Review: 42661 Costume Party
Posted by MeganL,
It's time for a party! Heartlake City in general knows how to throw a party, but they've been predominantly birthday parties. 42661 Costume Party is the first of its kind. I'm excited for this set, particularly because of the terrific looking minidolls.
Summary
42661 Costume Party, 261 pieces.
£34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 | 13.4p/15.3c/15.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Pricy for what you get, but what great minidolls!
- A unicorn!
- Great detailed minidolls
- Extremely bright colours
- Price
- Need more costumed minidolls
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Inside the box there are three numbered bags, two instruction books, a horse piece, a clear sheet with two sets of wings, and a small mirrored sticker sheet. I was excited for the costumes so neglected to take a picture of the stickers.
Minidolls and animals
The minidolls and animals are undoubtedly the draw of this set. There are four of the original crew gathering for a party - for the first time, I don't think there are any extra characters included.
Autumn comes dressed as a bumblebee. Her yellow and black striped shirt looks marvellous, and the yellow and black theme continues with a black skirt, yellow tights, and black shoes with yellow laces and soles. Fittingly, her accessory is a lovely sunflower, also evoking the yellow and black theme.
Olly is dressed as a merman, and has even dyed his hair an aquamarine colour for the occasion! I love the printing on his torso showing the shell necklace with gold medallion, and the gold belt with a shell buckle. The printing on the lower half is similarly impressive, with metallic scales printed in purple and gold. The costume is finished with gold epaulettes and trident. My only question is - how does he walk?
Sadly, the printing isn't quite as extensive in back, though this does show off Autumn's wings. This was a new design for me, where the wings have holes that loop through the neck and the legs to keep the wings close to the back.
Paisley and Leo are also attending the party. Paisley looks ephemeral as a fairy in a purple shoulderless top and pink skirt, both with filigree decorations. Her purple strappy sandals complete the look and fittingly, she has a magic wand as an accessory.
Leo comes dressed as a white bunny, which seems a little pedestrian compared to the other costumes. That is, until you discover that his cat, Churro, is also in costume as a magician, so Leo is the magician's white bunny! Churro doesn't seem overly happy to be in costume, but then again, I'm not sure any cat takes well to wearing clothes.
Leo's shirt has some nice detailing on the back, and Paisley's wings are very pretty. Churro still doesn't look impressed.
But that's not all - Periwinkle the horse is also attending, and is masquerading as a unicorn! Silver wings are placed under the saddle for that look, with an opalescent horn added to the forehead. While Periwinkle may be in costume, I have to wonder - is the magenta mane and tail a natural colour, or did that get dyed for the occasion as well?
The completed model
The minidolls are terrific, but there is a build associated with this set, so we'll take a look at that. First up is a photobooth, which makes total sense since of course the Friends will want to take pictures! An assortment of accessories is close by, though I'm not sure why they're needed, since the Friends have all come in costume!
The main build is centred around the food and drink areas and the DJ booth. There are some very bright colours used in these pieces, which adds to the festive air. These three areas are hinged together, so they can be taken apart easily for play. The designer has shown a propensity to include several accents of very very very bright yellow.
One side of the party has the food! The food looks as sweet as Paisley's fairy costume, with a focus on desserts. A rainbow-coloured fancy cake, cupcake, sugar cookies and doughnuts are all on offer here.
The DJ book has everything a spin doctor would need, with a synth board, record player, and some eye-wateringly bright speakers. An oversized rainbow with clouds provides a backdrop to all the fun. 1x8 antennae are used to good effect to add drama to the scene.
Next up in the very bright scene is the slushie machine, where the Friends can partake in the neon coloured beverage of their choice.
The DJ booth and speakers can be easily removed to allow for a stage, or to provide a backdrop for the Friends to take some pictures. It's a great way to get everyone in one place, not to mention someone who may not have been invited.
(Note: party-crashing sloth not included in this set.)
Overall thoughts
A costume party was long overdue in Heartlake City! I've often wondered if we would ever get the minidoll equivalent of CMFs. I think having the Friends in costume might be the closest that we get to that, so it's great to see how the designers have some fun with the minidoll designs.. It's too bad that only four of the Friends are included in the party - it would be great to see the others in costume. Maybe next year?
The minidolls are fantastic, and I like how the designers have included some of the pets in the costumed fun, with Churro's and Periwinkle's costumes.
The builds are secondary in this set, but I do like all the use of colour for that festive feel, and the use of the rainbow and clouds to set the backdrop.
The downside, of course, is the price. $40 seems like a lot considering the builds, but four costumed minidolls and a unicorn might be worth the plunge.
61 likes
22 comments on this article
Friends has peaked
gentleman cat
I like everything about this set (especially the vreative costumes of minidolls) except the price. I recommend it for everyone who likes Friends if it will be discounted.
Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal.
I wonder how often Brickset needs to point out in reviews Lego is becoming overpriced before Billund gets the point! I am happy BS keeps mentioning it though!
Nice review! By the way, I think you have Periwinkle's wings upside-down.
Regarding your disappointment that only four of the main 8 Friends characters were included, I think this set is meant to complement 42674 Comic Book and Game Shop, which has the other four characters in similarly zany costumes.
@Zeitgeist said:
" @merman said:
"Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal."
This really comes across as saying "Well, the REAL Easter Bunny is brown and the REAL Santa prefers Pepsi". Ultimately, it doesn't matter all that much, and at some point, you're going to find out that Santa is just your dad in a costume.
It's much the same here. It doesn't matter all that much. Pegasus and unicorns are both just your dad in a costume."
Did just you say... MY DAD is actually Santa?! Terrifying...
This is such a fun concept for a set that I’m surprised it hasn’t been done before.
"Leo comes dressed as a white bunny, which seems a little pedantic compared to the other costumes." "Pedantic?" I don't think that's quite the word you meant to use. Anyway, Autumn and Paisley's wings remind me of Batgirl's wing-cape from the DC Super Hero Girls line, which attached the same way: https://brickset.com/minifigs/shg001 Also, nice to see more armor pieces for minidolls. The only other one I can think of is Sweet Mayhem's.
@WokePope said:
" @Zeitgeist said:" @merman said:
"Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal."
This really comes across as saying "Well, the REAL Easter Bunny is brown and the REAL Santa prefers Pepsi". Ultimately, it doesn't matter all that much, and at some point, you're going to find out that Santa is just your dad in a costume.
It's much the same here. It doesn't matter all that much. Pegasus and unicorns are both just your dad in a costume."
Did just you say... MY DAD is actually Santa?! Terrifying..."
The set *was* named "Christian with gifts," after all...
@Zeitgeist said:
" @merman said:
"Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal."
This really comes across as saying "Well, the REAL Easter Bunny is brown and the REAL Santa prefers Pepsi". Ultimately, it doesn't matter all that much, and at some point, you're going to find out that Santa is just your dad in a costume.
It's much the same here. It doesn't matter all that much. Pegasus and unicorns are both just your dad in a costume."
What a nonsense reply. There are concepts of the mythical unicorn and the mythical pegasus that meet the criteria I mentioned. All is fine by me when it comes to this set and they can use whatever horse they want but it is not a unicorn, fantasy horse or not. The correct term should be ‘alicorn’ if we’re being so smart here.
@merman said:
"Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal.
"
Absolutely agree with you. However, on the US version of LEGO.com this set is referred to as "Costume Party with Unicorn and Fairy", so I went with Unicorn.
@MeganL said:
" @merman said:
"Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal.
"
Absolutely agree with you. However, on the US version of LEGO.com this set is referred to as "Costume Party with Unicorn and Fairy", so I went with Unicorn.
"
Thanks for pointing it out!
@merman said:
" @Zeitgeist said:
" @merman said:
"Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal."
This really comes across as saying "Well, the REAL Easter Bunny is brown and the REAL Santa prefers Pepsi". Ultimately, it doesn't matter all that much, and at some point, you're going to find out that Santa is just your dad in a costume.
It's much the same here. It doesn't matter all that much. Pegasus and unicorns are both just your dad in a costume."
What a nonsense reply. There are concepts of the mythical unicorn and the mythical pegasus that meet the criteria I mentioned. All is fine by me when it comes to this set and they can use whatever horse they want but it is not a unicorn, fantasy horse or not. The correct term should be ‘alicorn’ if we’re being so smart here.
"
I only know of alicorns from the KOTLC books.
@alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
" @merman said:
" @Zeitgeist said:
" @merman said:
"Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal."
This really comes across as saying "Well, the REAL Easter Bunny is brown and the REAL Santa prefers Pepsi". Ultimately, it doesn't matter all that much, and at some point, you're going to find out that Santa is just your dad in a costume.
It's much the same here. It doesn't matter all that much. Pegasus and unicorns are both just your dad in a costume."
What a nonsense reply. There are concepts of the mythical unicorn and the mythical pegasus that meet the criteria I mentioned. All is fine by me when it comes to this set and they can use whatever horse they want but it is not a unicorn, fantasy horse or not. The correct term should be ‘alicorn’ if we’re being so smart here.
"
I only know of alicorns from the KOTLC books."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_unicorn?wprov=sfti1
@merman said:
"Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal."
You have two things wrong here.
First, pegasi and unicorns are defined by what they have, not what they don't have. Otherwise, by your definitions, a normal horse is both a pegasus (it doesn't have a horn) and a unicorn (it lacks wings) and thus a doubly fantastical creature.
Second, the winged and behorned horse isn't new to fantasy. The typical name is "alicorn". Yeats wrote about them back in 1907.
Great review!
The costumes are obviously the star of this set, and are wonderfully detailed, particularly with so many of the characters' hair done up in either a different style or a different color than their usual about-town look. I definitely agree that Leo's costume was the least impressive to me until I realized that he and Churro went for a shared theme, which is super cute! Before reading this review, I also didn't notice Paisley's unique face print with pink makeup, which is a neat detail.
Periwinkle's "costume" also nicely shows off the potential of the new unicorn horn mold (with Ø1.5mm pin for use as a hair, headgear, or animal accessory instead of a Ø3.18mm bar like the previous unicorn horn mold). That said, there is a part of me that wishes the horse was recognizable as one we'd seen in another set (as opposed to a brand-new animal character) to really emphasize the difference between their natural and in-costume look.
The builds in this set are not as exciting on their own, but they do a fantastic job elevating the set's subject matter from costumed characters to a costume PARTY! The photo booth is obviously a must for immortalizing these unique looks, and as always I am happy any time a mirror sticker like this is printed on reflective foil instead of just paper or clear plastic film. The colorful tablecloths, decorations, treats, and refreshments also definitely add to the festive vibes!
Even though only four of the LEGO Friends are included in the set, I can't say I mind, since as @Lyichir pointed out, the other four get their own detailed costumes in the Comic Book and Game Shop, and the full assortment of costumed characters seem like they'd fit really nicely together in either scene. If there's anything I might've wished for more of in this set specifically, it's more costumed pets like Churro! But even the figures and animals included here are definitely enough for a fun costume party play scenario.
Thanks again for the review!
@MeganL said:
" @merman said:
"Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal.
"
Absolutely agree with you. However, on the US version of LEGO.com this set is referred to as "Costume Party with Unicorn and Fairy", so I went with Unicorn.
"
One with both wings & horn is an Alicorn
Wrt the wings, I seem to recall something similar in the DCshg line - Bumblebee
@gearwheel said:
"The typical name is "alicorn". Yeats wrote about them back in 1907."
Oh wow. That I didn't know. The things you learn.
I’ve never been all that fond of ‘alicorn’ as a term, mainly because it needs explaining for comprehension. Pegacorn isn’t particularly beauteous if at least fairly clear, but my personal preference is to keep it simple: ‘winged unicorn’ is perfectly fine. (So would horned pegasus but no-one seems to opt for that.)
None of the terms are as “official” and set in stone as unicorn or pegasus are, so anyone can pick their favourite. Even if you go for alicorn. :)
The set itself is charming and I love all the costumes. I don’t let myself buy Friends kits on the basis that one must draw budget lines somewhere, but gosh do some of them test it.
Don't hassle me. I came with the party-crashing sloth.
Now, what is seriously in these desserts?!!! Far out, man.
Great set, but it screams 25dollars
Are those transparant neon green dishes for the speakers!?
My mind tells me it's just trans. bright green again. But my heart tells me it has to be!!!!!
@MeganL said:
" My only question is - how does he walk?"
https://youtu.be/INp_6Et5_PY?si=G6aR4KeljsT5C0H5&t=51
@Zeitgeist said:
" @merman said:
"Erm… a unicorn had no wings. A Pegasus has no horn. This seems to be a combination of both so a fantay fantasy animal."
This really comes across as saying "Well, the REAL Easter Bunny is brown and the REAL Santa prefers Pepsi". Ultimately, it doesn't matter all that much, and at some point, you're going to find out that Santa is just your dad in a costume.
It's much the same here. It doesn't matter all that much. Pegasus and unicorns are both just your dad in a costume."
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO REALLY????????