Not long ago, we reviewed the massive DC masterpiece, "76271 Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City Skyline," and today, the Toy People editorial team is back to explore the mystical charm of the LEGO ART creation, "31212 The Milky Way Galaxy"!
The vast Milky Way galaxy contains 100 to 400 billion stars, with a supermassive black hole at its center—approximately 4 million times the mass of our Sun—named Sagittarius A*. Our Solar System is located about 27,000 light-years from the galactic center, Sagittarius A*, near the inner edge of the Orion Arm. This LEGO set scales down this incredibly immense galaxy (to the point where a single gem piece can represent an entire star cluster!) to present its likeness within a 65 cm frame!
The English name "Milky Way" originates from Greek mythology. The story goes that when Heracles was just born, the noble goddess Hera agreed to nurse him. However, the infant Heracles suckled with such force that it pained Hera, causing her to push him away. Her milk sprayed across the boundless night sky, forming what we now know as the Milky Way. This is also why in many languages and legends, the galaxy is referred to as the "Path of Milk."
Now that we've brushed up on some cool galaxy trivia, let's get down to business! The front of the box features a beautiful black-to-purple gradient background, with the finished model of the Milky Way printed in the center. The bottom right corner displays the set's information, including the standard LEGO ART "SOUNDTRACK" logo—indicating accompanying audio content for you to enjoy while building—and an eye-catching icon showing it can be built by 1 to 5 people!
▼ Flipping it over, the back showcases lifestyle shots, close-ups of details, and the finished model's specifications. It measures approximately 40 cm wide and 65 cm long, making it a truly impressive piece despite its flat, artwork format.
▼ The top of the box shows the Milky Way from a more level perspective.
▼ Let's open it up and see all the contents! There are a total of 3091 pieces, including 31 numbered bags of parts, 3 unnumbered bags for the black frame, and 15 black baseplates.
▼ There are six instruction booklets in total, evenly dividing the build from the frame to the various sections of the galaxy, allowing you to team up with friends and family.
▼ In addition to an introduction to the Milky Way set, the beginning of each booklet also features scientific facts related to the section you are about to build.
▼ Now, let's get building!
▼ This rendition of the Milky Way uses a large number of transparent blue and purple flat tiles to create the base for the deep cosmos, complemented by parts in pink, purple, blue, white, and orange.
▼ Because the design team scaled down the galaxy, star clusters, and nebulae at an unimaginable ratio, many sections use a single part to represent something astronomically large. After all, the Orion Arm, where our Solar System resides, is 10,000 light-years long—a distance my brain can't even comprehend... This, for me, is the most fascinating part of the build. You'll see everyday objects like forks, diamonds, combs, mugs, ice cream cones, and bicycle helmets shine in the galaxy in ways you've never imagined.
▼ In the vast expanse of the galaxy, all these familiar objects take on a completely new identity. It's incredibly fun and quintessentially LEGO!
▼ Structurally, the assembly process for 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy is very methodical. After completing the black outer frame, you build the patterns on each baseplate one by one. These are then attached to the frame in units of three, allowing you to gradually fill in the entire galaxy. Overall, I found the experience to be incredibly therapeutic and relaxing.
▼ Let's take a look at the finished model!
▼ From the back, you can see that the LEGO Milky Way uses an abundance of Technic pins to secure each unit. Combined with the cross axles that lock into the black frame, you can be absolutely confident in its stability!
▼ Let's admire the LEGO Milky Way from various angles. Whether you're examining the intricate textures and layers created by the diverse parts up close, or stepping back to take in the overall silhouette, it's simply stunning.
▼ Next, let's find ourselves! The design team thoughtfully marked the location of the "Solar System" and even included a printed tile that says, "You are here."
▼ LEGO uses a white, crown-like piece to represent our planetary system, the Solar System. In this image, you can also see the red dwarf TRAPPIST-1, represented by a trans-pink ice cream cone piece. The Pleiades, also known to many toy fans as the Seven Sisters, is depicted with a dark blue gem piece.
▼ The orange piece, which is actually used for a hermit crab in other LEGO sets, represents The Crab Nebula here. It's super cute.
▼ The Pillars of Creation, with their four iconic elephant-trunk-like structures, are represented by trans-pink flame pieces.
▼ Launched by the European Space Agency in December 2013, the "Gaia space telescope" aims to create a three-dimensional map of about one billion stars, or 1% of the stars in our galaxy. The one-billion-pixel Gaia has already traveled billions of miles through the Milky Way, and now you can build the Gaia mission yourself!
▼ Turn it around, and you'll even find a cute alien lifeform, designed in the same style as the aliens from the recent LEGO Space-themed sets.
LEGO 31212 "The Milky Way Galaxy" Review Summary:
After completing this Milky Way set, I'm once again amazed by the fun and potential of LEGO bricks. The ART series can not only depict concrete characters and symbols like Batman, the LEGO Classic Space astronaut, or the Harry Potter Hogwarts Crests, but it can also render something as abstract as the vast cosmos with such exquisite detail! The inclusion of details like our Solar System, the Seven Sisters, and the Gaia space telescope, combined with the clever use of various LEGO parts to represent star clusters and nebulae as I mentioned earlier, is just incredibly captivating! This is truly a LEGO masterpiece that's perfect for hanging on your wall.
LEGO 31212 "The Milky Way Galaxy"
Recommended Retail Price: NT$6,399, Total Pieces: 3091, Currently available at LEGO Certified Stores in Taiwan
