "Cole's Stuff - Don't Touch). Inside is a motley collection of random objects which obviously have value to Cole if no one else.

The market and the blacksmith (which we built so very long ago) snap to the temple via the hole and stud pieces that are used to connect the City Creator buildings together. The result is a loosely held together main block. The span between the market and blacksmith is then joined by a bridge (which simply sits between the two and is not firmly connected).

The bridge is very simple in design and more utilitarian than anything else, although the 4 dragon statuettes at both ends give it a bit of artistry. It seems to be a favorite meeting place for villagers to stop and chat.