Review: LEGO BrickHeadz Monkie Kid 40381 Monkey King

Today we dive briefly into the world of LEGO BrickHeadz minifigures with the cubic version of the Monkey King delivered in the Monkie Kid set 40381 Monkey King (175 pieces - 9.99 €). And it's rather a good surprise, the adaptation of the character to this relatively restrictive format seems really successful to me.

I won't repeat the usual verse on the constraints and techniques linked to the construction of these figurines that do not leave many people indifferent, you know the music: it's square, we find the guts / brains duo at the heart of the construction is a lot of SNOT (For Stud Not On Top) and the final result is more or less successful depending on the reference subject.

The main digression here lies in the relatively elaborate dressing of the character's head with its logically more facial hair than when it comes to a figurine representing a human being. The designer gets away with it without overdoing it with a face nicely framed by the monkey's mane which, without offering a very tough construction challenge, brings a little variety to the range.

The finish of this figurine also gives us a very precise idea of ​​what can become of the subject's head when the top of the face is not simply made up of a large 2x4 tile. This is obviously not the only figure in the range to use this process with a forehead masked by hair or a modeled accessory, but it is a new concrete example of the visual effect caused by a slightly more balanced face.

We will retain the few golden pieces used for the shoulder pads of the outfit and the two pad-printed pieces which embody the character's tunic to make it conform to that of the pretty minifig seen in the set 80012 Monkey King Warrior Mech.

The eyes are also a variant with a golden background of those usually supplied in these boxes and they are perfectly matched with the rest of the figure. LEGO does not forget to provide us with the stick with its two new golden handles, always identical to the accessory delivered in the set 80012 Monkey King Warrior Mech, but almost more appropriate here in terms of proportions.

Too bad for the absence of pad printing on the lower part of the figurine. No patterns on the belt or on the legs of the character that could at least have included a golden piece. We console ourselves with a nice finish to the back of the figurine thanks to the split cape that reveals the tail of the Monkey King.

In short, I think that beyond its belonging to the Monkie Kid range, itself vaguely inspired by a very popular legend in China, this figurine should appeal to all those who like products directly related to Asia and to its culture.

The Monkey King is not a LEGO invention, and those who do not want to burden themselves with the many sets in the range that pass this popular tale to the Ninjago / Nexo Knights roping machine will still be able to find something to add to their interior decoration. with this nice little set.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at September 21, 2020 next at 23pm.

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.