Review: 41355 Emma's Heart Box

Artsy Emma has some of her creative tools for travel in this adorable purple Heart Box!
Plus, a cupcake -- because artists shouldn't be starving, right?
This set was provided by the AFOL Engagement of The LEGO Group for the purpose of sharing set details with fans. Opinions provided here solely reflect those of our reviewer. Photographs are property of FriendsBricks and are not directed by TLG in any fashion.


Box front shows real girls enjoying Emma's hobbies, with her signature paintbrush and palette motif graphic inset above. Below that is a cat sketch :-)
The photo of the set shows Emma with accessories on her heart's lid. The inset image shows we can store everything inside this brick-built storage box.


Box back gives us the standard Friends heart rainbow inset that's on the front of all boxes. This set image shows she can fit inside. Her tiled drawing of Chico gives us our size ratio of elements.
Then the row of all Friends cameo graphics above their own heart boxes. They are stack-able too.



Side of the box featuring lovely Emma in her graphic, animated form. The bottom is an elongated hexagon shape that allows it to stand well. It opens by slicing the tape over the slotted tabs.
Once open, the contents are nicely snug inside. The box itself is a great design: a nearly Lotus-like design to the way it folds to create its hexagonal cavity for parts. Kudos to those designers!


Box contents: 29-page instructions booklet, folded to fit into the cardboard heart box, two 6x6 Medium Lilac plates [new for 2019 and otherwise only in Mia's Heart Box], and two non-numbered parts bags.

The booklet cover has the new-for-2019 inset of a Mini-doll informing us we can scan the QR code with our "smart" device and view instructions using a LEGO Life app.


Largest bag parts:
New of note:
- Medium Lavender 1x6 brick
- Medium Lavender 2x2x2 with 65-degree slope roof brick
- Medium Lavender 2x2 "macaroni" brick with inside and outside bows
- 2x4 Medium Lavender tile printed "Emma" and her paintbrush swath motif over a screen/mesh backdrop graphic
- Aqua 2x2 square tile with center stud
- Aqua 1x1 square tile

Rare:
- 3x3 Medium Lilac 1/4 circle plate, new for 2019 and only otherwise in Mia's Heart Box
- 2x2 flat tile with Chico drawing printed


Smaller parts bag:
New of note:
- Medium Lavender 1/4 circle tile

Rare:
- Aqua 1x3 tile
- Aqua 1x2 curvy tile


First we build Emma with an azure bow for her hair, and purple pen. This dark Lilac polka-dots over medium Lavender top with ruffled collar and bow sash was new for 2018 and still in only 4 sets.


Then we get bricking with the base of the bottom. The use of sloped bricks does provide stability when picking up the bottom section alone. It's placement is where your thumb pretty much goes naturally. If you replace them with 4x4s and 1x2s for half height opening, just be mindful of stability at the curves.
The designers have managed the inside to be completely tiled, thanks to those 1/4 circles. It's so smooth and shiny!
The Aqua tiles, and three 1x1 plates for attaching the lid, surround this purple heart's edges in a nice finishing touch for the bottom section.


Beginning with Emma's name tile, flowers and other smooth tiles, the heart's top is a quick and fun build. The underside gets white shoe slides for easing it on surfaces, and to pick up. Kind of a funny face there, huh?


Here is Emma's Heart Box complete.


Then we add the clear slopes to make the stand.
The instructions then show us how all accessories and Emma fit inside -- yet, we're going to have to let her be artsy first ...


Emma takes a photograph of her drawing of Chico, her pet cat. Using her heart box as a platform, she uses its stand as a step.


Now she's day-dreaming of Chico back at home ... or maybe what art project she can build with all these extra pieces!


We can now place Emma and her things inside this heart box -- all ready for a lid to connect and keep safe for travels.


Here are all the 5 Friends Heart Boxes together. Box art already shows how they can stack, so here they are just side-by-side.

Summary:

This brick-built heart-shaped container box is an ideal LEGO set for building techniques, play, and certainly parts!

Even though you probably don't want to re-build it, you could. Inspiring other shape designs using bricks was a thought on my mind as I built this. Either way, I am super happy to have a heart in the Friends theme set offerings *and* in Emma's lovely colors! It's not only the signature shape associated with Heartlake City -- it's a universal, cross-culture and multi-language icon.

~~~