Random set of the day: Paprika and the Mischievous Monkey
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 5856 Paprika and the Mischievous Monkey, released in 2003. It's one of 8 Belville sets produced that year. It contains 51 pieces and 1 minifig, and its retail price was US$9/£5.99.
It's owned by 202 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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38 comments on this article
The early 00s were an interesting time at Lego, weren't they? Still, I loved these sets for the whimsical nature of them, and I adored all those beautiful and colourful transparent pieces.
Who names someone Paprika? That's Salt and Pepper's kid from Blue's Clues to me, I can't wrap my brain around it being a human name.
Aw, remember the Lego monkey? What a brilliant animal figure.
Paprika grew up to be the architect of City Main Square and the mischievous monkey was her chief engineer. Rumor has it that the monkey and the tram soon went off the rails.
I like the Belville figures, but those that have textile dresses/pants just look weird, and even less-LEGO like than Belville figures already are.
I have to admit--best thing about this set is the monkey. There's way too much about this set that screams something that came out this month. Given the appearance of the character, 2003 as the release year, and a monkey, I almost thought this was LEGO's response to not getting the Dora license. But then again, we got a whole range of Dora Duplo a year later.
I love these kinds of sets that wouldn’t look out of place in a surrealist art exhibition. Major Salvador Dalí vibes from this one, with maybe a bit of Luis Buñuel and a dash of David Lynch. Then consider the similar color palette of the experimental animated film Paprika... and it all begins to make sense...
What a weird Belville/Pirates crossover.
Did they choose the background to de-emphasise the breadth and intensity of the colours in this set?
@MCLegoboy said:
"Who names someone Paprika? That's Salt and Pepper's kid from Blue's Clues to me, I can't wrap my brain around it being a human name."
Who says the humans name is Paprika? ;-)
They really should've brought back the monkey for Pirates of Barracuda bay, would have been the final touch making it a perfect successor to the OG Barracuda.
...Of course, perhaps monkeys just have shorter life spans, or the pirates got very hungry at one point...
Isn't paprika a seasoning? I didn't know that it was a name too...????
Thank you random set of the day, very cool
Just can’t shake the anime Paprika out of my head now
Paprika is the parrot.
Wow, I miss those shutters.
I actually remember that, in 2003, I was seriously considering picking up this set... if only for the monkey figure, since I had no interest in Belville. By 2003, affordable LEGO sets including monkeys were scarce, and yet here was one offering a monkey for only $9.
Ultimately, I ended up passing on this set... which was fine, because I picked up 7081 Harry Hardtack And Monkey instead, getting me a monkey for an even lower price. It's also the only 4+ set in my collection... so I guess the fact that I was willing to buy Belville/4+ sets just shows how much I wanted that monkey.
Looking through Lego's old sets is like looking through my old photo album of how I dressed in my youth.
Some moments are really best forgotten.
Don´t overlook the parrot i MediumGreen!
Oh God... The colors...
Why in the name of Galidor do I not have this set???
@legologo said:
"Isn't paprika a seasoning? I didn't know that it was a name too...????"
In Hungary, paprika is a kind of chili pepper. In the UK and Netherlands it's what you know as pepperoni. It is indeed also a seasoning.
This is a really nice set in my opinion. You get a bunch of really nice pieces, like the Trans Pink roof piece, the medium green parrot, and of course, the monkey.
Say what you will about Belville, but there is no denying the line was great for parts.
@Wrecknbuild said:
" @legologo said:
"Isn't paprika a seasoning? I didn't know that it was a name too...????"
In Hungary, paprika is a kind of chili pepper. In the UK and Netherlands it's what you know as pepperoni. It is indeed also a seasoning."
Pepperoni? You mean red pepper? ;)
I bought this set for the wide assortment of pieces and colours and definutely not for the gorgeous dolly and her precious little monkey ;)
so thats where these weird colored parts came from :D
@Reinier said:
" @Wrecknbuild said:
" @legologo said:
"Isn't paprika a seasoning? I didn't know that it was a name too...????"
In Hungary, paprika is a kind of chili pepper. In the UK and Netherlands it's what you know as pepperoni. It is indeed also a seasoning."
Pepperoni? You mean red pepper? ;)"
I think it is bell or sweet pepper, or capsicum, depending on what kind of English you speak ;) In the end 'paprika' might also be green or yellow.
I'm just wondering whether that doll even fits into the "building." Or is it supposed to be the monkey house?
@Wrecknbuild said:
"In Hungary, paprika is a kind of chili pepper."
In Hungarian, 'paprika' literally means 'pepper' (the vegetable). We call chili pepper 'csilipaprika', bell pepper 'kaliforniai paprika' and hungarian sweet wax pepper 'zöldpaprika' (or 'TV paprika' or 'lecsópaprika'), which is the most common pepper in Hungarian groceries.
We call the spice that is called paprika in English 'pirospaprika' (= red paprika) or 'füszerpaprika' (= spice paprika).
@Papirbaba said:
" @Wrecknbuild said:
"In Hungary, paprika is a kind of chili pepper."
In Hungarian, 'paprika' literally means 'pepper' (the vegetable). We call chili pepper 'csilipaprika', bell pepper 'kaliforniai paprika' and hungarian sweet wax pepper 'zöldpaprika' (or 'TV paprika' or 'lecsópaprika'), which is the most common pepper in Hungarian groceries.
We call the spice that is called paprika in English 'pirospaprika' (= red paprika) or 'füszerpaprika' (= spice paprika)."
Thanks!
And @ Reinier
Sorry, I don't think I woke up already! Pepperoni indeed is not paprika, it's what we'd call salami.
@Wrecknbuild said:
"Pepperoni indeed is not paprika,"
Oh, and we call green long hot pepper 'pepperóni paprika'. :D
I want that parrot
Scary that the monkey has arms and legs the same as a mini-fig arms, maybe there is more going on that the pretty scene is trying to hide. This also makes the monkey evolutionary more advanced than a mini-fig as able to grip 4 items at once, that is until General Grievous came along.
@Wrecknbuild said:
"Pepperoni indeed is not paprika, it's what we'd call salami."
I don’t think that’s right either. Salami is a type of cured sausage.
The color palette is surprisingly modern in this one. With the exception of the purple, medium green and medium orange I can't see any other color that's not still in use today.
Paprika and the mischievous monkey + a bouncy house.
@MCLegoboy said:
"Who names someone Paprika? That's Salt and Pepper's kid from Blue's Clues to me, I can't wrap my brain around it being a human name."
A Danish actor, voice actor, director, and singer is called Paprika Steen, though apparently it is not a name given to her at birth.
In total 57 women in Denmark have the name Paprika as their first name. Not really a common name here.
As in other laguages, paprika is also a seasoning/spice, normally divided into two variants: sweet (also called Edelsüss) or rose paprika which is stronger. We often think of Hungary when talking about paprika.
@Wrecknbuild said:
"Sorry, I don't think I woke up already! Pepperoni indeed is not paprika, it's what we'd call salami."
Yes, pepperoni is a kind of salami. As well as meat and chili pepper, it contains paprika.
@LAKAbricks , Isn't Denmark one of the countries where the government decides what name(s) parents can give their children? If so, is Paprika on the approved list, did the parents get exceptions or are the 57 Paprikas from outside the country? Enquiring minds want to know ;~)
Wow, that has some pretty rare part colorings. I didn't realize the ladder was available in green; it is unique to this set. A few of the orange pieces only appear in a few sets in those colors. And of course the Monkey... wish they still made that figure.
It's a shame the image for this set is so small. I wanted to look close to see if there were any redeeming qualities in the bricks.
@PDelahanty said:
"It's a shame the image for this set is so small. I wanted to look close to see if there were any redeeming qualities in the bricks."
Don’t know if it helps, but there’s an inventory for the set on BrickLink: https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?S=5856-1