Cuusoo was launched to enable fans of Lego to get together online and vote for models that they wished to be produced, which Lego would then consider for production if it received the required number of votes. It was originally only based online in Japan. See the article in brickjournal for more information about Cuusso.

This is the first set produced in Cuusoo, and is the first Lego submarine, and is based upon the actual Shinkai 6500 submarine. It was only sold in Japan and limited to 10,000 sets produced. The box is in the architecture style, and the instruction booklet has information and pictures about the submarine - written in Japanesse. Both are nicely produced and worth keeping.

There are no minifigs in the set and it is not to minifig scale, it has 413 pieces including an orange tail-fin that only appears in this set. There are no other rare pieces and has 5 stickers included (none of which are applied on multiple pieces).

The first part to be built is the base and rock formations/marine life/ocean vents. The submarine build is based upon a modular system joined by technic pins - first the rear section, then the mid-section, then the front. There is nothing too difficult in the build, and it has a nice varation from the usual build techniques. Once the submarine is built it is attached to the base by a technic axle, the overall look of the completed set is very nice and smooth.

The set is definately one to be displayed and not for playing with, however you could adapt it with your own marine life etc. It could also be incorporated into a dockyard setting, but as a stand-alone set, it does not have, nor designed for great playability. The completed build is an accurate reflection of the actual submarine.

As this set was only released in Japan, the price reflects this - expect to pay about £50 for a MISB set. This price and the lack of playability means that it is aimed more towards collectors and those that like the architecture series. As it was the first of the Cuusoo sets, I feel that as it was the first set, over time it will gain in value depending on how successful and widespread the Cuusoo programme becomes.

Overall, although this set lacks playablilty, it makes up for that in some nice building techniques and its uniqueness. For the price of this set, the alternative sets you could buy would have a higher number of pieces and have minifigs. Thus, I consider that this set would make a very nice addition to your collection if you like unique sets, sets for displaying, or need a submarine!