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Three BIONICLE Episodes Released


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Man, I'd love to build PoF Jr. Anyway, this was pretty entertaining. I hope we can go more in-depth on this story in the future.

I'd love to build him too. :P HE IS SO ADORABLE!!! ^_^
I wonder what role he'll play in the story if he gets a role at all. Too bad we might not get a set form of him and his cuteness. Those big beady eyes were like, "Papa, I know what I wanna do for a living. I wanna be awesome."
He should be simple enough to build even if not given a set. That's what I love about all the characters having essentially the same mask and more or less the same color scheme: it means that, just by changing up their build, you can easily make a villager who's distinct from the Protector. And I honestly kind of like that better than the classic Matoran, many of whom were unbuildable due to using parts that they were never produced in.

Except only the elders have multicolored masks.

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Man, I'd love to build PoF Jr. Anyway, this was pretty entertaining. I hope we can go more in-depth on this story in the future.

I'd love to build him too. :P HE IS SO ADORABLE!!! ^_^

 

I wonder what role he'll play in the story if he gets a role at all. Too bad we might not get a set form of him and his cuteness. Those big beady eyes were like, "Papa, I know what I wanna do for a living. I wanna be awesome."

 

He should be simple enough to build even if not given a set. That's what I love about all the characters having essentially the same mask and more or less the same color scheme: it means that, just by changing up their build, you can easily make a villager who's distinct from the Protector. And I honestly kind of like that better than the classic Matoran, many of whom were unbuildable due to using parts that they were never produced in.

 

Except only the elders have multicolored masks.

 

Yeah, I know. But ultimately that's a minor difference as far as MOCing is concerned. It's a big improvement over, say, the past inability to build a single Le-Matoran other than Kongu thanks to the dearth of teal and lime Matoran parts.

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Fix'd.

 

 

It's a bit of a shame all this hubbub about the voices has overtaken discussion of the animation. 

Rule of thumb: if there is something to complain about or a flaw to point out, BZPower will always find that first, and tend to fixate on it until it becomes boring. 

 

Yeah, I forgot that we had more than humans around here. We have a large black number, an entity entirely composed of a certain math equation, a robot, Matoran and Toa of various elements, a Toa-Barraki fusion, 18 British cars, at least two minifigs, at least two cats, a dog, a being entirely composed of lightning, an evil villain. a Makuta, some incomprehensible chronology, a Pokemon, a greek god, a fusion between a Ga Toa and a Ta Toa, two living Kanohi masks, an undead bonelord, and much much more!

 

Welcome to BZPower!

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Fix'd.

 

 

It's a bit of a shame all this hubbub about the voices has overtaken discussion of the animation. 

Rule of thumb: if there is something to complain about or a flaw to point out, BZPower will always find that first, and tend to fixate on it until it becomes boring. 

 

Yeah, I forgot that we had more than humans around here. We have a large black number, an entity entirely composed of a certain math equation, a robot, Matoran and Toa of various elements, a Toa-Barraki fusion, 18 British cars, at least two minifigs, at least two cats, a dog, a being entirely composed of lightning, an evil villain. a Makuta, some incomprehensible chronology, a Pokemon, a greek god, a fusion between a Ga Toa and a Ta Toa, two living Kanohi masks, an undead bonelord, and much much more!

 

Welcome to BZPower!

 

Am I one of those minifigs? :P Don't forget the famous Mata head with 2 gears behind it. :P

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Alright, here comes the unpopular opinion. These videos are so bad they are hilarious.

 

We've got a temple of time with the oh-so-clever giant pendulum on it, the spiritual elements that were previously vague now reference prayers to... the sky? What?

 

This world has nameless villagers who specifically mention having sons, as well as a cute baby villager with goo-goo eyes. The Matoran and Turaga of the original story really made the world feel lived in, but now the only characterization these faceless people get is not having a multi-colored mask or being a child who's there to look cute and otherwise be pointless.

 

There's a confusing prophecy that says the Toa will find the special masks and the Mask Maker, even though they've established that there are two(perhaps this is some kind of fake-out for them finding Makuta instead of Ekimu, but I'm not sure this story is clever enough even for that).

 

We have failed and strange attempts at humor with Tahu making what are supposed to be somewhat threatening skull spiders look as effective and terrifying as thrown pillows.

 

We have a voice actor who was clearly chosen for his "narrator voice" trying to play seven different characters(one of which is a woman) and a Protector who dresses up as an old person until it's time to take action, where he reveals that he has a gatling gun on his back.

 

Don't forget the hilarious personality additions like Kopaka's ,"I didn't slip" line. Because that's what Kopaka needed, to be clumsy idiot. 

 

We also have the clear separation of each Toa doing their own thing that is evident in the advertising and continues on here. Perhaps they'll show the Toa collaborating in a future shorts, but I don't think I've seen one promotional drawing or anything from the 2-D animation depicting two or more Toa doing something together.

 

And so far all the "nods" to the original story are slapping the Mask of Time in whatever nonsensical place imaginable.

 

Call me a curmudgeon, but these videos do not make me confident that this story will be even remotely as good as the old stuff, even with how convoluted and messy it got. They're rehashing all the basic elements of 2001 without putting any heart or thought into telling a good story. Now it's just each cutout Toa having a "destiny" to find their golden mask with the help of a nameless nobody who gives them extra weapons. Thrilling. I suppose there is still a chance for Lego to redeem themselves when the story continues to play out, but right now it's a childish mess in this viewer's opinion. 

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This world has nameless villagers who specifically mention having sons, as well as a cute baby villager with goo-goo eyes. 

Yes, that is...a fact? Like, a lot of the stuff you mention is like this. You just...mention it, as it is, without really explaining what you think is so bad about it? You say things like we're just expected to find them childish and dumb. Without too much elaboration, it just looks like you just want to dislike them.... :/

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Alright, here comes the unpopular opinion. These videos are so bad they are hilarious.

 

We've got a temple of time with the oh-so-clever giant pendulum on it, the spiritual elements that were previously vague now reference prayers to... the sky? What?

 

This world has nameless villagers who specifically mention having sons, as well as a cute baby villager with goo-goo eyes. 

 

There's a confusing prophecy that says the Toa will find the special masks and the Mask Maker, even though they've established that there are two(perhaps this is some kind of fake-out for them finding Makuta instead of Ekimu, but I'm not sure this story is clever enough even for that).

 

We have failed and strange attempts at humor with Tahu making what are supposed to be somewhat threatening skull spiders look as effective and terrifying as thrown pillows.

 

We have a voice actor who was clearly chosen for his "narrator voice" trying to play seven different characters(one of which is a woman) and a Protector who dresses up as an old person until it's time to take action, where he reveals that he has a gatling gun on his back.

 

And so far all the "nods" to the original story are slapping the Mask of Time in whatever nonsensical place imaginable.

 

Call me a curmudgeon, but these videos do not make me confident that this story will be even remotely as good as the old stuff, even with how convoluted and messy it got. They're rehashing all the basic elements of 2001 without putting any heart or thought into telling a good story. Now it's just each cutout Toa having a "destiny" to find their golden mask with the help of a nameless nobody who gives them extra weapons. Thrilling. I suppose there is still a chance for Lego to redeem themselves when the story continues to play out, but right now it's a childish mess in this viewer's opinion. 

 

Well, right now they need to make kids feel welcome to join the story, and they need to introduce this entire world to them, with the products just hitting shelves. Does anyone remember the early days of BIONICLE? Dare I say it, this is actually more in-depth. I mean, come on let's face it: MNOG was you walking around Mata Nui, and that was it. People can whine and say "Oh, this is worse than Gen 1!!!". Simpler? Yes. Worse? No. I expect that within a few months, we'll get books, comics, more in-depth stories, and longer episodes. 

 

Imagine if Lego started the series with the Protectors just walking around, doing village stuff, and then the story just drawled on for months before the Toa arrived. The Toa arriving was literally the first thing that happened in Gen 1, and....oh look at that: Gen 2 is doing the same!

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Sadly, I had to wait for someone to upload these episodes to Youtube. Because when I tried to watch them on Lego.com, the site crashed on me. (To the Pit with my Internet connection. :P)

 

Anyways, my love for the animation used in the videos grows more and more with each new video released. They look amazing IMO! I can't wait to see more of them.

 

Also, 'I didn't trip' is now one of the best Bionicle quotes ever. No one can deny that. :)

Everyone is one choice away from being the bad guy in another person's story.


 


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Yes, that is...a fact? Like, a lot of the stuff you mention is like this. You just...mention it, as it is, without really explaining what you think is so bad about it? You say things like we're just expected to find them childish and dumb. Without too much elaboration, it just looks like you just want to dislike them.... :/

 

I'll grant you that I did not elaborate on that one point, but I believe I made my reasons as to why the other problems are bad obvious. I assumed people on this BIONICLE website would understand the complaint of them being faceless when compared to the many names and faces of the Turaga and Matoran from old Bionicle, but I guess not. 

Also, 'I didn't trip' is now one of the best Bionicle quotes ever. No one can deny that. :)

Um... I think I can deny that. Am I the only one who thinks making Kopaka clumsy does more to ruin the character than make him quirky or more relatable?

 

Does anyone remember the early days of BIONICLE? Dare I say it, this is actually more in-depth. I mean, come on let's face it: MNOG was you walking around Mata Nui, and that was it. People can whine and say "Oh, this is worse than Gen 1!!!". Simpler? Yes. Worse? No. I expect that within a few months, we'll get books, comics, more in-depth stories, and longer episodes. 

 

No, MNOG was not just walking around. It was experiencing the world from the perspective of an average person. Unlike most tales which focus on the special heroes and how everybody reacts them(which Bionicle did through other mediums), MNOG let you experience the world as if you were just a villager yourself and you wanted to know how things worked. If we had a protector version, it would be the same model doing a hundred different things with dialogue trying to make each villager sound unique. And I believe you can say that at least so far the story is worse than Gen 1 when comparing 2001 with 2015, because the air of mystery and intrigue that 2001 captured feels phony and put on this time around(in my opinion). So far comics are a no-go and I believe they're sticking to 90 second shorts for awhile, so things aren't looking like they'll settle in and get more interesting and serious.

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Also, 'I didn't trip' is now one of the best Bionicle quotes ever. No one can deny that. :)

Um... I think I can deny that. Am I the only one who thinks making Kopaka clumsy does more to ruin the character than make him quirky or more relatable?

 

 

He slipped. Once. He even caught himself. He's not over-the-top, bull-in-a-china-shop clumsy. He slipped, and out of pride, denied it (that pride DEFINITELY being a feature of the original Kopaka). You saw him slip once and decided that completely ruined him? Wow, you're going to be disappointed when you find out how many people trip on a daily basis.

 

You have an issue of being determined to find things to hate about this. You imply putting a pendulum in the Temple of Time isn't clever, but how is it not? It clearly symbolizes time yet isn't as in-your-face about it as just slapping a bunch of clock faces on it or something. I think that's pretty neat, and it doesn't feel hamfisted or slapped on. You consider the scene with Tahu accidentally swatting skull spiders with his shield to be a failed attempt at humor, but I think it's pulled off excellently and alludes to his ability to escape a bad situation by mere luck, as mentioned in his bio. You call the Toa "cutout" even though they have more personality than their 2001 incarnations in any possible definition of the word.

 

I don't even know what you're claiming to compare this to, since the only pieces of 2001 media on this level of storytelling were MNOG and the comics, and I think this is pretty much at the same level as either of those. They certainly have more heart and BIONICLE-ish feel than any piece of media produced in 2006.

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Also, 'I didn't trip' is now one of the best Bionicle quotes ever. No one can deny that. :)

 

Um... I think I can deny that. Am I the only one who thinks making Kopaka clumsy does more to ruin the character than make him quirky or more relatable?

 

 

 

Though I do think it's a cool quote, I was kind of joking around when I made that comment. I probably could've been clearer when posting it though. Sorry for that. 

 

And I do think that making Kopaka clumsy could be interesting to see play out, depending on how it is used in the story. But that is just my opinion on this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone is one choice away from being the bad guy in another person's story.


 


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Yes, that is...a fact? Like, a lot of the stuff you mention is like this. You just...mention it, as it is, without really explaining what you think is so bad about it? You say things like we're just expected to find them childish and dumb. Without too much elaboration, it just looks like you just want to dislike them.... :/

 

I'll grant you that I did not elaborate on that one point, but I believe I made my reasons as to why the other problems are bad obvious. I assumed people on this BIONICLE website would understand the complaint of them being faceless when compared to the many names and faces of the Turaga and Matoran from old Bionicle, but I guess not. 

 

Not really, no, you made some general statements about it being a cluttered mess, and the characters being cutouts (bit early to say so early on regardless). But some stuff was just put out there. The Temple of Time and the elements, the villages and there being children, and the Protector who "dresses like an old man" until it's go time. You...didn't really explain anything regarding those things. Even your comment on the prophecy is pretty nitpicky. Seeing as how it should be those complaints that lead to the conclusion of the shorts being bad, rather than the other way around, the lack of elaboration leaves us guessing as to what you mean.

 

And for what it's worth, you said nameless, not faceless. Though I suppose they could be seen as two sides of the same coin, I still don't really see how that, at this point in the story, could be detrimental. As far as names go, when individual villagers have had no role to play, I don't see why you would expect them to receive them, and when a title works for the Protectors, there's currently little reason for them to get them, either. And as far as faces go, well, that's a more complicated problem, but it's also not that major a problem. Reusing masks is nothing new to Bionicle, (though admittedly not to this extent.) There would certainly be advantages to having more diversity in masks, but there is no real reason to assume that the lack of this diversity should stand in the way of having them be differentiable, solid characters.

 

In any case, these 3 videos more or less consist of as much story as the first couple of pages of the first Bionicle comic--up to around the point Kopaka meets Nuju, I guess. I'm not sure why you're looking for too much depth out of so little content.

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Am I one of those minifigs? :P Don't forget the famous Mata head with 2 gears behind it. :P

Yes, you were one of those I was thinking of, yarr. But let us try to stay on topic, even though I couldn't resist that comeback. :P

 

In all seriousness, though, having the negative thoughts surface first is a common human failing. I've seen it happen to myself and other so many times, especially when trying out new stuff. As Lego is constantly churning out new stuff, negative thoughts will continue to "skim off the topic". It's not just on BZPower. It's elsewhere on the internet and in real life. (How many times have I heard people say "I don't like this toy." and ten minutes later they are happily playing with it? Or how many times have I listened to a different music style than one I've been accustomed to, say "I don't like this", walk away, ten minutes later, come back, and say "This song is awesome!"? Negative comes up first. Positive takes longer to sink in.)

 

Back on topic:

 

I may be partially deaf, but what is the last thing Tahu says in the second episode?

It sounds like "Umm...bone?" 

 

Alright, here comes the unpopular opinion. These videos are so bad they are hilarious.

That was the impression I got watching them, especially the first two. The "so funny I could have laughed but so bad I couldn't find the right joke" feeling. It's supposed to be somewhat of a serious regal tone though, especially with the music.

 

I'll say this upfront, though, a lot of negativity in this post feels a little forced, almost as if you want to dislike the videos just to have an unpopular opinion. :shrugs:

 

We've got a temple of time with the oh-so-clever giant pendulum on it, the spiritual elements that were previously vague now reference prayers to... the sky? What?

Actually, it appears that elemental energies and an incantation are being used. And the giant pendulum is actually clever, but that's not a bad thing. Why is cleverness a bad thing?

 

The Matoran and Turaga of the original story really made the world feel lived in, but now the only characterization these faceless people get is not having a multi-colored mask or being a child who's there to look cute and otherwise be pointless.

Who says we're not going to meet these people? We're only three episodes in, and people are jumping to all of these conclusions. And the little guy does have a point - he's an audience surrogate for the kids. Plus also we know that the stories are passed down from father to son like the Masks, and that the little guy saw Tahu arrive. That might be important in his development later on.

 

We really can't compare an immersive island-exploring game with three-short clips. That's like judging MNOG by the cutscenes and not by the story it told through the gameplay and interactions. Obviously if we got an OOG, we would raise those high standards to it, and it would be a legit criticism.

 

There's a confusing prophecy that says the Toa will find the special masks and the Mask Maker, even though they've established that there are two(perhaps this is some kind of fake-out for them finding Makuta instead of Ekimu, but I'm not sure this story is clever enough even for that).

Yeah, that part was confusing. Why would the Protectors forget where they put Ekimu? Shouldn't he be rather easy to find?

 

We have failed and strange attempts at humor with Tahu making what are supposed to be somewhat threatening skull spiders look as effective and terrifying as thrown pillows.

I thought that was supposed to make Tahu look awesome. It wasn't really supposed to be funny. Remember the 2001 MNOG animation where Tahu comes alive and burns through a bunch of sticks? The guy looked like a threat. Same diff here - it's a callback.

 

We have a voice actor who was clearly chosen for his "narrator voice" trying to play seven different characters(one of which is a woman) and a Protector who dresses up as an old person until it's time to take action, where he reveals that he has a gatling gun on his back.

 

Don't forget the hilarious personality additions like Kopaka's ,"I didn't slip" line. Because that's what Kopaka needed, to be clumsy idiot.

 

And why is this a bad thing? Also clumsy =/= idiot.

 

We also have the clear separation of each Toa doing their own thing that is evident in the advertising and continues on here. Perhaps they'll show the Toa collaborating in a future shorts, but I don't think I've seen one promotional drawing or anything from the 2-D animation depicting two or more Toa doing something together.

Welcome to 2001.

 

And so far all the "nods" to the original story are slapping the Mask of Time in whatever nonsensical place imaginable.

Wait...you just said that the Toa weren't working together, which is very 2001, and yet you say this? :???: Not to mention we have mask quest (like 2001), Toa getting info from Matoran/Protectors/Turaga (like 2001).

 

Call me a curmudgeon, but these videos do not make me confident that this story will be even remotely as good as the old stuff, even with how convoluted and messy it got. They're rehashing all the basic elements of 2001 without putting any heart or thought into telling a good story. Now it's just each cutout Toa having a "destiny" to find their golden mask with the help of a nameless nobody who gives them extra weapons. Thrilling. I suppose there is still a chance for Lego to redeem themselves when the story continues to play out, but right now it's a childish mess in this viewer's opinion.

The Toa had a destiny to find all of the masks in 2001. The Toa were archetypal "cutouts" in 2001 too, actually more than these Toa are. The extra weapons thing...may I raise the Toa Nuva for you? I'll give you that this didn't feel as full of heart as 2001 did yet, but we haven't really gotten to know any of the characters to feel anything about them much. (Possibly Clinturaga Firewood and Tahu aside. :shrugs:)

 

And I'd say that there's more than an opportunity. The story is barely started, and it would seem that there's no need for placing limits and calling it Hero Factory just yet.  

Edited by fishers64
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Wow all 3 videos at once! And before even 2015! So awesome. Thanks LEGO! :) Really, really excellent quality with a nice cartoon art style and expressive and action-packed animation. The clarity is quite appealing, plus the movements and body language are really displayed nicely.

 

Story itself so far is very interesting. Ekimu is dead and placed into a tomb? The Protectors summon the Toa from a different timeline? A Temple of Time? 6 planets? Really quite interesting in that regard - all that plus the hidden Mask of Time's seem to insinuate to me a connection to the G1 Universe.

 

Content of the videos are pretty great, Tahu's arrival was hilarious. Just loved the exchange of dialogue and the sheer randomness of Tahu's unexpected defeat of the Skull Spiders. Plus, that kid Protector! TOO CUTE. And of course, Fire Elder going all bad-ash at the end left me in tears from laughing so hard. :P

 

Going to find the gold masks was cool too, though the pronunciation and some of the inflections in the narration really bugged me. Well in the end, was glad to see the "Toer" find where their masks are located (though some of this excitement is lost due to the retrieval already shown in the character animations).

 

Actually that is a bit of an issue. These 3 episodes alone seem to go too fast and its leaving us with little to anticipate since a lot seems to be covered already. I hope the scheduling of these episodes gets a little more spaced out when next year comes around.

 

And man, again, the Vahi easter-eggs are crazy. I was so surprised to see it in one of the screen-caps, moreso when I checked the video to confirm for myself. Absolutely awesome. Definitely intrigued to know the deal about that.

 

-NotS

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Are the protectors who hear the prophesy from Ekimu supposed to be the same protectors who summon the Toa? They do look the same.

 

It would imply that the Ekimu myth is actually a very recent event (protectors seem to be mortal and the events with Ekimu happened less than one generation ago). It kind of makes the "passing on the prophesy" video a bit misleading if they didn't *need* to pass it on at any point.

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Call me a curmudgeon, but these videos do not make me confident that this story will be even remotely as good as the old stuff, even with how convoluted and messy it got.  

 

You're a curmudgeon [;)]

The legend of the Toers is told once again!

 

Does everyone seriously not call them "toe-ah"? [:P] [:P] What do you call them? [:S] "too-ah?" "toe-ai"? [:S]

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What do you call them?

 

/to(ʊ).ʌ/ but I think I rarely say rarely say /to(ʊ).ɝː/ :(

I sincerely hope no-one has a diphthong, but I'm not going to try and prescribe any pronunciation; it doesn't help that I've not payed much attention to how any ad or canon pronounces it & I'm not sure of the pronunciation of the Maori word...

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I don't even know what you're claiming to compare this to, since the only pieces of 2001 media on this level of storytelling were MNOG and the comics, and I think this is pretty much at the same level as either of those. They certainly have more heart and BIONICLE-ish feel than any piece of media produced in 2006.

The new videos are just forcing in the traits for the Toa we've seen listed on the website, that's why Tahu's "lucky" defeat of all the Skull Spiders and Kopaka's slip make me mad. They have no subtlety and point to the idea that any characterization will revolve around these goofy traits. We'll certainly see a short ending with Gali making a terrible joke, Pohatu being scared of the dark, and Onua being sleepy, and somehow everybody will love it. 

 

Also, you may have forgotten the excellent Advance animations of each Toa Mata, which didn't need a narrator to say the exact same thing for each one. Those videos fueled the mystery, with each Toa just doing their on thing in their natural element. I would watch all those animations over this new stuff any day of the week. But yes, since it's 15 years later it's obvious that there will be some marketing changes. For one, it was easier for us to accept BIONICLE back then because it wasn't claiming to be anything else other than it was. This new BIONICLE has frustrated me and some fellow fans because it is using a name that has a decent reputation among those who remember it, and they're trying to re-market it to everybody: kids, new fans, and old fans. And that's not the problem. The problem is that these videos far from capture the same feel as old BIONICLE, and getting the narrator to voice everybody when they could just not given the Toa voices feels pretty lazy.

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They have no subtlety and point to the idea that any characterization will revolve around these goofy traits.

If you showed someone the Kopaka scene, I doubt the conclusion they'd come to is "he must be the clumsy one".  That scene better showcases his pride than anything else.  I think anyone could have slipped there and it would still have made sense.

 

Better to actually show the characters acting on their traits rather than leave them as generic hero templates, anyway.

 

Also, you may have forgotten the excellent Advance animations of each Toa Mata, which didn't need a narrator to say the exact same thing for each one. Those videos fueled the mystery, with each Toa just doing their on thing in their natural element.

 

A narrator might have been good, actually.  "Gali climbs a rock" and "Pohatu kicks a stone arch" on their own tell you absolutely nothing about who these characters are or why they're doing what they're doing.  On their own there was no "mystery" to fuel.

 

I would watch all those animations over this new stuff any day of the week.

 

Probably because you have a history of fond memories with those, whereas these have been public for all of a day.

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OH SNAP!!! It reminds me of Samurai Jack and that Star Wars Clone Wars mini series! I love it, I hope they will make an actual cartoon of it. I know that the narrator is narrating like it is a story book, which is fine, but I wouldn't mind hearing the characters with their own voices. I think if they make an actual show it could be a lot better than that Ninjago whatever. lol

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So is it just me or does it look like each toa has to fight a different LoSS once they get to their golden mask, before or right after they put it on?

 

I loved the animations, the style, humor etc. The voice acting for Gali did gripe me but I'm pretty sure its a Protector telling her part as if he was Gali. The other voice acting was fine. I like the actiony parts, and the young Protector is adorable. Would be cool if he is Takua.

 

As for the Vahi everywhere, pretty neat, I didn't think about the Toa being the same ones from the old canon transported here for some reason, would be interesting.

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The new videos are just forcing in the traits for the Toa we've seen listed on the website, that's why Tahu's "lucky" defeat of all the Skull Spiders and Kopaka's slip make me mad. They have no subtlety and point to the idea that any characterization will revolve around these goofy traits. We'll certainly see a short ending with Gali making a terrible joke, Pohatu being scared of the dark, and Onua being sleepy, and somehow everybody will love it. 

I thought Tahu's victory was actually quite humorous and made sense given the context that he had just arrived to the island. As for Kopaka's little stumble, it was cute and wasn't exactly "in-your-face". I assume these little quirks will be best when all the Toa interact together. I think it will create an interesting team dynamic. :)

 

-NotS

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It seems as if the Box Comics happen directly after episode 3.

 

To summarize what happens. Each protector accompanies the Toa of their element. They find the mask. Skull spiders attack. Skull spider attaches to protecters face. Toa gets mask. Toer defeats protector. Protector gives Toer his weapons.

 

ONE comic is a bit unique though.

 

The protector of fire tries to steal the gold skull spider mask. He grabs it, but then the white Lord of teh Skull Spidahs traps him in a web.

Edited by Boidoh

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"I am Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon." - Lloyd, Episode 4: Never Trust a Snake

"I am Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon." - Lloyd, Episode 44: Corridor of Elders

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To me, the episodes feel more like promos. Don't get me wrong, I loved them, but... well, for a start, they're only a minute and a half long. For another, they skip a lot of things. There's not really any worldbuilding, and it feels like they're missing a lot of crucial details, especially if you think of a kid watching the show without reading about it first. How did they find the masks? What's the deal with the gatling guns? Why is New Vakama showing it off like it's really important? Why are the spiders attacking? Do the Toa know each other yet? What happens after they get the masks? Why do they want the masks if they already have some?

 

Stuff like this just left me a bit deflated. Love the show, love the art style, it just really feels rushed and more like a promo for an episode rather than the actual episode. I actually thought they WERE promos.

 

I was expecting a show that had a plot, but had some fun thrown in, too, sort of like Ninjago did but more goofy. What I got was the time-slot for Mixels and a group of writers being told they had 90 seconds to cover what was around 20 minutes of plot. I'm hoping they get better as time goes on, or at least cover more. I really like the show, but it's feeling really cut apart.

 

There were a lot of positives in the show, though; the voice acting being all by the same guy was actually decent. I mean, I didn't even know until I watched the Gali promo. Also, the subtle references to the original story (Tahu's arrival sounds a lot like something from the 2001 arc) were really well-done. Though short, they weren't unpleasant to watch by any definition of the word, even with the skips in the story. Also New Vakama does magic tricks so there's that, and the characters all seem really cool and awesome so far.

Edited by ZippyWharrgarbl
  • Upvote 3

Memoirs of the Dead entry: The Unknown Turaga, a tale from the late Chronicler Kodan's journal.


Strakk's Best Friend, the story of a confusing yet somehow canon friendship.


Terrible Comics, a collection of comics that are terrible.

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Hey gang

 

Just came back from seeing a CGI bionicle trailer on the three virtues cannnel. Id submit it to news but I dont know how so I decided to share the existance of the video here.

Just send an email to news@BZPower.com with a link to the video and your username. :)

- Gata

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Please don't use my avatar or signature without permission, thanks! ^_^

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The narrator could certainly be better.  The writing is...eh.  The music is solid.  The animation...

 

...the animation rocks the socks off just about everything since MNOG or the Bohrok.  I like it more every time I see it.

15863836330_7c7ce4fb30.jpg


"And at the closing of the day              


                     She loosed the chain, and down she lay;              


                The broad stream bore her far away,              


           The Lady of Shalott."              


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The episodes are awesome! I love them!:) There are a lot of interesting stuff in them:

1. We learn there is a prophecy about the Toa defeating evil and recover the Mask of Creation

2. There is a smaller version of the Protector of Fire. He kind of reminds me of Takua, and the Protector calls him his son. And also, he is cute!:)

3. There is the Temple of Time, which kind of functions like a grandfather clock, humorously, where the elders are summoning the Toa.

4. Ekimu is spitting some kind of Nuva-symbol-like letters where he is asleep. He is also put into in a tomb.

5. It's surprising that the Fire elder going commando, and has a power to show people the prophecy visually with a ball of energy.

6. It seems that the quests for the golden masks is short at this time.

7. Tahu sounds like Tim Curry.

Anyway, it's funny that Tahu is being silly right after he arrived on Okoto. Plus, it's cool how Tahu defeated the Skull Spiders behind him right after his arrival. It's also funny that Kopaka was being silly when he slipped on ice, but he did said he didn't. I think he wants to look cool (get it, because he is a Toa of Ice? LOL.). And also, the narrator did a good job.:)

Also anyway, I hope this new story could expand to the second half of 2015 because I would be bored for the second six months if it takes the first six months to complete because it looks like that the story would be great. Besides, I don't want to be bored in second half of next year, like how quick did Hero Factory's Invasion From Below story take in the beginning of this year. It was a bit disappointing.

Edited by Lenny7092

I like Lego, Bionicle, and Hero Factory!:)

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Alright, here comes the unpopular opinion. These videos are so bad they are hilarious.

 

We've got a temple of time with the oh-so-clever giant pendulum on it, the spiritual elements that were previously vague now reference prayers to... the sky? What?

 

This world has nameless villagers who specifically mention having sons, as well as a cute baby villager with goo-goo eyes. 

 

There's a confusing prophecy that says the Toa will find the special masks and the Mask Maker, even though they've established that there are two(perhaps this is some kind of fake-out for them finding Makuta instead of Ekimu, but I'm not sure this story is clever enough even for that).

 

We have failed and strange attempts at humor with Tahu making what are supposed to be somewhat threatening skull spiders look as effective and terrifying as thrown pillows.

 

We have a voice actor who was clearly chosen for his "narrator voice" trying to play seven different characters(one of which is a woman) and a Protector who dresses up as an old person until it's time to take action, where he reveals that he has a gatling gun on his back.

 

And so far all the "nods" to the original story are slapping the Mask of Time in whatever nonsensical place imaginable.

 

Call me a curmudgeon, but these videos do not make me confident that this story will be even remotely as good as the old stuff, even with how convoluted and messy it got. They're rehashing all the basic elements of 2001 without putting any heart or thought into telling a good story. Now it's just each cutout Toa having a "destiny" to find their golden mask with the help of a nameless nobody who gives them extra weapons. Thrilling. I suppose there is still a chance for Lego to redeem themselves when the story continues to play out, but right now it's a childish mess in this viewer's opinion. 

 

Well, right now they need to make kids feel welcome to join the story, and they need to introduce this entire world to them, with the products just hitting shelves. Does anyone remember the early days of BIONICLE? Dare I say it, this is actually more in-depth. I mean, come on let's face it: MNOG was you walking around Mata Nui, and that was it. 

 

I'm not taking a stance on 2015 yet, as it seems to offer both good and bad things, but it's really reaching to say that it's more in-depth than 2001.

 

In the MNOG, you could go into Whenua's hut and, if you just kept clicking on him, listen as he rambles on about mining operations and workers' unions for an entire 44 lines. Not to mention the maps of the island with every name indicated, the introduction of a Matoran language, and even a scarcely-used system of measurements. The Toa's story that year was mostly hinted at (we only saw them find, what, three masks?), but they knocked it out of the park with the worldbuilding. It would take a lot of effort to reach that level of immersion again.

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I'll be totally honest, I wasn't a fan of the animation at first, but it's starting to grow on me. The design theory is a bit too stripped down for me, but it's very fluid and natural feeling. The narration is hit-and-miss for me, but that might just be the script as opposed to the actual voice work (w/ the exception of Gali; that's just... I don't... there's no words for that). 

 

I will agree with Wrinkle on this one: the worldbuilding needs a lot of work. Granted, that's just something that will *hopefully* come with time, but as of now MNOG is still king rat in that department. I don't think we'll get the Joseph Campbell-ian sensibilities we had the last time around (simply because kids are different these days), but there's a whole year for meat to get pulled over these bones. 

 

I'm really hoping the adversity gets fleshed out better, though. I don't want to see the Toa fighting

 

Mermaidman Evil

 

the whole time.

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But... *narrator voice* it  is their destiny to fight evil and saaave the island!

  • Upvote 1

Add me on 3DS: 0516-7750-0068

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"I am Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon." - Lloyd, Episode 4: Never Trust a Snake

"I am Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon." - Lloyd, Episode 44: Corridor of Elders

Like, Comment, And Subscribe for Nintendo Content - NinBoidoh

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Alright, here comes the unpopular opinion. These videos are so bad they are hilarious.

 

We've got a temple of time with the oh-so-clever giant pendulum on it, the spiritual elements that were previously vague now reference prayers to... the sky? What?

 

This world has nameless villagers who specifically mention having sons, as well as a cute baby villager with goo-goo eyes. 

 

There's a confusing prophecy that says the Toa will find the special masks and the Mask Maker, even though they've established that there are two(perhaps this is some kind of fake-out for them finding Makuta instead of Ekimu, but I'm not sure this story is clever enough even for that).

 

We have failed and strange attempts at humor with Tahu making what are supposed to be somewhat threatening skull spiders look as effective and terrifying as thrown pillows.

 

We have a voice actor who was clearly chosen for his "narrator voice" trying to play seven different characters(one of which is a woman) and a Protector who dresses up as an old person until it's time to take action, where he reveals that he has a gatling gun on his back.

 

And so far all the "nods" to the original story are slapping the Mask of Time in whatever nonsensical place imaginable.

 

Call me a curmudgeon, but these videos do not make me confident that this story will be even remotely as good as the old stuff, even with how convoluted and messy it got. They're rehashing all the basic elements of 2001 without putting any heart or thought into telling a good story. Now it's just each cutout Toa having a "destiny" to find their golden mask with the help of a nameless nobody who gives them extra weapons. Thrilling. I suppose there is still a chance for Lego to redeem themselves when the story continues to play out, but right now it's a childish mess in this viewer's opinion. 

 

Well, right now they need to make kids feel welcome to join the story, and they need to introduce this entire world to them, with the products just hitting shelves. Does anyone remember the early days of BIONICLE? Dare I say it, this is actually more in-depth. I mean, come on let's face it: MNOG was you walking around Mata Nui, and that was it. !

 

 

My rebuttal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=I9ZbOljuviY#t=1135

 

That said, I love how Gen2 is shaping up. It SHOULDN'T feel exactly the same, otherwise, what's the point of it being a reboot? I just want it to have more class and more of a sense of adventure than Hero Factory ever did... which it does. In terms of introducing us to this new world in all of... what, less than five minutes? I'd say they've done a pretty bang-up job.

  • Upvote 1

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The Toa- A Bionicle Retelling by NickonAquaMagna http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/25275-the-toa-a-retelling-of-bionicle/

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I cringed every time the narrator called the Toa "To-er".

Me too ugh!

 

 

...I believe that's simply what is known as an "accent."

  • Upvote 3

15863836330_7c7ce4fb30.jpg


"And at the closing of the day              


                     She loosed the chain, and down she lay;              


                The broad stream bore her far away,              


           The Lady of Shalott."              


+

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Really love these videos - the artstyle, dialogue and manerisms of the characters are really well done! The narrator himself is quite good, though the Toa could probably use a bit of work. Great sense of humour throughout these and really liked a few allusions to the original series (or what I thought were allusions, like Tahu's first line :P ). Looking forward to having these come out over the coming weeks - I also think they should be quite cool to watch as one once they're all released.

 

On the note of the Takua like character  - it'll be interesting to see if they follow similar archetype developments with the parallels to the original, or take a different route. Either way will be exciting to see. :)

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