Lumibricks Manga Shop 17015 Review
Lumibricks Manga Shop 17015 Review
I was actually a little apprehensive going into the Manga Shop. Although I enjoyed the Lumibricks Cyberpunk Police Station HQ, it wasn't really for me. There were elements of the build I found a little frustrating, but more than anything, the overall style just didn't completely connect with me.
The Police Station has a very glossy, hyper-modern design language. It's a much cleaner vision of cyberpunk and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but personally it's not the side of cyberpunk that appeals to me most.
The Manga Shop feels very different. At the heart of this model is something much more traditional. The architecture has the feel of an older Japanese building, and that's what really sets it apart for me. It feels almost as though this building was already there and the city has evolved around it, with technology gradually being added over time.
That's much more my kind of cyberpunk.
There's something richer and more lived-in about it, while it still retains that hyper-modern cyberpunk aesthetic. You have the screens, technology, neon and masses of signage, but underneath it all is a much more traditional architectural identity. Despite everything that's going on, it still has a really nice, clean look.
It immediately made me think of Blade Runner. Not because it's recreating anything specifically from those films, but because it has that same feeling of modern technology existing alongside something older and more established. I could genuinely imagine this sitting somewhere in the background of a Blade Runner movie or the upcoming series.
I liked the look of this before I started building it, but by the time I'd finished, I liked it considerably more.
Packaging & Instructions
I'm reaching the point where talking about Lumibricks packaging and instructions almost feels redundant. As always, the box has a heavy, quality feel. It's beautifully designed, neatly presented and immediately feels like a premium product.
The instruction manual is equally well put together. It's clear, easy to follow and leaves very little room for confusion throughout the build.
My one continuing criticism is the amount of plastic used for the bags. There can be multiple individual plastic bags within a single numbered stage and, once you've finished opening everything, you're left with a surprising amount of single-use plastic. From an environmental perspective, it feels unnecessary.
I'd really like to see Lumibricks reduce the number of individual plastic bags wherever possible or, better still, start moving towards recyclable paper packaging. It's something I've mentioned before and it's probably the only thing I regularly find myself criticising about the packaging.
Otherwise, I'm not sure there's much more I need to say. The packaging is excellent and so are the instructions. I'd just really like to see the environmental side of the packaging catch up with everything else Lumibricks are doing so well.
The Build Experience
There are 1,699 pieces here, and I really enjoyed putting them together. It's just a really nice build, with tons of lovely little moments throughout. I particularly enjoyed watching the overall shape and character of the building develop.
You start with that more traditional architectural foundation and then gradually add all the technology, detail and signage around it. The signage was probably one of my favourite aspects to build. There's a lot of it, and watching those different elements appear across the exterior is a huge part of giving the building its character.
There's plenty happening internally as well. The ground floor contains the manga shop itself, while upstairs you have the living space. The interior sections can also be removed or pulled out, giving you much better access once everything is finished.
There are no stickers either, which is always a big positive for me, particularly on a model like this where the graphics and signage are such an important part of the overall look. The manga covers and decorative elements are printed, and there's a lot of them.
I also found the Manga Shop a more satisfying build than the Police Station HQ. There were moments with the Police Station where it felt a little light on actual walls and structure, with some fairly large open spaces and voids hidden behind transparent screens. I found that a little frustrating at times, but I didn't really get that here.
The Manga Shop feels more substantial and cohesive as you're putting it together. Most importantly, I simply enjoyed building it. It's one of those models that becomes more interesting with almost every stage.
Design
I love the design of this model. For me, moving away from a completely hyper-high-tech interpretation of cyberpunk and integrating that aesthetic into something much more traditional is absolutely the right direction. It's probably my favourite aspect of the entire set.
The traditional Japanese architecture hasn't simply been used as a backdrop for a load of futuristic elements. The two styles have been properly integrated. There's still absolutely no mistaking this for anything other than cyberpunk, but underneath the neon, technology, transparent elements and illuminated signage there's something recognisable and grounded.
It hits a real sweet spot for me.
The interiors are probably one area where I think a little more work could have been done. There's plenty going on inside the manga shop and living space, and having proper access to them gives the model some genuine playability. The individually printed manga covers are particularly nice and bring plenty of colour and character to the shop, but overall I don't think the interior quite reaches the same level of detail or imagination as the exterior.
That said, I can forgive it. This is a display model for me and, realistically, how often am I actually going to open it up and look inside? The exterior is what I'll see every day, and that's where Lumibricks have absolutely nailed it. If there was a choice between putting more into the interior or getting the exterior as good as this, I'd take the exterior every time.
The roof is really nicely designed and plays a huge part in maintaining that traditional architectural feel. Sitting above it is one of my favourite details on the entire model: the illuminated raccoon.
Lumibricks calls this the Doki-Doki Signal, and there's actually some wonderfully strange fictional world-building behind it. It's supposedly equipped with a “Raccoon-Brain Interface” that transmits signals across the city, drawing people towards the shop to read manga. I love that, but even if you completely ignore the story behind it, purely as a piece of design it works brilliantly.
It's illuminated and integrated into the signage rather than simply sitting on top of the building as a separate novelty. The same is true across the exterior. It doesn't feel like somebody designed a traditional Japanese building and then started dumping cyberpunk elements onto it afterwards.
Nothing feels there simply for the sake of making it look more cyberpunk. Everything feels like it belongs.
For me, there's absolutely no question where the real strength of this model lies. It's the exterior.
Lighting
It probably goes without saying that the lighting is one of the absolute standouts here. It's truly beautiful.
I've come to expect good lighting from Lumibricks, so that in itself isn't particularly surprising anymore. What makes it so effective on the Manga Shop is how deliberate it feels. There's plenty of lighting here, but it's also surprisingly restrained. It enhances the model rather than overwhelming it.
The illuminated signage deserves a special mention. It contrasts massively against the traditional architecture, but because of the way it's been designed and integrated, it feels like an essential part of the building rather than something added simply to make it look futuristic.
I also love what Lumibricks are doing with light and transparent elements. Using lighting together with clear panels and etched designs creates an almost illuminated display-sign aesthetic. When those etched elements catch the light, the effect is beautiful.
This is where I think Lumibricks are particularly good. They're not simply putting LEDs inside a building; they're designing parts of the model around what light can actually do. Here, the combination of light, transparency and etched detail becomes part of the design itself.
There's a lot going on, but it never feels excessive. As a modular sitting within a cyberpunk city, I think the Manga Shop would immediately stand out amongst its peers.
The model looks great unlit, but lit up it's something else.
Brick Quality
Brick quality is absolutely fine. In fact, I'm reaching the point where commenting on Lumibricks' brick quality in every review feels a little redundant.
It hasn't been an issue with this set, and I can't remember it being an issue across the last five or so Lumibricks sets I've built either. The clutch is good, everything fits together as it should and I encountered nothing during the Manga Shop that gave me any cause for concern.
That's really all there is to say. Unless something changes in future, I think Lumibricks' brick quality has reached the point where I can simply treat it as a given, and that's a compliment.
Minifigures
The Manga Shop comes with three minifigures. If you've read any of my previous Lumibricks reviews, you'll already know my thoughts here.
This style of minifigure has never really been my personal preference, and that's no different with the Manga Shop, but that's very much a personal thing. I know these figures have plenty of fans, and I understand why. There's a lot of character and detail in them, and stylistically they fit perfectly well within the world Lumibricks are creating.
So while they're still not necessarily for me, I don't think that's really a criticism of the figures themselves. If you're already a fan of Lumibricks' minifigure style, I can't see anything here that's going to change your mind. And if you're like me and prefer a more traditional minifigure style, you probably already know where you stand.
Value
For me, one of Lumibricks' biggest strengths is the balance they consistently achieve between cost, quality and value. They're not simply trying to be the cheapest option available.
What they do particularly well is offer sets that still feel premium in their design, presentation, brick quality, printed elements and integrated lighting, while keeping the price at a level that feels genuinely accessible.
That's an important distinction. Cheap doesn't automatically mean good value, and expensive doesn't automatically mean premium. Value is about what you're getting, how good it is and how much you're being asked to pay for it.
A little over £100 ($150), the Manga Shop is an exceptional example of that.
You're getting 1,699 pieces, detailed interiors, masses of printed elements rather than stickers and a fully integrated lighting system, all wrapped up in a model that feels genuinely premium. For £100, I think that's outstanding value.
More importantly, the price doesn't push the set into that increasingly uncomfortable territory where cost alone becomes a barrier to entry. That's becoming more important in a hobby where prices can get ridiculous very quickly.
I know all the arguments and explanations for why some building sets cost what they do, but I'm always thankful for companies like Lumibricks proving that really nice sets don't have to cost a fortune.
There's a bigger point to that than simply getting a bargain. Keeping prices accessible means more people can actually participate in the hobby. Someone who might look at the price of a large display model elsewhere and decide brick building simply isn't financially realistic for them can look at something like the Manga Shop and potentially have another route in.
I think that's important, and it's why I think Lumibricks get this balance so right.
Cost. Quality. Value.
None of those things feels sacrificed to make the others work.
Final Thoughts
I loved this set.
For me, this is the best version of cyberpunk I've seen from Lumibricks so far. It takes everything I associate with the genre but doesn't feel the need to throw all of it at you at once.
The lighting is deliberate and restrained. There's plenty of it, but it's been used to highlight the architecture and design rather than overwhelm it. As a modular in a cyberpunk setting, this definitely stands out amongst its peers.
There are certain parts of the model I just love looking at. The design of the main sign, the illuminated raccoon and the lit transparent panels are fantastic. They're distinctive individually, but together they give the building a really strong identity.
The interior could have been better. I don't think there's any getting away from that, particularly when you compare it with just how much thought has gone into the exterior. But it also matters considerably less to me than it might on another model. Once this is sitting on display, I'm going to be looking at the building, the roof, the signage, the raccoon and that lighting far more often than I'm going to be pulling it apart to see what's inside.
More than anything, it's the combination of old and new that makes this work for me. That traditional architecture underneath all of the technology gives the model something I felt was missing from the Police Station HQ. It feels like a building with some history to it rather than something created purely to look futuristic.
That's the version of cyberpunk I love, and I went into the Manga Shop slightly apprehensive because I wasn't sure how much the Cyberpunk Neoncity range was really going to appeal to me. I've come away feeling completely differently.
If this is the direction Lumibricks are taking the range, I absolutely want to see more of it.
Scores
Design: 9.5/10
Packaging: 10/10
Instructions: 10/10
Build Experience: 8/10
Brick Quality: 9/10
Lighting: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Overall Average: 9.4/10
Review Disclaimer: This set was provided to me free of charge by Lumibricks for the purpose of this review. They provided no instructions, requirements or editorial input regarding the content of this review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. Thank you to Lumibricks for providing the review opportunity.
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