Everyone is awesome (40516) Review

On May 20th, 2021 The LEGO® Group revealed Everything is Awesome (40516), a set themed around the LGBTQIA+ pride flag. Recently released on June 1st, 2021, this unique set coincides with the start of Pride Month in many countries around the world. Set designer and LEGO® VP of Design Matthew Ashton’s goal was to create a model that is a celebration of inclusivity and fan diversity around the world. Bold in colour and simple in it’s design, the set is a really lovely statement and one that should appeal to multiple groups. Let’s dive into some details and see how it stacks up overall.

EVERYONE IS AWESOME (40516) SUMMARY

• NAME: Everyone is Awesome
• SET #: 40516
• THEME: 18+ (Seasonal)
• COST: $45.99 CAD
• BRICK COUNT: 348
• MINIFIGURES: 11
• OF INTEREST: Most monochrome figs in one set.
• RELEASE DATE: June 1st, 2021

EVERYONE IS AWESOME (40516) QUICK REVIEW

• VALUE: 64% (very quick build but great $/piece count)
• BUILD: 75% (simple build, makes a nice display piece with a lovely message)
• MINIFIGURES: 88% (great monofigs with fun hair pieces in new colours)
• ENTERTAINMENT: 90% (colourful and fun, should appeal to most builders)
• OVERALL SCORE: 80%

EVERYONE IS AWESOME (40516) REVIEW

VALUE: 64%

Everyone is Awesome is priced at $45.99 in Canada and is the first set of its type by The LEGO® Group. As such, it’s a little tricky to really pin down which theme and what sets it is comparable to. For this review I chose to group it into the 18+ line, as well as a ‘seasonal’ category. At the approximate price of $46, this translates to a cost-per-piece of $0.129 – a solid 83% value. Where the value dips significantly is in the build time. At only 31 minutes, this is a very fast build. You’d be pretty hard-pressed to drag out the process, no matter how much you want to savour it! 😂 The cost-per-minute comes in at a fairly poor 51%. And even though an average value of 64% is passable, we’ll see some better results in the next criteria.

BUILD: 75%

Everyone is Awesome features the new, 18+ box design with a mostly black background and ‘greebling’ border. I personally am a huge fan, but I know it’s an issue for some (but I mean….why tho?) The box contains 6 unnumbered bags and 4 plates: 16×16 (x1), 2×16 (x2) and 6×16 (x1). The instruction booklet clocks in at a super lean 36 pages with a short introduction by designer Matthew Ashton. The pieces are a fairly routine mix of bricks and tiles with no unique or specialized parts. Not every build needs to be an epic experience however. Everyone is Awesome scores higher because it’s a colourful, simple set where the message gets to really be the highlight. There’s something really satisfying about working in nice, solid colours for a change. Let’s face facts though – the big draw is the minifigures.

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MINIFIGURES: 88%

The inclusion of 11 minifigures in any set is cause for a party. I myself am all about the minifigs and rarely buy small sets unless they need to go in the collection (I’m looking at you MCU sets!). Everyone is Awesome comes packed to the rainbow gills with 11 monochromatic minifigs. Monofigs are popular among many LEGO® collectors, so this is basically a buffet if you’re on the hunt for any. The hair pieces are super fun, with lots of variety and some in all-new colours. A purple beehive? Blue pompadour? All the yes. The brick-to-figure value is easily 100% and only loses points for lack of printing or minifig accessories. But that doesn’t take away from how much personality each fig still has, which is really endearing.

BONUS FUN FACT: the first step in the instructions is to build the minifigures, but I saved them until last. I do that with all my sets. Sometimes I will build them at the end of a stage or numbered bag, but overall I save them for the end. This is especially true with licensed sets and popular characters. Putting Iron Man together at the end seems like the right call. And the same goes for my 11 new friends 😊

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ENTERTAINMENT: 90%

Like all sets, your mileage will vary on how much entertainment value you get. Everyone is Awesome is fairly simple but I think there’s plenty to appreciate. As someone who identifies as LGBTQ+, I am really drawn to this set. The design and inclusive/supportive message really hits home. While that certainly plays a big factor in my enjoyment of it, I think there’s some great play value as well. Imagine all these colourful peeps running around a LEGO® city? Swapping hair? Clashing their outfits? Confronting Thanos? Endless possibilities. Colourful minifigures will always be a great draw for adults and kids – imagination and story-telling has no age limit.

OVERALL SCORE: 80%

Everyone is Awesome is a lovely surprise of a set from the LEGO® Group. Is it for everyone? No. But it’s a lovely and simple support of the LGBTQIA+ community, and just a fun little build. Representation matters and it’s nice to see companies show some love to different groups. The LEGO® community is as diverse as the bricks themselves and I’m sure everyone can find a little bit of joy in this set. With a decent price point you can snag several coloured bricks and tiles. Or you can add 11 super cute minifigures to your collection. I know I will proudly have this on display – it just makes me smile. 🙂

What are your thoughts on this set? Does it make your collection? Will that purple beehive look fabulous on Doctor Strange or Princess Leia? Comment below and as always, keep on brickin’.

-Frank

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