Jump to content

Girls' Corner


Alyska

Recommended Posts

Alrighty, let's try this again!I tried making this topic when the forums first came back, but it got swamped pretty quickly under the influx of all the other new topics being posted in COT. Now that things have calmed down a bit, let's give it another go...Here's what I posted last time:

Hi all! Welcome back. I couldn't find an "Official Bzpower Girls' corner V", so this can serve that purpose until it's back up. Here's the info from the front page of the last one:

Let's face it, folks, boys and girls are different. And that's a good thing.This topic is a place to post links and discussion by, about, and for the feminine side of Bionicle and BZPower. Boys and gentleToa are welcome to join in too, but please remember to wipe your muddy feet on the doormat. (Oh, sorry, that was sexist.)This is the fourth incarnation of the Girl's Corner tradition first established by the distinguished BZP member GaliGee. Some of you might be wondering "What happened to the BGCIII topic?" and "Where in the Mangaia is GaliGee?" Well, with RealLife increasingly encroaching on her online time, our beloved patron decided to step down from the duties of maintaining the topic, particularly the ever-growing submission list. Thus the topic has now been reborn once more under the govern of a group of dedicated BGCIII regulars."But didn't this use to be the Bionicle Girls' Corner?" and "Wasn't it in GD to begin with?" Due to a number of developments in the BGCIII topic, it was moved to CoT and had a name change to accommodate a more flexible discussion content. So here we are! biggrin.gifAt its heart, this is a topic intended for ...

  • [*]Discussion of Bionicle and the other various fictitious worlds of LEGO, particularly in relation to the female characters[*]Female BZPers (quite a minority here on BZP) to meet others of their kind and perhaps not be such a minority for once[*]Keeping track of the various artistic pieces submitted regarding female characters in Bionicle and other LEGO franchises (once again, quite a minority)[*]Meeting people, talking, and having fun, but with Bionicle- and LEGO-related discussion generally at the epicenter.

Here's hoping it's just as awesome as before!
One thing I remember we were talking about a lot pre-downtime was where exactly this topic belonged and what could/should be discussed in it (Should it be limited to Bionicle and Lego, or can we talk about femininity/gender issues in general? Can we discuss the big issues in a sensible way, or is that just asking for trouble?)At first, I was wanting it back in GD, where it would get visited more often, but now I think being in COT allows for a wider range of discussion topics.What do you think?
  • Upvote 1

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I, of course, being a female Bionicle fan, support this topic and would love to have it official. :D But anway, either way is pretty good, but in COT, things aren't specifically excluded/limited to just BZP and Bionicle this way, I suppose.But, I suggest some authors/artists submit stories and art based on some popular female characters, or at least contribute by submitting things. I'd be willin to contribute, but would the topics be limited to just the new forums or some from the archives, too?Also, first topic of discussion I figure might be interesting: Is there any lack of female Bionicle characters? Too many? More female gender-specific elements? The way I look at it, lots of female characters could be added, not to mention another female element or two. In other words, I do see that the female character portion is lacking. We need more brave, headstrong go-getters that aren't afraid to pick a fight, but still keep a feminine and gentle side. ^_^

On the day the wall came down / They threw the locks onto the ground

And with glasses high / We raised a cry / For freedom had arrived

 

On the day the wall came down / The ship of fools had finally run aground

Promises lit up the night / Like paper doves in flight

 

I dreamed you had left my side / No warmth, not even pride remained

And even though you needed me / It was clear that I could not do a thing for you

 

Now life devalues day by day / As friends and neighbors turn away

And there's a change that even with regret / Cannot be undone

 

Now frontiers shift like desert sands / While nations wash their bloodied hands

Of loyalty, of history / In shades of grey

 

I woke to the sound of drums / The music played, the morning sun streamed in

I turned and I looked at you / And all but the bitter residues slipped away

 

slipped away...

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think in the old topic there was a list of stories, MOCs, and artwork by female BZPers, which naturally had some overlap with what you're suggesting. Combining the old and the new forum content in a list might work, but there's the slight inconvenience of getting logged out of the new forums evry time you visit the old ones- Maybe we could have two separate lists?I agree with the bit about strong, brave female characters, and I think that's a direction Greg's trying to go in with his more recent characters. However, there are also several other personality types I'd like to see. For example, Bionicle has never really had a female comic relief character. Probably the closest we've come is Varian, but I don't think we'll ever be seeing her again.To be fair, I think writing female characters must be an absolute minefield for male writers. If Greg was to create a team of six Toa, with one female, and said female was the ditzy comic relief character who was always getting into trouble, I'm pretty sure that some readers would say stuff like "Hey! You made the girl Toa dumber than all the guys! THAT'S SEXIST!". As a result, a lot of writers are reluctant to give their female characters significant flaws, which is why many females end up relegated to the "Voice Of Reason" role.Of course, the easy solution is to have at least two females on your team, who balance each other out personality-wise. But Lego doesn't seem to like that option very much...

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would that would work out the best. Two seperate lists would be less confusing, the second with old data just being entitled 'Archived Works' or something. Still, I'd be willing to help out to submit some links, and maybe old ones from the GaliGee Girls' Corner, so we have the original links and whatnot. Nonetheless, let me know if you ever need my help. :)True. And, yes, a comedic female character would be nice. And, if there were two female characters on a team of six Toa, the comedic character might replace the role of a Toa of Air, or something similar to that. But yes, it is difficult for male writers. Female writers would know how to write the characters out, I suppose. And, although that would be slightly funny, it would be sexist to most. But, if it were written like that, the character probably wouldn't get any screen time because she is not an intellectual of sorts.Agreed. And, indeed, LEGO sadly won't allow that, probably because of marketing. They figure that the male is the dominant gender wanting to buy Bionicle sets, and they might lose some fans if they add another female character, which means one less male character to them. And I suppose there would be some argument as to whom would be the more important of the two female characters, but it would still be cool, nonetheless.

On the day the wall came down / They threw the locks onto the ground

And with glasses high / We raised a cry / For freedom had arrived

 

On the day the wall came down / The ship of fools had finally run aground

Promises lit up the night / Like paper doves in flight

 

I dreamed you had left my side / No warmth, not even pride remained

And even though you needed me / It was clear that I could not do a thing for you

 

Now life devalues day by day / As friends and neighbors turn away

And there's a change that even with regret / Cannot be undone

 

Now frontiers shift like desert sands / While nations wash their bloodied hands

Of loyalty, of history / In shades of grey

 

I woke to the sound of drums / The music played, the morning sun streamed in

I turned and I looked at you / And all but the bitter residues slipped away

 

slipped away...

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just want to pop in and say that as a guy, I enjoy writing female characters into my stories. Personally I don't think elements should have assigned gender roles, since that sucks out a lot of potential characters from the story. In fan-fics (though I don't publish many :P), I try to mix-and-match genders and elements according to what I want rather than what canon dictates. For example, my two female characters in the BZP RPG is a Ta-Matoran and a Toa of Plasma.Some of my favorite fictional characters are female. In BIONICLE, it's Lariska, Hahli and a few others. I didn't like Roodaka very much because she seemed too "femme fatale", ironically enough. It seemed almost like they piled cliches onto her just to make her a "real" female villain.In movies, we got Ellen Ripley (Alien films), a reluctant soldier who in the middle of a distaster still knows how to shoot some alien abominations. In video games, we got girls like Samus Aran (Metroid), Tali (Mass Effect), Iji (Iji) and Midna (Zelda). Out of those, Samus is a warrior who knows how to keep her head cool (at least up until Other M...), Tali swings between insecure and , while Iji starts out as an apologetic pacifist before she potentially turns into a great warrior. Midna is the odd one out, as she's not as much an action heroine as she is the sarcastic sidekick.I love sci-fi, and I love females that not only know how to fight but also has a lighter side. There are a lot of "kill-kill-kill" female characters I don't care for. I enjoy some comedic relief, and most of these characters have that as well. A good blend of action, emotion, comedy and good thinking make a character for me, both male and female. In the end, I don't think gender matters as much as it once did.Of course, I'm 20. I know my younger self always prioritized the male action heroes because I could personify myself as them, so that's one thing. "Commander Shepard" in Mass Effect will also always be the default male appearance for me, despite being able to create any character I want. In Fallout and Dragon Age: Origins, however, the main character has a less defined personality and thus I enjoy making them female, for some reason. Like ME, DA2 always has male Hawke for me.I dunno what more to say, I feel like I'm ranting now because I don't know how to conclude this post. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

True. And, yes, a comedic female character would be nice. And, if there were two female characters on a team of six Toa, the comedic character might replace the role of a Toa of Air, or something similar to that. But yes, it is difficult for male writers. Female writers would know how to write the characters out, I suppose. And, although that would be slightly funny, it would be sexist to most. But, if it were written like that, the character probably wouldn't get any screen time because she is not an intellectual of sorts.

I don't think it's necessarily harder for male writers to actually write them (That may be the case with some lesser writers, but definitely not Greg), but men are more likely to be criticised for their portrayals of women than female writers. Add that to external influences like Lego wanting predominantly male characters, and it's not surprising that most of the female characters in Bionicle go the "safe" route personality-wise. Even the more balanced characters like Hahli seem to be less flawed than their male companions.And ironically, I'm being pretty nitpicky and over-analytical myself, which only makes Greg's job even harder. :POf course, it's not always better for female writers, since female writers with female lead characters are much more likely to attract cries of "Mary Sue!" than male writers with female leads. Male characters in general also seem less likely to get called Sues/Stus. (I'm pretty sure that if Batman was a Bat-woman, she'd cop that criticism a lot more often than the male version does).

I'm a guy but I have long hair, can I lurk?

It says in the first post, gents are allowed. Even long-haired ones.

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just want to pop in and say that as a guy, I enjoy writing female characters into my stories. Personally I don't think elements should have assigned gender roles, since that sucks out a lot of potential characters from the story. In fan-fics (though I don't publish many :P), I try to mix-and-match genders and elements according to what I want rather than what canon dictates. For example, my two female characters in the BZP RPG is a Ta-Matoran and a Toa of Plasma.

I love doing that too! It's so much more fun because it allows you display male/female sides of all the elemental sterotypes... And the odd ones out, of course. ;)

I didn't like Roodaka very much because she seemed too "femme fatale", ironically enough. It seemed almost like they piled cliches onto her just to make her a "real" female villain.

I never liked her, either. After GregF made a point of keeping romance out of a storyline mostly geared towards little boys (no offense!), it was kinda.... tacky/creepy to have a (forgive the word) sexy female villainess who used her attractivness as a tool. Not sure who's descision that was, but Roodaka was too much of everything to be real.Your list of cool females in entertainment left one out: the ever-silent, but oh-so-epic Chell from Portal! She and Hahli are my favorite computer game characters.EDIT: Just realized I should probably say I am a teen female, for clarity's sake. Edited by Hahli Historian

Current Epic: Life is a Blank - last post Jan. 22

My Library: The Esoteric Athenaeum

Member of the Epic Critics' Club

 

aa0ef09c4ad9bf8017ddec306412e550_zpscff1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never liked her, either. After GregF made a point of keeping romance out of a storyline mostly geared towards little boys (no offense!), it was kinda.... tacky/creepy to have a (forgive the word) sexy female villainess who used her attractivness as a tool. Not sure who's descision that was, but Roodaka was too much of everything to be real.

Yeah, I had no problem with the Macku/Hewkii relationship back during the island arc, because that was cute and kind of funny. Roodaka/sidorak, however, was just... strange. On one hand she is all "I'm sexy!" and he's all "we're getting married!" and I was all "that doesn't make any sense!". I'm reminded of a pic from a now-banned member that was kind of crude but definitely got the joke across: "I guess we're not 'bio' enough". :lol: But enough about that.

Your list of cool females in entertainment left one out: the ever-silent, but oh-so-epic Chell from Portal! She and Hahli are my favorite computer game characters.

I'm kind of ashamed to say I forgot about her. I loved both Portal games! I guess it's because she stays silent for the entire game and so is more of a player avatar than anything. GLaDOS is a fantastic villain, though, so that's another female I should have remembered.Now that I've started thinking, I'm reminded of a lot other characters I like:- Riza Hawkeye, Winry Rockbell and Izumi Curtis (Fullmetal Alchemist), who is respectively a soldier, a mechanic with a temper and a martial arts teacher, all with a bit of humor involved.- Karen Stadtfeld (Code Geass), a mecha pilot and devoted resistance member.- Plenty of the X-(wo)Men- Alyx Vance (Half-Life 2) because she is awesome, period.- White Mage (8-Bit Theater). Even though she's more of a healer and voice of reason and one to be traumatized by all the chaos the main characters cause... she does have her moments to shine.And possibly: Vaarsuvius (Order of the Stick) for being a verbose, spell-slinging elf of ambiguous gender and The Pyro (Team Fortress 2) for being a lovable lunatic, also with ambiguous gender.Probably there are even more that I have skipped over.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A topic all about women, eh? Then I can ask the most important question ever for the British ones/fans.Who would you rather grow up to be like: Hyacynth Bucket (pronounced bouquet), or Margo Leadbetter? As a third option, let's throw in Dame Edna, though that would include having to be Australian (It's better than being from the North)

69 Days to a Better Body

Days left: 45 | Days completed: 24 | Yesterday: Shoulder's & Glutes - Today's: Triceps - Tomorrow's: Biceps

Miles Completed: 123(+2 Miles) | Today's Time: 1H

8330_s.gif

Exercise time was too bloody hard to fix...forgot to track a few days...sorry.

 

MOCs: Sah n Dibum - Vehicles Part 1 - Mouldi Pheats - Daleks

Stories: Adventures in the LegoVerse

Interesting Stuff: Shows You're Watching

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Roodaka's personality and design were decided on by the animation studio that made WoS, rather than Lego. I mean, Lego set designers came up with the set, but apparently it was one of several, and the less "feminine" designs were rejected by the people making the movie. Greg handled her personality quite well in the later years, as she obviously relied on her wits to manipulate people, rather than her... um, energy pods, or whatever those things on her chest are. :PI like to assume that the males of her species look exactly the same as the females. That would really mess with the fans.

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I actually like how Greg writes most characters, despite that whole argument about the serial with Chiara (what was the problem there, again?). Personally I view male Vortixx as looking like Roodaka except with less female traits, and I guess that would be the official stance. I believe that if the story dictated for them all to look like her we would have another case of "one-gender species" on our hands. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I actually like how Greg writes most characters, despite that whole argument about the serial with Chiara (what was the problem there, again?).

As in Chiara Zanni, Hahli's voice actress in MoL? She was in a BIONICLE serial, and I didn't know about it?! *dies* And, along with Katuko, I'd like to know what was the problem? Edited by Hahli Historian

Current Epic: Life is a Blank - last post Jan. 22

My Library: The Esoteric Athenaeum

Member of the Epic Critics' Club

 

aa0ef09c4ad9bf8017ddec306412e550_zpscff1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm guessing it was the whole discussion with Orde about why Psionics became a female element. Chiara was kind of meant to counter-balance the possible sexism issues there, I think. Basically, Orde said "I was too violent, so they made Psionics female" and Chiara said "yeah, we women are so docile" and then zapped a random lizard-thingy to death. Or something. I will have to re-read it first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From what I can tell, there were several groups of complainers:

  • [*]Those who thought that Greg was being sexist because of the "female equals gentle" logic. (It was actually meant to establish that the Great Beings were the ones being sexist. (This group kind of missed the point.)

  • [*]The second group was complaining about the first group, because they thought that the "female equals gentle" logic was perfectly reasonable, and didn't see what all the fuss was about. (This group also missed the point.)

  • [*]The third group just didn't think Chiara should have zapped that poor lizard. I tend to agree with this, since the act of hurting an innocent animal is often used to characterise someone as cruel and violent (It was done quite a bit when the Piraka were introduced). According to Greg, Chiara is not meant to be like that at all. When you're in the early stages of introducing a character, it's important to remember that everything they do is going to influence how the audience percieves a character.

My views:

  • [*]I actually quite like the "sexist Great Beings" explanation, as it explains so much anbout the Matoran Universe. Why are there more male Matoran than females? Because the GBs thought that males would be more useful for the functioning of the universe than females! It all makes perfect sense.[*]However, I don't get why Orde had to be male in the first place. It can't have been just so we could get that one-off piece of backstory, and Greg has said that he's not going to write about gender issues ever again after this little piece of controversy. Part of the reason so many people voted for Psionics and Lightning to be on the new team was so that we could have two female Toa on the same team. I'll give Greg the benefit of the doubt and assume he had a memory lapse, but if that's the case, he should think about getting himself an editor who is familiar with the Bionicle canon. I'm sure one of the S&T staff would be happy to do it.[*]I want to like Chiara, but I don't. She's obviously intended to be a strong female character, but she's a bit two dimensional at this stage, and she hasn't done anything significant in the story so far. I hope later chapters spend more time fleshing out her personality.

I have a few more points I'd like to make on this, but I've tried typing it out in full twice, and my computer crashed both times. I'll probably edit this post and elaborate later.

Edited by Alyska

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do what I do with long posts: Write in Word, Open Office or whatever and save often. Browser crashes and connection failures have taught be the hard way to never trust your multi-page post to be safe on the net until it has actually been saved.I see where the debate comes from, but I guess I'm in the "eeeehhhh" group that never really cared for the argument. I can see valid points on all sides, but the one I agree the most with is the third you name: Chiara should probably not have killed a random creature, even if it was a throw-away joke. Of course, Greg might have intended it more like the cartoonish way of "frying" someone.Regarding your sig: I tend to ship F/F instead. Yes, I am a terrible person. No, I don't care. :biggrin:

Edited by Katuko
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like to assume that the males of her species look exactly the same as the females. That would really mess with the fans.

Best idea ever! XDBut, this topic looks interesting. I'm normally not into these types of things (I'm more about equality and all that... But, I still can appreciate differences between people -it just seems kinda ditzy and ignorant to just pretend everyone is a giant grey blob. XD-)One thing that kinda annoys me is all of the blue in BIONICLE female characters. Water = Blue, Lightning = Blue and white, Psionics = Blue and Gold ... Does female just = blue for toa and matoran? =/ I'd love to see a different base color.

Executive Vice President of Tomato Throwing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, Roodaka is black and silver, though those are universal colors. Lariska is said to be... er, bluish green. :PI see equality as a great thing, and I guess this topic was made simply because females are in the minority in BIONICLE and many other story universes. Personally, I'm here because I want to think women are awesome. There, I said it. Don't tell my sister. (Though she knows and we both scoff at stereotypes already.) :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, but she's a Vortix. I'm talking about Toa and Matoran for the most part... Though, Roodaka is my favorite movie villain (great voice actor, fun character. XD).Though, I do like using female characters, Bionicle and elsewhere. I have one right now that's a Matoran of Lightning. I'm trying to stay true to the elemental personalities that characters seem to have, so I'm trying to make her be very short tempered and quick to act. Unfortunately my readers think she just hates the world entirely. XD Though, she still needs to go under some development, so I'm not too worried about it. I gotta say, as far as villains go, Roodaka and Lariska have been my favorites, just because of their poisonous personalities and the fact that they're schemers who appear to have their own agendas outside of their masters. Roodaka being a double agent and Lariska declaring that she shall kill The Shadowed One... right to his face (or if memory serves correctly. It's been a while since I've read the stories. XP). They're actually far more memorable than Teridax in most stories, than the Barraki, Bohrok, Rahkshi, Bahrag, etc. I just think they're awesome. XD Edited by Tekulo: Toa of Wind

Executive Vice President of Tomato Throwing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Katuko- I think she should have just given Orde a harmless 50 volts or so. It would have served the same purpose of establishing her as not-gentle, and would have been funnier, in my opinion. Orde would have deserved it more than the lizard did.As for my sig, I came up with that in the last Bzpower Girls' corner, in response to all the "KIIINA AND GRESH!" "NOOOOO, KIINA AND BERIX" that was going on. Bionicle doesn't provide much material for female/female 'ships, since it's rare to see two female characters so much as interacting.@Tekulo- I agree about the equality thing. One thing I've started to notice is that something that is sexist against women is actually far more likely to get called out and discussed than something that is sexist against men, and that to me is quite dangerous. And it of course enforces a huge double standard: that women need to be defended from sexism, while men should be able to just shrug it off.Classic example: Brony haters. If someone was saying I shouldn't like Bionicle because I'm female, they'd immediately get shot down in flames. But criticising a man for liking something aimed at girls? That's okay!I'm sure the topic is flexible enough to cover equality in general, if that's what you'd like to talk about.

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, I've noticed the same thing, Alyska. Actually, that's kinda personal to me (I'm a brony, though I actually haven't been made fun of for liking it yet. XD But there's more to why it's personal to me). I like to think of Marten Luther King Jr's words a lot when it comes to equality. To judge someone based on the content of their character as opposed to their outward characteristics (Okay, that's the short version. I could ramble on forever about this. XD). So, I try to go by character first and foremost. And communicating through text on a forum site really helps (as I have no idea what anyone looks like and I have to place a little trust in them, yet still be smart about things, etc). And this topic is about the girls, so I'm fine with sticking to that subject. ^^ Like I said, I can be aware of the differences in people, and as the original topic said, boys and girls are indeed different (and it's a good thing). After all, what's the world without differences? It's a boring grey blob. XDHmm... You know, I think some of my favorite characters in Bionicle are female. Roodaka, Lariska, Hahli, Macku, Gali, etc. Of course I still love Tamaru, Lewa, Kongu, Jaller, etc. Still, the female characters seem to be just a little more memorable in general. Maybe it's because they were scarce and that made them a little more unique? Or it could have been because they were just plain epic. Can't decide. XD

Executive Vice President of Tomato Throwing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone besides me wish Macku had a more prominent role in later story development? I mean, obviously, Hahli is my favorite, but Macku was such a great personality - feisty and sad, tough and gentle all at once. My siblings and I actually built Ga-koro entirely out of construction paper, tape, and pipe cleaners just to use our home-made Hahli and Macku. (no, I'm not kidding. It was seriously cool. Sadly, it got destroyed when our basement flooded)

Edited by Hahli Historian

Current Epic: Life is a Blank - last post Jan. 22

My Library: The Esoteric Athenaeum

Member of the Epic Critics' Club

 

aa0ef09c4ad9bf8017ddec306412e550_zpscff1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone besides me wish Macku had a more prominent role in later story development? I mean, obviously, Hahli is my favorite, but Macku was such a great personality - feisty and sad, tough and gentle all at once. My siblings and I actually built Ga-koro entirely out of construction paper, tape, and pipe cleaners just to use our home-made Hahli and Macku. (no, I'm not kidding. It was seriously cool. Sadly, it got destroyed when our basement flooded)

Yes. Just yes. Macku is one of my favorite matoran (as there aren't too many main matoran characters left to pick seeing as half of them turned into toa. XD). I actually just wrote my entry for Short Story Contest 8 about her. I'm not sure if I got her character right... but it was fun to do. ^^ (I haven't posted it yet, by the way. Still deciding if I want to tweak it yet).I was so disappointed that Hewkii and Macku were not a canon couple (same with Jaller and Hahli) Seriously, that would make a great comparison story. Hahli ends up with Jaller while Macku loses Hewkii when he becomes a toa. Even if the relationship isn't romantic, it still makes for an interesting set-up (and that's kinda what my entry is about. XD It's not that romantic, though. I decided to shy away from the relationship demographic).And that model sounds cool! I've always wondered what it would be like to build a scale replica of Mata Nui. ^^

Executive Vice President of Tomato Throwing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was so disappointed that Hewkii and Macku were not a canon couple (same with Jaller and Hahli) Seriously, that would make a great comparison story. Hahli ends up with Jaller while Macku loses Hewkii when he becomes a toa. Even if the relationship isn't romantic, it still makes for an interesting set-up (and that's kinda what my entry is about. XD It's not that romantic, though. I decided to shy away from the relationship demographic).

Sounds really interesting! I'll be sure to read it when you post it! The Hewkii-and-Macku-are-sadly-separated-forever thing should be written about, though. ;) A doomed love is sometimes tragically beautiful. Plus, Hahli ends happily... Ok, so I'm biased in her favor. Flame me. :P

Current Epic: Life is a Blank - last post Jan. 22

My Library: The Esoteric Athenaeum

Member of the Epic Critics' Club

 

aa0ef09c4ad9bf8017ddec306412e550_zpscff1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aww, thanks! ^^ I actually just posted it after just a little tweaking. XD There's a link in my signature. And it's alright to be biased towards Hahli. She is awesome. XPThough, I wouldn't say it's happily ever after for Hahli. After all they are toa, and they just dealt with a casualty on the team. It probably would be a story about the fear of not only the mortality of oneself, but the mortality of those you care about. How attachment could lead to great suffering and that maybe, just maybe it's better to be alone. Of course, Matoro didn't seem to have too many friends himself (conversing in a different language with that crazy Turaga. XP) and the entire reason that the Mahri survived was because of their friendship. So, that would probably play a point in there too. ... Sorry, I love to think things out. XD It actually sounds like a promising story. If only romance was canon in the Bionicle universe... =/ I digress... XD

Executive Vice President of Tomato Throwing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I actually want to see a Macku-Hewkii team-up with Macku still as a Matoran. I wouldn't mind whether it took a romantic or platonic interpretation of their relationship, but things would have to have changed. Hewkii would obviously see it as his duty to keep her safe, and Macku could start to think that he no longer saw her as an equal or respected her. Cue arguing/awkwardness/unresolved tension. And, I'm not entirely convinced that Jaller and Hahli would be happy together now. That's one thing that really bothers me about decanonising the romance- those two don't seem to be particularly close, even as friends any more (at least, no more so than the rest of the Inika. Hewkii and Kongu have much more chemistry than those two.) Jaller seems much more serious and distant after becoming a Toa. And Hahli seemed closer to Matoro, which makes sense given that they both had some self-confidence issues.

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still have to say Helryx is still the coolest female character in Bionicle, at least to me. She had reasoning to a very angry, impatient woman. She was old and has been fighting a long war, she was basically the best written female of Bionicle to me and it's unfortunate we never got a set of her.Favorite female character in the series. Frankly she's one of the better characters in Bionicle and I'll stand by that forever.@Alyska: I remember quite a bit back we talked about all the Double Standards and Unfortunate Implications (unfortunately we can't apparently say the site, cause it has forums. Are you kidding me.). It's a shame cause it harms both genders.

gallery_99567_147_39590.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ooh! Macku and Hewkii teaming up would be cool! Heck, having the chronicler's company teaming up with their corresponding toa sounds cool- oh wait... Kopkeke... Ehh... sorry dude.. Anyway, still trying to get the imagery of Hewkii and Kongu out of my head before I fall in love with the pairing and start shipping it (Kongu had better be wary of Macku XD), but you're right. They really didn't have much chemistry going on in the books. I wonder if that was just to shy away from the elephant in the room of "OMG, Jaller + Hahli = romance" expectation that the fans had? It's kinda sad. =/ I say the kohli match in the first movie is canon. XDAnd I agree; Helryx was a very good character. I still can't believe she was fighting to destroy the entire universe just to bring Teridax down.

Executive Vice President of Tomato Throwing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Alyska: I remember quite a bit back we talked about all the Double Standards and Unfortunate Implications (unfortunately we can't apparently say the site, cause it has forums. Are you kidding me.). It's a shame cause it harms both genders.

Yeah, it's a shame. I think the discussion would be enhanced if we could link to it, but I guess if anyone's curious they can just Google some of these terms. We could possibly even put quotes from it here if we're vague enough about where they came from. That's a general tip for anyone talking to me who doesn't know what we're on about. If I start capitalising seemingly random words and you want to know what they mean, either Google them or you can ask about it me via PM.

Anyway, still trying to get the imagery of Hewkii and Kongu out of my head before I fall in love with the pairing and start shipping it (Kongu had better be wary of Macku XD), but you're right. They really didn't have much chemistry going on in the books. I wonder if that was just to shy away from the elephant in the room of "OMG, Jaller + Hahli = romance" expectation that the fans had?

Yeah, it's probably that. I still don't see why their entire friendship had to be almost retconned, though. And shippers gonna ship regardless of how much-or how little- material you give them. Greg's shown that he can portray fun and interesting female-male friendships, although most of them were only in brief spurts (Lariska and Nidhiki, Nikila and Lesovikk), so I think he's wasted a good opportunity here.Hewkii and Kongu as a couple? That would make the ugliest kissing banner ever!

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hewkii and Kongu as a couple? That would make the ugliest kissing banner ever!

Pfft, what are you talking about? The Suletu, man. ^///^ XDD Though, I'm not a fan of Hewkii's mask at all... Glad that changed as a Mahri. (Though, Kongu should have kept the Suletu... I mean, he should have just kept his Inika form in general)Back on topic -cough-Yeah, I agree with you there, Alyska. Nikila is actually a character I'm very curious about. I know she was good friends with Lessovik, I know she was good with tactics... I know little else, yet her character still appeals to me. I'd love to see more of her (and it would help me loads with a project I'm working on. XP).I don't really remember a Nidhiki/Lariska moment. Do you remember the book/story it's from by any chance?

Executive Vice President of Tomato Throwing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hewkii and Kongu as a couple? That would make the ugliest kissing banner ever!

Pfft, what are you talking about? The Suletu, man. ^///^ XDD Though, I'm not a fan of Hewkii's mask at all... Glad that changed as a Mahri. (Though, Kongu should have kept the Suletu... I mean, he should have just kept his Inika form in general)Back on topic -cough-Yeah, I agree with you there, Alyska. Nikila is actually a character I'm very curious about. I know she was good friends with Lessovik, I know she was good with tactics... I know little else, yet her character still appeals to me. I'd love to see more of her (and it would help me loads with a project I'm working on. XP).I don't really remember a Nidhiki/Lariska moment. Do you remember the book/story it's from by any chance?
The short story, "Birth of a Dark Hunter". It's been a while since I read it, but I seem to remember that they became quite close once Lariska stopped threatening to stab him.

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hewkii and Kongu as a couple? That would make the ugliest kissing banner ever!

Pfft, what are you talking about? The Suletu, man. ^///^ XDD Though, I'm not a fan of Hewkii's mask at all... Glad that changed as a Mahri. (Though, Kongu should have kept the Suletu... I mean, he should have just kept his Inika form in general)Back on topic -cough-Yeah, I agree with you there, Alyska. Nikila is actually a character I'm very curious about. I know she was good friends with Lessovik, I know she was good with tactics... I know little else, yet her character still appeals to me. I'd love to see more of her (and it would help me loads with a project I'm working on. XP).I don't really remember a Nidhiki/Lariska moment. Do you remember the book/story it's from by any chance?
The short story, "Birth of a Dark Hunter". It's been a while since I read it, but I seem to remember that they became quite close once Lariska stopped threatening to stab him.
Even though it seems like a far-off romantic couple, it would still be an interesting turn of events. But I agree with Tekulo, Nikila is an interesting character and should be introduced into more areas of the story. She is one of the first (if not the first) Toa of Lightning we heard about in the story, so it seems reasonable she would have more screen-time.

On the day the wall came down / They threw the locks onto the ground

And with glasses high / We raised a cry / For freedom had arrived

 

On the day the wall came down / The ship of fools had finally run aground

Promises lit up the night / Like paper doves in flight

 

I dreamed you had left my side / No warmth, not even pride remained

And even though you needed me / It was clear that I could not do a thing for you

 

Now life devalues day by day / As friends and neighbors turn away

And there's a change that even with regret / Cannot be undone

 

Now frontiers shift like desert sands / While nations wash their bloodied hands

Of loyalty, of history / In shades of grey

 

I woke to the sound of drums / The music played, the morning sun streamed in

I turned and I looked at you / And all but the bitter residues slipped away

 

slipped away...

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmm... a toa of baking does sound pretty sweet. Doesn't need to be a girl, either (I made a pretty sweet Lewa cake, thank you very much. ^^).Kinda like Toa of Muffins... It's been forever since I've used those sprites. XDAnyway, thanks for telling which story it is, I'll be sure to check it out (anything with Lariska is good in my book. XD).

Executive Vice President of Tomato Throwing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess the trouble with having gender-neutral elements/tribes is that Lego can potentially use it as an excuse to include even fewer female characters (2009 set the record for fewest female characters in a year, when theoretically there should have been a close-to-even split. At least having water=female forces them to make all the blue Toa and Matoran female...

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That could also be due to consistency with sales. They've been making the blue Bionicle sets female and the rest male since 2001, so setting a disturbance in the force could be risky for sales (it's a marketing thing. Consistency is a huge factor in product quality, blah blah blah) XDBut, I would have loved to see a green female set (Why did they get rid of Breeze? T^T)... Or a red female set. That or we could just change the story so Pohatu is a girl... (Okay, I actually stumbled across a comic where someone grew up thinking Pohatu was a female in 2001, and it was actually kinda interesting. XD).

Executive Vice President of Tomato Throwing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recall seeing Pohatu as a female in one of the entries for the "Opposite Day" art contest a few years back. Seemed like an entirely different character, but that's what you get when you change such a major thing.Vezok was also the first blue male that wasn't just a mindless creature, IIRC, yet I don't recall ever confusing it for a girl. I wonder why? :PBut yes, I would have loved to see females of different colors; which brings us back to the whole one-gender-per-element issue. Av-Matoran were a good chance to mix things up, but notably they still made Gavla (blue!) the female. I guess that was to keep consistency, but then the canister sets had the blue, male Vamprah and the green, female Gorast, so that's color coding kind of out the window right there.

Edited by Katuko
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...