Maneki-neko, the Japanese lucky cat, is one of the most recognisable figures of Asian pop culture. It joined my collection in August 2021 straight from the LEGO Store. LEGO released the white version of the cat, with a raised paw and a gold coin with a Japanese inscription, in 2020 as the 96th figure in the BrickHeadz series. I have already written about the Monkey King, which together with the Lucky Cat shows that BrickHeadz can reach for themes beyond Disney or Marvel pop culture.
| Release year | 2020 |
| BrickHeadz numbers | 96 |
| Number of figures | 1 |
| Number of pieces | 134 |
| In my collection | Yes, since 19 August 2021 |
Building it took me just over twenty minutes. LEGO went for a simple but effective solution with an asymmetric pose, so the raised paw catches the eye straight away and gives the figure character. On my shelf the cat ended up next to other sets from 2020, although I admit that cute animal figures in brick form have never been my favourite subject in the series. Even so, I like that LEGO occasionally steps outside pop culture and reaches for folk motifs, because it gives the collection more variety.
Previous set:
Next set:
