Tag Archives: Anime

Anime (アニメ in Japanese) is the style of animation or cartoons popularized in Japan, but appreciated worldwide today. Anime inspires lots of LEGO models from builders everywhere. Whether you love the artistry of Hayao Miyazaki or mecha from shows like Gundam and Evangelion, you’ll find many wonderful LEGO creations inspired by anime here on The Brothers Brick.

MS GUNDAM, RX-78

It takes at least a second look at GYUTA K.‘s Gundam to appreciate this creation. I personally like the transforming core fighter chest piece, which you can see in the gallery on MOCpages.

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RX-78 Gundam

RX-78 Gundam

Peter C. (PeteCorp) based this Gundam model not on the series but on the 1:1 scale model found in Shizuoka. He’s also made a descriptive video (longer youtube version) for it. Utterly exceptional work at such a tiny scale.

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Raideen will save the world

Adrian Drake (Brickfrenzy) is bringing his colossal super robot Raideen to our Big in Japan display at BrickCon. I think it will look very nice standing next to Mark Sandlin’s Mazinger Z, both of which are based off the Teknomeka frame.

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Collaborative displays at BrickCon 2010 – info, planning, & discussion

In addition to the large-scale, theme-specific collaborate displays that BrickCon has become known for throughout the LEGO fan community — from sweeping Castle landscapes to Great Ball Contraptions that would make Rube Goldberg envious — BrickCon 2010 will also feature several new and returning favorites.

If you’re still thinking about attending, you only have a few days left to register and guarantee custom-engraved bricks in your registration packet. If you have registered, don’t forget to also register your LEGO creations by filling out MOC cards. MOC cards help theme organizers plan for the necessary space, and more importantly make your creations eligible to win convention prizes.

Each of BrickCon’s group builds is designed to be accessible to every registered attendee (sorry, no contributions during Public Hours), regardless of how big or small your LEGO collection is, and whether or not you’ve even started building yet!

Big in Japan

Zombies are so last year (and the year before)… The Brothers Brick’s official collaborative display this year takes its inspiration from the history, mythology, and pop culture of Japan. In keeping with the organic way we’ve put together layouts in years past, we’re not asking you to follow any particular standard, timeline, or even scale. We’ll have life-size ninja weapons, a minifig-scale rendition of the village from Seven Samurai, Ochre Jelly’s wonderfully unique homage to Hayao Miyazaki, the return of Mecha Godzilla, and whatever else inspires you to build something that’s … Big in Japan.

Micro LEGO Tokyo If you’re trying to think of an easy way to contribute something, consider building small for Big in Japan.

A Micropolis module isn’t parts or time intensive, and it’ll bring me one step closer to my dream of a microscale LEGO map of the entire Japanese archipelago. (I’ve built seven more modules after posting Micro Tokyo there on the right.)

Please sound off in the comments with what you’re planning to bring for Big in Japan, just so we don’t end up with three Mount Fujis.

Bricks of Character

Debuted at Bricks by the Bay earlier this year, Bricks of Character is “a Lego building theme featuring brick-built models of well known characters from film, television, literature, history, politics, or even just your imagination. Anything so long as it has personality, and isn’t just posed mini-figs” (*ahem* not that there’s anything wrong with posing minifigs).

LEGO Bricks of Character

Read more about Bricks of Character in the official announcement post on The Living Brick.

Nnenn Memorial Vic Viper Fly-in

Nnenn brickBrickCon 2010 is sure to be a lot of fun, but it’s also going to be bittersweet for many of us.

Following fly-ins at BrickWorld and BrickFair, the Vic Viper Fly-in at BrickCon will be the last fly-in to memorialize the influence and legacy of Nate Nielson, who died in a car accident earlier this year.

Though Nate lived here in the Pacific Northwest, nobody in the LEGO fan community had ever met him in person (or even knew his real name), but we all said that this was the year we were going to convince him to attend BrickCon. That can’t happen now, but members of Nate’s family will be in attendance, taking in our tribute to this legendary builder.

I’ll be coordinating the fly-in, but Keith Goldman — who was so instrumental in organizing the earlier tributes to Nate — will also be attending BrickCon, and I’m sure I’ll be leaning heavily on his experience.

Operation Bricklord: Europe at War

I’ve personally invested a great deal of my own building energies lately in preparing an invasion force for Operation Bricklord: Europe at War.

Operation Bricklord: Europe at War

“The setting is a battle-torn town with a canal running through it – much like the fictional town of Ramelle at the end of Saving Private Ryan, for those of you who are familiar with that film – in mid-late 1944, almost immediately post D-Day. Therefore, little details like planes with invasion stripes and such would be extra accurate!”

What’s next?

  1. Register for BrickCon, if you haven’t already.
  2. Register your LEGO creations too, by filling out MOC cards.
  3. Sound off in the comments if you’re bringing something for Big in Japan, and ask any questions here about the Vic Viper Fly-in.
  4. Stop reading and go build some more!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Cover version Kaneda

BiJ Cyberpunk teaser

One of the advantages of cover version LEGO is that it allows us to blog older models with fresh pictures. Aaron Dayman recently posted his variants on Adam Grabowski’s (misterzumbi) motorbike from the 1988 film Akira. Adam’s version is many years old as are my instructions for it (much older than the 1×1 brick with stud on side).

And it’s entirely possible this was blogged when it was new but that’s a long, long time ago.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Super Robot Mazinger Z!

Mark Sandlin (Grand Admiral) is bringing this towering model of the robot Mazinger Z to the Big in Japan display at Brickcon 2010. Modeled after the gigantic Teknomeka frame, the mecha is sure to stand out. Déjà vu anyone?

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Appleseed Cubedudes

Lovers of Masamune Shirow don’t need to feel left out of the Cubedude phenomenan as Paul Meissner (legosamurai) has rendered the leading duo from Appleseed in blocky glory.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Miyazaki or bust.

Iain Heath is a building fool — he’s created a myriad of iconic pieces of some of Hayao Miyazaki‘s greatest films. But now he’s gone and built the master himself:

All of these are scheduled to make an appearance at BrickCon, as part of the Big in Japan display!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

風の谷のナウシカ

Iain Heath knows what I like. Hayao Miyazaki is my favorite director, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is easily my favorite animated movie — more so because I love the manga version that Miyazaki continued writing and drawing for ten years after the movie was released. Naturally, I prefer it in the original Japanese.

LEGO Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

I’m sure you won’t begrudge me, dear readers, taking this opportunity to remind everyone that this is precisely the sort of wonderful LEGO model we’re looking for as part of the Big in Japan display at BrickCon.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Bitter Work indeed.

Anyone else a fan of Avatar? Not that new-fangled 3-D extravaganza by Mr. Cameron — but the kids’ show that ran for three glorious seasons on Nickelodeon. There were two LEGO sets inspired by the show. It’s going to be released as a live-action film this summer.

Iain Heath was commissioned by Bryan Konietzko, one of the creators of the show, to create this magnificent piece:

And if the picture Iain posted is any indication, I’m fairly sure Bryan is pleased with the results!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Mirage, radio the others. Megatron’s in for a very large shock.

It’s very rare that we’ll blog two separate creations by a builder in one day, but both these models by the talented Alex Schranz (Orion Pax) deserve closer attention. Alex’s Optimus Prime transforms completely from semi truck to robot:

LEGO Optimus Prime Transformer

The trailer includes a remote-controlled Roller, and Optimus Prime’s chest contains the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Two months in the making, I don’t think I’ve seen a more accurate or complete LEGO Optimus Prime.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Tiny Tachikoma

I’m loving this little tachikoma by Lord Dane. It’s another creative new use for the figure bases from the new Toy Story army men set. Even if it’s not quite as brilliant as the motorcycle we featured recently, it still looks good, and makes use of an otherwise useless part. Better still, this tachikoma is true to the inspiration from Ghost in the Shell, and can accommodate a minifig.

LEGO Tachikoma

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.