Review: 10348 Japanese Maple Tree
Posted by Huw,
10348 Japanese Maple Tree is the latest in the popular Botanical collection. It'll be released on June 1st along with the whimsical 10349 Happy Plants which we'll be reviewing in the coming days.
If grown in natural conditions, Acer palmatum can reach 10m tall and 10m wide. They can also be cultivated in a shallow pot, then pruned and trained following the tenets of bonsai, and it's a miniature version that has been represented here, replacing 10281 Bonsai Tree in the product assortment.
Summary
10348 Japanese Maple Tree, 474 pieces.
£54.99 / $59.99 / €59.99 | 11.6p/12.7c/12.7c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Another life-like and beautiful botanical
- Vibrant and very colourful
- Life-sized
- Cheaper than the real thing
- Colour-locked ball joints spoil the aesthetic
- Pot is too shallow
- Slightly pricey
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
New parts
There has been no shortage of new botanical elements released over the last few years and this set introduces another: a three-pronged 'finger leaf' that complements the 7-leaved version.
That larger one appears in orange, reddish orange, and red for the first time in this set, of which there are 8, 16 and 21 respectively.
Construction
The pot, which is about 12cm x 9.5cm, is, as you might expect, built first. The rounded corners and feet add complexity and interest to the process. Lime-green curved slopes together with spots of bright and olive green give the top surface a suitably mossy look.
Once the main trunk has been built, smaller branches with foliage at the ends are attached, gradually adding height and breadth to the tree.
Foliage sections are built in one of two ways. Each branch of the tree has two of these assemblies at the sides. Those at the bottom of the tree have orange/reddish orange/red leaves, while those at the top have reddish orange/red/red.
...and one of these, which is all red wherever it is on the tree.
There are five main branches, all of which offer some degree of movement, allowing them to be rotated and angled to form a pleasing arrangement.
The completed model
It's about 25cm tall and a similar size in width so, like all the best botanical sets, it could be mistaken for the real thing from a distance, although I suspect the leaves would be much smaller on a real miniature tree.
Bonsai are grown in shallow pots, but I think this one might be just a bit too thin to accommodate the roots of such a large tree. Had it been 3-high instead of 2 I think it would have looked just right.
Verdict
The model looks absolutely beautiful, particularly the way the colours of the leaves contrast with the greens of the pot. The colour gradient -- orange at the bottom and red at the top -- looks wonderful, although I don't know whether real-life examples are actually like that.
The only complaint that can be levied concerns the colour of the ball joints and some of the Technic pieces, which are light grey rather than tan to match the rest of the trunk. However, we can complain about that until we are blue in the face, they won't ever be re-coloured, so we just have to accept it.
Unfortunately, the price-per-piece is a little on the high side compared to similarly sized botanicals. It has just 474 pieces yet costs $59.99, £54.99, €59.99 which is $10 more than the orchid and poinsettia, which both have over 600 pieces.
I don't suppose that will stop fans of brick-built-flowers from buying it, though, given it's obvious attractiveness.
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45 comments on this article
The colour gradient is really well done, and I had to check if the leave pieces themselves didn't have a colour gradient, because it looks so convincing. Excellent work.
Love it, even with the grey. Maple trees often have a grey-ish bark anyway. Will wait for a decent discount and grab one. It's so wonderfully colorful, it'll look great in the living areas.
60€? They really don't want to sell these do they?
@GusG said:
"60€? They really don't want to sell these do they?"
As someone who has bought several Botanical sets, PPP isn't part of the decision making process.
I really like this and will be picking it up at some point.
Not at full price, though. Frankly it's a bit of a shame to see this price creep on the Botanicals line. I'm happy for the success they've had with it, but clearly the days of "We don't know how well this'll sell, so let's make it cheaper" are over.
I'm sure I'll be able to find it at 20% off at some point soon, though I don't shop Amazon, Wal-Mart or Target so life's tougher these days lol. Meijer has LEGO sales in the lead up to Christmas so maybe I'll get lucky with them in the next few months.
Just when I’d got my want list down to almost nothing…
Thank you for this review. I have removed this from my mental wishlist. It turned out rather ugly. Can they really not make those joints in sand?
I really like it, but it's a shame that the "pot" isn't a similar design to the one in 10281. While the 2 trees would definitely compliment each other, the difference in size and design between the 2 pots is a little disappointing.
The color gradient is fantastic, and really life like.
I do agree on the pot that could/should have been a level higher.
Now it's down to the grey joints, they don't look good. At this point why not make the whole tree grey ? That's a weird choice and a weird look. Not sure if that'll put me off though, it's a lovely tree
I feel like this would have been more effective to the design to have the bark of the tree more within the color locked grey elements. Regardless of that, it looks colorful and fantastic. I do really like the design.
Welcome new "finger leaf" part
I do like the "BAMBOO LEAVES 3X3" but they are very fragile
This is on my to buy list, though wondering quite how big it is compared to the previous bonsai tree set. I can ignore the grey joints for the most part and put it down to 'bark mottling', and I think that maybe tweaking leaf placement will help disguise it some. As for the pot being too shallow, you do get alot of very large looking bonsai trees in small looking pots like this (A quick google will bring up alot of examples), so I think its more down to personal preference then a design mistake.
On the point of cost, I can see this dropping about a £10 off within a few weeks to bring it more in line with the previous set's price in most stores.
@GusG said:
"60€? They really don't want to sell these do they?"
Yet, given the never ending releases, it appears that they do in fact sell.
"However, we can complain about that until we are blue in the face, they won't ever be re-coloured, so we just have to accept it."
Or, even better, we can simply buy botanical sets from other manufacturers, where there's none of that colour locking BS and the sets are better value for money anyway.
The price doesn't bother me, this is cheap considering what price range I usually buy in. The joint color is a disappointment, but it could be hidden and the base could be given more pieces at not much of a price, as I have to get some bricks for moc art any way. After my wallet has recovered from bricklink spending.
Hooray, the never-ending ball joint problem! So excited :D
It looks awesome. They did a great job with shaping and coloring. Yes, gray isn't ideal, but I can hardly notice it.
I can't wait to emulate this style and build multiple trees for a layout. The trunk looks really well done.
Will we be getting a "Modifying the Japanese Maple Tree" article in the future? Perhaps with wolves this time rather than goats? :D
One of the best additions to the theme ever!
I'm sure this comparison has been made before, but the cost of Lego botanicals is close to or often less than the cost of a real flower arrangement. And Lego comes with a fun building experience and gets to last forever (for better or worse). So while the price is definitely creeping up, I think they'll keep selling well. Also, this set in particularly is gorgeous - I'm tempted to buy several and create a minifig scale Japanese garden or something.
@brick_beard said:
"I'm sure this comparison has been made before, but the cost of Lego botanicals is close to or often less than the cost of a real flower arrangement. And Lego comes with a fun building experience and gets to last forever (for better or worse). So while the price is definitely creeping up, I think they'll keep selling well. Also, this set in particularly is gorgeous - I'm tempted to buy several and create a minifig scale Japanese garden or something."
Exactly this. Heck, even a small good quality basic bonsai ( and by that I mean one thats been properly grown and cared for, and not the mass produced, buy in your local supermarket as a gift ones) will cost you at least £50. To get anything like this maple bonsai, your looking more like £150.
Looks really nice and I'll definitely purchase it at some point, but this should have been $50.
I love the Botanicals and this is a must-buy... eventually. But I do agree with the criticisms and so in this case I'm going to wait for a sale.
Nice review. The grey pieces and small pot are unfortunate. Like others, I plan to use this as a forest-builder. So, I will wait for the inevitable 30% discount that botanicals eventually fall to.
Good replacement of the bonsai tree......45% decrease in parts count, 20% increase of the price....
I do really like the color of the leaves, but everything else......not so much. And I'm certainly not buying into the excuses some have for those silly grey pieces. If Lego acts like a budget brand cutting such massive corners, they better adjust their prices to budget brand levels.
Price per piece... blah blah. but lot of large pieces though :)
It looks great
In all the pictures I'd seen, I hadn't noticed the gray pieces until it was pointed out in this review. I think over time, when it's not focused on, the gray will fade away.
Ill wait until it gets discounted to 'Bonsai Tree' price...
@brick_beard said:
"I'm sure this comparison has been made before, but the cost of Lego botanicals is close to or often less than the cost of a real flower arrangement. And Lego comes with a fun building experience and gets to last forever (for better or worse). So while the price is definitely creeping up, I think they'll keep selling well. Also, this set in particularly is gorgeous - I'm tempted to buy several and create a minifig scale Japanese garden or something."
So if real castle cost X millions $ it means LEGO can increase price on castle sets because it will be cheaper to buy Lego castle instead of real one? xD
This logic is absurd!
Since there is no prints/license/minifigs/big elements we can easy say that this set is OVERPRICED
The improvement in tree design over the past several years is quite impressive. I might add more gray to the trunk (more because tree bark is usually gray instead of brown than to disguise the color-locked pieces) but all in all I really like this set better than the original bonsai tree. I also like the idea of using it in gardens or beside buildings; it's an unusually graceful small tree--just as a Japanese maple ought to be!
I like it, it really wish the color pallet existed to modify it with something between black and dark-red, or between black and dark-purple like all the varieties of Japanese maple that are sold locally. I didn’t think this coloration was even possible until the reveal prompted me to look them up and find out there are hundreds of different cultivars.
I feel like I'd use it as a tree on my layout, rather than as bonsai.
Beautiful set!!! - LEGO, please make more like this and the famous artworks. - Great price too.
Yeah on -30% it will be great partpack.
@Briczk said:
" @brick_beard said:
"I'm sure this comparison has been made before, but the cost of Lego botanicals is close to or often less than the cost of a real flower arrangement. And Lego comes with a fun building experience and gets to last forever (for better or worse). So while the price is definitely creeping up, I think they'll keep selling well. Also, this set in particularly is gorgeous - I'm tempted to buy several and create a minifig scale Japanese garden or something."
So if real castle cost X millions $ it means LEGO can increase price on castle sets because it will be cheaper to buy Lego castle instead of real one? xD
This logic is absurd!
Since there is no prints/license/minifigs/big elements we can easy say that this set is OVERPRICED"
I think you may have missed the point being made here. This set is approximately the same size as the bonsai it emulates, and provides a similar aesthetic function.
Is your real castle Lego-sized and therefore a toy, or are you building a human scale castle from Lego and intending to live in it?
As for the set, I’ll wait for a discount then modify it into a regular tree for my layout.
This will be nice addition to my city! :)
@stefwaffles said:
" @Briczk said:
" @brick_beard said:
"I'm sure this comparison has been made before, but the cost of Lego botanicals is close to or often less than the cost of a real flower arrangement. And Lego comes with a fun building experience and gets to last forever (for better or worse). So while the price is definitely creeping up, I think they'll keep selling well. Also, this set in particularly is gorgeous - I'm tempted to buy several and create a minifig scale Japanese garden or something."
So if real castle cost X millions $ it means LEGO can increase price on castle sets because it will be cheaper to buy Lego castle instead of real one? xD
This logic is absurd!
Since there is no prints/license/minifigs/big elements we can easy say that this set is OVERPRICED"
I think you may have missed the point being made here. This set is approximately the same size as the bonsai it emulates, and provides a similar aesthetic function.
Is your real castle Lego-sized and therefore a toy, or are you building a human scale castle from Lego and intending to live in it?
As for the set, I’ll wait for a discount then modify it into a regular tree for my layout."
You have to compare LEGO bonsai prices with PLASTIC bonsai prices. Not real ones
Spoiler alert, you can get a plastic bonsai that looks real for 3-5 euros
'However, we can complain about that until we are blue in the face, they won't ever be re-coloured, so we just have to accept it."
Is that right? Is there a particular reason why Lego refuses to recolor the piece? Just curious, it would be amazing if they manufacture the piece in other colors.
@bricks4everyone said:
"'However, we can complain about that until we are blue in the face, they won't ever be re-coloured, so we just have to accept it."
Is that right? Is there a particular reason why Lego refuses to recolor the piece? Just curious, it would be amazing if they manufacture the piece in other colors."
My understanding is that it has to do with tolerances. Different colors of plastic have slightly different properties, due to having different fillers used to achieve the colors. So using a different color for the socket joints might lead to part breakage, or something along those lines. I'm not as sure about the ball pieces.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @bricks4everyone said:
"'However, we can complain about that until we are blue in the face, they won't ever be re-coloured, so we just have to accept it."
Is that right? Is there a particular reason why Lego refuses to recolor the piece? Just curious, it would be amazing if they manufacture the piece in other colors."
My understanding is that it has to do with tolerances. Different colors of plastic have slightly different properties, due to having different fillers used to achieve the colors. So using a different color for the socket joints might lead to part breakage, or something along those lines. I'm not as sure about the ball pieces."
Might be. Or might just be a matter of saving pennies. We'll probably never know for sure....
@TheOtherMike said:
" @bricks4everyone said:
"'However, we can complain about that until we are blue in the face, they won't ever be re-coloured, so we just have to accept it."
Is that right? Is there a particular reason why Lego refuses to recolor the piece? Just curious, it would be amazing if they manufacture the piece in other colors."
My understanding is that it has to do with tolerances. Different colors of plastic have slightly different properties, due to having different fillers used to achieve the colors. So using a different color for the socket joints might lead to part breakage, or something along those lines. I'm not as sure about the ball pieces."
The five Mixel-original elements are, as far as I know, the only elements placed under those restrictions, but that does include two ball-only elements. The ball is only critical for the fact that it will put the socket under more stress if it’s too large, but they used several pre-Mixel ball-only elements with the Mixel sockets, in a variety of colors, so that claim raises an eyebrow. The socket is also the most likely failure point, as a solid sphere is incredibly difficult to crush, while forcing the socket onto something that’s just a bit too large can very easily cause it to fracture.
The stupid thing is, they came up with this new socket design, then released two of the socket elements in one shade of bley, and the other socket in a different shade of bley, when it would have made more sense to color-lock the socket elements to a single color. And then Disney forced them to make that one off-color socket in the other shade of bley anyways, so why not allow all five elements to be made in _both_ colors? They’ve tested both colors enough to approve them for use, and they haven’t had any major disasters from the two timespans when the one socket was made in both colors, so the main challenge should just be talking someone into allowing a dual-locked color.
@WizardOfOss said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @bricks4everyone said:
"'However, we can complain about that until we are blue in the face, they won't ever be re-coloured, so we just have to accept it."
Is that right? Is there a particular reason why Lego refuses to recolor the piece? Just curious, it would be amazing if they manufacture the piece in other colors."
My understanding is that it has to do with tolerances. Different colors of plastic have slightly different properties, due to having different fillers used to achieve the colors. So using a different color for the socket joints might lead to part breakage, or something along those lines. I'm not as sure about the ball pieces."
Might be. Or might just be a matter of saving pennies. We'll probably never know for sure...."
I actually like the grey joints, same as the blue pins in Technic sets. All part of the distinctive Lego style. I don't collect artificial flowers. I collect Lego flowers!
@sjr60 said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @bricks4everyone said:
"'However, we can complain about that until we are blue in the face, they won't ever be re-coloured, so we just have to accept it."
Is that right? Is there a particular reason why Lego refuses to recolor the piece? Just curious, it would be amazing if they manufacture the piece in other colors."
My understanding is that it has to do with tolerances. Different colors of plastic have slightly different properties, due to having different fillers used to achieve the colors. So using a different color for the socket joints might lead to part breakage, or something along those lines. I'm not as sure about the ball pieces."
Might be. Or might just be a matter of saving pennies. We'll probably never know for sure...."
I actually like the grey joints, same as the blue pins in Technic sets. All part of the distinctive Lego style. I don't collect artificial flowers. I collect Lego flowers! "
Imagine if all pieces would be color locked, how awesome would that be!
@WizardOfOss said:
" @sjr60 said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @bricks4everyone said:
"'However, we can complain about that until we are blue in the face, they won't ever be re-coloured, so we just have to accept it."
Is that right? Is there a particular reason why Lego refuses to recolor the piece? Just curious, it would be amazing if they manufacture the piece in other colors."
My understanding is that it has to do with tolerances. Different colors of plastic have slightly different properties, due to having different fillers used to achieve the colors. So using a different color for the socket joints might lead to part breakage, or something along those lines. I'm not as sure about the ball pieces."
Might be. Or might just be a matter of saving pennies. We'll probably never know for sure...."
I actually like the grey joints, same as the blue pins in Technic sets. All part of the distinctive Lego style. I don't collect artificial flowers. I collect Lego flowers! "
Imagine if all pieces would be color locked, how awesome would that be!"
That would require levels of colour consistency beyond Lego's wildest dreams at the moment!
Hmm, I hear many people here discussing the gray/bley pieces (Mixel ball joints and sockets) they don't like in this set, but nobody (not even @Huw in his review) has mentioned yet that this set is the first ever to include a recolour of the plate 2 x 2 corner (part ID 2420) in Dark Green (and you get 20 of them!) Besides these, there are a couple more parts that are a first time recolour or come only in one or two other sets so far. It is only my guess this may contribute to a somewhat higher price level? To me at least, it's worth it (although I too usually wait for the inevitable discount to appear within a short period of time before buying.)
I get it when people don't care about building their own creations, but IMO especially parts 2420 corner plate and 73825 Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 2 Inverted, both new in Dark Green, are parts that are easily overlooked but come in very handy for MOC building!
P.S. I like the set and will buy it eventually.