Review: 76384 Hogwarts Moment: Herbology Class
Posted by CapnRex101,
Professor Sprout teaches Herbology and heads Hufflepuff house at Hogwarts. 76834 Hogwarts Moment: Herbology Class therefore provides an interesting Herbology greenhouse and Pomona Sprout alongside various impressive references concerning Hufflepuff.
This greenhouse offers significantly more detail than 76382 Hogwarts Moment: Transfiguration Class and undoubtedly captures the earthy colours of the onscreen location. Furthermore, I am delighted that the lesser known houses are receiving some attention, having been largely absent from the older Harry Potter theme.
Minifigures
Professor Sprout has appeared twice previously and this minifigure features the same hat and hair component as the recent Collectable Minifigure. I appreciate the intricate moulding which is visible here and the dual-moulded earmuffs look superb. However, this double-sided head is unique and displays two different smiling expressions, befitting Sprout's cheerful personality.
The torso appears familiar, featuring the same red berries and green leaves which appeared on the Collectable Minifigure, as well as similar colours. However, the patterning has been updated and now features dark tan mud towards the bottom, gradually transitioning to dual-moulded dark tan and reddish brown legs. I think the previous design appears more detailed but appreciate the variation here.
The professor carries her reddish brown wand and a book which contains an exclusive printed tile. These are available in the majority of the new Hogwarts Moment sets and this example displays an uprooted shrub beside some illegible text. The graphic designers working on Harry Potter seem desperate to include unique printed tiles wherever they can!
Other than Newt Scamander, Cedric Diggory is probably the most memorable Hufflepuff student and wears Herbology overalls here. Neville Longbottom wore similar attire with the first series of Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures and this updated torso includes equal detail. Cedric features medium legs to reflect his age and a pair of dark tan earmuffs fit around his neck, originating from the Monkie Kid range.
Neville Longbottom wears exactly the same earmuffs and overalls, which cleverly obscure the house tie that would normally be visible around the neck. However, this minifigure incorporates short legs and is based upon Neville's appearance during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when the Mandrake's cry causes him to faint. His double-sided head therefore includes a sleeping face, along with a nervous expression!
Cedric, meanwhile, displays confident and angry expressions that both return from his minifigure appearances during 2019. Pleasingly, this minifigure is supplied with a dark tan wand instead of his earlier reddish brown accessory. Dark tan seems more fitting to represent his ash wand and dark brown is an appropriate choice for Neville's wand in my opinion.
The Completed Model
Hufflepuff is traditionally associated with yellow and black so this colour combination of dark tan and flame yellowish orange seems incongruous. However, these shades do complement the greenhouse inside and Professor Sprout's association with Herbology, not to mention matching the other Hogwarts Moment books. Each book measures 13cm in height which is perhaps slightly smaller than I had anticipated, although they still feel satisfactorily substantial.
The books are decorated with the Hogwarts crest and an elaborate pattern which is designed to imitate LEGO tile shapes. Unique details associated with each subject are also included though and this model accordingly displays several plants and tools from Herbology. These comprise a Mandrake, a hand rake and a toadstool, presumably belonging to the leaping variety from Harry Potter books!
Flame yellowish orange stripes decorate the spine and I like the matching corner protectors on the front and back covers. A sticker is also applied here, depicting some kind of fern. Both covers are connected to the spine using hinges and I can imagine these elements proving useful elsewhere, despite their large size. Perhaps they would be suitable as the basis for roofs.
Dark tan elements allow you to connect the different Hogwarts Moment sets, either in their folded book or classroom forms. Unfortunately, viewing the book from this angle reveals the mismatched colours of the pages inside, especially when positioned beside 76382 Hogwarts Moment: Transfiguration Class which features more consistent colours. In fact, the Gryffindor model fares better than the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin books in that regard.
However, this book feels more tightly packaged than its Gryffindor counterpart and the broad selection of items inside becomes apparent as soon as the cover is opened. I love how the greenhouse walls fold together and the removable sections are rather large, differing from the other sets in this range which include numerous smaller furnishings and accessories that must be completely reconfigured for display.
Despite lacking in quantity of furnishings, the Herbology greenhouse looks appealing when completely unfolded. The angles of the walls can be adjusted which is extremely useful and I love the bright orange pumpkins that contrast against the muted colours of the walls. Moreover, the green foliage looks excellent here, appearing as physical elements and stickers.
The top of the book is inverted to become a small vegetable patch, where two pumpkins are found among other plants. The pumpkins are cleverly attached using 3L bars which pass through their centre, connecting them to the underside of a 4x8 plate. I like the outdoor tap as well, although reddish brown might have been a more suitable colour for this wall because tan stands out when the book is closed.
Four large stickers are applied across the covers of the books. The first of these displays the Hufflepuff crest which has become overgrown, complementing the lower sticker. The cabinet placed against the wall does not actually contain anything but it looks nice and I like the table which folds downwards here, standing on a dark brown leg underneath. This dark bluish grey 4x4 plate with clips and ten studs was created for the Hogwarts Moment sets, appearing here and inside the spine of each book.
I was slightly disappointed to find that the Mandrake diagram placed on this table is formed using a sticker, unlike several other 2x3 tiles which have been printed within the Harry Potter range. Nevertheless, the design looks excellent and two additional stickers are applied on the glass door, warning of the Mandrakes inhabiting the greenhouse.
One such Mandrake can be found on a table beside the windows. Removing this dark orange 1x1 round brick from the cauldron reveals a printed Mandrake, matching those available with 75969 Hogwarts Astronomy Tower. Another small plant is situated beside the entrance and this is particularly intricate, folding against the door to accommodate the aforementioned table leg when the book is folded up.
The other side of the model is lacking in detail by comparison, although that was unavoidable since considerable space is required for the greenhouse structure to fold. These stickers are therefore very welcome and I was especially delighted to spot the Fat Friar, Hufflepuff's house ghost, floating past an upstairs window. The surrounding ivy looks good too, continuing across the lower sticker.
Overall
76834 Hogwarts Moment: Herbology Class has exceeded my expectations, especially after building 76382 Hogwarts Moment: Transfiguration Class which I found slightly disappointing. This model makes better use of the limited space available in my view and the stickers seem more appropriate as well, given the internal area occupied by the greenhouse.
Furthermore, I like the colourful vegetable patch and the Fat Friar appearing on his own sticker is wonderful. Hopefully the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin ghosts will soon appear in minifigure form to accompany Nearly Headless Nick. These minifigures are also appealing, although I think the actual model remains the highlight here. The price of £27.99 or $29.99 is quite expensive but I am confident that Hufflepuff fans will appreciate this set.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
121 likes
32 comments on this article
If they start doing these for the Mario theme, will they be called Super Mario Bruh Moments?
Those colors when it's closed are hideous.
^^ LOL
Oh I am getting this for my MOC.
I love the design and concept of these. Just got my daughter the Beauty and the Beast storybook set for Christmas--similar concept.
Not a big HP fan but these look cool. Gives me kind of a Mighty Max vibe - anyone remember those?
Why do they have to make a new head print for every different Neville minifigure?
Seriously they should print EVERY tile. Especialy these that are used as ITEMS that minifigs can hold.
Also seriously they couldn't include ONE hufflepuff torso?
"Largely absent"? The first Hufflepuff students were Cedric Diggory from CMF HP1 and Susan Bones from the Great Hall. The first Harry Potter minifigs were old enough to drink before any Hufflepuff students showed up. Even now, Hannah Abbot is only the third Hufflepuff student to ever get a minifig. Luna Lovegood was the only Ravenclaw student in the previous run, and even then she was in street clothes, and wasn't produced until they revived the theme toward the end of the movie run.
As I've noted before, all four of these books have one professor and one student who match the House on the cover, plus a token Gryffindor student (because nobody has enough of those, apparently). I also took a careful look, and even though none of the characters are new, all of the minifigs are.
You mention a second Mandrake. Are you referring to the carrot top in the gold fez? Since that's on the other side of the door with the warning signs, it's probably either a different plant, or so young that it's not even capable of stunning anyone.
@lordofdragonss:
Heh. Yeah, I hadn't really even thought of that. All the other three Houses got updated sweaters with their crests, and Hufflepuff got...a brown tunic. Always last to the dance, Hufflepuffs. Maybe they'll use the new crested sweaters in other 2021 sets.
They're fine, but the fact that figs don't fit in just about pushes me to "fine I wont buy it" territory
This looks better than the Hogwarts book. More detail, more color, more variety.
Shame about the duplicate torso prints. And the BLANDNESS of the prints. I get that they match the movie, but they're very ugly.
“I like the colourful vegetable patch and the Fat Fryer appearing on his own sticker is wonderful.”
Typo that made it through or hunger based Freudian slip? XD
Easily my favorite of the four
Reddish brown hinge plates! I'm surprised no one else mentioned it yet. It's a very rare piece, and we get 4 here.
@Brickalili said:
"“I like the colourful vegetable patch and the Fat Fryer appearing on his own sticker is wonderful.”
Typo that made it through or hunger based Freudian slip? XD"
I was about to have dinner at the time of writing! Thanks for letting me know.
Since the Hufflepuff common room is located immediately beside the kitchen, having a house ghost named the Fat Fryer seems logical in some respects.
@Harmonious_Building said:
"Not a big HP fan but these look cool. Gives me kind of a Mighty Max vibe - anyone remember those? "
I remember, and agree, definitely a similar vibe :)
is it just me or does cedric look like a grown robert pattinson (or generic male 7789) trapped in a small boy's body?
I’m looking forward to seeing how the books look when attached together and displayed like books. I don’t know why it’s not like they are actually books...I’m just a curious fellow I suppose.
I do like this set and the series as a whole, but for this one in particular, disappointed that you get the overall torsos rather than hufflepuff sweaters to match the other houses in the other sets. I wish they also had less named characters - I dont need another neville, or Harry in the potions one - just give me some nameless students from the other houses in their respective house uniform colours to just build up the student population. I always wanted them to do battle pack style of sets for each house common room.
Great review and great set... don't want to complain but couldn't help noticing that the sticking below the fat friar looks upside-down? looking at the direction of the leaves?
The minifigs for this one seem uniformly disappointing to me - they all feel like 80% something we've seen before with enough tiny differences to say "you don't have this one". Sprout and Neville had very similar variations in CMF, not identical but the same scene and concept, and Cedric is then a combination of only existing parts relative to Neville and previous Cedrics. Could they have not included a new Hufflepuff student with existing parts?
It's a great set in many respects, just feel at least one of the minifigs should have been more unique.
Great to have a different class with furniture and accessories that have not being done before in Lego, although the price seems a bit high for a HP 'moment', especially as you can obtain a full HP building set for the price of two of them.
@Snazzy_Bricks said:
"Those colors when it's closed are hideous."
I beg to differ, i love this color combo, it's earthy but vibrant.
Interesting, but too many stickers in these sets, and like others have said should have more obscure characters (as Im guessing more Potter fans would snap them up if the case), and it appears-again-that the figures cannot be included when the book is closed. If thats the case, then I think LEGO missed out on an opportunity for traveling play sets.
@CapnRex101 You keep mentioning the colours not exactly matching the house colours, but you realise it's intentional, right? It's a design/art principle known as "stylisation". The books are stylised representations of the houses, not exact replicas, and that's deliberate.
Thanks for the review, these are really cool!
@Albus said:
" @CapnRex101 You keep mentioning the colours not exactly matching the house colours, but you realise it's intentional, right? It's a design/art principle known as "stylisation". The books are stylised representations of the houses, not exact replicas, and that's deliberate.
Thanks for the review, these are really cool!"
I realise that LEGO did not accidentally forget the traditional house colours but this does mean I necessarily agree with that decision. I think these muted colours look impressive together but the brighter shades might have looked even better, in my opinion.
@CapnRex101:
They're really inconsistent with the House colors anyways. The first HPAC had presents colored dark red and bright light orange for Gryffindor, dark-green and light-bley for Syltherin, and dark-blue and light-bley for Ravenclaw. All three of those color schemes have been altered for the presents in the 2020 HPAC, with only Hufflepuff carrying over the same color scheme.
@PurpleDave said:
" @CapnRex101:
They're really inconsistent with the House colors anyways. The first HPAC had presents colored dark red and bright light orange for Gryffindor, dark-green and light-bley for Syltherin, and dark-blue and light-bley for Ravenclaw. All three of those color schemes have been altered for the presents in the 2020 HPAC, with only Hufflepuff carrying over the same color scheme."
Again, it's stylisation. It's not meant to be consistent or completely accurate.
@CapnRex101 Just as some constructive criticism, you may want to make that clearer in your review. It comes across as you not understanding why the colours are different.
With the HPACs, I have to assume that part of it's based on what colors were available to work with. The first one had two gifts that were duplicates except for the color scheme, and the second one drops a few colors that are probably harder to source without burning new element slots.
With the books, I can see a few possible reasons. The most obvious one is that the exterior color of the book would also be the interior color of the classroom, which means it really has to work for both. Another is that those book covers are quite large, and given the troubles they've had with some colors in terms of long-term durability and color consistency, they may have skewed towards lighter colors for everything. Third is that these are probably supposed to represent leather book covers, and the colors selected might be a lot more believable than ones that seem more appropriate for the four Houses. And fourth is that they had to print the Hogwarts crest on all four book covers, so using four colors with a similar tone means the print will look a lot more consistent across all four books (imagine that gold/black logo printed on primary yellow).
@beanjo68 said:
"Why do they have to make a new head print for every different Neville minifigure?"
The head print used here appears to be the same as the first CMF where he's wearing a similar outfit
"These stickers are therefore very welcome and I was especially delighted to spot the Fat Friar, Hufflepuff's house ghost, floating past an upstairs window."
Oh, so that's who it was! Maybe I'm daft, but I thought it was Grawp staring through the window.
@WemWem said:
"This looks better than the Hogwarts book. More detail, more color, more variety.
Shame about the duplicate torso prints. And the BLANDNESS of the prints. I get that they match the movie, but they're very ugly."
The Hogwarts book? Do you mean the Gryffindor one? All of these are Hogwarts, lol.