81000-1
Koi is LEGO set 81000-1. It has a score of 62. This is bad compared to all other sets. The set is recommended by 1 reviews, based on 2 scored reviews and 6 reviews total. It is ranked in the bottom 4.25% scored sets on Brick Insights. We know this set was released in 2019, and it is categorised in FORMA.
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This koi fish is an absolutely beautiful piece of art. Looks amazing on display especially when lit from underneath. Only wish Lego released the other 3 skins. It's a quick build, but the skin is a brilliant piece of work by Lego.
I do like the set, I mainly build in Technic and this model is 90+% Technic, and importantly it looks good as a display piece on a shelf. The main downside I've found is the model as a whole is very light and so when you place it on a smooth surface (like a conservatory coffee table) you have to hold the base still to crank the handle.
The results is quite lovely. The parts where the skin wraps around the eyes of the fish do so with remarkable accuracy, and it's quite delightful to see the koi come alive in such a satisfying way.
It's a fun set to build, which is much more fun to play with once built. It may just be a simple turn and move system, but you'll find yourself picking up the set every few minutes to give it a turn and watch the fish swim. It's difficult to know if this could be a concept to get non-LEGO building adults building. Most will be familiar with the standard LEGO build system, building with Technic is certainly very different. Especially when combined with the outer skin. I definitely think that if marketed in the right way, this sort of concept could certainly appear to those wanting something to help them relax. More so when combined with one of the additional skins that can be coloured in, to create a truly unique fish. It is genuinely great to see the LEGO Group embrace a truly adult focused set.
I think this is a fantastic set, which I hope will be the first of many. Will it appeal to the young trendy creative types LEGO is targeting? Maybe. It will depend on whether they were expecting a 'traditional' LEGO experience. To the uninitiated there's nothing obviously LEGO about this but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. It's certainly a great introduction to Technic and simple mechanisms and it will make a great conversation piece on their desks.
This set achieves what it sets out to – the skin covers the skeleton to produce a nice fish model that moves in a very organic way. But it is fun as a novelty, an oddity in the LEGO range – LEGO building would not be much fun if each set involved building the model, then covering it up. With so many beautiful, detailed models available to entice adult LEGO fans into the world of the brick, LEGO FORMA 81000 Koi Model feels like an interesting LEGO set, but in no way an essential one.