Shy Gal’s Building Blog

Review of nanoblock Disneyland Castle

March 26, 2026September 28, 2025shygal

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This post is a review of the nanoblock Disneyland Castle build. Disneyland Castle is part of the nanoblock Disney Resort Attractions collection. Wondering what else is part of the Disney Resort Attractions Collection? Click Here for a list.

It seems fitting that my first nanoblock Disney review is one of the many kits for the castle. Every one of the Disney parks has a castle as a centerpiece.

This build is designed to look like the Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland. It matches the colors blue and yellow very nicely. I like the way that you can tell when looking at a picture of the castle how it translates to the build.

The build begins with a green base and adds a ring of grey bricks. I noticed right away that these bricks seemed to be tighter-fitting than normal bricks. This meant I had to push harder to place the bricks, but there was often a satisfying click when I finished putting the bricks in place.

The build adds a couple more layers of grey bricks and then adds a large flat base to create the bottom of the main portion of the castle.

The center portion of the castle is built in rings until the top of the main portion of the castle is reached. The turrets around the outside of the castle are also built using grey bricks in a way that mirrors the actual castle.

The final steps include adding all the central turrets that are capped in either blue or yellow.

Things I liked:

How you can tell from the picture how it translates into the bricks
The use of the clear bricks to create windows at the back of the castle

Things I didn’t like:

Everything was very tight, so pushing the bricks into place

Review of nanoblock My Melody Big Ribbon NBCC_247

March 24, 2026October 17, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock My Melody Big Ribbon build. My Melody Big Ribbon is part of the nanoblock Character collection. Wondering what else is part of the Character collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBCC_247

Number of Pieces: 200

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

This build is created in 2 segments. There is the head and the body.

I began the head by laying the foundation out on my nanblock pad.

Over the next several steps, I built out the base of the head to create the entire outline of the head.

Then I added a couple of layers of bricks to create the foundation of the head.

Next, I added My Melody’s face. This added the eyes and nose. I attached this to the main head section.

I added a couple more layers. This rounded up her head and added her ears.

Then I added several layers of bricks to create the bow. I found it hard to really enjoy the bow because it is so light.

I started the body by laying the brick out on the nanoblock pad.

Then I added the bricks on the front to create the legs and added bricks for the arms.

Next, I added some layers to close up the body.

The final step is to attach the head to the body.

My Melody Big Ribbon build front 3/4 view

Things I liked:

I like that My Melody is sitting

Things I didn’t like:

I don’t like the clear pink. I feel it is too light to really see the bow

Review of nanoblock S.S. Columbia

March 19, 2026June 23, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock S.S. Columbia build. S.S. Columbia is part of the nanoblock Disney attraction collection. Wondering what else is part of the Disney attraction collection? Click Here for a list.

The S.S. Columbia is a passenger ship reminiscent of the old passenger boats from the early 1900’s such as the Titanic.

The S.S. Columbia is a passenger ship that is at Tokyo DisneySea. There is a dining room on the ship. For more information, check out the Disney wiki page here.

This is the smaller build. There is also a deluxe edition that was released a couple of years ago. I will be writing a review for that build once I make that build.

I really like how the build looks like a sailing ship from the early 1900s. I also really appreciate the amount of detail that is in the smaller build.

The first layer of the build lay out neatly; however, it was almost too big for my pad. As I added more layers, it became too long to use my pad, so I built in my hands instead of layers on the pad.

The main build is very straightforward. It goes up in basic layers that change colors to create layers and stripes. Once you add the layers and close up the top, there is a very nice tan that creates the deck.

Once you add the decks, you add the upper decks. There are quite a few details in the windows. The final step is to add the masts and the steam release pillars.

Things I liked:

The number of small details like windows and the colors for the layers

Things I didn’t like:

Getting the masts lined up and straight was a bit tricky

Review of nanoblock Cinnamoroll Big Ribbon NBCC_246

March 17, 2026March 17, 2026shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Cinnamoroll Big Ribbon build. Cinnamoroll Big Ribbon is part of the nanoblock Character collection. Wondering what else is part of the Character collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBCC_246

Number of Pieces: 190

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

This build is created in 2 segments. There is the head and the body.

I began the head by laying the foundation out on my nanblock pad.

Over the next several steps, I added details and rounded out the head. I also added the mouth, cheeks, and eyes, and started to build the bow.

Then I added the foundation of the ears to the head.

Next, I added several more layers to round off and close up the head.

Then I built the bow in clear blue bricks. I like the use of flat bricks and the round 2×2 to create the detail.

Then I added the bottom of Cinnamoroll’s ear and the back of the bow.

I started the body by laying the brick out on the nanoblock pad.

Then I added the bricks on the front to create the legs and added bricks for the arms.

Next, I added some layers to close up the body.

The final step is to attach the head to the body.

Things I liked:

I like the use of the clear blue bricks to create the bow. I think it gives a good contrast to the all white body

Things I didn’t like:

There were some points where it was a bit difficult to decide when to add the 1×1 bricks

Review of nanoblock Once Upon a Time Cinderella Castle

March 12, 2026June 23, 2025shygal

Once Upon a Time, Cinderella Castle build and box

This post is a review of the nanoblock Once Upon a Time, Cinderella Castle build. Once Upon a Time, Cinderella Castle is part of the nanoblock Disney attraction collection. Wondering what else is part of the Disney attraction collection? Click Here for a list.

Once Upon a Time, Cinderella Castle build front view

This is a slightly larger and clear version of Disneyland Castle. It also comes with an LED base that lights the castle from the inside out. It is similar to the new base plate, but it only has battery power and doesn’t have a USB option.

This build is made of white and variously colored clear bricks. It was normally easy to tell whether to use white or clear.

Once Upon a Time, Cinderella Castle build side view

The build begins by laying out a base layer of bricks. The main body of the castle builds up in layers until the main body of the castle closes up. I really liked how they created the angled walls to make the base walls appear more curved.

Once Upon a Time, Cinderella Castle build back view

The next step is to build the turrets that are on the top of the castle. I really like the detail in the central turret using the 1×1 rounds.

The final step of the build is to add the lower turrets all around Cinderella Castle. I think they did a really nice job of covering the gaps between the walls and the center of the castle

Once Upon a Time, Cinderella Castle build 3/4 view lit

Things I liked:

The overall look and details of the castle

Things I didn’t like:

With so many clear blocks, the build was super tight, so sometimes adding the new bricks was rough

Review of nanoblock Bieko CN-35

March 10, 2026October 14, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Bieko build. Bieko is part of the nanoblock charanano collection. Wondering what else is part of the charanano Collection? Click here for a list.

Number: CN-35

Number of Pieces: 290

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Bieko is a playable character in Disgaea 6. She is the younger sister of the main character. For more information, check out her wiki page.

This nanoblock build consists of the head, the body, and the legs.

The Bieko’s head begins with a layer of light grey and pink. You have to assume that the colors are correct because the colors in the directions are pretty far from the colors of the actual bricks. The head builds up in layers, adding the ears, ears, and details in the hair. I really like how many layers are added to the hair to create depth and details.

I initially missed the light purple details in the horns, but it was easy to add them once the rest of the build was completed.

The body is challenging because of the brick chaining used for the arms, making it hard to keep the build together until everything was pinned down. The body begins with a base layer that creates the bottom of Bieko’s skirt. The body is then built up in layers while adding arms and hands. The last detail of building the body is to add the bows, which is a sweet detail.

The final step is to build Bieko’s legs. It is a bit hard to tell the difference between light grey, grey, and clear in the instructions, but the legs are the same color going all the way up, so once you figure out the color, it is straightforward.

The final step is to put all the pieces together to create the complete nanoblock Bieko model, which is straightforward and has excellent directions.

Things I liked:

The amount of detail in the build between the shades of grey and how many various colors are used to create details.

Things I didn’t like:

Building the legs was a bit challenging because it was hard to tell what colors to use between the light grey and clear

Review of nanoblock It’s a Small World

March 5, 2026June 23, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock It’s a Small World build. It’s a Small World is part of the nanoblock Disney attraction collection. Wondering what else is part of the Disney attraction Collection? Click Here for a list.

It’s a Small World has been one of the rides I always enjoy at the Disney parks. I know that is a slow ride, but it’s a nice break from running around the park, and it normally doesn’t have too much of a line.

The thing that stands out in my memory is the face on the clock tower that you see walking up to the ride. I was excited to see that the face was included in the build.

Most of the build is creating the main section of the ride. I was surprised by how many colors went into the build and needed to pay close attention to make sure I didn’t use the wrong color. Other than picking the right color, the build was very straightforward.

After building the main section of the build, I turned it around and saw that the bricks made a hidden Mickey, which was a very cool surprise.

After building the main section, all I had to do was add the towers. Each of the towers was very straightforward. I really liked how the depth was added to the face.

Overall, I feel like this build keeps the craziness that you see from the front of the It’s a Small World ride.

Things I liked:

The number of colors
The face on the back of the build

Things I didn’t like:

It was hard to keep everything square

Review of nanoblock Izuku Midoriya CN-30

March 3, 2026October 14, 2025shygal

Names:

Real Name: Izuku Midoriya
Hero Name: Deku

Number: CN-30

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Izuku is the main protagonist in My Hero Academia. He was born quirkless and ended up inheriting the quirk One for All. He has known Bakugo since they were both small children.

This is a build of several smaller builds. The two main sections are the head and the body. You begin with the large head. The head starts with a base layer that is mainly composed of cream-colored bricks. You layer up the cream, adding the beginning of the eyes. Then you begin to create the messy hair Izuku is known for. You add layers of hair and face, including the eyes. Once you have built up all of the front of the face, you add more details to the hair and close up the head. The hair has slopes and spikes that give it a messy appearance.

The next step is to build the body. Unlike many builds, it’s a bit tricky to see what each step adds to the figure. You begin by creating the core of the body. You add layers to make the body. Then you build the right hand, which is held close to the body. Then you make the left hand that is outstretched in a punch. It was a bit tricky to get the outstretched hand to hold. Then you add the final layer of bricks to the top of the body. The final step in building the body is to flip the body over and add the legs to the build.

Now it’s finally time to put everything together. You start with the base and add the high-top sneakers. Next, attach the body to the sneakers. It was tricky to get the legs lined up with the shoes. Then you finish off the build by adding the head.

Things I liked:

The way the hair looks like Izuku’s messy mop

Review of nanoblock Pokemon Quest Magikarp NBPM_042

February 26, 2026June 23, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Pokemon Quest Magikarp build. Pokemon Quest Magikarp is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBPM_042

Number of Pieces: 100

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Magikarp is by far the most complex build in the Pokemon Quest line. He uses more colors and is less of a cube with legs.

I began the build by laying out a layer of orange nanoblock on my nanoblock pad.

The additional colors start showing up in the second layer with the whiskers that pop off the side of the build.

In the next step, I began to work on the mouth in addition to the parts I was already working on.

Magikarp goes up for several more layers, each adding so depth or color. Eventually, the main body is completed with a layer of orange bricks.

Then I added the fin on the top of the fish.

Next, I built and attached the tail.

Finally, I added a couple of clear bricks so that Magikarp could stand. I also added the fin on the bottom.

The final step was to attach the stickers for the eyes.

Pokemon Quest Magikarp build front 3/4 view

Things I liked:

I liked how many colors were used in this build

Things I didn’t like:

I wish he were a little bigger so there could be black in the eyes without using stickers

Review of nanoblock Akechi Mitsuhide Domo-kun CN-26

February 24, 2026July 11, 2025shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Akechi Mitsuhide Domo-kun build. Akechi Mitsuhide Domo-kun is part of the charanano collection. Wondering what else is part of the charanano Collection? Click here for a list.

Number: CN-26

Number of Pieces: 320

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Akechi Mitsuhide Domo-kun build front view

Domo-kun is the mascot for the Japanese broadcaster NHK. I remember him being all over in shop windows and with life-size statues in Japan. For more information about Domo-kun you can check out his Wikipedia page here. I also have seen Domo-kun in various costumes over the years.

Speaking of costumes, this version of Domo is dressed up as a samurai. As the name of the build implies, it appears that Domo is dressed up as Akechi Mitsuhide, a samurai living in the 1500s and is best known for killing Oda Nobunaga. For more information about the historical figure, check out the Wikipedia page.

Akechi Mitsuhide Domo-kun build side view

The first thing I noticed with this build is that it would be tricky to tell exactly what colors to use and when. The brown they used is red, so it looks like it could be dark red. Several blue round pieces are also similar. This meant I needed to be extra careful when I grabbed the bricks to put onto the build.

Besides making sure you grab the correct color, this build is straightforward. It begins by building a base layer. You then build Domo-kun up in layers. It’s a little hard to tell which details you add as you create. Once you get towards the top you add the top of Domo’s mouth with an upside-down ball joint.

Akechi Mitsuhide Domo-kun build back 3/4 view

Once you build the main body of Domo-kun, there are 2 more additional things to build on. First is the very straightforward legs. The other detail is his hand holding a sword. It is a straightforward build but has very nice details.

Akechi Mitsuhide Domo-kun build in display box

Things I liked:

The details to create the sword

Things I didn’t like:

The colors are too close to each other in the directions