Review: 70751 Temple of Airjitzu
Posted by CapnRex101,
Ninjago has become one of the most popular LEGO themes of the past decade, with a range of excellent sets which generally appeal to children and adults alike. The latest and largest of these is 70751 Temple of Airjitzu, a 2028-piece set recreating the Temple on Haunted Hill which appeared in season five of the TV show.
The spectacular oriental architecture is hugely impressive and will probably be the most appealing aspect of the set for most adult fans, although the play features are also very enjoyable and there is a brilliant range of figures too. For those reasons I suspect this set will sell rather well as there is a substantial potential market for it in my opinion, despite the fact that Ninjago is typically aimed at younger buyers.
Box and Contents
The box is a little smaller than I was expecting but this works in favour of the artwork which is tightly packed with bright colours and action. The orange skyline looks absolutely fantastic and contrasts beautifully with the temple which is predominantly red and black. It’s nice to see some of the humour from the series included as well as the ever-unlucky Postman is harassed by chickens to the left of the blacksmith’s shop!
The back of the box shows some of the play features and a gallery of the twelve minifigures, as well as advertising the ‘exclusive materials’ in the instruction manual.
Those exclusive materials consist of an interview with the designer, character details and information about the expansive world of Ninjago. A few paragraphs of text are included recounting the story of the temple so far and additional appearances in future series are hinted at, so we will have to wait and see whether it pops up again. I was somewhat dubious about the inclusion of any ‘exclusive material’ but I really enjoyed reading about the design process and seeing some of the sketches done during the set’s creation.
The Build
There are a total of thirteen numbered bags in this set, plus one containing the larger elements which is not numbered.
As you can see there is a mixture between the new striped bag design and the old one. I cannot see any particular reason why some are in one style and others are in another, so presumably LEGO are simply transitioning between the two.
Most of the bags correspond to a single storey of the buildings included, beginning with the smuggler’s market. This structure is built on a 16x16 base and consists of a combination of grey and sand green bricks.
It quickly becomes apparent that this is going to be a thoroughly enjoyable build as there are some brilliant techniques used here, including the use of an inverted mining helmet as a basin. The roofs are formed using garage door elements which are cleverly attached with golden robot arms. The ability to roll back these roofs will be useful for an interesting function later.
The blacksmith’s shop comes next and begins in much the same way with a 16x16 base in dark tan. The walls of this building recreate the effect of wattle and daub with headlight bricks representing the wooden pillars and medium blue bricks representing the render. To create the right size of window a small section is built on its side, further adding interest to this section of construction. The roof consists of plates and tiles which knit together at the peak, another nice technique which yields a brilliant result.
The temple occupies the vast majority of the pieces and construction starts rather cryptically as you build turntables and oddly coloured tiled surfaces, but all becomes clear when the light brick is set into place. Surprisingly few Technic elements are used for the shadow theatre function, with a rubber band and 2x2 turntables allowing most of the elements to move instead. I think this mechanism would benefit from being a little simpler as there could be a hidden button right behind the light brick, but it’s interesting to build nevertheless.
A semi-translucent plastic sheet is used to form the screen onto which the image is projected Construction of the flights of steps on either side of the rock face is quite basic but works well, using the geometry of the A-frame pieces and 1x3 slopes to create a lovely shape.
I am impressed by how the plates tessellate on the next floor to create an attractive carpet pattern. The exterior is equally impressive with pneumatic ram sleeve elements used to create pillars which are then topped with chrome gold rings. Two rice paper doors are included on this level, represented by printed window panels intended to fit into 1x6x5 frames. They slot into the grooves on the floor and ceiling perfectly, allowing these to slide back and forth just as they do in reality.
The second level is lined with tiny windows, again formed by printed glass elements, of which there are 32 in the set. The walls are fairly similar to the ground floor from the outside with a mixture of red and brown elements but inside there is a greater level of detail. There are a pair of stickers to apply on the two upper floors which are quite difficult to apply as there is nothing to line them up with.
It is enjoyable to swap between building the larger main structures and the smaller furnishings in this section of construction and that continues onto the next level, where tooth elements are put to good use as bookends. The temple is topped with a finial which incorporates train wheels to brilliant effect, although this section of the model is more reminiscent of 1950s science fiction than Asian ornamental spire in my opinion.
Unusually, the smallest models in the set are kept for the final part of the build. The bridge is elegantly curved using flexible tubing and the addition of four Technic bush elements provides some nice texture to the sides. Putting the bridge in place nicely links the buildings together to complete the set and gives the model greater depth for display.
Minifigures
Twelve minifigures are included in this set, half of which are either familiar characters in new attire or brand new characters who have not appeared as physical minifigures before. It is worth noting that only Kai, Jay, Cole and Zane appeared at the Temple on Haunted Hill in the TV show, although I’m glad the designers chose to include lots of additional characters so you can create your own scenes. Given what was said in the designer interview, it seems likely that the temple will more closely resemble this set in future episodes.
This is the only set to include all six of the current ninja, although when the team consisted of only the original four they were all included in 9449 Ultrasonic Raider. That set was released in 2012 and since then the level detail on minifigures has improved enormously, with intricate designs on the torsos and legs of each character. They are all dressed in their Deepstone garb which is predominantly black with mere highlights of their respective colours. These outfits only appeared in sets this summer and are among my favourites of their many guises, so it’s great to see the entire team assembled in a single set.
Sensei Wu is wearing his golden gown here, a garment which first appeared in the latest season of the TV show when running his tea shop. Wu already has a full wardrobe but this is one of his most impressive outfits yet, with intricate gold detailing on the gown which is worn over a simple white tunic and trousers. Strangely the Sensei is without his staff in this set, although he does have a full tea kit and painting equipment hidden indoors.
This is Dareth’s second appearance, although the first was in a polybag which was not available worldwide. The figure has been updated since then with a grinning expression and lots of golden detail on his torso. The original minifigure had printed legs which are absent from this version unfortunately, although he is otherwise an improvement in every regard in my opinion.
I expect the Misako minifigure will be a highlight for fans of the TV show as she is an important character and this is her first appearance in physical form. Just about every detail from the animated series has been recreated here with a new face, new torso and new colour for the hair piece. The figure itself is not particularly impressive when compared with the level of detail on some of the others but it’s great to finally be able to add the character to our collections.
Jesper and Claire are the father and daughter team who run the Temple of Airjitzu as a tourist attraction, although the ghostly reputation of the temple makes their job rather difficult. As far as I know these characters have only appeared in the background so far, so perhaps we will see them take on a more significant role in future episodes. Jesper makes use of the torso and legs from 70812 Creative Ambush, a LEGO Movie set, while Claire’s torso features a new design with a green jacket and necklace. Generic minifigure elements are always welcome, particularly when based on female characters as these are somewhat uncommon.
The final minifigure is the Postman. He is constantly caught up in the ninjas’ shenanigans so his inclusion here is a perfect opportunity to create some more perilous situations for him to fall into! His head and torso feature new designs so it’s a shame that he has no alternate expression to convey terror, which would have suited the character perfectly. Otherwise this is an excellent representation of the Postman and an appealing minifigure with his impressive purple uniform.
The Completed Model
I am pleasantly surprised by the size of this set, particularly the central pagoda which really dominates the scenery. The architectural details look spectacular all over and I am pleased by the variation in colour between the buildings as shades of red, blue, green and tan all proliferate.
The shadow theatre hidden behind the rock face is by far the most interesting play feature in the set. I have found myself constantly tinkering with this as it is a lot of fun and I am sure others will enjoy it even more. It reminds me of the projector in 8635 Mobile Command Centre from the 2008 Agents theme which uses a light brick in a similar way. Outside the statue of Sensei Yang and the pool of water around it looks fantastic, as do the flights of stairs on either side.
To enter the temple the rice paper doors slide open. This room is decorated quite sparsely, with only Sensei Wu’s teapot and a bowl of herbs inside. The teapot has only appeared in one other set in this colour: 70734 Master Wu Dragon, so I’m glad to find it making another appearance here. The next level is filled with military equipment including racks of katanas and a bow, as well as a training dummy which can be knocked over and set back up.
The top floor is furnished with bookshelves, a stool and an easel. All the necessary details have been included in this area, even a pot for washing out the paint brush included. I suspect children (and adults) will enjoy setting scenes with the minifigures as I certainly have!
A box containing a camera and a hairbrush can be found in the attic. These items appear to belong to Cole, although I cannot recall them being particularly associated with the character in the TV series. Perhaps they will make an appearance in the next series as it seems unlikely that they would be selected at random.
The blacksmith’s shop consists of two floors. At ground level there is an anvil, some tools and a furnace which is cleverly constructed using small door elements angled to form the flue. This links to the chimney which runs out of the top of the building, nicely slicing through the roof which is constructed around it.
The upper room is empty which is a little strange, although the glider can be stored in here if you wish to occupy the space.
I love the stylised trees which grow on either side of the building. The orange leaves and curved trunks look superb and you can adjust their positioning by altering the direction of the curve. There are a few leaves on the roof of the shop which look rather nice too, simply adding a little bit of additional detail and providing the set with a truly Autumnal atmosphere.
On the other side of the Temple of Airjitzu is the smugglers’ market, a predominantly sand green building with an open plan design. The black roofs are very eye-catching, as are the golden pieces at their edges which contrast well with the other more muted colours. Inside there is a variety of food elements including apples, fish and baguettes.
These are stored in angled containers and there are a couple of satchels hanging on the wall which contain ninja trading cards. Unfortunately these trading cards use stickers; I was hoping they would be printed so the minifigures would be able to hold them in the hands without scratching the decoration.
Of course this would not be a smugglers’ market unless there were some secrets to be discovered so a couple of chests are concealed in the roof. These are accessible by rolling the panels back and inside there are two gold daggers and a cutlass which the owners of the market obviously don’t want anybody to find.
The last two models are a glider and a firework cart. The glider is almost identical to a design from 1999 in the original ninja range, that of 1187 Glider. Admittedly the design does seem rather dated but this is a nice reference back to Ninjago’s oldest ancestor and one which adult fans will enjoy.
The firework cart is an equally basic model but it incorporates the six stud shooter very well indeed, allowing colourful studs to be launched as it turns to create a firework-like effect. It is a shame that there is nowhere to conveniently store the cart but I am pleased that it has been included nonetheless.
Overall
As the largest Ninjago set ever released I think most people expected it to be a must-have for fans of the theme and they will not be disappointed. There are lots of references to particular moments from the show and some excellent minifigures, with the exclusive material in the instruction manual providing a nice bonus for the fans as well.
The set offers just as much to those interested in architecture as this is a superb exhibition of how oriental structures can be created. Furthermore, many of the building techniques used for both the model’s appearance and its functionality are unfamiliar, so you are likely to learn some new construction methods as the temple is assembled.
If you are interested in Ninjago or simply want an architecturally impressive display model I certainly deem this set worthy of consideration. The price is about where it should be in my opinion, with a superb minifigure selection and a reasonably sized set. However, if you are considering the model based purely on its display value as an oriental structure then you might be less satisfied as I suspect the range of minifigures has increased the cost of the set. It is difficult to overlook the incredible level of detail though, so if you choose to purchase the set, I think you will be glad that you did.
Thanks to the CEE Team for sending us a copy of the set to review and to Huw for the photos.
If you wish to buy the set it can be ordered from shop.LEGO.com now. Please use these links to place your order: UK (£169.99) | USA ($199.99) | Canada ($229.99) | Germany | France.
16 likes
46 comments on this article
Buying that to build an Ideas idea I'm working on...
Not being a fan of ninjago, I AM actually considering this anyway!!!
The quality of this set is, in my opinion, comparable with the Medieval Village Market 10193.
WOW! WOW! WOW! An amazing set and a lovely review....thanks! This is a must have for many reasons. We adore Asian architecture and this one fills the bill...perfectly.
An amazing set that is a little pricey for me at the moment (but this screams like a substitute for a Star Wars Jedi Temple with the Ninjas acting as guardians.
I think this year's Ninjago has been very strong, with Mr Wu's Dragon and this set leading the way.
With 10193, 10223 and now 70751 I hope Lego continues this pattern of historical era and creates an exclusive large Pirates (in addition to 10210), Viking or Classic Space (station) set of similar size and detail. These sets have all demonstrated playability and display ability at the same time. Keep it coming!
I know this is Japanese Architecture but I feel I am missing out on a Dragon or a Buddha.
Never thought I'd be interesting in anything from this theme, but I'm definitely picking this up. I'm going to populate it with some CMFs and hoping to offset some of the cost by selling off most of the minifigs. Given that this is such a kids theme; I'm wondering if there'll be much of a demand for them though?
It's an impressive set and, as I suggested before, if you throw away the minifigs, it's still a lovely model which can't be said for every set these days, some of which are reliant on them for much of their appeal.
Already ordered mine! No idea where I'm going to put it (critically short on LEGO space at the moment) but I can't wait to have it!
@shaase I'm thinking I'll pick up the 70734 Master Wu Dragon to go with this.
Are any of the minifigs bad guys? I don't collect Ninjago, but I know I've seen various snakes, skeletons and other creatures opposing the heroes. It would seem kind of odd to release a set with all the heroes and several townsfolk, but no one for them to fight.
Very impressive model, and even more so than I expected. Not a fan of NinjaGo, but I'll make an exception for this one. The designers did a great job on this, as is the usual for Exclusive models.
@Modok: No, just the heroes and townsfolk in this one. It isn't actually odd, because people who don't collect NinjaGo won't want evil forces, and most of them probably don't want any of the Minifigures. TLG tried to reach out to all fans with this one, not just the NinjaGo ones.
Excellent review and very nicely designed by TLG. Kudos to designers. I would love to build it and display it as many have also stated, but due to lack of space won't be building it now. In regards to Jesper's jacket, it was used once this year in a much smaller town set 60082 Dune Buggy Trailer.
The only weakness of this set is for me the lack of water ! Lego has no blue bricks for water under the bridge :( ?
Going to find an expensive blue baseplate
Anyone planning on buying two of them and making a proper pagoda?
@Huw As someone who can't afford this set, the idea of throwing away those much-desired figs is an atrocity :) At least sell them on bricklink! :P
I hope this goes on sale!
Wow, this set is amazing! I'm not really in to Ninjago; and I've really only picked up one or two sets for the parts, but this build is just spectacular. As someone who loves Japanese architecture, it's something I don't want to pass up. This just really makes me wish the original Lego Ninja theme was still around!
beautifully designed
@Aidypie, I think that's what Huw meant.
Great Review! Great Set! I have a feeling this will top many kid's Christmas lists this year. I would like to point out that the Ultrasonic Raider was a 2012 set, not 2011 but I look forward to this set whenever I can get it!
As Brickyoyo points out, Ultra Sonic Raider was released in summer 2012, not 2011. And arguably it didn't even have all the ninja at that point, since the Green Ninja (Lloyd ZX) was released that same wave in 9450 Epic Dragon Battle. Then again he wasn't a fully-fledged ninja at that point in the TV series. Also, Claire's torso is new for this year but not new altogether — it appeared in a LEGO City set back in January.
I think the complexity of the shadow theatre mechanism actually makes sense, as it means you can operate the theatre with one hand, instead of using one hand to activate the light brick and the other to turn the crank. Pretty clever, IMO!
I love the selection of characters in this set. Not only does it include all the ninja in their stellar new costumes (half of whom were only available in one other set each), but it's got some excellent characters from the show like Misako (Lloyd's mother) and the Postman. The new costume for Dareth is nice but is an unusual inclusion, in my opinion. And the fact that Sensei Wu gets a new costume in this set in addition to his new costume from the summer sets kind of makes me wish the "Secret World of the Ninja" guide book had sprung for an exclusive minifigure OTHER than yet another new version of Wu! I am still a bit sore about never getting a minifigure of Nya in the costume she wore in seasons three and four when she wasn't in her samurai gear or otherwise disguised.
Great review overall, CapnRex! I'm glad the Brickset review for this set was written by somebody who knows the Ninjago TV show and understands the characters. I definitely look forward to getting this set, and to seeing if the Ninja do turn Sensei Yang's temple into a new headquarters in the TV series!
@jimred: Master Wu Dragon is actually the first set designed by Nicolaas Vas, better known online as Brickthing: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brickthing/ Being the master of NPU that he is, its artistry is unsurprising!
@shaase: There are stone dragons on the bridge, although they're a little bit inaccurate in that they're facing towards the bridge rather than away from it. Unless you were talking about real dragons, but there are plenty of those in other Ninjago sets!
@Padraig: Almost all LEGO themes could be considered "kids' themes". Super Heroes and Monster Fighters are ordinarily just as much "kids' themes" as Ninjago, but I don't recall people questioning whether there was an audience for the Arkham Asylum Breakout or Haunted House. For that matter, Castle and Kingdoms were both aimed at even younger kids than Ninjago, and yet I don't remember a lot of people questioning whether there was an audience for the Medieval Market Village and Kingdoms Joust.
@Modok: Nope, no bad guys in this set. This is unambiguously a peacetime scene. Part of the reason for this might be to help extend its lifespan, since Ninjago generally has a new enemy faction every year but the Ninja main characters remain the same. So if the set had included some ghosts, to fight it might have started to feel dated much sooner. Not to mention that the enemy factions tend to exemplify the kind of cartoon craziness that seems to bother a lot of AFOLs. Consider also how the Medieval Market Village had a couple of knights but no skeletons or trolls.
@Rikkko: Ideally you might want to get Medium Azur for the water under the bridge, since that's the color used over by the shoreline. Medium Azur has never been used for traditional baseplates, but Medium Azur 16x16 plates are available for less than $2 apiece on BrickLink.
I'm not usually a fan of Ninjago or one that buys the sets, but this set looks visually stunning and the quality have really enticed me to strongly consider purchasing this model in the future.
Thanks @Brickyoyo and @Aanchir, I have corrected the year of the Ultrasonic Raider's release.
I don't own a single Ninjago set, but that is going to change! I'll have to look at the Dragon set mentioned as well, it sounds like they would be lovely displayed together. Marvelous review!
Re: the teapot. Without looking, I think that's the same mold as for CMF Genie's lamp. Unless you're not counting that as a set!
Edit: You must be referring to item of the same color.
I wish I had a spare £170.
Really enjoyable review @CapnRex101 I have read a few on this set and yours is my favourite. @Aanchir makes a great point about the lifespan of this set being extended by the lack of bad guys meaning it wont get dated by newer sets with different foes. If I could add a few more parts to this set it would be to add some more water to fill to in the missing base of the set. I would also make all of the floors in the tower square rather than cut off.
@CapnRex ... Can you explain the construction of the latticed roof? Obviously, garage door panels but the gold pieces holding them don't look familiar.
@Maxximus - The gold elements are 15341 Mini Robot Arm. They have previously only appeared in Hero Factory sets. Those arms are attached to bars inside the roof at one end and the edges of the shutters at the other.
If I REALLY wanted to nitpick, they could've added more of those light blue plates in the center of the build as water, and some water coming out of the fountain as well...
Seriously though.
This set is flawless. Modular building-level flawless, and not priced too high like some of the larger Star Wars sets (cough Ewok Village cough).
I originally thought I would get Final Flight or Parisian Restaurant during Black Friday...guess I have to start saving up more money now.
Thanks for the review. Very interesting set. I don't care much for Ninjago, although they have always had cool prints and pieces incorporated with them. I will definitely consider getting this set next year after I get all of the sets from last year that I want.
They really did a great job attracting non-Ninjago fans to this set.
I saw this built at our local Lego store and it looked amazing... I can't wait to get this... and add it to our Epcot center nations section...
I have no interest in Ninjago at all, but I'm definitely going to get this.
Wow. Great review. Large sets are mostly out of my range right now, but this one is beautifully designed and constructed. Even if I don't pick it up, it's a thrill to see it in this detail.
@CapnRex101 -- Are you sure? Are they not just the same gold Rocka's arms were?
Very impresive set but it's also have some bad things-
-Misako Hair are not printed like in the show
- NO STRINGS in rods
-No Ronin who would make a nice addition to this set.
This set is and always shall be AWESOME. I will try my best to get ahold of this.
@CapnRex101
Thank you for this splendid review, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. As others have also commented, this is a beautiful set, which I already added to my wish-list when I first heard about it.
B.t.w. Ninjago is a fantastic Lego theme, even if you do not follow and watch the TV series, with quite a bunch of fabulous sets getting released every year, not just this set, as some people who do not care much for this theme seem to want to stress ad infinitum.
Too bad no pictures are included with all the minifigs with their hairpieces on and alternate faces displayed (I don't know if their faces are all identical to previous releases!?), and a mention of Nya/Samurai-X would have been nice too.
ps.
@Huw
"throw away the minifigs" HAHA very funny! throw away minifigs, really!?
Oooh my bad!
Just watched Jangbricks's video review, as well as Lego's Designer video.
I thought all the ninjas in this set also came with hairpieces to go with them just like 70738 : Destiny's Bounty, where Nya, Lloyd, and Cole all have both a hairpiece next to their ninja hoodie/cowl/mask head-garb.
Anyway still a fantastic set.
Getting it tomorrow, I can't wait!
The "asian ornamental spire" as you call it is actually called a "kurin", and is much more functional than decorative, serving to balance the building. This one is actually comparatively modest (and inaccurately designed), they were pretty large way before sci-fi was ever a thing. Here are some images for comparison.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagoda/media/File:Ichijoji_Kasai13bs4272.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8D/media/File:Hokiji03ds1536.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8D/media/File:YakushijiPagoda.jpg
Well, I have no interest in minifigs at all, so they will all just go in my big 'minifig box' with all the others! Love the rest though, can't wait to build this!
Master Wu's dragon is great also, but after seeing the Morro Dragon built in the window of my local LEGO store I think that is more impressive.
This is just fantastic. I must get one (2?) So many techniques that solve design issues in my projects. I certainly have no room for it, but I'll find a way. Only oddity, a bread shop in Asia? Granted Tokyo is full of bakeries now days, but it is still considered a European import. Why not a noodle maker or a rice dealer?
^Well, according to the designer video and other material, that isn't strictly a bread shop, but rather the "Smuggler's Market". But realistically, I think the LEGO Group just grabbed the nearest parts they had that could obviously be understood as food items to fill those baskets, without thinking too much about whether it was authentically Asian. After all, despite being an Asian-inspired fantasy world, Ninjago does often show a lot of western influences.
You're right that in a real Asian market, baguettes would be a bit out-of-place! Maybe some fish might have been a better fit for that basket (not to mention fit in nicely with the fishing poles outside). At least it's not pretzels, though!
You know, Ninjago is coming back around for me. The Airjitzu sets were the first sets I don't think were completely stupid, and now there's this beauty.
This is my favorite Lego set to date. Beautiful finished product, and a fun, interesting build!