Review: 71810 Young Dragon Riyu
Posted by CapnRex101,Riyu was introduced as a baby in season one of NINJAGO: Dragons Rising and seemingly grows older in the approaching second season. 71810 Young Dragon Riyu remains rather cute though and matches the baby dragon, featuring exactly the same colours and patterning.
As well as the titular dragon, the set includes an exclusive Sora minifigure, finally featuring her hairstyle from the animated series. Given the focus on major characters and a price of only £12.99, $15.99 or €14.99, this could be a must-have NINJAGO set.
Summary
71810 Young Dragon Riyu, 132 pieces.
£12.99 / $15.99 / €14.99 | 9.8p/12.1c/11.4c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Young Dragon Riyu is a must-have set for NINJAGO fans, given its character selection
- Excellent dragon design
- Continuity between baby and adolescent Riyu
- Appealing range of characters
- Improved hair for Sora
- Very affordable
- No articulated jaw
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
New waves of sets normally introduce new robes for the ninja, but Arin remains in his typical flame yellowish orange garb, recalling DX robes. I would have liked to see an updated design here, although the decorative dragon wrapped around the torso looks excellent and Arin's dual-moulded mask is interesting, with golden horns protecting his forehead.
Sora also wears the same predominantly white clothing as her previous minifigures, featuring incredible detail. I love the tiny cat-shaped keychain on the front of the torso and the matching emblem on the back, as well as the intricate decoration across Sora's mechanical arm. Metallic gold highlights are also present on the torso and legs, so the minifigure's colour scheme looks cohesive.
Furthermore, this version of Sora includes a new hair element, recreating her usual hairstyle from the animated series. The dual-moulded headphones with cat ears look splendid and the texture in her hair is effective too. However, I think introducing a new double-sided head could have improved Sora further, with a more neutral expression. Both ninja wield katana and Arin also carries a new climbing hook accessory.
The menacing Wolf Clan has emerged as the villain for season two and a generic Wolf Mask Warrior opposes the heroes in this set. The titular wolf mask is the minifigure's most dramatic feature, combining dual-moulded dark blue and dark azure plastics to accentuate the eyes and teeth. The moulded detail across the teeth is impressive as well.
I like the reverse of the mask element as well, revealing the warrior's head wrap underneath. Dark blue and dark azure colours continue onto the torso and legs, alongside purple accents. The word 'wolf' appears in Ninjargon on the front and the decorative blades are a lovely touch, ensuring the Wolf Mask Warriors look as threatening as possible!
Another mask is printed on the warrior's head, resembling real samurai masks and displaying blue eyes and teeth to match the outer mask. This minifigure is equipped with a curved sword, introduced in Pharaoh's Quest as an Egyptian khopesh, although the weapon has been used in NINJAGO previously, by the Pyro Vipers.
The Completed Model
Riyu has grown substantially since season one, but I think the designer has managed to keep the young dragon's most recognisable features intact. The primary sand blue colour and dark blue scales are both essential and I like the proportions of this model, including stubby wings and legs, much like Riyu's baby form.
The baby dragon is not actually included, but is shown for comparison below. The difference in size is dramatic, although this rendition of Riyu only measures 17cm in length, which is smaller than most NINJAGO dragons. Nevertheless, the articulation is reasonable and I particularly like how the legs move on ball joints, so Riyu can easily be positioned however you choose.
The head is interesting, comprising a single piece. While I like the ridges on top and its overall shape, I am disappointed that the jaw is not a separate element, so there is no opportunity for articulation. On the other hand, at least there is a moulded seam to give the impression of an opening mouth.
Also, the underside of the head is completely hollow, so it appears awkward from some angles. This is not a problem for most standard poses though and the printed scales are also attractive, alongside Riyu's characteristic green eyes.
A sand blue wheel arch partly conceals the ball joint connecting Riyu's head to his body, while still allowing a good range of motion. The reddish brown saddle looks good and provides room for a minifigure, with another potentially seated further back, on a textured 4x6 shell. This piece was introduced in January and has previously been used on mechs, although it suits Riyu well, mirroring the ridges on his head.
Similarly, the 1x1 slopes and 1x2 half pyramid slopes along the tail provide some nice texture, continuing from the body. The splashes of bright light blue here and on the legs look superb as well, although the need for stickers on the legs is disappointing. However, I think the sand blue wings are suited for Riyu, returning from the Rising Dragon Strike sets released in January.
Overall
As expected, 71810 Young Dragon Riyu is an essential set for fans of NINJAGO! I think Riyu has aged well and the clear continuity between the baby figure and this version is remarkable, featuring similar colours and areas of ridged texture. Moreover, the dragon is highly articulated and also easy to pose, thanks to its small size.
I do wish Riyu's jaw had been articulated, but that is a relatively minor issue, overshadowed by the dragon's discussed qualities and the accompanying minifigures. Sora's new hair element is brilliant and I am pleased to have the three protagonists of Dragons Rising, Arin, Sora and Riyu, available in such an inexpensive set, as £12.99, $15.99 or €14.99 represents great value.
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28 comments on this article
Its such a shame that his jaw cant be articulated, not to mention that his headpiece is also hollow so it does look rather awkward from certain angles. But hey, this is still a great, affordable little set and Riyu is still just as cute as ever!!
It looks great! Will definetly purchase this day one!
Very cute set! A big growth spurt for Riyu, though I get the impression that he still has plenty of room to grow.
I like the wing pieces, but not as much as the 2024 Speed Champions sets. Can't wait for the reviews!
Definitely needed an opening jaw, and I think Soras new hair needs some coral in the cat ear, but other than that I agree, must have near perfect ninjago set. Could we see a review of the climber mech at some point? I’d like to see how it stacks up in terms of value.
Might pick this one up. What is light royal blue? Is this a new color? It looks like medium blue or bright light blue?
@R1_Drift said:
"I like the wing pieces, but not as much as the 2024 Speed Champions sets. Can't wait for the reviews!"
Coming fairly soon...
@Goujon said:
"Definitely needed an opening jaw, and I think Soras new hair needs some coral in the cat ear, but other than that I agree, must have near perfect ninjago set. Could we see a review of the climber mech at some point? I’d like to see how it stacks up in terms of value. "
Yes, among others. 71819 Dragon Stone Shrine is up next though.
@oukexergon said:
"Might pick this one up. What is light royal blue? Is this a new color? It looks like medium blue or bright light blue?"
It is bright light blue; light royal blue is just the name LEGO uses.
Ninjago vs. Generic Blue Dog/Wolf Fursonas.
Yeah we see you there Mr. Blue Wolf. You could have at least commissioned an exciting fursona, but no you chose a generic blue canid. So you are both the punchline for normies and other furries, and that is why the Ninja are coming to kick your soy wojak butt with their chad dragon O.C.
At least I think that is the story going on here, IDK I don't watch Ninjago.
Now the question is how many of these I will buy...
Hey @CapnRex101 , any chance you could provide an image of the bottom side of the new head? I kind of missed it in the review, especially since you gave it so much attention in in your text.
Not bad for such a small set! I love that Ninjago has brought back the khopesh. If I recall correctly, the original CMF had a gold one so they have given us two recolors so far with their villain factions.
“Young Dragon Riyu” is my new rapper name
Really nice to get both of the new ninja in a cheap set, and the build seems well enough to facilitate that. Wish Riyu had a jaw though, that's the third most important point of articulation for a dragon.
Just what I thought, the head looks awful. THE EYES are in wrong spot on the face! It looks alike a turtle... They need to be pushed futher to the head! And no openable jaw REALLY hurts this set....
The rest of the build is solid though!
Baby Riyu also can't articulate his mouth, at least it's consistent :D
Am I the only one who finds the idea that a new hair/accessory piece somehow makes a minifigure that is otherwise identical to another minifigure a new and exclusive minifigure somewhat ridiculous?
Of course, Ninjago does run into this fairly often. I can think of at least three Magazine gift figures that would have made exclusive figures from the sets no longer exclusive. Except, of course, that Lego saw fit to omit exclusive hood/helmet pieces, and even swapped out a character’s printed head for a plain black one.
@SearchlightRG said:
"Am I the only one who finds the idea that a new hair/accessory piece somehow makes a minifigure that is otherwise identical to another minifigure a new and exclusive minifigure somewhat ridiculous?
Of course, Ninjago does run into this fairly often. I can think of at least three Magazine gift figures that would have made exclusive figures from the sets no longer exclusive. Except, of course, that Lego saw fit to omit exclusive hood/helmet pieces, and even swapped out a character’s printed head for a plain black one."
I don't think most people care that much about the distinction, to be honest. A fig they want is a fig they want and a fig they don't is a fig they don't. The question of whether the minifigure as a whole is considered "exclusive" by a change in parts is mostly only of interest to databases like Bricklink or Brickset, and pretty much only because it matters for the sake of the way those sites categorize figs. When Lego does a magazine variant fig I can promise you they're not trying to convince you that you have to get it for completion's sake—it's usually just a way to make a small little freebie slightly more interesting to buyers whether or not they already have that character from other sets.
In this case, though, the hairpiece IS so far exclusive to this set and is desirable for the same reason other ninja hairpieces have been desirable in the past—because it creates new options for how those ninja appear. I'm sure this hairpiece won't stay exclusive, and will be used for new versions of Sora in the future, but for now it does represent an incentive to get this version of her even though the rest of her costume is still the same.
@SearchlightRG said:
"Am I the only one who finds the idea that a new hair/accessory piece somehow makes a minifigure that is otherwise identical to another minifigure a new and exclusive minifigure somewhat ridiculous?
Of course, Ninjago does run into this fairly often. I can think of at least three Magazine gift figures that would have made exclusive figures from the sets no longer exclusive. Except, of course, that Lego saw fit to omit exclusive hood/helmet pieces, and even swapped out a character’s printed head for a plain black one."
It's very frustrating if you're going through all the minifigures to see which ones you don't have. According to Brickset there's nearly 200 I don't have but most of them seem to be this case. I don't have all of them on hand so there might be some suits for ninja I'm missing but searching through the full list with essentially duplicates is a headache.
That one with the plain black head was very strange though! My only guess is they had leftover copies of his mask from his appearances before that.
@SearchlightRG said:
"Am I the only one who finds the idea that a new hair/accessory piece somehow makes a minifigure that is otherwise identical to another minifigure a new and exclusive minifigure somewhat ridiculous?
"
Yeah, Ninjago has alot of variants, especially after Legacy or Core ended with 2023/2024, which is a blessing and a curse depending on type of collectors.
Was looking through ninjago sets for 2024, so far, they basicly have 2 different variants of each ninja (Climber or Cloth Mask), but something like Climber Kai is in 3 sets, but the rest of the ninja you have to get very specific sets to get those, unless summer sets will have more re-used figures of 2024.
And then there's 71819 : Dragon Stone Shrine , which has yet another 3rd variant of Kai or Nya outfits.
I really liked 70670 : Monastery of Spinjitzu, and that was my first Ninjago set, because it had a full team + Wu , no need to get a various amount of other sets, and 2020 Dungeon sets had a fairly even split between ninja, at least 2-3 possibilities to get them all.
@Crasha said:
"Hey @CapnRex101 , any chance you could provide an image of the bottom side of the new head? I kind of missed it in the review, especially since you gave it so much attention in in your text."
Certainly, I have added an extra image to show the bottom of the head.
@SearchlightRG said:
"Am I the only one who finds the idea that a new hair/accessory piece somehow makes a minifigure that is otherwise identical to another minifigure a new and exclusive minifigure somewhat ridiculous?
Of course, Ninjago does run into this fairly often. I can think of at least three Magazine gift figures that would have made exclusive figures from the sets no longer exclusive. Except, of course, that Lego saw fit to omit exclusive hood/helmet pieces, and even swapped out a character’s printed head for a plain black one."
The debate really is whether a particular change to a minifigure, rendering it unique, is exciting or not. Swapping elements between minifigures like we sometimes see with the magazine gifts is not, but I think Sora's new hair piece is exciting enough for its exclusivity to be important, even though only one piece has actually changed.
@lordofdragonss said:
"Just what I thought, the head looks awful. THE EYES are in wrong spot on the face! It looks alike a turtle... They need to be pushed futher to the head! And no openable jaw REALLY hurts this set....
The rest of the build is solid though!"
Ha Ha! I did not think about that! It totally looks like some kind of snapping turtle.
@MandoEli37 said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
"Just what I thought, the head looks awful. THE EYES are in wrong spot on the face! It looks alike a turtle... They need to be pushed futher to the head! And no openable jaw REALLY hurts this set....
The rest of the build is solid though!"
Ha Ha! I did not think about that! It totally looks like some kind of snapping turtle."
Teenagers- apparently, even dragons- can be so awkward.
Hm. If they don’t change Arin and Sora’s designs with each season, these figs will get stale fast. New coral hairpieces, fun as they are, aren’t going to keep us going forever. A new style (or few) of Ninja garb each wave or so has been a part of Ninjago’s appeal since the beginning. I’ve been wondering how they’ll handle this ever since they introduced these two with unique costumes rather than a variation on the team’s costume template, but it looks like the designers don’t have a particularly good idea for this either
Darn. Sora's new hair having a ponytail, and the Standard LEGO Ponytail at that, is a let down. Seen from straight on, ponytail obscured, it makes for a great looking short haircut.
I understand short hairstyles aren't everyone's thing, but the omnipresent high ponytail format feels so... generic at this point.
And I think short haircuts are cool.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @Crasha said:
"... any chance you could provide an image of the bottom side of the new head?"
Certainly, I have added an extra image to show the bottom of the head."
Thank you! :-)
Not my kind of Ninjago set to be honest, but I'm more of a building kind of set person, like all of the great temples we have gotten over the years (plus of course the Ninjago City behemoths of sets).
Bad that bad guy minifig looks cool imho.
Day 1 buy! perfect to add Dragon Rising characters to your existing Ninjago sets!
Just bought this set for $19 AUD and I think the value it provides is amazing - both main characters with one having a brand-new updated hairpiece, as well as a villain minifigure. And of course, Riyu looks adorable as a full-sized dragon and the articulation is mostly decent