Amazing set -- I've gone "full Funwhole" in past six months (huge reduction in Lego purchases for first time in 15+ years). I'm tired of Lego prices, FOMO, predatory marketing that pretends to "reward" customers that Lego actually profits from (all Lego purchases fund Insiders points and GWP -- yet most consumers don't use points and GWP are limited -- Shackleton's Lifeboat ran out in 3 hours) and the "cult" vibe of my previous "Lego purist" stance -- the dam has broken and I'm open to legitimate alternative brick companies (Pantasy/FunWhole). FunWhole has fresh original designs -- fantastic themes like Steampunk, Cyberpunk, etc and traditional sets (cabins/modulars) will all prints/no stickers and light kits for sbiut 30%-35% less! I have the full Street Fusion line including Record Store -- and looking forward to Graffiti Bus Stop and Boxing Club in this theme.
I feel this post very, very much! Preach it! Yeah, I've become a FO Fan [AFOFO?]. Just some minor improvements here and there, and they will be hard to beat. But I do wish their name change would come soon!
@@thebrickhiker Thanks -- I think what I stated is actually a growing sentiment (a growing awareness) among brick hobbyists. AFOFO? Lol. FunWhole should gift you a set for that one...but unfortunately (but actually fortunately) they're supposedly changing their brand name. I know they sent me a survey about the name change and suggestions from consumers (I suggested Day&Night or Bricks&Lights).
For years I’ve turned my nose up at companies that weren’t Lego. But ever since you showed FunWhole on your channel I’ve come around to see that Lego isn’t the only company worth buying from. I’ve been telling my nieces and nephews about this brand because they love Lego but the sets are getting so expensive. I’m so glad you reviewed this set because I’ve been really wanting to pick this one up! Also, the more I see the minifigures from FO the more I like them. I think they look just as good as Lego’s design. Thanks Jang!
This set has become my new favourite from this company. I think it so perfectly captures the 80s and 90s New York hip hop style, I absolutely love the fire escape. To then take that further with innovative techniques to allow you appreciate the high level of detail they include in their interiors really feels like this company are going from strength to strength.
This is great stuff. Lego used to stand head and shoulders above the competition but this shows how level that field is now. Competition always benefits the consumer, and FO seems like a great brand to look at when you have that sour feeling in your stomach after seeing Lego's prices.
This is an absolutely phenomenal set! There's so much good stuff here. The slide out rooms are sheer genius and satisfaction. The fact that the rooms are so accessible is worth it alone. The lighting is always a plus especially since they pull it off so well. All prints and no stickers (Yes Lego, you too can do this especially for what you charge) is fantastic. A virtually perfect set with an excellent price!
Yeah these guys have really gone above and beyond to prove themselves in a very “particular “ market. I have always been a Lego purist until now, I have kids now and the prices Lego charges are just insane, especially for the 4+ categories. I just can’t justify the prices, I know Lego has always been expensive but when I see companies like this it just proves to me that Lego doesn’t actually NEED to be that expensive. This company has done some phenomenal sets and the integrated lights are amazing. I also love the complete lack of stickers, I could understand Lego not printing if legos printing was actually good quality, but these days it’s been brutal, especially on minifigs. Thanks for this review Jang, I sure hope Lego is paying attention.
Bought my first FO in December (F9023 Newsstand). I was immediately impressed with their product and with some of their simple yet creative building techniques. Now, I have two more sets (F9055 Christmas Newsstand and F9046 Chili Dog Trailer). I wanted to sample some of their inexpensive items before buying something expensive, like this Record Store set. Thanks, Jang, for reviewing their products.
Awesome, I really like the ingeniuity of that build. Extremely well designed. That's the level of "complication" I expect from Lego, but haven't seen it for a long while. I am very very impressed.
Thanks for showing this set, Jang. This looks great. The slide out floors are a nice feature and really helps to showcase this set. The lights look nice too. The figures are ok
I love that this little company is making sets that outclass corporate behemoth Lego in design and features and then puts them on sale for around 1/3 the price of a Lego set. Great time to be building with bricks!
I've always shied away from modulars because I don't have a Lego city and the playset aspect doesn't work like playsets should, but man, this is how a playset modular should be. That access should be the standard for every company and the lights are such a nice bonus.
I've seen the brand but was worried about quality compared with the leading brand , but it looks amazing and prints not stickers,I'm 51 now and stickers become a real pain , thanks for the review jang ,always honest , think I'm gonna buy one , thanks again
I picked this and the Skate Shop up over the holidays and I love them. Their whole fusion line is looking brilliant and feels really thematically coherent. Excellent review as ever :)
Wow, with all the features the lights, opening side wall, sliding out of individual floors to see internal & the number of prints... just insane! This made LEGO designer ideas obsolete and desperately need improvements. FO over here, the goods supercede its weakness. Pretty sure FO will continue to improve. Great review Jang!
I've been eyeing this set for a while. I think you've convinced me to grab a copy. I've bought a couple of FO sets so far, and been impressed. Definitely giving "the leading brand" a run for their money.
Great review Jang. I absolutely loved building this set. It really is next level stuff. - I’ve not even bought the Lego Tudor corner modular. First time ever!
Started with the News Stand as a brand "test set" - instantly hooked. I've completely given up on Lego and switched sides. Selling the few Lego modulars I have to fund my growing FO City 😂
It's funny; you're so right about the figures. We are ingrained to think of these are "wrong" because they don't look like lego minifigures. I'm definitely guilty of that too; there's absolutely nothing wrong with them but I can't help but think they are "deformed"... as though minifigs from lego somehow are anatomically correct LOL. Great review, Jang.
Jang had a mic drop at 8:20 lol. Impressive. It would look nice next to the Skate Park. Seems like another good set for the money. These are modulars I let myself jump into. Lego modulars are nice, but too expensive for me to collect them. And Funwhole always has sales.
Oh yes, now I am really into this, so long "leading brand" I'm going all in with... really... thats their name? Ok... FunWhole. This is phenomenal. I'm serious, probably the best modular ever, the way things come out of it, thanks for introducing this brand to me Jang. My only issue is actually prints, I would love to be able to leave the graphitti and hip hop stuff off the walls, which I could if they were stickers. This really has changed how I see Lego modulars for ever.
Ich liebe die Marke Funwhole mittlerweile und habe alle Western Sets und die meisten Modularen Gebäude gebaut. Ich bin sehr glücklich, dass es diese Firma gibt. Es ist eine sehr gute Ergänzung zu Lego und definitiv mittlerweile von gleicher Qualität. Die Verpackungen sind sogar viel wertiger. Danke fürs Zeigen. Du hast einen tollen Kanal. Grüße aus Deutschland Frank
Thanks for this great video, Jang! I received the Record Store and the Skate Shop yesterday and I can't wait to build them. Both look amazing and I can't wait to get the Twilight motel from FunWhole. What a great brand.
It looks like it was inspired by "Empire Records" and then redecorated to look HipHop. I am impressed with the "Look" of this set, but how "Tight" is it. I hate when moving sets with some off brand materials and they slip apart so easy, and I refuse to glue bricks.
That's a really nice set. I wish I collected city sets just to have a reason to buy it. I bought quite a few FO sets in the last 2 months and they are much nicer than Lego. In fact I ordered the cyberpunk apartment set just this morning. Can't wait to build it.
Competition is typically good for the consumer. It's about time. I've been into Lego for 50 years and never really had a real alternative. I've purchased 2 Pantasy sets I'm happy with and looking at Funwhole soon. Just gotta decide what I want first.
I'm currently building the Cyberpunk apartment from FunWhole and I must say it's generally really good so far, but there are a few small things they could improve. For example I'm not a fan of the UV printing, although the moment your not closeup to them they look fine, but I'd be fine with a a bit fewer prints and rather have it all be PAD, or atleast everything that's visible from the outside. Than there's the micro scratches especially in bigger clear pieces. And lastly the quality of the bricks could still be a tiny bit better. (Additionally the colors of the printed instructions are sometimes not very clear because they have so many colors, I'l have to check the digital one if it's better or not.) But with that price and included colors and stickers and set design itself it's still fantastic.
I'm sold! The level of accessibility to the interiors is a game-changer! Wow! Just wow! 😮 Would you know what the new brand name will be? And will you be reviewing other alternative bricks? The Area-X Spongebob sets are a hoot, although not as good, design-wise, as FW. 😊
These all look great, and it's nice to have options that fit into my regular pay-period! XD Still not 100% on the figs but they really work well here! I'd love to see them go the 2010s Mega route and have a bit more articulation. That would really edge over Lego minifigs for me because while I love their relative simplicity, I will *never* deny more posability options!
If nothing else, this shows what happens when Lego rivals move beyond cloning and do their own thing. Some aspects of this set aren’t ideal, but there are so many interesting ideas about how modulars could work. The accessibility side of things is really interesting, with those slide-out floors. Lego right now appears to think the best way for people to access things is to remove pieces and make walls shorter. This lot: well, how about you just slide the entire floor out and mess around with it? Really smart. The only question I’d have is where to grab these from when outside of the US. (In the UK, the Amazon price is… hefty. It’s then almost absurdly cheap on Barweer, which has… variable reviews, let’s say!)
This is a wonderful piece. Being able to pull out the individual dioramas is exciting. I know the new Hogwarts design does something like this, but it's more storage than integration(?). I'm hoping to build a comic shop MOC sometime this year, and being able to pull out the main display - to actually see the comics (/Vidiyo BeatBits) would be fantastic. I want to keep it 16x16, though, so...ghaa. As to the actual build, yeah. I''d be more than happy with the level of intricacy here. As a Briton and a Spider-Man guy, this sort of building is what I think of when I think of America (I mean, I like those big hills you fellas have, but...). Fantastic review (although yes, those Funnyfigure heads are still unsettling).
Looks like they knocked this one out of the park! I wonder if, before they fix those too-much-clutch pieces, sanding the studs on them might help to loosen the clutch power? Obviously they need to fix the issue to begin with, but I wonder if there's a DIY solution that could be had for existing sets. FO is getting more of my business. The interesting themes and the quality of their bricks, and the lighting and the neat ways to access the inside [I actually like the pull out stage in the the theatre set]. I think 2025 is going to be a Whole lot of Fun! :) Thank you for introducing us to this brand and for your great reviews!
Ive been on the fence with this set. I have several other FO sets and in general theyre all awesome. I haven’t pulled the trigger on purchasing this on yet because they’ve been coming out with too many sets for the holidays and the funds were drying up. After watching your review though, i think Im going to go ahead and pick this one up. Thanks for your reviews.
Love all these videos. Your reviews of non-leading brand stuff makes me feel so good about my purchases of these things. Side note, I don’t really understand the emphasis on the company name. It’s not that bad. I get the innuendo but it surely wasn’t intentional and I feel like people would just accept it and move on. And are they really changing it? I have seems conflicting thoughts about that
They have gotten a LOT of negative feedback about the name and I have to delete too many inappropriate comments about it every time I show one of their products. The name change is solidly confirmed by the company (they've been publicly gathering input about it for months and told me personally it is happening this year), it is a must, and it can't come soon enough.
Funwhole has some amazing sets, especially the newer ones. They really are giving the big L a run for the money. My biggest issue is they are coming out with so much I have no room to place them. So am having to be picky about what I buy. But happy for the choices!
I've been more open to non-Lego over the years I got back into bricks, I wasn't blind to the deficiencies of certain brands "Cough, Best Lock, cough cough."😄, but certainly nice to see so many brands step up and make high quality bricks. Mostly I say to all other brick makers, you can go a little lower in tolerances Ie. not quite Porshe standard bricks, just don't produce landfill grade toys please lol. That aside an excellent looking set from FO, I'm not even a fan of Hiphop and still find the design appealing. Not a big music collector either but cool to see vinyl make a comeback. Good point, that is something other brands can do uniquely, produce parts Lego doesn't seem to make anymore and in colors they've never produced them in. I'd like to see more unique bricks from other brands, plenty of good designs Lego rarely adopts swiftly. I think many would disagree with this but the pieces are quite verbatim with Lego which seems like a missed opportunity for new designs like in cats, birds, hats, or human hairdos. Can't reinvent the wheel or basic prisms but there is room for more FO specific bricks. Nice use of wall panels for sticker surfaces, funny how we used to just paste over brick seams with decals. I can see what you mean about modular accessibility in this set, that is much nicer than other builds. I didn't understand what was wrong with smaller doors until seeing a building that just opens as a whole. Much easier to show off the details with modular sub sections. Until it gets better maybe keep a brick separator in hand when lifting levels off.😉 Funny but FO sparked off a whole new rash of unsolicited brick figure design on my part lol. Thinking of sending them my work if I get that far, it's actually difficult to make one as appealing as Lego managed since there are lots of brand-corpses in second hand brick bags heh. As you said many people hating on FO figures, so they often didn't bother to pose them at all.
I just started getting into Fun Whole sets and they are great. I want to see them do some more "edgy" buildings, like a dispensary, vape shop, liquor store
The accessibility is amazing. I hope this carries forward into future sets. More accessibility equals more playability which is a win. The only thing I do not like about this set is the billboard print for the roof. It just looks bad to me.
dang, this company's sets are honestly really awesome, the value is pretty insane compared to the leading brandTM and the designs look really cool, I want to pick some up but I have nowhere to put them xD
@Jang, in one of these reviews can you show the set with both non-LEGO and LEGO minifigures posed in the set just to see how well the different minifigures interact with the set and each other? As Jang has mentioned, sure a lot of people look down on non-LEGO minifigures, so it could be worthwhile getting these cheaper sets to fill out a city but just populate the sets with LEGO minifigures if they scale together well.
I pretty much stick to fantasy (fantasy, scifi, superhero) vs real world sets, but even I want this! If they get their hands on a license I'm interested in it'll be an easy purchase. What would be a good one? Ninja Turtles? Some other 80s cartoon? What could they get that brick builders have been wanting?
I have been saying that for ages that Modulars should have been hinged, but people hate that for some reason because it makes them more...toyish (SIC!)!
Almost certain a designer or someone important at funwhole is watching your vids cause they’ve been responding to pretty much all your cons in their newest sets. outside of the name
I am enticed, but unfortunately shipping to my location is still a bit high to justify my going nuts buying them up. I have to find a reliable local retailer, and thus far there are not a lot. I'm sure that will change soon enough.
Lego has gotten to EXPENSIVE! And yet no lightning in there modular buildings that’s Sad! Funwhole simply Awesome and with a perfect design and price it’s a winner!!!
I’m going to be completely honest, most FunWhole sets don’t do anything for me, I’m not sure if it’s the building designs or what but there’s something about them that don’t grab me. THIS, on the other hand? I placed an order as soon as the review finished. I love the whole NY 80s era aesthetic it has going on and I think it will fit perfectly in my Marvel modular street scene I have envisioned. Just wish there were a few more tiles with studs for minifigs but at least that’s an easy fix.
The alleys allow for cool things like the little skate ramp on the skate shop. There's a lot of nice space for extra details rather than being just a big rectangle
@@bennydeckardI agree, I actually love having the little alleys in between in the city, the antique store really did good cause it’s tight on the one side of corner n has few stud alley on other side, it’s all about pairing with right neighbors, if you spread the FO sets out, with lego or other brand buildings in between, then the alleys really look realistic every couple buildings, also as someone who has my city wired with street lights, having those alleys for wire to run thru under tiles, is pretty great too, like access points to the plug board in back👌🏼
Hi Jang, I’ve been watching your reviews for the past two years and I love what you do and want to support you. However, I can’t join the Patreon without a creditcard, since I’m from the Netherlands and my normal debit card isn’t supported as a payment method. Is there a way to work around this that you know of?
It's legit, original designs. The LEGO copied the brick design from a company in England around 1949 (i.e., LEGO as you know it started as an unauthorized knockoff). In 1958, LEGO added finally one original detail and applied for patents all around the world. The last of those patents expired in the 1980s, putting the design into public domain for anyone to use worldwide. Today LEGO has trademark protection on their minifig shape, and they're abusing a relatively modern rights system to get protection for some of their newer part designs (including ones that aren't original at all). Otherwise any company can legally and ethically make LEGO compatible parts & sets all day every day, as has been the case for decades.
Being able to slide the rooms out is absolutely brilliant.
Amazing set -- I've gone "full Funwhole" in past six months (huge reduction in Lego purchases for first time in 15+ years). I'm tired of Lego prices, FOMO, predatory marketing that pretends to "reward" customers that Lego actually profits from (all Lego purchases fund Insiders points and GWP -- yet most consumers don't use points and GWP are limited -- Shackleton's Lifeboat ran out in 3 hours) and the "cult" vibe of my previous "Lego purist" stance -- the dam has broken and I'm open to legitimate alternative brick companies (Pantasy/FunWhole). FunWhole has fresh original designs -- fantastic themes like Steampunk, Cyberpunk, etc and traditional sets (cabins/modulars) will all prints/no stickers and light kits for sbiut 30%-35% less! I have the full Street Fusion line including Record Store -- and looking forward to Graffiti Bus Stop and Boxing Club in this theme.
I feel this post very, very much! Preach it! Yeah, I've become a FO Fan [AFOFO?]. Just some minor improvements here and there, and they will be hard to beat. But I do wish their name change would come soon!
Amen. No need or desire to stick with just Lego with so much great stuff coming out from other companies, particularly at these lower prices.
@@thebrickhiker Thanks -- I think what I stated is actually a growing sentiment (a growing awareness) among brick hobbyists. AFOFO? Lol. FunWhole should gift you a set for that one...but unfortunately (but actually fortunately) they're supposedly changing their brand name. I know they sent me a survey about the name change and suggestions from consumers (I suggested Day&Night or Bricks&Lights).
@@thebrickhiker I will fully embrace the title of "AFOFO" because that's just funny
@@OutpostMJjust use AFOB as the term
(adult fan of bricks) ;)
For years I’ve turned my nose up at companies that weren’t Lego. But ever since you showed FunWhole on your channel I’ve come around to see that Lego isn’t the only company worth buying from. I’ve been telling my nieces and nephews about this brand because they love Lego but the sets are getting so expensive.
I’m so glad you reviewed this set because I’ve been really wanting to pick this one up! Also, the more I see the minifigures from FO the more I like them. I think they look just as good as Lego’s design. Thanks Jang!
Fun Whole's minifings are no more weird than Lego's Friends figures.
The waist articulation is a good bonus.
This set has become my new favourite from this company. I think it so perfectly captures the 80s and 90s New York hip hop style, I absolutely love the fire escape. To then take that further with innovative techniques to allow you appreciate the high level of detail they include in their interiors really feels like this company are going from strength to strength.
This is great stuff. Lego used to stand head and shoulders above the competition but this shows how level that field is now. Competition always benefits the consumer, and FO seems like a great brand to look at when you have that sour feeling in your stomach after seeing Lego's prices.
Not just that: they offer sets and themes Lego doesn't.
wow great review, what a big step forward in modular history. this is art
This is an absolutely phenomenal set! There's so much good stuff here. The slide out rooms are sheer genius and satisfaction. The fact that the rooms are so accessible is worth it alone. The lighting is always a plus especially since they pull it off so well. All prints and no stickers (Yes Lego, you too can do this especially for what you charge) is fantastic. A virtually perfect set with an excellent price!
That's literally an evolution of modular (and brick-build) design. Hopefully this catches on and becomes the standard
Yeah these guys have really gone above and beyond to prove themselves in a very “particular “ market. I have always been a Lego purist until now, I have kids now and the prices Lego charges are just insane, especially for the 4+ categories. I just can’t justify the prices, I know Lego has always been expensive but when I see companies like this it just proves to me that Lego doesn’t actually NEED to be that expensive. This company has done some phenomenal sets and the integrated lights are amazing. I also love the complete lack of stickers, I could understand Lego not printing if legos printing was actually good quality, but these days it’s been brutal, especially on minifigs. Thanks for this review Jang, I sure hope Lego is paying attention.
Wow I love how the interior opens and slides out. Lego needs to take some notes this is great!
Bought my first FO in December (F9023 Newsstand). I was immediately impressed with their product and with some of their simple yet creative building techniques. Now, I have two more sets (F9055 Christmas Newsstand and F9046 Chili Dog Trailer). I wanted to sample some of their inexpensive items before buying something expensive, like this Record Store set. Thanks, Jang, for reviewing their products.
Awesome, I really like the ingeniuity of that build. Extremely well designed. That's the level of "complication" I expect from Lego, but haven't seen it for a long while. I am very very impressed.
Thanks for showing this set, Jang. This looks great. The slide out floors are a nice feature and really helps to showcase this set. The lights look nice too. The figures are ok
This honestly seemed like I was watching a Lego product made 10 years from now.
There are so many advantages to this design.
I love that this little company is making sets that outclass corporate behemoth Lego in design and features and then puts them on sale for around 1/3 the price of a Lego set. Great time to be building with bricks!
I've always shied away from modulars because I don't have a Lego city and the playset aspect doesn't work like playsets should, but man, this is how a playset modular should be. That access should be the standard for every company and the lights are such a nice bonus.
I've seen the brand but was worried about quality compared with the leading brand , but it looks amazing and prints not stickers,I'm 51 now and stickers become a real pain , thanks for the review jang ,always honest , think I'm gonna buy one , thanks again
I picked this and the Skate Shop up over the holidays and I love them. Their whole fusion line is looking brilliant and feels really thematically coherent. Excellent review as ever :)
This is so cool! And the fcat that it's compatible with legp is even better!
This is a Fantastic build from Funwhole - So much detail and a really great way to open it up and access everything. - Awesome Review.
that light/wiring-system is impressive...
The way it opens is stunning. I just love that so much.
this is a crazy good set. they did so many good things
It just feels so 90s. That's pretty great.
honestly i'd just have the building on display and the little recording studio chilling on my desk, thats a really cool way of doing things
Thanks for the review Jang, helps people know there are alternative brands also making awesome sets and pushing the brick building forward
Wow, with all the features the lights, opening side wall, sliding out of individual floors to see internal & the number of prints... just insane! This made LEGO designer ideas obsolete and desperately need improvements. FO over here, the goods supercede its weakness. Pretty sure FO will continue to improve. Great review Jang!
Really cool set!!
I've been eyeing this set for a while. I think you've convinced me to grab a copy.
I've bought a couple of FO sets so far, and been impressed. Definitely giving "the leading brand" a run for their money.
Same 😁
Great review Jang. I absolutely loved building this set. It really is next level stuff. - I’ve not even bought the Lego Tudor corner modular. First time ever!
Started with the News Stand as a brand "test set" - instantly hooked. I've completely given up on Lego and switched sides. Selling the few Lego modulars I have to fund my growing FO City 😂
Great video thank you 😊
It's funny; you're so right about the figures. We are ingrained to think of these are "wrong" because they don't look like lego minifigures. I'm definitely guilty of that too; there's absolutely nothing wrong with them but I can't help but think they are "deformed"... as though minifigs from lego somehow are anatomically correct LOL.
Great review, Jang.
Jang had a mic drop at 8:20 lol. Impressive. It would look nice next to the Skate Park. Seems like another good set for the money. These are modulars I let myself jump into. Lego modulars are nice, but too expensive for me to collect them. And Funwhole always has sales.
Oooooh, I've been hoping for you to cover this set. Glad to see that it's the real deal. I'm even coming around to FO's figures a little bit
This looks fantastic as a huge vinyl fan
After I built the home alone set I really wanted to add hinges to all my modulars. It's so great. Glad FO is doing it. That's how it should be
This is next level and instantly puts Lego modular design in the shade. It looks awesome next to their equally good Skate Shop modular, btw.
Oh yes, now I am really into this, so long "leading brand" I'm going all in with... really... thats their name? Ok... FunWhole. This is phenomenal. I'm serious, probably the best modular ever, the way things come out of it, thanks for introducing this brand to me Jang. My only issue is actually prints, I would love to be able to leave the graphitti and hip hop stuff off the walls, which I could if they were stickers. This really has changed how I see Lego modulars for ever.
Ich liebe die Marke Funwhole mittlerweile und habe alle Western Sets und die meisten Modularen Gebäude gebaut. Ich bin sehr glücklich, dass es diese Firma gibt. Es ist eine sehr gute Ergänzung zu Lego und definitiv mittlerweile von gleicher Qualität. Die Verpackungen sind sogar viel wertiger. Danke fürs Zeigen. Du hast einen tollen Kanal. Grüße aus Deutschland Frank
Die Verpackungen sind bei weitem viel besser, mehr "premium" als bei Lego.
Loving this new channel!
Awesome review and set! I love your enthusiasm and detailed walk through. Thank you!
Thanks for this great video, Jang! I received the Record Store and the Skate Shop yesterday and I can't wait to build them. Both look amazing and I can't wait to get the Twilight motel from FunWhole. What a great brand.
I got the antique store and record store for $225 over the holidays and got a travel trailer set for free!
This is absolutely hands down one of the most impressive brick built things I’ve seen….and that’s BEFORE the absolutely insane value.
It looks like it was inspired by "Empire Records" and then redecorated to look HipHop.
I am impressed with the "Look" of this set, but how "Tight" is it. I hate when moving sets with some off brand materials and they slip apart so easy, and I refuse to glue bricks.
That's a really nice set. I wish I collected city sets just to have a reason to buy it. I bought quite a few FO sets in the last 2 months and they are much nicer than Lego. In fact I ordered the cyberpunk apartment set just this morning. Can't wait to build it.
For me, not having those weird intricate builds (I’m looking at you, LEGO!) is a plus!
thanks so much for posting this. I'd love a video comparing all the FO modulars that you've reviewed so far side by side!
Competition is typically good for the consumer. It's about time. I've been into Lego for 50 years and never really had a real alternative. I've purchased 2 Pantasy sets I'm happy with and looking at Funwhole soon. Just gotta decide what I want first.
I'm currently building the Cyberpunk apartment from FunWhole and I must say it's generally really good so far, but there are a few small things they could improve.
For example I'm not a fan of the UV printing, although the moment your not closeup to them they look fine, but I'd be fine with a a bit fewer prints and rather have it all be PAD, or atleast everything that's visible from the outside.
Than there's the micro scratches especially in bigger clear pieces.
And lastly the quality of the bricks could still be a tiny bit better.
(Additionally the colors of the printed instructions are sometimes not very clear because they have so many colors, I'l have to check the digital one if it's better or not.)
But with that price and included colors and stickers and set design itself it's still fantastic.
I own this set and havecnot built it yet. The design looks fantastic. Hopefully I can manage the wiring as you saybits a little tight.
I'm sold! The level of accessibility to the interiors is a game-changer! Wow! Just wow! 😮
Would you know what the new brand name will be? And will you be reviewing other alternative bricks? The Area-X Spongebob sets are a hoot, although not as good, design-wise, as FW. 😊
These all look great, and it's nice to have options that fit into my regular pay-period! XD
Still not 100% on the figs but they really work well here! I'd love to see them go the 2010s Mega route and have a bit more articulation. That would really edge over Lego minifigs for me because while I love their relative simplicity, I will *never* deny more posability options!
Thanks for the review. I will try F0. at some point.
If nothing else, this shows what happens when Lego rivals move beyond cloning and do their own thing. Some aspects of this set aren’t ideal, but there are so many interesting ideas about how modulars could work. The accessibility side of things is really interesting, with those slide-out floors. Lego right now appears to think the best way for people to access things is to remove pieces and make walls shorter. This lot: well, how about you just slide the entire floor out and mess around with it? Really smart.
The only question I’d have is where to grab these from when outside of the US. (In the UK, the Amazon price is… hefty. It’s then almost absurdly cheap on Barweer, which has… variable reviews, let’s say!)
This is a wonderful piece. Being able to pull out the individual dioramas is exciting. I know the new Hogwarts design does something like this, but it's more storage than integration(?). I'm hoping to build a comic shop MOC sometime this year, and being able to pull out the main display - to actually see the comics (/Vidiyo BeatBits) would be fantastic. I want to keep it 16x16, though, so...ghaa.
As to the actual build, yeah. I''d be more than happy with the level of intricacy here. As a Briton and a Spider-Man guy, this sort of building is what I think of when I think of America (I mean, I like those big hills you fellas have, but...). Fantastic review (although yes, those Funnyfigure heads are still unsettling).
This has cemented FunWhole as the leading brand in terms of displayable buildings. This is leagues above and beyond the competition.
Looks like they knocked this one out of the park! I wonder if, before they fix those too-much-clutch pieces, sanding the studs on them might help to loosen the clutch power? Obviously they need to fix the issue to begin with, but I wonder if there's a DIY solution that could be had for existing sets.
FO is getting more of my business. The interesting themes and the quality of their bricks, and the lighting and the neat ways to access the inside [I actually like the pull out stage in the the theatre set]. I think 2025 is going to be a Whole lot of Fun! :) Thank you for introducing us to this brand and for your great reviews!
I was thinking that.
Take a small file to the studs on the lower electrical connector.
The main thing holding me back is they don't have a parts section on their site.
Their bricks are made by GoBricks. You can buy them from MyGoBricks, WObrick, YourWoBB, and others.
@JANGsOtherBricks Thanks! Now I'm sold!
Ive been on the fence with this set. I have several other FO sets and in general theyre all awesome. I haven’t pulled the trigger on purchasing this on yet because they’ve been coming out with too many sets for the holidays and the funds were drying up. After watching your review though, i think Im going to go ahead and pick this one up. Thanks for your reviews.
The superior print quality and going edge-to-edge is pretty embarrassing for Lego.
Love all these videos. Your reviews of non-leading brand stuff makes me feel so good about my purchases of these things.
Side note, I don’t really understand the emphasis on the company name. It’s not that bad. I get the innuendo but it surely wasn’t intentional and I feel like people would just accept it and move on. And are they really changing it? I have seems conflicting thoughts about that
They have gotten a LOT of negative feedback about the name and I have to delete too many inappropriate comments about it every time I show one of their products. The name change is solidly confirmed by the company (they've been publicly gathering input about it for months and told me personally it is happening this year), it is a must, and it can't come soon enough.
A long time Lego fan ,but I’m starting to adore these sets.Considering getting one of these sets , not certain which one to get though.
Funwhole has some amazing sets, especially the newer ones. They really are giving the big L a run for the money. My biggest issue is they are coming out with so much I have no room to place them. So am having to be picky about what I buy. But happy for the choices!
Same here! I bought a ton over the holidays instead of Lego and am running out of shelf space!
I've been more open to non-Lego over the years I got back into bricks, I wasn't blind to the deficiencies of certain brands "Cough, Best Lock, cough cough."😄, but certainly nice to see so many brands step up and make high quality bricks. Mostly I say to all other brick makers, you can go a little lower in tolerances Ie. not quite Porshe standard bricks, just don't produce landfill grade toys please lol.
That aside an excellent looking set from FO, I'm not even a fan of Hiphop and still find the design appealing. Not a big music collector either but cool to see vinyl make a comeback.
Good point, that is something other brands can do uniquely, produce parts Lego doesn't seem to make anymore and in colors they've never produced them in. I'd like to see more unique bricks from other brands, plenty of good designs Lego rarely adopts swiftly.
I think many would disagree with this but the pieces are quite verbatim with Lego which seems like a missed opportunity for new designs like in cats, birds, hats, or human hairdos. Can't reinvent the wheel or basic prisms but there is room for more FO specific bricks. Nice use of wall panels for sticker surfaces, funny how we used to just paste over brick seams with decals.
I can see what you mean about modular accessibility in this set, that is much nicer than other builds. I didn't understand what was wrong with smaller doors until seeing a building that just opens as a whole. Much easier to show off the details with modular sub sections. Until it gets better maybe keep a brick separator in hand when lifting levels off.😉
Funny but FO sparked off a whole new rash of unsolicited brick figure design on my part lol. Thinking of sending them my work if I get that far, it's actually difficult to make one as appealing as Lego managed since there are lots of brand-corpses in second hand brick bags heh. As you said many people hating on FO figures, so they often didn't bother to pose them at all.
I just started getting into Fun Whole sets and they are great. I want to see them do some more "edgy" buildings, like a dispensary, vape shop, liquor store
The accessibility is amazing. I hope this carries forward into future sets. More accessibility equals more playability which is a win.
The only thing I do not like about this set is the billboard print for the roof. It just looks bad to me.
Hey Algorithm, I like this channel ❤ go Jang go!
The tide has turned when it comes to alternative building brands. How long until Lego starts putting lights into its models?
Surprised to see the use of an actual area code in the sign - NY!
dang, this company's sets are honestly really awesome, the value is pretty insane compared to the leading brandTM and the designs look really cool, I want to pick some up but I have nowhere to put them xD
@Jang, in one of these reviews can you show the set with both non-LEGO and LEGO minifigures posed in the set just to see how well the different minifigures interact with the set and each other? As Jang has mentioned, sure a lot of people look down on non-LEGO minifigures, so it could be worthwhile getting these cheaper sets to fill out a city but just populate the sets with LEGO minifigures if they scale together well.
I pretty much stick to fantasy (fantasy, scifi, superhero) vs real world sets, but even I want this! If they get their hands on a license I'm interested in it'll be an easy purchase. What would be a good one? Ninja Turtles? Some other 80s cartoon? What could they get that brick builders have been wanting?
It's sad - LEGO could have done this but thought they were untouchable. Now other companies are surpassing them in prints and build techniques.
I have been saying that for ages that Modulars should have been hinged, but people hate that for some reason because it makes them more...toyish (SIC!)!
they gotta fix that connector thing soon, that would drive me absolutely insane.
Only thing I buy from Lego atp is some Star Wars sets but FW is just way better factoring in price.
Great building! Cute kitty cat!
This set is brilliant. Sorry Lego, but it is better than your recent modular. And with light included!
Looks like LEGO is in trouble, the competition is at the same level and sometimes even ahead of them...
Eyyy its New York babyyyy
Almost certain a designer or someone important at funwhole is watching your vids cause they’ve been responding to pretty much all your cons in their newest sets. outside of the name
I am enticed, but unfortunately shipping to my location is still a bit high to justify my going nuts buying them up. I have to find a reliable local retailer, and thus far there are not a lot. I'm sure that will change soon enough.
Lego has gotten to EXPENSIVE! And yet no lightning in there modular buildings that’s Sad! Funwhole simply Awesome and with a perfect design and price it’s a winner!!!
Why is FunWhole abbreviated as FO? Shouldn't it be FW?
The more I watch FunWhole reviews, the more I plan to not buy modular LEGO anymore.
I’m going to be completely honest, most FunWhole sets don’t do anything for me, I’m not sure if it’s the building designs or what but there’s something about them that don’t grab me. THIS, on the other hand? I placed an order as soon as the review finished. I love the whole NY 80s era aesthetic it has going on and I think it will fit perfectly in my Marvel modular street scene I have envisioned. Just wish there were a few more tiles with studs for minifigs but at least that’s an easy fix.
You may want to check out the skate shop, which makes a great companion. And the upcoming graffiti bus stop might fit what you're doing
what are.. the company that shant be named changing their name to? so far I've only seen you mention their change in branding
The only little complaint I have is that these buildings are not wall to wall
The alleys allow for cool things like the little skate ramp on the skate shop. There's a lot of nice space for extra details rather than being just a big rectangle
@ yes, but when you have more then 1 building it looks off
@@bennydeckardI agree, I actually love having the little alleys in between in the city, the antique store really did good cause it’s tight on the one side of corner n has few stud alley on other side, it’s all about pairing with right neighbors, if you spread the FO sets out, with lego or other brand buildings in between, then the alleys really look realistic every couple buildings, also as someone who has my city wired with street lights, having those alleys for wire to run thru under tiles, is pretty great too, like access points to the plug board in back👌🏼
Do you keep your non-Lego bricks separate from your main Lego collection? Or mix identical parts together?
Hi Jang, I’ve been watching your reviews for the past two years and I love what you do and want to support you. However, I can’t join the Patreon without a creditcard, since I’m from the Netherlands and my normal debit card isn’t supported as a payment method. Is there a way to work around this that you know of?
Has anyone ever told you, you sound a bit like bob ross!
glad they are changing their name. they make too good of a product to have such an unfortunate name
legit
I am not familiar with the concept here. This is not lego ok, but what is it? Is it legit?
It's legit, original designs. The LEGO copied the brick design from a company in England around 1949 (i.e., LEGO as you know it started as an unauthorized knockoff). In 1958, LEGO added finally one original detail and applied for patents all around the world. The last of those patents expired in the 1980s, putting the design into public domain for anyone to use worldwide. Today LEGO has trademark protection on their minifig shape, and they're abusing a relatively modern rights system to get protection for some of their newer part designs (including ones that aren't original at all).
Otherwise any company can legally and ethically make LEGO compatible parts & sets all day every day, as has been the case for decades.
@@JANGsOtherBricks finally someone said it :) Thanks!
@@JANGsOtherBricks Just don't call non-lego bricks legos or lego will sue you ;)