Review: 41006 Downtown Bakery

[8BrickMario]

^^Yep, she's Series 1, but that's not the Nurse's head! It's actually the S4's Surfer Girl's. They're very similar, but the smiles point in different directions. I only know this because 1. I am a CMF lover and expert and 2. I had the Character Encyclopedia on hand. You're best at the topic you love most, and the Minifigures are one of such things for me.

[Hinckley]

Well, I'm fortunate to have you nearby then. Thank you.

[TrumpetKing]

It's already been confirmed, but I'll second that it's the Surfer Girl. Her lips are a light brown. How the hell do I know that? Oh yeah, OBSESSION.

[8BrickMario]

Yes, and the Nurse's lips aren't as thick and are longer...GAH! What is wrong with me? I need to take a break.

[Pandora]

Hinckley, thank you so much for another wonderful review. It was great to read your thoughts on the Downtown Bakery after you'd done such a great job with the City Park Café. I couldn't help myself in Günzburg (at the EB Event) and bought the model to build, and it was such fun to build with so many great features that you've pointed out. I absolutely adore the brick built confections, and the new-coloured bread, and I must admit I spent some time spinning the large red and white cake around. I liked the set so much I bought a second one the next day, and I noticed a few other EBers buying it too.

I completely agree with you, a hugely enjoyable build, a really nice looking model and tons of details too. Plus, the bright light yellow 16x16 plate!

I love elements like crates and cabinets and drawers, especially drawers in fun new colors like 222 Light Purple (Bright Pink).

You probably already know this, but the bright pink drawers have been featured in a ton of Friends sets, and are exclusive (so far) to the Friends range.

Thanks again for the great review Hinck!

[Aanchir]

Great review, Hinckley! It was a very fun read with all the in-depth tangents and running gags, but also provided a very thorough look at the set. It was great that you used both the official and Bricklink names of the colors (gotta edumacate the peoples) and went through the build in great detail. Only one color error jumps out at me: in the parts section, you refer to the color of the quarter-domes as "124 Bright Reddish Yellow (Magenta)".

The box having only the set number and recommended age range is normal for European boxes (and to my knowledge, all boxes for sets released in regions outside North America).

The map in the instructions looks nice. I should point out that while it might hint at what future sets might be, it doesn't likely hint at what they'll look like. The 2012 version of the map had a pool, for instance, but it was rather generic and didn't at all resemble the pool that came out this year. 2013 marketing materials (including the interactive one on the LEGO Friends site's products page) swapped out many of these more generic landmarks for their more distinctive set-based counterparts.

Regarding the pretzels, this is the way I've always seen them oriented, so maybe it's a regional thing. As an example, this is how they're oriented in the logo of Auntie Anne's, a chain that is a staple of indoor shopping malls, at least here on the east coast of the United States where I've spent most of my life.

As far as the body type of the LEGO Friends figures is concerned, I feel obligated to point out that one reason they might seem rail-thin is that their heads are out-of-proportion with their bodies. Like classic minifigures, they are about four heads tall, whereas girls in the 11-14 age range that the main characters of LEGO Friends are supposed to fall into would normally be depicted at around six heads tall. In any event, they have far more meat on their bones than a number of fashion dolls, which might have similarly-thin waists at an exaggerated seven or eight heads tall. Don't get me wrong; the LEGO Friends figures definitely have thin, idealized physiques. But not unrealistically so.

I also find it somewhat ironic that you say the classic minifigures tend to look overweight with Friends hair. I don't really think it makes them look any heavier than normal, though Stephanie's hair results in ridiculously long bangs. Besides, I think minifigures' chunky, block-like proportions are part of what gives them their unique charm.

Thanks so much for the review!

[8BrickMario]

I agree with what Auntie Anne's has done with pretzels. The company with an enormous ego that you can't go to a mall near me without seeing one. But the pretzel is always in the heart-like rotation. And Series 8's Lederhosen Guy. He holds the pretzel that way in his artwork.But that's LEGO too, and probably irrelevant.

Edited June 10, 2013 by 8BrickMario

[jedikermit]

Great review Hinckley!

I love it when reviews make me laugh as I'm reading them, alerting my co-workers to my internet shenanigans when I should be productive.

As the owner of two sons, I've been slow to get on the Friends bandwagon, but man. Some of these sets are really great.

[8BrickMario]

PRETZEL EDIT: The German Baker's Guild sign:

Maybe it's acceptable to have the pretzel in either rotation?

Edited June 10, 2013 by 8BrickMario

[Mr Bill]

Great Review, Hinkley! With each release I get more hooked on the Friends line. I'm even starting to incorporate the sets (with major mods of course) into my town and even integrating the minidolls with the minifigs. So far no riots or discrimination have erupted!

--Mr Bill

[Mutant Orc]

hi. i'm new.

i found this review very funny- in fact the main reason i read it was because it was funny. ha ha.