More from the faceless series, but now with sword(s).
December 21: Nutcracker
Jenn believes that this is a nutcracker. She’s probably right, although I imagine this guy is useless at cracking nuts.
Rating
Fun ★★☆☆☆
If you’re going to give me a nutcracker, I feel like he should be able to chow down on a pecan. Or at least have nut-cracking action. Or some indication of a mouth. I was trying to think through what happens in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker other than the rampant prancing, and I believe that one of the more significant parts is “The March of the Toy Soldiers,” so maybe this is a less-mouth-dependent toy soldier and not necessarily a nutcracker, but either way, it’s not blowing out the fun scale. Also, I’m naming my new hardcore band Rampant Prancing.
Ease of Build ★★★★☆
This wasn’t hard to put together. It only has 7 parts (8 if you include the cutlass) and isn’t much more difficult to build than a Lego person. You don’t even need to worry about the face orientation, since there is no face, much like the Snowman from a couple days ago. Also, I’m naming my new new hardcore band Face Orientation.
Comprehensibility ★★★☆☆
I’ve already mentioned that I’m unsure about whether this is a nutcracker or a toy soldier, so I guess it doesn’t have high ultimate comprehensibility, but it’s generally comprehensible as something in that genre. There are only so many reasons to put on a shako. When I built the last faceless humanoid, the Snowman, I joked that he might be a defense robot masquerading as a snowman, but now I’m wondering if I didn’t accidentally stumble onto something, since this faceless creature comes with a melee weapon. Also, I’m naming my new new new hardcore band Faceless Humanoid.
Extra Parts ★★☆☆☆
The only spare part here is another cutlass. I considered that maybe the nutcracker was supposed to be dual-wielding, but I built it as the instructions indicated (including putting the sword in his left hand). A sword is kind of a cool part, I guess, although it seems odd for this kit. For example, I tried to give the spare sword to both the baby and the bunny, but neither could hold it at all. If I would have known that this Advent calendar was going to have a cutlass in it, I would have wished for a 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible, but here we are. Also, I’m naming my new new new new hardcore band Zombei, which is not mentioned in this section, but was the name of a different Olds Cutlass that I once knew.
Overall ★★★☆☆
It’s fine. Only three more prizes to go. Also, I’m naming my new new new new new hardcore band It’s Fine, and we’re going to sell out so hard, we’ll make your local production of The Nutcracker look like legitimate theater.
