I tested for you: LEGO Ideas 21311 Voltron Defender of the Universe

LEGO having had the good idea to send me a copy of the set 21311 LEGO Ideas Voltron Defender of the Universe, I therefore suggest that you set off on a discovery of this giant robot of 2321 pieces sold for € 199.99 which will certainly find its audience across the Atlantic but which may leave a number of French LEGO fans a little indifferent.

As far as I'm concerned, my younger years were filled with episodes of Grendizer, G-Force, Spectreman, Bioman, Albator, Cobra, Cosmocats or even Masters of the Universe, but I didn't I have absolutely no memory of the Voltron series which was however broadcast on Antenne 2 in 1988 in the program Hot ice cubes!... I also haven't watched the new version of the series online on Netflix.

That being said, even if the subject doesn't bother me, I have to admit that this set is not without interest. A giant LEGO robot based on lion-robots that assemble? I say why not. The promised modular aspect caught my attention and I was not disappointed on this point.

LEGO had the good idea to include six instruction booklets in the box. A booklet for each lion and separate instructions for assembling the five lions together to get the massive robot. In addition to the symbolic aspect of this distribution of the assembly phases, this set of booklets allows you to share the assembly of the set with others. Everyone assembles a lion, and we put it all together for Voltron to take shape.

Over the assembly sequences of the different lions, we quickly understand that the main objective of the designers is indeed the final robot and that everything is motivated by the constraints of the weight of the robot and the connection of the different elements between them. The different lions are quickly put together with basic points of articulation that will ultimately only serve to place the limbs in the correct position for the final reunion.

I looked for some visuals of the other toys replicating the robot from the animated series and have to say the lions are quite successful and don't have to blush at the ones sold by Bandai, Toynami or the copy called LionBot that made the heyday of many kids in the 80s.

These different lions are in any case not intended to be exhibited as is, the whole point of the set lies in their assembly to obtain an imposing robot nearly 50 centimeters high.

If the 16 Tiles rounds on the joints of the lions' legs are pad printed, there are still some stickers in this set, exactly five. They are used to identify the different lions by their respective numbers.

In the official video presentation of the set by the designers, they claim that these stickers are present to allow fans who want to get a faithful version of the robot from the original Japanese series (Beast King Go Lion) not to apply them. It's up to you to see if you are convinced or not by this explanation.

The most interesting is the sequence of connecting lions to each other. Each lion reveals all its modularity over the pages of the final instruction booklet and it is a real pleasure to set up the arms and legs of Voltron which will come to connect to the torso, embodied by the lion N ° 1. Lions 2 and 3 form the robot's arms, and Lions 4 and 5 represent Voltron's lower legs and feet.

At first glance, both feet appear to lack stability when brought into their final position but not yet connected to the torso. The problem will be quickly resolved by the fixed angle of the two legs of Voltron ...

If, while younger, you have had in your hands licensed Transformers or Power Rangers toys, here you will find the pleasure of modifying the original shape of a vehicle, a ship or a robot animal so that 'it takes its place in a more global context.

We pick up, we turn, we rock, we clip, everything is there. It is truly a pleasure to bring Voltron into being using the various items provided. Everything fits together perfectly, the end result is solid and easy to handle and the different modules do not come off unexpectedly. Well done to the designers for that.

We also assemble the sword and shield of Voltron. Nothing complicated here, we get some new pieces in passing. Silver Ink which will make MOCeurs happy. It's worse than chrome, but it shines almost as well. Too bad Voltron's sword isn't double-sided. It will be necessary to choose its orientation according to the angle of exposure of the robot to hide the somewhat unsightly back of this accessory.

The handle of the sword must be modified to put the latter in the hands of the robots via two Technic pins. Voltron's hands are fixed and do not feature real fingers.

When Voltron is finally assembled, this is where the going gets tough. The head and arms can be oriented in different positions, but the robot's wrists, waist and legs remain disconcertingly rigid. Impossible to modify the angle of the thighs or the knees to present for example Voltron with a knee on the ground or to put it in phase of displacement. Even the size is fixed, impossible to orient the bust of the robot in a position other than that envisaged by the designers.

The rear of the robot is logically less attractive, but it's LEGO and we'll do with it. No one will display Voltron from behind on their shelf ...

This lack of joints makes this toy a pure derivative product intended exclusively for exhibition. Contrary to what LEGO claims in the official product description, it will be difficult to "... reenact compelling stories from the original 1980s animated TV series Voltron and the modern DreamWorks series Voltron: The Legendary Defender ...."with this robot a little too rigid for my taste. So it's up to everyone to see if this very static Voltron deserves a place on a shelf.

A support with a nice sticker presenting the series would have been welcome, as much to push the concept of the exhibition product to the end. LEGO probably wanted to maintain the ambiguity about this toy which is not really one but which could still appeal to young fans of the new animated series airing on Netflix.

Finally, I must admit that I let myself be taken on by the final assembly phase of the robot which took me back many years, even if Voltron does not mean anything to me and I would have preferred a Grendizer. So I want to be indulgent with the few flaws of this set which are largely offset by the pleasure of the construction and the vintage side of the whole. I say yes, for the half hour of nostalgia offered by the clicks of the modular lions.

Since it's unlikely that LEGO will ever release a version of Grendizer, Voltron will do, but I'll wait until I find this box a little cheaper. I would have spent 200 € without hesitation on Grendizer, I will not do it for Voltron.

The LEGO Ideas set 21311 Voltron Defender of the Universe will be available as a VIP preview from July 23 on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before July 31 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.