Brickheadz have been around for a while now, and they seemingly have covered almost every conceivable character. They’re a great way to get SNOT bricks as they rely on them, and there’s of course those almost creepy dead eyes that come in droves. What LEGO has done this year is release a new subtheme of Pets! I was sent three to check out – 40480 Ginger Tabby, 40481 Cockatiel and 40482 Hamster. Each set includes an adult and a baby, with a platform for them to be displayed on. I was very excited to see these, as not only are they super cute, but it’s just something different, which is exciting.
They’re all relatively similar, with the adults using a 4 stud size, and the babies using a 3 stud format. Let’s check them out. They’re AU $24.99 each, so quite affordable.
40480 Ginger Tabby (269 pcs)
With a whole heap of bright orange and bright yellowish orange, with a teal highlight in the scarves, these are super cute. I really appreciate the hind legs on the adult, and the way they are attached. The whiskers, using Wolverine claws look great, and it’s a nice focal point for the build. The makeup of the kitten’s face is excellent, with the ratios looking perfect. The cuteness of the size of the eyes and nose in relation to the head is good, with the ears just adding to the cuteness. The rule of babies (human or otherwise) being cute because of their big eyes in relation to their head size has translated really well here too.
I think the tail of the kitten has a better shape than the adult cat. The studs on the top of the tail just make it look unfinished to me. Both of the felines sit in a dark lavender basket. It’s very simple and looks nice. The colours overall look great. They’re vibrant, cheerful and add to the cuteness.
40481 Cockatiels (219 pcs)
Having had a cockatiel in the family before, this was a little exciting to build. They honestly look hilarious. Between the adult’s big derpy head, to the chick’s adorable little beak and wings.
There’s not a lot that’s different here, aside from an extra couple of printed pieces per bird, seen in the cheeks of the birds. There’s also a few nice medium azure elements in here, for the perches. I’m really glad they didn’t just put the birds on the platform.
The shaping of the adult bird in particular is really great, with a prominent tail being shown. It’s not as big in the chick, but the wings of the chick is where that shines, having them offset at a 45 degree angle. The chick is a bit too blocky for my liking. I was hoping that it’d be a bit more organic like the adult (as much as a Brickheadz cockatiel can be organic), but I’m guessing the dimensions restrict this from happening.
The crest on the adult is rather prominent – almost too prominent. A next is the final stage of the build, with nougat log profile bricks, the perches get added and the birds get perched.
40482 Hamsters (243 pcs)
Finally there’s the super cute hamsters, easily the cutest of the trio. With tan and white, nougat ears and cute pink noses and feet, those chubby cheeks are brilliant! Using a rounded 1×5 plate, the large cheeks get some detail for the adult, with the baby using round arched 1×1 elements for those teeny tiny chubby cheeks.
The shape of the ears is great, using SNOT for the sides and regular connections for the inside. This baby is also the better of the three, although I would have loved to see the baby sitting down too.
The adult holds a chunk of carrot, represented by an orange cheese slope, with the baby holding a stalk of something green. The little tails at the back, using 1×1 round tan plates look very cute. This set is just the definition of cute. The chest detail of the adult is also well executed, using an arched 2×2 brick underneath a couple of 1×4 arched bricks.
The base for these two is a green box with a green border around it. It’s bright, but a little uninspired?
These are a great new direction for Brickheadz. They’re cute, fun to build, and have some nice parts included. There’s also a couple of nice build techniques included, in sets from a theme that can get a bit samey samey.
I wonder what will be the next run of pets?
A special thank you to LEGO for sending me a copy to review. All thoughts on this set are my own and are not influenced in any way, shape or form. The provision of sets for review does not guarantee a favourable review.
