Farewell Ninjago City

I have spent a lot of time debating this decision. Months, in fact. However, the time has come to say farewell to Ninjago City. I acquired this set when it first came out back in 2017. It was the most expensive LEGO® set I had ever purchased after leaving my dark ages. Looking back at the review now, I was so excited to finally get my hands on it. Ninjago City has been a corner piece (literally) in my LEGO® city ever since. I still love the set, and it remains one of my all time favorites. But, all good things come to an end. As I disassembled, I reflected a lot on the set and the passing years since its release. I decided to give the set one last hurrah in this retrospective look at 70620.

Firstly, why am I taking apart Ninjago City? To answer that, we need to jump back a few months. Earlier this year, I received a number of Jurassic World Dominion sets to review from the LEGO® Group. I love LEGO® dinosaurs. It just so happens that I was re-reading Jurassic Park at the time, getting psyched for the Dominion film. That got me thinking about how cool it would be to build my own LEGO® Jurassic Park. There are so many glorious details about Isla Nublar in the book that the movie left out. There are equally iconic scenes from the movie that have yet to become LEGO® sets. But, I have no room for a LEGO® Jurassic Park.

Oddly enough, Jurassic Park inspired this turn of events… like many others in my life.

Next, the LEGO® Group sent me Lion Knights Castle to review in the early summer. That got me thinking how much fun it would be to build my own medieval town. Alas, the same problem arose: no space in my LEGO® room. However, that got the gears turning and I took an earnest look at my LEGO® mess. My playroom is in desperate need of organization. My LEGO® city is a complete mess. I designed it for a different space, and I forced it into my new basement when we moved three years ago. I also thought about how my city looks like many other cities on the internet. Rows of modulars line my streets with a occasional MOC. I just wasn’t digging it anymore and I feel like I lost my LEGO® way somewhere amongst the hundreds of reviews I’ve written over the last five years.

So, I decided it’s time for the city to go. I am taking apart everything. With a clean slate, I will reorganize my collection and bricks. Finally, I will start anew with a fresh new series of builds. But, the first actual step was really hard. Like many of you, I am very attached to some of my sets. After deciding to take apart my city, it took me another month to actually take one of the buildings down. After much delay, I told myself to go big or go home. I started with one of my prized pieces… Ninjago City.

Go big or go home! Farewell, Ninjago City.

The set is now in pieces, waiting to be sorted. It truly was farewell, Ninjago City. As I tore the set down level by level, I reflected on many of the amazing, forgotten build techniques in that kit. The chain-link moving sushi table, the sliding doors, the elevator, the working ATM, the crab cooker, and the crowbar awnings to name just a few. Taking the set apart was actually great in the regard. It reminded me of so many different ways to build. Techniques that will now help me as I move forward. So, in thanks to the years of eye candy and the great learning provided by Ninjago City, I decided to give it one more farewell here on the blog. All of the images you see are from the original review I wrote in 2017. I remember being quite proud of the photos back then.

It will still be a while before the first MOCs start popping up here. I have A LOT of disassembly, sorting, and reorganizing ahead of me. I suppose I have to focus on my day job and True North Bricks as well 😉 . However, letting go of Ninjago City has been a cathartic experience. Oddly, I feel refreshed and invigorated in my LEGO® hobby at the thought of a new direction. So, thank you again and farewell, Ninjago City. Plus, the wonderful thing about LEGO® sets is that you can build them again if you miss them too much. Does the future hold a medieval town, or perhaps Jurassic Park? Who knows. Blank slate, here I come!

Until next time,

-Tom

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