You have probably come across the new leaked images of LEGO CMF 27 on the social media, right? Well, this article is not about them :) I’ve decided to wait for the official announcement to publish better images. In the meantime, I will be reviewing one of the sets that I bought this summer, but haven’t been able to build (or review) until now. Today’s guest is LEGO 43243 Simba the Lion King Cub.
There were two Simba sets released in June 2024. One of them I’ll be reviewing today, the smaller cub version, the other is the larger, 43247 Young Simba the Lion King. The cub is designed for children 6 and above, has fewer pieces (222) and relatively cheaper (£17.99/$19.99/€19.99). Young Simba, as you can guess from its box, is designed for adults, with a larger piece count (1445) as well as a more expensive price tag (£114.99/$129.99/€129.99). Young Simba is closer in size to the Tuxedo Cat (21349), also released in June. Cub Simba looks really small next to them.
Right, let’s take a closer look at LEGO 43243 Simba the Lion King Cub set.
LEGO 43243 Simba the Lion King Cub
We have the regulars, plastic bags and an instruction booklet. There are no stickers, probably because it’s targeted for younger children.
It’s a small and very simple set. You build the body with the first bag, the head and the tail with the second, and the legs, paws and the delicacies Simba loves (!) with the third and the fourth.
While it’s limited, Simba does have some articulation. You can move its head, legs, paws and tail. It’s a good feature to both play and display. The model is well balanced, too; Simba can stand on his front and back legs.
Honestly, the body seemed a bit long when I was building. I can’t say I changed my mind after adding the legs, but the overall proportions look a bit better.
The worst part of the model is the neck piece connecting the body and the head. When you turn it to the side, it looks a bit awkward. You might have noticed that none of the official images show the neck piece. Simba looks good from most angles, but the side is definitely not one of them!
Cub Simba or Young Simba?
If I remember correctly, the announcement of the Simba sets were around the same time as the Tuxedo Cat. I knew I was definitely getting the cat, so I said to myself “One big-scaled cat is enough” and decided to get the cub version. However, I would have probably passed young Simba if there was no Tuxedo Cat set. The cub version looks much cuter to me, and it’s much easier to display. Every collector knows that after a while you run out of display space. Thanks to the two little rascals that joined our family last year, it’s been getting harder to display anything openly anymore. While young Simba wouldn’t fall into this category, the cub beats it by being way too cute.
Is it worth getting?
The sets that have been announced lately made me think. Next year, there will be an Ideas set that has buildable crystals and minerals. Formula 1 sets were announced a few days ago, with an upcoming CMF series of them. I picked these two on purpose, because neither of them excites me. However, I know someone who would lose his mind when he sees the Formula 1 sets. I’m sure there are those who are into LEGO toys and have an interest in crystals, too. Long story short, not every set is for everyone, but there’s one set for everyone, even if they’re not into LEGO products in general.
Both Simba sets are for those, like me, who have watched the film as a kid and loved it. They don’t mean anything for someone who doesn’t like animations, watch Disney films, or missed the film because of their age. Just like I think “Yeah, sure, it’s great, so what else is new?” when I see the Formula 1 sets, someone else will say the same thing about Disney sets. A fan, on the other hand, will go “OMG they made Simba!! I gotta add it to my collection!!!”.
Which group do you fall into?
Image Sources:
Young Simba with the Tuxedo Cat: Zusammengebaut. Young and cub Simba: Hothbricks. Box of the Young Simba set: Brickset. The rest are mine.
Some girls play with Barbie dolls, while others create small worlds with LEGO minifigures and continue to do so when they grow up. You can probably guess which group I belong to :)
