Review: 21339 BTS Dynamite

Well this is a $100 for half of nothing.

What a waste of plastic, and what a waste of a slot in the Ideas line.

"donut (sic)"
LOL

I had a big "Whuuuut?" moment when this was announced and the review only confirms any fears. This must be the biggest customer rip-off LEGO have ever pulled off.

I won't be buying it, but I'm sure it will be a decent contribution to Lego profit margins, and if that helps enable more stuff like the 10497 Galaxy Explorer remake, then I have absolutely no objection at all.

"Instruction covers have become plain and boring lately, but that's not the case here. It does annoy me, though, that the manuals for 18+ sets no longer show the set number, which will hamper identification in years to come."

I hear you. It annoys me to no end as well the instructions don't contain the set number on the front.

Good review (as always)! I like the fair and informative manner you approach a subject you don't know and have no interest in, and I really like the reminder that people don't have to buy everything at the very bottom! I wouldn't mind getting my hands on that record store sticker sheet, but that's as far as my interest in this set goes.

Donut isn’t simply the lazy way of spelling or any kind of typo. It’s the common American way. Just a regional difference like all kinds of words throughout the English speaking world. No need to take lazy jabs at it.

The set doesn’t interest me. But I like the geared stage!

That was a terrible "Idea" indeed. Poorly executed.

I truly wish it fails.

WTFDIK but it seems in a similar vein to that Prime drink, brought out by some YouTubers, that all of the kids are going mad for selling for more than wine costs. Basically if you can capture some kids' imagination then you can charge a huge premium.

It looks like a knock-off brand to me. I do like the stage mechanism though!

Why even review this if you can't be bothered to do enough research to comprehensively discuss it? This site's reviews usually stand above other early access reviews but this felt so devoid of purpose I have to wonder why it was even reviewed at all.

I love the caveat that Huw makes at the very end, in italics:

“Remember, you are not obliged to buy everything the company makes, and LEGO is not obliged to only make products that appeal to you, so please bear that in mind before commenting.“

With that said, I will refrain from negatively commenting on the set, but just express thanks for the honest, forthright review. I am not of the target audience this set was created for, but would like to wish BTS fans (and others who would like the set) well.

A totally overpriced 18+ set aimed at kids?

The minifigures somehow both match the source material but also look frightfully generic. Outside of rich Lego BTS fans, this set seems like it would be bought solely for mocs and those wishing to explains their Lego city

@Huw, it seems as though you wrote this review almost begrudgingly, and I don't think I'm reading into it too much when I say it sounds like you were less than enthusiastic about this one. If anything, it just confirms many readers' opinions that it's a whole lot of money for a whole lot of nothing. I know fans of this set probably aren't cross shopping a Galaxy Explorer, but, man, this set seems like an insult. Even if it is true to the source material. But as I remember commenting on the Fuzball table, just because they can doesn't mean they should - and in the table's case, they couldn't which necessitated a total redesign. And there's just nothin to this set. And I think the market for this set isn't going to be as big as Lego thinks and will be more quickly saturated than expected. I know the video has a billion + views, but this genre of music tends to be very fleeting and what-have-you-done-for-me-lately.

I'm not complaining that Lego made the set, necessarily, as it's good to reach a broad audience, and its existence is certainly not going to stop me from buying sets that I want, but this set seems like a......bit of a joke.

"I hate it." -- Somebody

Let's face it. This is not a set for regular Lego folk, but a good product for outreach to non-Lego fans. In that regard I think this set will do very well, while your wallet will thank Lego for not creating another irresistible set.

Makes some popcorn. Settles in to read the salty tears of middle-aged man babies whining about a toy that wasn't created for them. Maybe I'll have some cocoa too.

Thanks for the review. Confirms what I thought when saw the set. The incredible thing is that not even with a 40% discount (as in the Queer eye set) I would buy this. It does not have enough nor interesting pieces that are worth buying it.

Note that one of the Lego Simpsons CMFs came with a "Donut Fancy" magazine tile--so yes, that's the proper, common American spelling. Wonder if you caught that back when the Simpsons CMFs came out.

@MrKoshka said:
"Makes some popcorn. Settles in to read the salty tears of middle-aged man babies whining about a toy that wasn't created for them. Maybe I'll have some cocoa too. "

Same bro. This is entertainment

Yeah i like the music store if it’s modded.

For the BTS fans: did you know that when you put a bts minifig of choice under your pillow you will marry that bts person in real life next year?? And the more minifigs (of said bts guy) the more chances you’ll have (because other bts fans will try this as well, and you want to be that person who has the most!)

I love the contrast of this review coming back to back with Rivendell.

To be fair, it's a faithful recreation of the music video, which has a weird, sterile environment that looks a bit janky. I hope the intended audience enjoys it, sincerely.

Funny how usually multiple "here come the haters!" folks get to the comments before the actual haters do. Almost like they like stirring things up while trying not to fall off their high horses.

The set is bland and way overpriced, the minifigs plain and the press release simply untruthful. Sets targeted at getting new customers (and keeping them) should probably show off what can be done with LEGO. This is not it.

When bricklink lists it, I will buy it without minifigures (because it will probably be only like 20 bucks) and I will use it to make that awesome record shop and donut place! Other than that, I despise this set XD

I dunno if it's the minifigure collector in me or just that I'm a fan of retro builds and general oddities, but this is definitely going to be my primary March purchase, albeit only because Rivendell requires me to put aside some money that I probably won't get put together til May, but still.

I like how the comments are split between the hatred of the set or how donut can be spelled.

If you plan on buying this set I hope you have a lot of fun with it, but remember to wash your hands first if you've had a doughnut.

@Huw said:
"Boring white wall:"

I'm no fan of the band or set, but no wall that features "DISCO" in huge, bright letters should be considered boring.

@bananaworld said:
"
@Huw said:
"Boring white wall:"

I'm no fan of the band or set, but no wall that features "DISCO" in huge, bright letters should be considered boring."

Well, disco IS boring.

AGH! NOT THE FACE! NOT THE FACE!

This is embarrassingly bland but I’m proud of LEGO for chasing that bag from this fan group haha

Stan Jungkook!

But in all seriousness this set is lame, and that is to say it is bad regardless of the source material, if this was a star wars set it'd still be bad, it's plain vmans the concept could've been done better as a smaller set, perhaps even just the geared stage with the 7 minifigs

The last point should be removed. “Limited appeal for existing AFOLs”. If you make this negative comment, you should also apply it to every Friends review, since a quick poll would probably tell that most AFOLs do not buy the theme. Aside from that, I agree with all other thoughts in the review.

Seems to be an attempt to see if anything that says BTS will sell well.

I'm guessing it won't.

Having seen the source material now, this set should been more streamlined. It can be done, as other sets have shown, and for this price. The minifigures look good, but the set looks like it was created in the early days of lego, when there wasn't much sophistification in bricks.

Its a real shame they didn't look past the band and produced something that might appeal to everyone. It would not have taken much, look at the Friends theme shops.

And not everyone on here is a middle aged man baby.

I came back to lego for the complicated, quality building that has come out of it recently. This is not one of them and just because I'm not a fan of the band, that doesn't mean I wouldn't appreciate the set if it was a good build. I'm not a fan of Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, yet I have the castle, and the train from the latter, and I will buy the former because they look like good quality builds.

Sets like the Vespa, the Jazz band, Star Wars Diaomaras at the same price, are better quality than this.

Honestly, this doesn't seem too bad to me. Yes, it's not a complex build for AFOLs. It's expensive, but for a big fan? Probably not. It's less than a plane flight, hotel and concert ticket too.

There are music icons where I'd totally consider getting something like this (the star(s) + music video or tour set recreation). I haven't been properly introduced to BTS though but I'm sure some will love it.

I thought this was worth 75$, then I saw the back of the buildings and it's more like 50$-60$. But of course, it's $100, because Lego is greedy as all heck.

Maybe think of it this way; all the money they make from this will allow Lego to make sets the rest of us actually like.

What a dump of a set... We are at the levels of the set 21308 Adventure Time!!! The worst of the worst.

Ok, i'll refrain from saying anything bad, but there is absolutely no way I believe for one second that it's just a coincidence it releases on South Korea's Independence Day.

Are we still pretending that when it comes to Lego that a hundred bucks is a lot of money ?

I don't know if this is just me or does the tone seems purposefully negative, like I don't mind the criticisms of the set but some stuff like 'boring white wall', 'the lazy spelling of donut' I feel like this review was done with great reluctance, and it shows (again not talking about the criticisms themselves, and not about people not liking the set, k but about the tone.)

On to the set itself.

I think it does what it sets out to do aka showing iconic moments from the MV. Loving the record shop, it is def my favourite part (and these are indeed BTS albums)(I know it was wishful expecting more albums). I feel pretty much the same as I did when I saw the reveal, I like it and I will def buy.

I think there is no legs printing because there's no need, they're basically wearing single-colour pants ? I know AFOLs are obsessed with printed legs (and printing in general) but here it is not necessary tbh. I do agree they could have done better with the faces though. (also you did get all the names to their minifigures right btw)

The buildings not being as detachable as it should is a big flaw though. Why bother showing it if you can't actually do it ? Especially considering the set is well, a set for an MV more or less, and moving stuff around would be part of it ?

(That fricking donut tho, really, you couldn't make it a tiny bit better ? Especially if you're going to offer alternate builds for VIPs ? Why not do it better from the first go ?)

In brief.

It's not an overcomplicated build, sure, but it does well to represent what it is supposed to represent. I do wish people understood what the set is supposed to be. It's literally supposed to be a set for the MV so maybe people were expecting something it was never meant to be ? This is Dynamite, this is not one of their more elaborate MVs (and now look at me wanting some specific MVs), it's just a little bit of fun.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the price (and that it was an ideas project), I think people wouldn't be complaining nearly as much (they still would complain). I do think the price is a bit steep but, on one hand, you are paying for the licensing rights (and BTS merch can be rather expensive at time), and Lego def upped the price because they knew Army would buy.

I do agree that this is majorly targeted towards Army and not regular FOLs (tho I have seen people wanting it for their city), and that most people on this site were never ever going to like it.

While it's certainly not a good price, it seems unfair to compare it with another set that has a far greater value than is typical.

Thank you for the review, even if your heart wasn't really in it..
I sincerely hope the fans of BTS like this set, and the people who don't like BTS are able to buy one of the hundreds of other Lego sets available that are more to their tastes!
Personally I'm not really bothered either way, but I am quite looking forward to someone doing a Lego stop motion music video to the song, I always find them entertaining....

@sunko13 said:
"Thanks for the review. Confirms what I thought when saw the set. The incredible thing is that not even with a 40% discount (as in the Queer eye set) I would buy this. It does not have enough nor interesting pieces that are worth buying it. "

You and I have a very different definition of the word incredible.

Not talking about that specific set (because I do agree it is purposefully overpriced) but it is part of the discussion, I wonder how people are judging whether lego sets are worth *insert price* nowadays. PPP used to be a good indicator but now, I see people doing it based on their perception of the set or so it seems, which would seem the least objective way of doing it ever ? (even more when it ends up with something likea PPP of 5c/p, which, even if PPP isn't a good indicator anymore, would be in the realm of freaking ridiculous)

Just a question ;)

OK, my K-Pop loving teen is screaming that $100 for a BTS set is too much, so there's that. Although she thinks BTS is overrated.

She'd probably pay $100 for a Twice set.

Microphone battlepack!

I like the ice cream truck.

@shaase said:
"Given that the release article (https://brickset.com/article/91008/bts-dynamite-ideas-set-revealed!) has 77% with "No, it doesn't interest me" clearly Brickset users are not the target audience.

I'll echo many in saying I've never heard of BTS till now. This set is too similar to the Vidiyo theme...so I'm surprised Lego chose to hop on the band wagon (albeit late). Again like Vidiyo this set comes off like a tie in to the Masked Singer franchise."

I'm likening this to World Cup or NASCAR. Those are two things that I'm very aware have colossal followings and a lot of money tied up in them...that I have zero knowledge of or interest in.

For some reason, people don't seem to be able to reconcile that something can simultaneously be a multi-billion dollar industry AND be something that they have no knowledge of or interest in. I don't know if it's trolling or defensive ignorance or what. It's annoying, though. (I'm remembering that conversation on the Simpsons where Chief Wiggum and his two partners have, literally, never heard of McDonald's.)

@MrKoshka said:
"Makes some popcorn. Settles in to read the salty tears of middle-aged man babies whining about a toy that wasn't created for them. Maybe I'll have some cocoa too. "

Popcorn and cocoa? I don't know why that is the first time I have heard that combination.

A much better set to get than Rivendell.

This set will be clearanced and dealt with the same as that silly queer eye set.
If you are one of the few that think this set is good, and can wait, then wait.
These are gonna be very cheap and easy to get.

Lots of thoughts ... but primarily that the "D" and the "O" in "DISCO" should be flush against the edges of the plate underneath, rather than spaced one stud in from each side. It seems like that would be more faithful to the source material (thanks for the image in the article). Also, and I am not averse to visible studs on any LEGO creation, it seems like the overall finish needs a bit of smoothing out (for example, compare this donut to the Ideas submission). In the end, I hope that LEGO brings more people into the tent with this set ... but I have some doubts.

Honestly the biggest problem with the set is the false claim that the buildings can be separated and rearranged.

This feels like a miscommunication between the designers and the marketing people, and suggests to me that the buildings may have originally been larger or more complex - true modularity would require more pieces than shown, after all.

So my thinking is the set probably was larger/more and then the designers were asked to scale it down - either to make it simpler to build or to widen the profit margin. I imagine the BTS license was expensive.

Truthfully I LOVE that Lego actually made a BTS set. But the end result does seem underwhelming, and the outright lie in the press release doesn't help.

What a dumpster fire.

To my mind, the most relevant point of comparison is the Queer Eye set. Now I appreciate BTS probably has a larger and more rabid fan base, but the Queer Eye set at least had some great minifigures (with minimal shortcuts), and some interesting stickers and set design. Granted, it seems like it flopped (and I never actually bought it!), but it at least felt like it had gone through more than just a first draft stage.

To me, the extreme BLANDNESS is the killer. Were it more exciting, it might be a pickup down the line (in the same boat as the Queer Eye set).

But no. So bland.

I'll preface by saying, this set isn't for me and I didn't expect to see anything in this review that would change my mind on that. I'm not into Kpop. But I think we should keep in mind who this set is for...fans of the group who may, or more likely, may not be LEGO customers and therefore might not want a complex build. They want something faithful to the subject matter and, for better or worse, this does seem to hit those boxes. I think this will thrill a lot of fans of the group and it'll sell well. Just because it's not for us doesn't mean it's "wasted" or whatever else. Stop gatekeeping.

@AdmiralSpookyNoodle said:
" @MrKoshka said:
"Makes some popcorn. Settles in to read the salty tears of middle-aged man babies whining about a toy that wasn't created for them. Maybe I'll have some cocoa too. "

Same bro. This is entertainment"

I’m so tired of this attitude. It seems no one can express negative feedback in these comments anymore without being labeled a man-baby or having their comments characterized as “whining.” If someone dares to say they don’t like a set, they always have to add the disclaimer “but I’m happy for all the people that do” or else they get attacked. Everyone should be able to give feedback (without being a jerk), whether positive or negative.

This set, as well as the whole K-pop bands phenomenon and pop music nowadays, is perfectly matched with what Lego Ideas become. It all shows that no matter about authenticity, no matter about quality, no matter about creativity, because marketing sells everything. Especially with high number social media followers behind.

The record shop would have been a perfect opportunity to use some vidiyo tiles, but I guess they would have outshined the BTS album covers. What a shame.

Minimal effort from the "fan" designer and minimal effort from the Lego designer.

@TheMikeStrikesBack said:
" @AdmiralSpookyNoodle said:
" @MrKoshka said:
"Makes some popcorn. Settles in to read the salty tears of middle-aged man babies whining about a toy that wasn't created for them. Maybe I'll have some cocoa too. "

Same bro. This is entertainment"

I’m so tired of this attitude. It seems no one can express negative feedback in these comments anymore without being labeled a man-baby or having their comments characterized as “whining.” If someone dares to say they don’t like a set, they always have to add the disclaimer “but I’m happy for all the people that do” or else they get attacked. Everyone should be able to give feedback (without being a jerk), whether positive or negative.
"

Yes and no. The constructive comments regarding value for price or design are largely fair game, since Lego is heavily about design and collectability. Those would come on any article and shouldn't be opposed.

People being openly upset that Lego made something that is *not for them* is incredibly non-helpful. Like, the existence of this product does not affect those people in the least. Nonetheless, they come here and explicity express an entitlement to have Lego cater specifically to them. That's just not helping anyone, and yes, it has a negative emotional impact on everyone who has to read it.

Good review! I especially appreciate the screenshots of the music video for comparison's sake, as I haven't seen it myself.

I suspect that the heavy use of stickers is primarily due to the 14 uniquely printed minifigure parts eating up most of the new elements budget. But on that note, I greatly appreciate the use of foil-backed stickers for the disco interior— I've mentioned in the replies to a few recent Friends reviews how much I wish the mirrors in those sets used foil-backed stickers, so it's good to know that LEGO designers DO still have that option available to them.

I'm rather surprised and disappointed to learn that the buildings are NOT in fact separate modules, contrary to the press release. Besides allowing for a wider range of display options, being able to separate the buildings would've made it easier to store them in the set's flip-top box when it's not on display.

You're right that the buildings are generally rather plain on the outside, reminiscent of a strip mall. However, I disagree that the donut shop facade is "featureless" — the contrasting colors, inverted slopes, and curved awning add quite a bit of visual interest IMO even if you chose to omit the stickered graphics. It's nothing groundbreaking in terms of building techniques, certainly, but it's a very strong representation of this sort of art deco influenced "snack bar" architecture, IMO.

The signpost for the donut shop is another visual highlight of the set, although it's more reliant on stickers to feel complete than the shop itself. Definitely feels very authentic not just to the video, but also to signposts of this sort from real life! The other "street furniture" like the parking meter, fire hydrant, and bright yellow curbs (kerbs, for y'all who prefer British English spellings) also help to spice up the exterior visuals, despite still being simpler than similar features in other 18+ sets.

The record store is a lot less exciting than the donut shop from an architectural standpoint, but it still manages to shine in terms of sheer novelty. I've seen a number of record store MOCs over the years, but I think this may be the first record store in an official set — feel free to correct me if I'm wrong! The use of printed tiles from miscellaneous themes for the non-BTS records is very much the sort of thing I'm used to seeing in the aforementioned MOCs.

Comparing the interior to your screenshot from the music video, I do kind of wish the record store's interior walls were Aqua (like the columns that flank the disco's facade) instead of just white, which feels much more boring and diminishes the contrast with the warm-colored shelving.

The disco itself is the least substantial of the buildings due to its lack of side walls, but the functional dance floor makes up for that, IMO — especially since the disco exterior in the music video is so unremarkable. The lighting scaffolds, speakers, and shiny foil stickers also help give the interior an appropriately glitzy atmosphere.

All in all, I have no interest in this set myself. But it's pretty safe to say that it will be a popular item among BTS fans. I fully agree that the price-per-piece feels exorbitant from an AFOL perspective (probably due to a mix of licensing fees and the set's heavy reliance on large plates and panels). But it's hardly a steep price for BTS memorabilia — for comparison's sake, it's priced around the same as what you'd have to pay for posable "Nendoroid" figurines of just TWO of the seven band members. And if I'm being honest, I probably wouldn't balk at a $100 USD price tag for a 750-piece set based on an interest I'm especially passionate about — like a favorite cartoon or video game.

@SolidState said:
"Why even review this if you can't be bothered to do enough research to comprehensively discuss it? This site's reviews usually stand above other early access reviews but this felt so devoid of purpose I have to wonder why it was even reviewed at all."

I agree with this completely. In particular the line '...the album covers, which I am told are BTS records..." comes over like Hugh couldn't be bothered to actually research whether they are or not.

I am sure that normally when a set is based on something that the reviewer isn't an expert on they go to much more effort to find out proper details rather than make some half-arsed comment.

And the (sic) after DONUT is just bizarre.

Is it just me or do the mini figures just all look like different versions of Joey and Chandler from friends?

@Ridgeheart said:
" @Jesse_S_T said:
"The last point should be removed. “Limited appeal for existing AFOLs”. If you make this negative comment, you should also apply it to every Friends review, since a quick poll would probably tell that most AFOLs do not buy the theme. Aside from that, I agree with all other thoughts in the review."

Speak for yourself, my good person. I went from 'fierce dislike' to 'aggressively indifferent' to 'overwhelmingly positive' over the Friends-line in the span of a year. Have you seen this year's line-up? It's very, very good."

Ditto. My love for Lego was formed in the 70s and 80s, before licensed sets, when we had a Town that had more than just a hospital and police station - various houses, bus station, snack bar, petrol station, public works centre, post office, motorbike shop, car workshop etc, etc.

I still can't take to minidolls, but the Friends line has fast replaced City for anything interesting in the building stakes.

Wait, wait, wait.

I didn't notice because I was more focused on the review itself but PPP is around 12.0-13.3c/p ??? Which, while it *is* overpriced, is not "astronomically expensive", especially for a set with 7 (with new torsos) minifigures. Again, not saying it's not overpriced, just that saying 'astronomically' is bit overdramatic. Facturing in the licencing rights, it kind of makes sense.

(Mind you I have seen people saying 8-9c/p sets are expensive so I am obviously out-of-touch as to what people on this site consider sets expensive.)

@parsom said:
"This set, as well as the whole K-pop bands phenomenon and pop music nowadays, is perfectly matched with what Lego Ideas become. It all shows that no matter about authenticity, no matter about quality, no matter about creativity, because marketing sells everything. Especially with high number social media followers behind."

Old Man Yells at Cloud

@ResIpsaLoquitur said:
" @TheMikeStrikesBack said:
" @AdmiralSpookyNoodle said:
" @MrKoshka said:
"Makes some popcorn. Settles in to read the salty tears of middle-aged man babies whining about a toy that wasn't created for them. Maybe I'll have some cocoa too. "

Same bro. This is entertainment"

I’m so tired of this attitude. It seems no one can express negative feedback in these comments anymore without being labeled a man-baby or having their comments characterized as “whining.” If someone dares to say they don’t like a set, they always have to add the disclaimer “but I’m happy for all the people that do” or else they get attacked. Everyone should be able to give feedback (without being a jerk), whether positive or negative.
"

Yes and no. The constructive comments regarding value for price or design are largely fair game, since Lego is heavily about design and collectability. Those would come on any article and shouldn't be opposed.

People being openly upset that Lego made something that is *not for them* is incredibly non-helpful. Like, the existence of this product does not affect those people in the least. Nonetheless, they come here and explicity express an entitlement to have Lego cater specifically to them. That's just not helping anyone, and yes, it has a negative emotional impact on everyone who has to read it. "

I completely agree that not every LEGO set caters to everyone, nor should it, and being upset about that is ridiculous. But not everyone who says they don’t like the set is also implying every LEGO set should be for them - that connection is often wrongly inferred. Some people are just sharing their opinion with no expectation, and my sense has been that even those people are attacked.

@AndyGlidesWell said:
" @parsom said:
"This set, as well as the whole K-pop bands phenomenon and pop music nowadays, is perfectly matched with what Lego Ideas become. It all shows that no matter about authenticity, no matter about quality, no matter about creativity, because marketing sells everything. Especially with high number social media followers behind."

Old Man Yells at Cloud

"

Old man justifiably yells at crowd... As Gregory Bateson pointed "the oversimplified ideas will always displace the sophisticated".

@SolidState said:
"Why even review this if you can't be bothered to do enough research to comprehensively discuss it? This site's reviews usually stand above other early access reviews but this felt so devoid of purpose I have to wonder why it was even reviewed at all."

Maybe because there's not much to review? What you see is what you get, and what you see is boring and what you get is massively overpriced.

@ThoughtLash said:
"Who listens to this "music?""

Lots of people, evidently.

I got the best set of the past few years in 10497, so I don't mind that LEGO occasionally releases a bland and blatant rip-off set like this one.
If anyone is stupid enough to buy this at RRP, even better for the company.
Funniest gimmick imho is the fact that this set and my favorite mentioned above contain the same printed piece.

@ThoughtLash said:
"Who listens to this "music?""

A lot of people. A lot.

I do tend to agree, and offense to anyone, that this review seems a little resentful in its tone.

But I also agree with others that the real crime here is the blandness and plainness of the set. The fact I’m not into the band or even know it is fine.

Great review and what a great set, I love it! It gives me flashbacks from my sweet 80s childhood. It will fit in well with the city. Well done LEGO, not all sets need to be gigantic, super complex and cost several hundreds of $€£.

@ThoughtLash said:
"Who listens to this "music?""

It’s funny how the current generation never realizes they are out of touch even after watching it happen to every single generation before them.

Elvis wasn’t real music
The Beatles weren’t real music
Nirvana wasn’t real music
Rap wasn’t real music.

You’re just old now. As am I. Best to make peace with that.

TLG hit a home run with Central Perk. Manageable price point, fun build and great display piece. The Central Perk gives new buyers a positive experience and entices them to buy more Lego.

The BTS Dynamite set is the polar opposite. Insane price, miserable building experience (stickers galore) and a final product that resembles a retro 1980's set. Is this set going to create new Lego fans?

@ThoughtLash said:
"Who listens to this "music?""

See, this is what I mean by a non-constructive comment.

(Puts on angry dad hat)

So, my 16 year old daughter listens to this "music." A lot. Do you have a problem with my teenager? Yes or no?

@TheIronBadger said:
" @bananaworld said:
"I'm no fan of the band or set, but no wall that features "DISCO" in huge, bright letters should be considered boring."

Well, disco IS boring.

AGH! NOT THE FACE! NOT THE FACE!"
Damn right; disco is all in the hips.

What a trash review for this site. The notice at the end about not every Lego set needing to appeal to AFOLs is directly contradicted by the pro/con list at the beginning of the article. And how much time really needs to be spent on how a word is spelled? It's lazy to not even bother looking up the "lazy version" to find out it's the correct spelling in America. Yes, it could be a more complicated build. But it does what is advertised—recreate the music video set. Also, how much is this actually a bad price? Yes, based on the number of pieces it's not (there is a significant quantity in the stage gears, though). But what are BTS licensing fees? I'd imagine they're not low, especially since there are 7 likenesses and K Pop is known to be very focused on profit. Is this ratio of pieces and minifigures that far off from a Star Wars set? Sets this small normally don't have 7 figs, but it was a requirement here

I'm not a fan of BTS and would never buy this set. But at least give the thing a good review and do some research to understand the economics better.

Reading this a day after reading the LOTR reviews - it's the same set, only for different demographics and skills levels. A known group of minifigures with a backdrop of a famous scene.

For non fans, this could be a nice purchase once (if?) it'll get a 30% discount and a mini figure pack and building for a city layout. For fans, no brainer.

I don't get the criticism on this review, it seems very fair to me. As usual.

I'm sure this set will sell. But that doesn't change that this an utterly lackluster set. The minifigs look okayish, though mostly surprisingly plain and nothing like those guys. But beyond that, everything looks like the absolute minimum effort was put into it. Sure, the buildings in the video look boring, but that doesn't take away the fact that this looks like a glorified 4+ set (yet 19+....what a joke). And almost every bit of decoration is done with stickers. So basically, you get some BTS minifigs, a bunch of BTS sticker sheets, and a pile of mostly very generic pieces. I'd say at least the album covers and the logo should have been prints, especially at this very steep price. But I guess Lego knew BTS fans would buy this regardless of quality or price, so why even bother?
(they probably could have done stickered minifigs and it wouldn't sell any less....)

And sure, I'm not a BTS fan. But the appeal of a good Lego set transcends its target audience. I mean, I'm no LotR fan either, but Rivendell is a magnificent set. And I'm certainly not the target demographic for Friends, yet I still think it's been one of the strongest Lego themes over the last few years. This one however, is for BTS fans and for BTS fans only. And dare I say even BTS fans deserved something better?

@AndyGlidesWell said:
" @ThoughtLash said:
"Who listens to this "music?""

It’s funny how the current generation never realizes they are out of touch even after watching it happen to every single generation before them.

Elvis wasn’t real music
The Beatles weren’t real music
Nirvana wasn’t real music
Rap wasn’t real music.

You’re just old now. As am I. Best to make peace with that.

"

To be fair, you skipped the '70's and early 2000's. So, I'll add:

Disco wasn't real music.
Daftpunk wasn't real music.

Yes, we are all old.

I hope BTS fans enjoy this.
...because not many other people will.

@Huw said: "Shirt patterns and jacket details extend onto the backs of the torsos, but none of the legs are printed which is disappointing for a premium set such as this where the minifigures are the focus and the sole reason many people will buy it."

In the scene from the video, BTS are wearing solid colored pants so I don't know what printing you would expect there to be – printing of pockets, a patch or shoes doesn't seem like a good use of resources and would have made this even more expensive.
I am aware of BTS due to my having teenagers and know they are extremely popular. The video for "Dynamite" is kind of catchy and I think this set captures the look pretty darn well. Maybe extending the builds with some fairly generic pieces may have brought the price/piece into a more favorable ratio.

@Murdoch17 said:
" @AndyGlidesWell said:
" @ThoughtLash said:
"Who listens to this "music?""

It’s funny how the current generation never realizes they are out of touch even after watching it happen to every single generation before them.

Elvis wasn’t real music
The Beatles weren’t real music
Nirvana wasn’t real music
Rap wasn’t real music.

You’re just old now. As am I. Best to make peace with that.

"

To be fair, you skipped the '70's and early 2000's. So, I'll add:

Disco wasn't real music.
Daftpunk wasn't real music.

Yes, we are all old.
"

Daft Punk is so much more than music.

@TheBrickshipyard said:
" Nobody deserved or wanted this BTS set, it's that simple. "

It collected 10,000 votes in a very short time. Obviously *somebody* wanted it.

On to my own comments:
First of all, I am very sure that there will be many sets on Bricklink with the minifigures removed. These will be at greatly reduced prices, which should please those people who would like it as a parts pack.

Secondly, I think the buildings are quite nice. It's a pity this isn't easily rearranged, but I doubt it will be a terribly hard modification to make it separable into individual stores. The interior details are amusing, while the exterior is, apparently, a close copy of the original video. Those of us who enjoyed the Vidyeo subtheme can have fun expanding the record store and disco stage further. Meanwhile, the sterile outside exactly resembles the average American strip mall, with a tiny touch of Art Deco style in the architecture and signage. 'Donut,' by the way, is not *the official* American spelling of the confection in question, but it is an *acceptable alternate* version, and the one I would expect to see in such a setting.

Thirdly, even though I have no interest in K-pop in general or this band in particular, I think I actually like the minifigures enough to want to buy the complete set. While they may have meaning to the fans, they also strike me as generic enough to make reasonable citizens in my Lego City, particularly in places where more formal clothing is customary.

As band merchandise I think it's very reasonable, and I really don't find it bland or uninspired when looked at on its own. It could be less expensive, but there's a solution for that--there will certainly be a good market for the minifigures by themselves. I hope the intended audience enjoys having a Lego version of their favorite band, and I myself am putting it on my wishlist (admittedly, a long way below Rivendell).

@ThoughtLash said:
"Who listens to this "music?""

Saying this when yesterday BTS was second on this year (2022)'s IFPI Global Artist Chart is hilarious timing. Aaah, when will people understand that their taste != the rest of the world. Believe me, BTS has plenty enough people listening to their music on a regular basic.

Also, music between quotes, because ofc, if you don't like, it's not real music right ?

Honestly, I think people are being way overdramatic about this set, trying to paint it as massively expensive and one of the worst set ever. You're overdoing it, k.

'Nobody wanted or deserved this BTS set' Bruh, how about you don't talk for everyone ? There are plenty people who wanted and are happy with that set. There are plenty people who will buy that set on day 1. And you know what, it's because it does what it is supposed to do, it never pretended to be anything else. Could it have been improved, yeah probably, but it's not the unmitigated disaster you're all moaning about above. Stop clutching your pearls.

Honestly, I think AFOLs sometimes have a skewed idea of what Lego can be to non-FOLs, or FOLs that don't spend so much of their time online.

The original Ideas submission talks about the buildings being separable- indeed, the images there make it look like the buildings don't even attach, you just place them next to each other. The product page at Lego.com makes no mention of rearranging the buildings.
So it seems that whoever wrote the press release just plain screwed up.
I think TLG needs to hire someone to proofread, edit, and fact-check their communications, because they don't seem to have anyone doing that!

Best part of this review is it complaining about "donut" being the lazy spelling followed by all but one commenters using it instead of "doughnut"

@TheBrickshipyard said:
"You are right in the sense of bias (which I don't think is unjustified from the viewer). Let's have a K-pop or BTS only fan who has no experience reviewing Lego sets review this very set. It can settle a lot of debate and speculation. Could they separate their fan bias and review the set without the BTS veneer? Maybe that's a laughable idea, but hey I'm trying to add some objectivity here.

My $100 question: will this set serve as a gateway for BTS fans into Lego buyers (for non BTS sets)? A conversion if you will. Clearly, Lego is banking on that. My money is on a one and done deal. BTS fans will have to prioritize their funds for other BTS memorabilia, tickets, new tracks, whatever.

And well, well said WizardofOss - it all boils down to transcendence. I'm not a LOTR fan, but I can sure appreciate the Lego Rivendale set and what it means for LOTR fans. A set they deserve! Nobody deserved or wanted this BTS set, it's that simple. "

Gatekeeping at its absolute scummiest. You should be ashamed.

Again, the subject matter doesn't worry me at all.

If they made one of these that was themed on the Backstreet Boys, I would buy it without thinking twice about it.

But the sheer cost of the set ... versus the actual contents ... is staggering. It's inexplicable, how this is so absurdly, ludicrously expensive. *That* is the problem. It's a bad set, made worse because it's so grossly, grossly over-priced.

@TheBrickshipyard said:
"Nobody deserved or wanted this BTS set, it's that simple. "

Outside of the actual review that has to be the most ridiculous comment on here for a Ideas set that reached 10,000 votes in about a month and probably would got many times that if allowed.

Interesting that Hugh hasn't replied to any of the criticisms of the reviews content and tone. He's not normally so reticent.

And, as at least one poster has said, I'm looking forward to every Friends review now including the negative 'limited appeal for existing AFOLs'.

Also, I assume every review will end with 'Buy it if it appeals to you, but look elsewhere in the product assortment if not. There is, after all, plenty to choose from nowadays!'

There are some interesting stickers. Cool options for signage if you ever wanted to moc up a record store or donut shop. New torsos with good detail. The price is high for something that looks unfinished. TLG make a lot of stuff that's not for me but at least this one has usable elements and not just a puke of colors or overly specialized parts.

@HsinyBidoof, instead of taking it out on the reviewer and anyone who dares to criticize this set, maybe you could explain why this is such an excellently designed, flawless set that should be far above any criticism?

@MrKoshka said:
"Makes some popcorn. Settles in to read the salty tears of middle-aged man babies whining about a toy that wasn't created for them. Maybe I'll have some cocoa too. "

Me too. I genuinely don't understand all the negativity surrounding this set. Every other comment contains something like "I don't like this set" or "Waste of plastic" or "Bad set" but there are many people excited for it. I certainly am, my friend is a huge fan of K-Pop bands and she really wants to buy it.

Sure, it's an Ideas set that not everyone wanted. It does also seem bland. But it's accurate to the music video. And while most of the Western world might not even know who the portrayed band is, they've got quite a large Asian fanbase who are willing to pay for this set.

Thanks @Huw, for the "Remember, you are not obliged to buy everything the company makes, and LEGO is not obliged to only make products that appeal to you, so please bear that in mind before commenting."

I completely agree with that statement, there seems to be too much negativity spreading in the comments. Just because a whole lot of people hate this set doesn't mean that there aren't a whole lot more people who love it.

@Huw,
In case no-one else has mentioned it today, at least I appreciate the work you do on brickset.com.

@ShinyBidoof said:
" @TheBrickshipyard said:
"Nobody deserved or wanted this BTS set, it's that simple. "

Outside of the actual review that has to be the most ridiculous comment on here for a Ideas set that reached 10,000 votes in about a month and probably would got many times that if allowed.

Interesting that Hugh hasn't replied to any of the criticisms of the reviews content and tone. He's not normally so reticent.

And, as at least one poster has said, I'm looking forward to every Friends review now including the negative 'limited appeal for existing AFOLs'.

Also, I assume every review will end with 'Buy it if it appeals to you, but look elsewhere in the product assortment if not. There is, after all, plenty to choose from nowadays!'"

Thanks for pointing out the 10,000 votes in a month. It really seems like some AFOLs just hate on this set without even noticing the people who love it.

@Space_1979 said:
" @Huw,
In case no-one else has mentioned it today, at least I appreciate the work you do on brickset.com.
"

Me too! Respect to the Brickset team, especially @CapnRex101 for the great work on all his reviews

@Torrent_Studios said:
"I think a lot of AFOLs have spent too much time on the more "grown-up" side of the hobby, for example collecting/displaying/investing, that they've forgot LEGO's true origins as a toy.

Can't blame 'em though, seeing how LEGO's been appealing to older audiences much more in recent years."
I think many AFOLs can still very well appreciate a good City, Friends, Ninjago or other typical toy set when they see one.

So instead of focusing what others think, why not explain why in your opinion this is such a brilliantly designed set?

And now imagine it not being BTS, but just some imaginary boy band....let's just call 'em The Brickles....would it still hold up?

Good review and fair thoughts on the set. I think the Lego designers did very well on interpreting the ideas submission. They added more details and designing the facial expressions on the minifigs. I like the set and I am a BTS army. Though of course the higher price of the set may be a turnoff for many bts fans. I would love to get it if possible.

@1265 said:
" @MrKoshka said:
"Makes some popcorn. Settles in to read the salty tears of middle-aged man babies whining about a toy that wasn't created for them. Maybe I'll have some cocoa too. "

I visualize you eating popcorn and drinking cocoa in Mommy's basement (safe space). :)"

I don’t think about you at all.

@WizardOfOss said:
"But indeed, for 60-70 this at least would be a somewhat decent parts/sticker pack. It's not though. Hence why so many people think this is a bad deal.?"

Truth be told, going by price most recent Lego sets are a "bad deal". Even the new LOTR set is a bad deal (After all the PPC/PPW we're still talking about a $500 twenty-three-year-old movie display piece), or almost any Star Wars/Disney set that's overpriced but die hard BTS f.. Star Wars fan will purchase regardless :)

Lego's pricing is horrendous for quite a while, this set would've been $79 if it were to release 3 years ago. Lego also has no control over the BTS tax. It's also a single "idea" set, and not a full lineup. It'll retire in 2 years.

It's not a great set, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it's the worst set ever. Like most of Lego's sets, the problem is more with the price than the set itself.

People, please! All this fighting. Can't we all just agree, fan of BTS or not, that this is a boring, empty set?

@1265 said:
" @MrKoshka said:
" @1265 said:
" @MrKoshka said:
"Makes some popcorn. Settles in to read the salty tears of middle-aged man babies whining about a toy that wasn't created for them. Maybe I'll have some cocoa too. "

I visualize you eating popcorn and drinking cocoa in Mommy's basement (safe space). :)"

I don’t think about you at all."

"Not that there's anything wrong with that!" 21328"

Off (on?) topic, I'd love a second Seinfeld set. The coffeeshop!

Entirely irreverent of the discussion, I've been having a glitch when accessing specifically this article. Namely, when on desktop logged in, the latest articles sidebar extends left as well, covering all content from below the article title to the bottom of the page, where the full list of articles and titles are displayed. Though if I'm not logged in, the list will just be set at the bottom of the page. Have to remove that entire element from being displayed to even see comments or the article, much less post. Weird bug.

@Shadowcloner said: "the latest articles sidebar ... covering all content ... Weird bug."

Weird, and suspicious, I really hope this isn't another "considering closing the comments" moment. I can understand Brickset doesn't want excessively vile or aggressive discussions, but I feel this comment sections has stayed pretty civilised - at least until a troll peed in the well with that "Who listens to this 'music?'" comment.

As others has said, my main gripe with this set is how it fails to recreate the buildings as they appears in the video - especially considering the very basic architecture I'd hoped the Lego designers would really impress us by at least doing it well.

Just look at the record store, despite its plain appearance it has a few prominent details the designers has utterly failed to recreate, like how the walls and the part above the windows has about the same width. The windows should ideally been three 6x5 window panes, but that would make the entire store 28 studs wide and a bit large unless it was the main/only build of the set. Someone mentioned aqua internal walls, and of course, vidyo tiles, vidyo tiles, vidyo tiles. They may drown out the actual covers, but that seems to be due to how they've been turned into stickers - like how the thin lines on sticker 22 and 26 totally disappears at this size.

Similar with the donut shop, that the submission only contained half a building doesn't mean the final product has to do the same. Also disappointed that they failed to recreate the slant of the roof.

From a set design POV I would preferred to ditch the entire "disco" wall (as it takes a lot of parts and the set would look far less bland without it), but if it's prominent in major dance scenes many fans might want it. Again, a little fine tuning to make it resemble the video better would really help, hopefully placing the stage in front and having the band members cover the worst blandness will make it look a bit better.

I *really* wonder if the Lego designers are getting tired of all the complaints about Ideas sets being changed before production, so they took this throwaway project and stayed as close to the (rather mediocre) submission as possible, just to demonstrate how stuff ends up if they don't change anything.

@WizardOfOss said:
" @HsinyBidoof, instead of taking it out on the reviewer and anyone who dares to criticize this set, maybe you could explain why this is such an excellently designed, flawless set that should be far above any criticism?"

I don't think anywhere I've said it is an excellently designed, flawless set that should be far above any criticism but maybe you could correct me. For what it's worth I thought the original submission was poor and the actual set isn't much better. And the subject matter is of no interest to me.

However, it is the whole supercilious tone of the review that I found unnecessary. It would seem to me that Hugh had made up his mind about the set before building it, so was going to do the minimum of research on the subject matter (which does not appear to be the case with, especially, Speed Champions sets - unless the reviewer knows everything about all the different makes of cars) and look for every reason to criticise it, eg. Donuts (sic).

I do agree though it could be argued that it makes a change from the normally very positive reviews that make up the majority on here.

I only normally use this site for my Lego information but it is interesting to read the Brick Fanatics review which is much more balanced.

Anyway, that's more than enough for me. I now need to work out if I can afford the LotR Rivendell set which is excellently designed, flawless and should be far above any criticism.

@WizardOfOss said:
" @Torrent_Studios said:
"I think a lot of AFOLs have spent too much time on the more "grown-up" side of the hobby, for example collecting/displaying/investing, that they've forgot LEGO's true origins as a toy.

Can't blame 'em though, seeing how LEGO's been appealing to older audiences much more in recent years."
I think many AFOLs can still very well appreciate a good City, Friends, Ninjago or other typical toy set when they see one.

So instead of focusing what others think, why not explain why in your opinion this is such a brilliantly designed set?

And now imagine it not being BTS, but just some imaginary boy band....let's just call 'em The Brickles....would it still hold up?"

I never said it was a "brilliantly designed set". Indeed, I even echo the opinions of those who think this set was a wasted opportunity among the Ideas lineup. There were certainly far better submissions in that wave compared to this set's original submission.

But after the approval, I think the designers did a decent job of expanding the original submission and I can enjoy the minifigures.

The problem I see is that a whole lot of people are hating on this set just because they know nothing of the source material. Which isn't LEGO's fault. Echoing @Huw, "...LEGO is not obliged to only make products that appeal to you". If you don't like this one, you can skip it and take a look at the rest of LEGO's product portfolio - there's something for everyone.

Now, onto the hypothetical boy band "The Brickles". Neat idea, the price would certainly be a major point of complaint. I'm not saying I can really justify the price here, but I can understand that BTS licensing would cost a lot, plus there are a bunch of all new minifigures and a couple of new elements like Suga's and Jungkook's hair elements. Plus we all know that LEGO would try to grab as much money as possible.

If this was an original idea from LEGO, the build would certainly be disappointing, but as it stands, it's quite reasonably accurate to the source material. I've listened to the song and watched the music video a few times even before this set was approved, and I can see the appeal to fans.

Not meaning to hate on BTS, because they're good at what they do, but in terms on quality, attractiveness, and price-to-value ratio, this is an easy contender for the worst LEGO set of 2023. BTS certainly would've deserved something better.

Oh? The lazy way to spell “doughnut”? What about the lazy way to spell “spelled”? ^_^

@ResIpsaLoquitur You seem to be confused. Negative comments are meant to be just that, constructive or not. I have a right to my opinion whether you approve of it or not. You also have proven my argument without realizing it. You mention your sixteen year old daughter liking them. While I couldn't care less what your daughter listens to you've proven what most people critical of the set are thinking. You're daughter along with most of their fans are teeny boppers and most of the music they listen to are a flash in the pan and will go away as they age. How many teenagers are going to spend $100 on a Lego set of any kind? Few. We're mostly just baffled at the logic of marketing a set like this to what mostly amounts to non-Lego fans. I also realize Lego doesn't make sets specifically for me and I'm ok with that, I never liked Friends dolls but they seem to sell well so good for Lego but I won't be buying any, same with the foosball set as well as others.

A lot of the defenders accusing the detractors of being 'entitled middle-aged men' are missing the point.

Don't K-pop fans deserve better than this threadbare and overpriced set?

I'm one of those middle-aged men who will buy a Lego set based on any IP, as long as it's a good set. I'm not a fan of Hocus Pocus, for instance, but the original IDEAS design is phenomenal, and if the final product is anything like the design, it will be a MUST-BUY purchase for me. Likewise, although I enjoy Star Wars, I'm not particularly a fan of Lego Star Wars (it doesn't suit the Lego City aesthetic I'm going for). A *good* BTS/K-pop set would have been a perfect fit for my Lego City, particularly in view of the diversity its minifigs offer. Unfortunately, this is not a good BTS set, and once again, I must ask, don't the fans, many of will be young, and won't have a lot of spare cash, deserve better?

The defenders of this set aren't the righteous justice warriors they believe themselves to be. No, they're apologists for corporations fobbing off the type of people who don't ordinarily purchase Lego, with inferior products. You're not the 'good guys' here. Think again, please.

@AliveAndBricking said:
"A lot of the defenders accusing the detractors of being 'entitled middle-aged men' are missing the point.

Don't K-pop fans deserve better than this threadbare and overpriced set?

I'm one of those middle-aged men who will buy a Lego set based on any IP, as long as it's a good set. I'm not a fan of Hocus Pocus, for instance, but the original IDEAS design is phenomenal, and if the final product is anything like the design, it will be a MUST-BUY purchase for me. Likewise, although I enjoy Star Wars, I'm not particularly a fan of Lego Star Wars (it doesn't suit the Lego City aesthetic I'm going for). A *good* BTS/K-pop set would have been a perfect fit for my Lego City, particularly in view of the diversity its minifigs offer. Unfortunately, this is not a good BTS set, and once again, I must ask, don't the fans, many of will be young, and won't have a lot of spare cash, deserve better?

The defenders of this set aren't the righteous justice warriors they believe themselves to be. No, they're apologists for corporations fobbing off the type of people who don't ordinarily purchase Lego, with inferior products. You're not the 'good guys' here. Think again, please."

Nah, it's because of BTS. Yes, it's a mediocre set but somehow it got the title of the Lego anti-christ because of the subject matter. It's not overpriced any more than other Lego set out there, and not taking advantage of fans any more than other merchandise of a band. Like, for how much do you think they sell a $2 quality made BTS T shirt? Or a diary with the BTS logo on the cover ? We also have no idea how much did BTS ask for. Maybe they asked for 40% ? Who knows. If the item is over priced, fans won't get it. If you're a fan that can't control yourself and will pay anything - it's on you. Lego's one and only goal is to make as much money as possible. Everything else they say is PR talk to make more money. It's not that people are not aware of it, that's how corporations work (with BTS being a corporation for that matter).