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Did I miss something...?


polip

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Ok. Please. Enlighten me.

Why do a lot of you have my little pony avatars and if I google "bionicle" I find 1/3 of the images with those *CENSORED* psycho-horses? What's the correlation between my little pony and Bionicle?

Edited by polip
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I don't really follow MLP but from what I can infer, they got a similar team setup/plot

 

plus, a good number of voice actors from the BIONICLE movies are now voicing roles in MLP.

 

EDIT: I don't know where in Google you're finding bionicle image results with a third of them being ponies. That's something I would expect to find in DeviantArt (especially if you're going by Recent Results)

Edited by CrunchbiteNuva

"I could have been a Protector but then I took a stud to the feet."

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BZPOWER actually stands for BionicleZ and Ponies Only Won Everyone's Righteousness.

 

On another note, SPIRIT sums it up nicely here.

I remember that episode! XD

 

That doesn't exactly explain the connection with the ponies and bonkles though.

"I could have been a Protector but then I took a stud to the feet."

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BZPOWER actually stands for BionicleZ and Ponies Only Won Everyone's Righteousness.

 

On another note, SPIRIT sums it up nicely here.

I remember that episode! XD

 

That doesn't exactly explain the connection with the ponies and bonkles though.

 

lol I know. I haven't even seen that episode of Arthur. I just found SPIRIT's post by chance.

I know. I'm such a sham.

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Most reasonable explanation is an overlap in the fan bases, and I don't think it's that big a stretch. Bionicle and MLP are both a line of toys with a rich story around them to draw in fans, and MLP does have someone elements of unity, duty, and destiny that would appeal to Bionicle fans, I would think. And don't knock the cartoon till ya give it a shot, eh? It's not at all bad, sometimes the overenthusiastic fans just beat all the fun right out of it. Then again, my shelf has just as many pony figurines and comics as it does Bionicle, so I shouldn't be one to talk :P

Edited by The Darkest Hunter
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Well, considering much of the fanbase is comprised of 20-something males, nobody seems to care a whole lot.

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yeah, this is precisely why I asked.It's like you are an Avengers fan and then you buy Powerpuff Girls action figures because they remind you of The avengers.It's....strange

No intention to criticize, everyone is free to do what he/she pleases, but...dunno, it's veeeeeery weird

Edited by polip
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uhm....ok maybe after what you've said you'll probably bomb me with tons of insults, but....isn't MLP a little bit too...uhm...feminine?

Well I would never bomb anyone with insults for having opinions, that's silly. Sure MLP is feminine, but what does that matter? While the show is basically meant to sell toys to little girls, Lauren Faust (who also was the creator of Powerpuff Girls which will also explain your Avengers example :P), the creator of the new cartoon from 2010, wanted to make it so that it was really high quality and enjoyable for adults to watch with their children, aaaand she succeeded. She's really good at that, it's what she does: make quality cartoons that everyone loves. While the show is all colorful and girly, it has a lot to offer and is really well done, and has great characters and plots and all that. That's why so many people outside the target demographic watch it and why it's so popular ^^ Nothing wrong with not liking it cause it's too girly for you, that's your own personal preference :)

 

It's kind of like saying Bionicle is childish. Sure it may seem that way from the outside, 'cause it's just a bunch of LEGO toys for kids, but once you get into it there's a lot to like about it and it turns out to be a lot better than you'd expect! So that's one reason for the overlap, maybe folks like both franchises because they're the kind of people to give things a chance even if it's not "meant for them". I still think it's just a coincidence though 'cause MLP has a looot of fans. Trust me, I was stuck in a convention with four thousand of them one weekend, and then spent a year moderating a forum with like ten thousand of 'em :P

 

As for it being too feminine, well, that's on you for assuming I'm not female :P Guys can be feminine or enjoy feminine things too, though, and there's nothing wrong with it, so either way that point is kinda irrelevant.

Edited by The Darkest Hunter
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You made a good point when you said that as bionicle may appear childish from an external point of view,but then you find out all the intriguing and all but childish story,so it can be for MLP.Anyway I have nothing against MLP for being feminine,the strange thing for me is that I had the idea that,you know...if you are a guy who likes bionicle then you are a guy who wants giga mega hyper destroyer droids,not ponies.it's like a kid playing with action man,making him kill Dr X with a grenade that tears his chest, and then making him marry his sister's Barbie with a lot of attention on the details of their wedding dresses.anyway I am saying lots of idio.cies,this is probably a personal point of voew ,nothing more. But still I won't watch MLP!

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Well weddings are very serious business, I'd hope he pays attention to the details of the dress! Even x-treme action heroes can love :P You're just listing a whole bunch of "boys have to be like this and girls have to be like this" gender role stereotypes, and those are just kinda silly. I believe it's a very outdated point of view. Human beings aren't just their labels, being born a boy or girl or a certain race or with any characteristics shouldn't mean they have to act the way that society at the time says they're expected to and shouldn't be considered abnormal for it. Bionicle doesn't even fit "giga mega hyper destroyer droids" anyways, does it? :P

So there's your answer, basically the reason you're seeing ponies all over this site and wherever you found those images is because a lot of people refuse to be limited by viewpoints like yours. And you're not by any means a bad person for thinking that way, it's natural. I respect your opinion ^^

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It's a bit much to assume that all Bionicle fans are guys into "giga mega hyper destroyer droids", and exclusively so. A lot of fans of any gender will tell you their favourite aspect is the story, which is a little more nuanced than robots beating each other up. Even people who primarily deal in MOCs will give them fleshed-out backstories beyond combat. If anything, reducing Bionicle to Rock-'em Sock-'em Robots tends to annoy many fans.

 

It's also a reach to assume all Bionicle fans are guys, as I can personally tell you.

 

In any case, it's not an either/or thing. There's nothing wrong or unusual with liking both "masculine" and "feminine" things. MLP is popular in general, so it's no surprise that a fair chunk of Bionicle fans would also be MLP fans. It's not shocking or weird at all.

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yeah, this is precisely why I asked.It's like you are an Avengers fan and then you buy Powerpuff Girls action figures because they remind you of The avengers.

The Powerpuff Girls is a good show too. Don't assume it can't be good because it's too pink or girly or whatever. Watching it now there are so many things that I only understand now that I'm an adult.

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Anyway I have nothing against MLP for being feminine,the strange thing for me is that I had the idea that,you know...if you are a guy who likes bionicle then you are a guy who wants giga mega hyper destroyer droids,not ponies.

I don't claim to be an expert on guys, but I would think that not all of the guys on here are into giga mega hyper destroyer droids. :shrugs: Now, granted, I have met more than a few who are, so yeah. (But there's nothing wrong with having an idea IMO.)

 

Also, for some reason I don't think "giga mega hyper destroyer droids" and "ponies" are mutually exclusive preferences. How about a giga mega hyper destroyer pony droid? (possibly a villainous one?)

 

To address the topic question, I don't get ponies when I google Bionicle. I suggest clearing your browser cache/data/etc and searching again; that should clear up the unwanted equine intrusion.

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yeah, this is precisely why I asked.It's like you are an Avengers fan and then you buy Powerpuff Girls action figures because they remind you of The avengers.

The Powerpuff Girls is a good show too. Don't assume it can't be good because it's too pink or girly or whatever. Watching it now there are so many things that I only understand now that I'm an adult.

 

Same! I'm also watching the first season of Winx though I'm not a fan of the later seasons.

 

I think with any fandom, especially if you're in multiple fandoms, you'll want to combine them in a way that interests you and from what I see, MLP is pretty successful in crossing over to other fandoms. Even before the show, people were finding ways to mix characters from other franchises and turn them into ponies. Stuff like Master Chief pony or Alien pony. It just works.

"I could have been a Protector but then I took a stud to the feet."

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The idea that My Little Pony is too feminine for guys to enjoy is kind of like the idea that BIONICLE is too masculine for girls to enjoy. In other words, it's entirely untrue and based on out-of-date stereotypes about what interests are appropriate for one gender or another.

 

It's true that My Little Pony (all generations, including the current one that most "bronies" are into) was created with young girls in mind, just as BIONICLE was created with young boys in mind. Still, both franchises have quality storytelling and diverse characters that have inspired a "periphery demographic" — people outside the target audience who are still able to appreciate the franchise in one way or another.

 

Some of the greatest artists and writers in the BIONICLE fan community — Lady Kopaka, Nikira, GaliGee, Turakii #1 Lavasurfer, Jiayi, Brave Dragon, and others — are girls. And we as a community couldn't be happier that they didn't trouble themselves with preconceived notions about appropriate interests for their gender and instead tapped BIONICLE's rich mythology and colorful, diverse characters for creative inspiration.

 

As for the amount of overlap between the BIONICLE community and the brony community? Part of it is just coincidence resulting from the size of the brony community. Lots of online communities have a sizable brony contingent. But there are also other reasons. The cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic debuted in 2010 when many BIONICLE fans were looking to fill the void that BIONICLE's cancellation had left.

 

The two franchises also have a surprising amount in common. They both feature a team of six main characters with diverse personalities who go on amazing fantasy adventures. The start of both franchises deals with a conflict between a kind and benevolent leader and their jealous sibling (though Makuta is not literally Mata Nui's brother, and probably was never intended to be, that was how he was originally introduced), which the six heroes have to resolve. And in order to defeat the evil threat, the heroes have to collect magical artifacts: the Great Masks of Power in BIONICLE, and the Elements of Harmony in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

 

Also, both franchises were created to sell toys, and both have been held up as examples of how a merchandise-driven storyline can be more than just schlocky advertising disguised as entertainment. Of course, the merchandise is where they begin to diverge. BIONICLE is a creative construction toy with an emphasis on articulation, while My Little Pony toys started out as dolls with brushable manes, and their efforts to expand into other toy categories have had mixed results. My Little Pony toys tend to target a considerably younger demographic than BIONICLE sets as well (three and up instead of seven and up). But both franchises have managed to court a much broader audience than the target audience for their respective toylines, and have plenty of fans with no interest in most of the toys.

 

I hope this sort of helps you understand the overlap between the two fanbases a bit better. I count myself among those who are fans of both BIONICLE and My Little Pony, as of 2011, and have even created some crossover art involving the two franchises. But I didn't become a brony because I was looking for something to replace BIONICLE. I just saw a lot of excitement for the show online, so I checked it out and I happened to like it. It's not like a franchise has to be similar to BIONICLE for BIONICLE fans to like it. I remember the days when the web cartoon Homestar Runner was all the rage here on BZPower. Quality storytelling has a way of attracting all kinds of people, regardless of whether it has a lot in common with their other interests.

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I am not into My Little Pony, as I do not enjoy the art style and a bunch of other stuff about the series. However, I have laughed at a few of the show's jokes, and I understand posts where people explain what they like about it. Just not my cup of tea, you know. I have no problem with others liking it so long as it's not shoved in my face. It's like that with every show, from MLP to Pokémon. I am a Touhou fan, though, and that is a video game series filled with nothing but cute anime girls. Granted I played the fighting game spin-off, so I guess you could say I have a penchant for violence still, but I can still spend an hour or two reading Touhou manga with no other plot than "isn't this cute?".

 

I am a fan of all sorts of other anime and video games, both hardcore violence slaughterfest settings and more cutesy-wutesy settings. I like giant robots punching monsters in the face, I like seeing people firing machine guns with bottomless magazines, and I like to... spend an hour tweaking my character in Skyrim, essentially playing "dress me up" for a while. :) I also happen to play as Gaige in Borderlands 2, who is a schoolgirl-aged robo-engineer. She happens to have a few MLP references in her ability names.

 

People are more complex than just "boys like guns, girls like dresses", and the posts above summed up most of my thoughts on the matter. An overlap occurring between two decently-sized fandoms is natural, anyways. Apart from MLP and Homestar Runner, Homestuck was/is big for a while here too, AFAIK. On other forums I have seen at least one fad where people tried to make a Minecraft version of every character they could think of, much like how MLP fans make a pony version of characters. It's an interesting design challenge, actually, to transfer one character into a completely different form.

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yeah, this is precisely why I asked.It's like you are an Avengers fan and then you buy Powerpuff Girls action figures because they remind you of The avengers.

The Powerpuff Girls is a good show too. Don't assume it can't be good because it's too pink or girly or whatever. Watching it now there are so many things that I only understand now that I'm an adult.

Same! I'm also watching the first season of Winx though I'm not a fan of the later seasons.

 

I think with any fandom, especially if you're in multiple fandoms, you'll want to combine them in a way that interests you and from what I see, MLP is pretty successful in crossing over to other fandoms. Even before the show, people were finding ways to mix characters from other franchises and turn them into ponies. Stuff like Master Chief pony or Alien pony. It just works.

It sometimes works. Other times, it just ruins something great for someone else. I, for one, prefer the real Master Chief. I'm not into "ponification" all that much. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just saying that ponifying things can be a risky move in certain fan bases. No hard feelings?

 

Well, I used to be a bigger fan of MLP than I am now. It was 2012/2013, and I was still a BIONICLE fan. I watched seasons 1-2 of MLP, but decided the show was cheesy and stopped. As much as I like fight scenes and giant robots, I still like cute things. I still kinda like MLP, but it's mostly for the characters, I guess. It seems that I do defy gender stereotypes! Why do we have those, anyway?

mindeth the cobwebs

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