So far we’ve looked at some sets from the larger end of the Dreamzzz line, but the eleven set range has a wide range of price points. The less expensive sets feature some of the same fantastic minifigures and imaginative builds, so let’s take a closer look at two of them: 71453 Izzie and Bunchu the Bunny and 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot. These mech-like sets each come with a hero, a large companion, and some sort of nightmare villain. 714543 Izzie and Bunchu the Bunny comes with 259 pieces, 1 minifigure, and 1 Grimspawn, and can be preordered now for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £18.99; 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot has 237 pieces and 2 minifigures and can be preordered for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £18.99. Both sets will be widely available on August 1st.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Unboxing the parts, instructions, and stickers

Bunchu the Bunny is one of Izzie’s stuffed animals, which she has learned to dreamcraft into a giant companion in the dream world. Depending on the situation, Bunchu can have wings, boxing gloves, and even roller skates! After what happened to her other stuffie, Mr. Sharkyjaw, Izzie is protective and a bit fearful of losing Bunchu also. The set has three numbered bags, a wonderfully illustrated instruction booklet showing Bunchu in full roller-skating glory, and no stickers.

Mateo draws Z-Blob comics, and when he first wakes to the dream world, Z-Blob comes to life. Unfortunately Mateo never bothered drawing him a mouth, so even in the dream world Z-Blob has to communicate with gestures. More surprisingly, though, Z-Blob follows Mateo and Izzie back into the waking world, which causes all kinds of hijinks. This set also has three numbered bags, the instruction booklet, and a small sticker sheet.

We love the illustrated style of the Dreamzzz instruction booklets. They add depth to the characters and illustrated different build options and play ideas as well.

The build

Mateo and Z-Blob starts with a little side build of a cute but also kind of terrifying bed with grimspawn legs, claws, and eyes that has captured Jayden and is trying to take her back to the Nightmare King to capture her creative energy.

All Dreamzzz sets have a decision point where you can choose an A or a B model, but by that point, you already have a playable build. Bunchu’s “base model” is a cheerful, colorful – very blue – giant bunny with coral highlights. There are no knee joints, and the only articulation in the arms is at the elbow, but it’s still very posable. The ears are super expressive and fun, and the bushy tail is great too. The new cylindrical joint pieces are going to show up in a ton of buildable figures; they provide a pretty stable joint with a much nicer form factor than the rectangular brick ones for characters this size. Perhaps, some day, we’ll get mixel joints in colors other than gray – but we’re not going to hold our breath.

Z-Blob takes a number of forms in the dream world (and a few in the waking world, which we won’t spoil for now). This is his large, mech-armored form. The articulation is similar to Bunchu, though Z-Blob does have independently posable fingers on each hand. The white armor looks good with the transparent green slime buddy, and while the back looks very unfinished, the alternate builds are both designed to cover some of that up.

Both builds are really choices of accessories, not any deeper changes. Bunchu’s accessory options are a pair of rocket-powered roller skates (accompanied by what seem like boxing gloves), or a pair of wings along with an alternate tail that almost looks like a bee’s stinger… is this a bee-bunny? They’re both a ton of fun but the roller skates just are so weird and wonderful. The rocket jets represented by the new dual-molded flame piece actually work really well as counterweights for posing Bunchu’s legs dynamically. We’re ready for the roller derby!

Z-Blob’s first set of accessories are a very robotic looking helmet, a stud shooter, and a jetpack. The helmet looks quite cool and the jetpack covers up most of the exposed anti-studs on the back.

The second variant mounts the stud shooter on his shoulder and includes a pretty large weapon that looks like a flamethrower – a slimethrower? Both options are fun mech accessories, but c’mon, neither of them is roller skates.

The minifigures

Bunchu’s set technically only comes with one minifigure, Izzie, but you also get the stuffed-animal form of Bunchu (c’mon, LEGO, finish the set with a shark plushie in a future set, please…), which is new color and print for the piece, and an adorable little Grimspawn with a helmet and a net bigger than it is for capturing Bunchu. Izzie is a very strong minifigure overall, and we’ve mentioned her dual-molded translucent hair and sword as being some of the standout new elements from the theme.

Z-Blob’s set comes with two minifigures, Izzie’s brother Mateo, and Jayden, one of the other students at their high school. Jayden has braces and headgear – only the second time for a minifigure. It’s a welcome reintroduction because the first set of headgear was on Nancy, who also happened to have an M-Tron fan t-shirt, making it a popular and consequently expensive figure. Jayden also has adorable unicorn pajamas. Mateo is the most commonly included character in the first wave of Dreamzzz sets, but between his utility belt, unique head with vitiligo spot, hair, and dual-molded legs, another one isn’t unwelcome.

Conclusion and recommendation

Z-Blob is fun to pose – see picture below for one of our favorites – and the green and white color scheme is appealing. We’re not as in love with it as we are with our new blue bunny pal, but $20 for a solid, easy to build and play with mech with two great minifigures is a good deal. Both minifigures are available in other Dreamzzz sets though, so if you’re not looking to get every single set, you might pass on this one if this form of Z-Blob doesn’t grab you.

We have a bit of a history here at TBB of falling hard for bunnies, and Bunchu is no exception. The colors, the expressiveness, the roller skates – this is a very fun set. The Izzie minifigure is also fabulous, and the Grimspawn are all such adorable little nightmares. For $20, this is an easy set to recommend.

71453 Izzie and Bunchu the Bunny comes with 259 pieces, 1 minifigure, and 1 Grimspawn, and can be preordered now for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £18.99; 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot has 237 pieces and 2 minifigures and can be preordered for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £18.99. Both sets will be widely available on August 1st, when they may also be available from Amazon or third-party sellers on eBay.

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The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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