Perhaps he’s not quite up to the Empire’s recruitment standards, but this LEGO chibi Stormtrooper by nobu_tary is as adorable as an Ewok in armor. Come to think of it, maybe this is a post-Empire Ewok in salvaged armor? Whatever the case, it’s a fantastic little build with highly poseable limbs thanks to ball joints, and I can’t get over how good that squared-off helmet looks.
Builder Nobu_Tary did something LEGO couldn’t or maybe just didn’t. They created a Mickey Mouse sculpture using only unprinted LEGO bricks. The original design by LEGO featured printed parts for the eyes to create the expression. Nobu_Tary relied on half-round tiles to do that job. To be quite honest the simplicity of this build’s facial expression really suits the early basic yet classic Mickey Mouse design. I skipped out on the official LEGO set, but I would buy this in a heartbeat! They even managed to nail the iconic Mickey Mouse pose.
If for some reason you were disappointed by the recent Super Robot Creator set, have no fear! Nobu Tary has constructed this large-scale version of the mech model. The build features more exaggerated proportions than the original, while maintaining a similar colour scheme. The head has a sharp pointed form, with the horns tucked in and represented by rounded tiles . The chunky boots even have hints of yellow, as seen in the Creator set, and spoiler pieces portray neat-looking ankle guards at the feet. Unfortunately, you can’t build this mech using just the parts found in the original set, but hopefully it will inspire fellow fans to recreate official sets in fun and interesting ways.
Some old timers gripe about the wide range of colors and shapes that LEGO has introduced over the years. I respectfully ask those curmudgeons to take a gander at this exquisite Road Runner by nobu_tary, and re-evaluate their stance. Making great use of quarter circle-dome brick, arches, curved slopes, and lots of glorious purple and teal brick, this instantly recognizable transition from cartoon to LEGO would have been impossible back in the day. And the future might be even brighter, if we ever get those Mixel ball-joint connectors in anything other than shades of grey. But for now, I merely say unto you: Meep Meep and go in peace.
Looking for more Looney Tune-y goodness? Why not check out our review of the recent Collectible Minifigure set?
I recently reviewed LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 76206 Iron Man Figure and found it to be a fun, if slightly flawed, take on the ol’ Aluminum Avenger. Builder Nobu_Tary must have felt similarly, because they’ve taken a stab at giving the set an upgrade. Nobu’s approach gives the armor a thicker neck, reshapes the torso, and hides the visible hip joints beneath some inverted slopes. Plus Nobu has eliminated the need for many of the stickers on the set’s arms and legs by building out similar detail with appropriately colored tiles and slopes. If you dig the upgrades, you might want to check out Nobu’s other mech and figure builds right here.
Nobu_tary has created this accurate interpretation of the original Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam. You can tell Nobu has studied the classic design as the proportions and angles of the mech have been faithfully recreated. A white boomerang piece represents the famous “V fin”, while the dark space between the eyes is created a quarter circle tile. Around the middle section is where the cockpit would be located, which portrayed by window frames placed sideways. Even the beam rifle has the stocky proportions of its original counterpart. Let’s hope that the shield is sturdy enough, as it would often get sliced up in the anime.
Toy Story Mania! is an interactive ride based on Pixar’s classic film franchise that you can experience at three of Disney’s parks around the world. But you can only enter the attraction through the gaping maw of a giant Woody head at DisneySea in Tokyo; an experience that has been replicated in LEGO form by builder nobu_tary.
This build does a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of the location. The white, tan, and azure color scheme is a spot-on match for the park’s American Waterfront land. Park details like the lamps and roof spires are properly represented. The ride’s logo is effectively built into Woody’s hat. And Woody’s head is pleasantly detailed, from the cattle horns used as his eyebrows, to the row of teeth set just behind his upper lip. I am surprised to see that Buzz has to wait in line, though. You’d think he’d have some sort of VIP Fast Pass.
Here is one fearsome looking fighter. Created by Nobu Tary, this monochromatic model incorporates some interesting techniques into its design. The main helmet uses an armour piece, previously featured in the LEGO Reinhardt model. Engine cylinders form the lower section of the helmet, providing this build with a bullish appearance. In terms of the axe, the light grey at the blade’s edge contrasts nicely against dark grey which makes up the rest of the weapon. This creation demonstrates you don’t always need masses of vibrant colours to construct an impressive model. Instead, Nobu has conveyed the importance of parts usage in order to create a model with great shape and form.
If you gotta catch ’em all, then you gotta get Charizard. The final stage of the fire-lizard Pokémon, this LEGO Charizard is seen flexing his muscles as depicted by builder nobu_tary.
Nobu_tary is well known for their craftsmanship of animals and birds in LEGO form, as well as objects and characters from Japanese culture. Charizard is another testament to their skill with bricks, using a minimalist method to capture defining features without having to cram in every detail. Yet here, every edge and corner is perfectly fitting of the mighty dragon Pokémon. The use of orange minifigure legs is an example of that: you don’t see claws exactly, but you know they’re there.
I’m also really digging the flaming tail that is characteristic of Charizard. By using a few random red sloped bricks, nobu_tary is able to quickly convey the sense of fire without having to use flame bricks. You get the same experience with Charizard’s head. No eyes, yet its still obvious who this Pokémon is.
If you’re struggling to build a highly detailed LEGO animal or robot, I have good news for you: don’t. Nobu_tary is proof that less is more. Also, if you haven’t seen nobu_tary’s parody of the Year of the Ox LEGO set, you should. It’s hilarious.
The LEGO Dots line has introduced some fun printed studs and colorful pieces to play around with. This year they introduced bag tag sets with a new cube element. In the past, they’ve had 2×2 stud cubes used in games as the dice, but this newer cube is 3×3 studs, allowing for more detail. Though the beveled, angular edges of the element can provide some challenges to integrating it into a model, builder nobu_tary shows us the character it can lend to a brick-built figure.
This little guy’s colorful head is detailed with tiles and modified studs while the body is built upside down, attaching to the studs on the bottom of the bag tag cube. Simple use of a slope and a curved top stud attached to bricks with studs on the side help give the impression of an arm. The same side-studded bricks are used to attach the Macaroni Technic tubes and 1×2 plates that make up the cute little legs. The angle nobu_tary shot this photo at helps conceal the attachment for the bag tag ring clip, which could either make or break a model because of the asymmetry it adds to the cube element. Nonetheless, creative positioning, as well as color blocking between the figure and the seat help nobu_tary, build an adorable little character that reminds me of the Wood Man from Netflix’s Hilda. Something about the character’s expression just reminds me of the Wood Man bursting in unannounced to peoples’ homes. Maybe this is Dice Lad, a relative of sorts, that appears to moderate board games, whether you like it or not.
Find more of nobu_tary’s builds on Flickr or Instagram (@nobu_tary) or check out some more characters by other builders!
In my youth I used to watch a lot of anime, and of course with most of it being created in Japan during that time, snippets of daily Japanese life found their way into the animations; school uniforms, cherry blossom trees, and of course Bento boxes – neatly home-packed meals. The fairly new BYGGLEK boxes produced as a collaboration between LEGO and Ikea are perfect for creating LEGO Bento, which builder nobu_tary has expertly done here.
Rice balls, veggies, and more! These foodstuffs are all expertly brick-built, some – like the rice balls are constructed by way of the SNOT (studs not on top) technique, utilizing some basic pieces such as slopes and bricks and others such as the two tomatoes are built regularly and are composed of only a couple pieces. These colorful food builds certainly capture the colorful palette of Japanese cuisine. The cover of the box is also colorfully decorated with a nice mosaic pattern built out of variously shaped tiles which can be found in the LEGO Dots line. Nobu_tary did not forget the utensils either – the chopsticks here being shaped by various cone and cylinder pieces topped with some 1×1 bricks and plates. Certainly this build is a palatable one indeed.
Dragon Ball Z is a beloved animated show with many fans across generations, there’s definitely no need for a scouter to check out this LEGO model built by nobu_tary, surely its power level is above 9000. Here we have a figural model of the main protagonist of the series, Goku, in his super Saiyan form. The majority of Goku’s body is fashioned out of orange slopes in a variety of types and sizes, along with tan pieces to flesh out his face and arms. Dark blue bricks and tiles help render Goku’s boots, belt, and t-shirt. The signature spiky golden super Saiyan hair is comprised of slopes and bricks in yellow. A hero factory 1×1 printed round tile is cleverly used here to portray the Kame symbol typically shown on his gi. Nobu_tary also sticks in a couple LEGO dragon wings behind Goku, paying homage to the show’s namesake. Overall it’s always great to see uncommon colors and pieces coming together for an uncommon build – I haven’t seen a ton of models based on Dragon Ball Z.
