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Why do you like Bionicle?


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Probably an odd sounding question, but what is it about Bionicle that makes you say, "This is one of the greatest themes Lego has made."

 

For me, personally, it's just the over-arching mystique of its atmosphere in practically all story mediums. When playing MNOG you had a sense that there was way more to the island of Mata Nui than meets the eye. While reading about the Bohrok you felt that there had to be more to them than just mindless destruction. When reading the books by Greg, especially ones like Maze of Shadows and Time Trap, you could tell that Makuta wasn't a villain to be simply trifled with. And then in 2008 when we all had that revelation about the entire story... it's just the best payoff to a build-up over eight years I could ask for.

 

What about you?

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-O Knavery

Most vile, O trick of the Empire's basest wit.

A snare, a ruse, a ploy: and we the fools.

What great deception hath been plied today--

O rebels, do you hear? Fie, 'tis a trap! -Admiral Ackbar

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I don't really care about the story; rather, the sets are the main draw for me. The setting, however, was a huge deal for me in G1. I loved seeing what new themes/locations the sets would be inhabiting, and year after year the fantastic locations made me want to buy the sets even more. That is something that G2 is seriously lacking, in my opinion. Most of the art is highly stylized and simple, whereas G1 had lots of beautiful art each year that brought the various islands to life. I think this image from 2007 was my personal favorite. Most of the art in G2 lacks detail - the images of each region, as seen on bionicle.com, are pretty bland and don't reveal much about the island. Case and point.

 

I'm rambling. The thing that draws me into G2 is 100% the sets themselves. Actually, the contests have also done a swell job, especially the Battle for the Gold Mask. I'm really looking forward to the next wave of sets!

 

Edit: I might have been cherry-picking a bit with those examples. The other three regions' artwork are a bit better, and there is some good art for G2. This image of the Ancient City is great. I also like the classic Ancient City artwork. The paintings we've gotten for the months of Jungle, Stone, and Fire on Facebook have been good too, but they deviate too much from the rest of the art and don't really feel like they're showing the same world.

Edited by Nescent
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All of it.

 

I loved the story first.

 

And then I found some of the sets ugly.

 

And then I stared at them until they were the most beautiful things my mind had ever seen.

 

Two examples of masks that I've gone through this process with are the Kakama and the Mahiki. (I've always loved the Suletu, but I don't think I'll ever like the Hau)

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Magic elemental robots who throw rocks and fire at each other on a tribal island/high-tech city/underwater/bright light cavern is basically super super cool to me. it just clicks well as someone who likes weird action/adventure stuff and building things as well.

 

plus the system is cool an unique but somehow, unquestionably versitile and LEGO. it's werid...

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Oh, those deep questions that make you want to write a thousand word essay...:P

 

No, that's not why I like Bionicle. And I feel like I'm going to struggle to stay in the present tense here. 

 

I like Bionicle because I feel that it has the potential to be something more than it is, that there is so much untapped potential yet left waiting to be explored. In previous times, Bionicle dug into this potential and became a phenomenon. It was the potential of the story, the intrigue, the exciting and witty character interactions that kept me turning pages and reading books over and over and thinking about it.

 

These days, I think about set potential and how the CCBS just isn't really used as creatively as it could be. And I think, we're starting over with 2001 here and I didn't like 2001 story that much - there might be a chance for the story to come back.

 

I like Bionicle because it gives me just a little bit of hope. Hope and opportunity. It's still an open door that I can't quite bring myself to walk away from.

 

Not yet.  

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I like BIONICLE because it does LEGO's "color-coded heroes with a God and/or mentor figure fight a bad guy that counterparts God/mentor figure" setup better and more in-depth than Exo-Force, Knights' Kingdom, or Ninjago. They even up the number of color-coded heroes from four to six, and one of them is female! I feel like it really is the most plot-intensive LEGO line we've gotten. It did so much became such a phenomenon it's hard not to appreciate.

 

I like G2 because, well, I liked G1.

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"You are an absolute in these uncertain times. Your past is forgotten, and your
future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer.
"
-- Turaga Nokama

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Oh, those deep questions that make you want to write a thousand word essay... :P

 

No, that's not why I like Bionicle. And I feel like I'm going to struggle to stay in the present tense here. 

 

I like Bionicle because I feel that it has the potential to be something more than it is, that there is so much untapped potential yet left waiting to be explored. In previous times, Bionicle dug into this potential and became a phenomenon. It was the potential of the story, the intrigue, the exciting and witty character interactions that kept me turning pages and reading books over and over and thinking about it.

 

These days, I think about set potential and how the CCBS just isn't really used as creatively as it could be. And I think, we're starting over with 2001 here and I didn't like 2001 story that much - there might be a chance for the story to come back.

 

I like Bionicle because it gives me just a little bit of hope. Hope and opportunity. It's still an open door that I can't quite bring myself to walk away from.

 

Not yet.  

I know that feeling. It will be many years before I'm done with Bionicle, or it's done with me, I'll never keep that straight :P

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-O Knavery

Most vile, O trick of the Empire's basest wit.

A snare, a ruse, a ploy: and we the fools.

What great deception hath been plied today--

O rebels, do you hear? Fie, 'tis a trap! -Admiral Ackbar

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Elemental powers, Utility spec included (variety of masks and tools and power and so much), interesting worlds and basically its own language! What's not to love?

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Bionicle: ANP aims to create narrated versions of all the Bionicle books, with voice actors for each character, and music taken from various media to enhance the story. Check here if you're interested in voicing a character, and here for the chapters that've already been released!

Formerly: Tahu Nuva 3.0

Looking for a Bionicle Beanie. Black one with the symbol on it. Contact me if you are willing to sell

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The sets are what hooked me when I was a kid. I never truly liked regular actions figures because of their usually detailing and lack of joint flexibility. When I got mata gali, that changed everything for me. I loved everything about it. The masks, the weapons, the fact that it was a Lego theme, the colors, the tribal island, all of it. I loved it all. The story that came with it only made it better.

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:y::m_o::l::m_o:

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I loved the building aspect of the sets and the cool designs. Also, having played with other kinds of dolls I loved the different look.

But the adventure and mystery! Exploration and magical powers! Love those themes for sure! (Don't know much of the story though, need to read through it sometime. Mostly a film and set based fan)

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I was drawn in by the great artwork and dialogue of the first issue of the 2005 story arc.

 

Things started going downhill in 2006 in terms of the comics...

 

I learned to appreciate the vast world created in such a short timeframe, and all to promote a toyline. The story serials in 2008 in particular helped boost my interest in Bionicle to extreme levels.

Edited by TheSkeletonMan939

 

 

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I like BIONICLE because the interactive CD that came packaged with Kopaka sold me with its sense of immersion, and when I choose to follow something I just instinctively stick with it to the end.

 

It helps that MNOG is just a fantastic media artifact.

Edited by Pereki
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believe victims. its actually not that hard, and youd look kind of bad if you were to, say, side with an abuser because theyre your friend

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I like both Bionicle G1 and G2, but for different reasons. I love G1 because of the great storyline and unexpected plot twists , and that's what I expected for a successful story franchise. I like G2 because of the way the sets been built and they representation of the characters's appeareance just looks right for me. The action features in G2 are also work well.

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Thematically, the idea of robot dudes and dudettes using elemental magic is just awesome in-and-of itself. The universes of both G1 and G2 are really interesting, with lots of possibilites for amazing things. I also love the idea of a central team of heroes, as opposed to one main protagonist - Toa teams are kinda like the Avengers, or the Power Rangers. And of course, placing mechanoid characters in natural environments is a really nice contrast that I really appreciate.

In regards to story, G1 and G2 both rock. G1's overarching evil of Makuta really sewed it together, although that was kinda weakened for me when we learned Makuta was one of many. The theme of Mata Nui is unusual for something so Sci-Fi, being for the most part a deity. The various beasts and villains the Toa, Matoran and Turaga faced up against were all fascinating. As for G2, it's awesome to basically have the whole idea restarted from scratch. G2 is somewhat more simplistic, but I think that's fantastic for fans, young and old, as that leaves a lot that we're free to interpret as we wish. Much like with Hero Factoy, it means many headcanons are as good as canon. I hope G2 remains seperate from G1 (which I'm confident will be the case), as I'm enjoying seeing it grow into its own thing.

 

And as a product, I love the imagination that goes into the designs. They're not meant to look like humans, but they're also not really meant to look like traditional robots, either. This is on top of the fact that Bionicle is a Lego IP, so therefore said figures are insanely customiseable and interchangable. I much prefer G2 sets however, as G1 started to feel very rehash-y in its later years, and its style was sometimes difficult to work with in a cohesive manner. Now, I've heard people complain that you can't do much with the CCBS (which I'd argue against), but what other current action figure building system gives you as much freedom? You'd have to search long and hard to find something on-par with Bionicle in that regard - even Gunpla is arguably more restrictive.

Edited by Logan McOwen
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  • 2 weeks later...

I have slept for so long. My dreams have been dark ones.

 

But now I am awakened. Now the scattered elements of my being are rejoined. Now I am whole.

 

And the darkness cannot stand before me.

 

The evil on this island is about to learn that justice can be very... cold.

 

First impressions are everything.

Edited by Jedi Knight Krazy
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Pretty much what Fishers said was what I was going to write down.

 

However, I've gotten involved in other fandoms and franchise continuities and stuff, and if it wasn't for Bionicle's mysteriousness that longs me to fill in some of the voids and inspire my imagination, which often times takes form in my project and hobby A Rude Awakening, I would probably have abandoned Bionicle sometime last year. The new sets are cool, but there are not immersive amounts of data; and while that might change in coming years, for now it doesn't sate my thirst for immersion like with what I am used to with history, be it factual or fantastically fictitious.

 

EDIT: Re-wordings.

Edited by Sir Iaredios

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A RUDE AWAKENING - A Spherus Magna redo | Tzais-Kuluu  |  Pushing Back The Tide  |  Last Words  |  Black Coronation  | Blue Man Bound | Visions of Thasos   ن

We are all but grey specks in a dark complex before a single white light

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Set-wise, the characters are colorful and diverse. I love building models with lifelike articulation and exciting play features like shooters, gear functions, and dual-function weapons. Building with the CCBS has been especially therapeutic during the times when I've felt most anxious and frustrated, like at my last college. I have been lucky enough to watch the evolution of Bionicle sets from the very start to this year's reboot, and I'm glad to have been able to help support the theme for all that time.

 

Story-wise, I love character-driven storylines set in invented fantasy worlds, especially ones that playfully mash up concepts that are normally disparate (in this case, mechanical characters with magical powers in a seemingly primitive tropical island setting). I also really love stories with heroes who have elemental powers. I also generally tend to prefer kids' stories that clearly separate good and evil, with good characters triumphing in the end, to more cynical adult stories. Even though I'm 24, most of the books I enjoy reading and TV shows I enjoy watching are kid-oriented.

 

And community-wise, a lot of the best things to happen to me in the past several years and plans for the rest of my life can be traced back to my experiences as a LEGO and Bionicle fan. Most of my strongest friendships come directly from this community. My contributions to LEGO discussions have earned me a mostly positive reputation in the LEGO community and helped me to make all kinds of connections with incredible people. Being a Bionicle fan helped me learn valuable social and interpersonal skills, which is really valuable to me as an autistic person.

 

My Bionicle MOCs and fan art have helped keep my creative skills sharp and reassure me of my own creative potential. Loving and learning about the work of LEGO designers has inspired and motivated me to try and become a LEGO designer myself, and I'm making good progress towards that goal. And I've even managed to turn my love of LEGO themes like Bionicle and Ninjago into paid work by writing articles for Blocks Magazine, simultaneously following in my family's journalistic tradition. There is so much that I owe to LEGO in general and Bionicle in particular. It's truly helped make me who I am today. And I hope to one day have that kind of impact on other people. :)

Edited by Aanchir
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The sets are excellent

 

The story is excellent

 

Everything goes along well

 

The structure is really well planned

 

Bionicle is perfect

I wouldn't go that far, it's certainly no Lord of the Rings. But it's up there, it's up there...

Edited by Sir Iaredios
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A RUDE AWAKENING - A Spherus Magna redo | Tzais-Kuluu  |  Pushing Back The Tide  |  Last Words  |  Black Coronation  | Blue Man Bound | Visions of Thasos   ن

We are all but grey specks in a dark complex before a single white light

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For me, personally, it's just the over-arching mystique of its atmosphere in practically all story mediums. When playing MNOG you had a sense that there was way more to the island of Mata Nui than meets the eye. While reading about the Bohrok you felt that there had to be more to them than just mindless destruction. When reading the books by Greg, especially ones like Maze of Shadows and Time Trap, you could tell that Makuta wasn't a villain to be simply trifled with. And then in 2008 when we all had that revelation about the entire story... it's just the best payoff to a build-up over eight years I could ask for.

 

Basically it for me, combined with the depth of the story.

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There's a depth and richness about the story that you don't often find in many works. Like the novels of David Gemmell, there is the powerful feeling of long-passed down legend about it, with more than meets the eye about the setting. The characters are unique, with different personalities (though characters of each element have a somewhat similar temperament until Bara Magna).

There is plenty of intrigue and action, great villains and mighty heroes, where white and black morality sometimes blur into grey. But even when the going gets tough, there's a hope about Bionicle that never lets you down. 

Oh, and the sets are great too.

If I were to write down the reasons I like Bionicle, I'd be here all day.

 

But there is a deep and philosophical question which we all must ponder. What makes G2 Bionicle really Bionicle? It's not a continuation of the G1 storyline, and many of the characters have gone missing, and the personalities, motivations  of those who have survived - as well as the settings - have changed a fair deal.  What makes G2 Bionicle?

 

That is a deep question which we all must ponder.

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"Mutiny, Booty and Entropy"  - The Three Vices of the Frostelus

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But there is a deep and philosophical question which we all must ponder. What makes G2 Bionicle really Bionicle? It's not a continuation of the G1 storyline, and many of the characters have gone missing, and the personalities, motivations  of those who have survived - as well as the settings - have changed a fair deal.  What makes G2 Bionicle?

 

That is a deep question which we all must ponder.

 

Is that really a deep or philosophical question? G2 Bionicle is unmistakably Bionicle. It is the fresh start of a new saga, just as G1 Bionicle was in 2001. But most of the core story elements are still there: six powerful elemental heroes called Toa using teamwork and seeking out magical Masks of Power to protect less powerful island villagers from the forces of the evil Makuta.

 

You might as well be asking "What makes G4 My Little Pony really My Little Pony?" After all, G1 Applejack is a lot different from G4 Applejack. G1 Ponyland is a lot different than G4 Equestria. G1 Tirek is a lot different from G4 Tirek. One of the most important characters in G1 My Little Pony, the human girl Megan, does not exist in G4 My Little Pony, just as the Great Spirit Mata Nui does not exist in G2 Bionicle. G4 My Little Pony introduced entirely new central characters like Princess Celestia, just as G2 Bionicle introduced the new character Ekimu. And G4 My Little Pony is not a continuation of any of the previous generations: like G2 Bionicle, it is a complete reboot.

 

2001 Bionicle, the start of the original Bionicle saga, was "really Bionicle" even though it didn't continue from or exist in the same universe as any previous story. So what makes 2015 Bionicle, the start of a whole new Bionicle saga, any different?

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It was definitely the beautiful commercials by Advance Copenhagen that caught my eye.

 

Sure they were toys but there was definitely a lot of love in creating the lore of Bionicle that turned these toys into heroes living in a universe full of wonder and mystery. This was a world in which our heroes, though they are not human, tell very human stories. There are also cunning villains, some more powerful than others, who are able to defeat the usually undefeatable heroes. There are conspiracies, secret organizations, and complex entities roaming around.

 

Bionicle offered a lot of things to explore and observe. From the beginning to the very end, Bionicle was a franchise that offered not only toys that I can actually take apart and recombine to create fantastic creatures but also a universe far more complex than you can shake a stick at!

"Hey, how's it going?"

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I enjoyed the story quite a bit, but it's the sets themselves that drew me in. I loved how I could play with them without them falling apart like system sets did, and the ways I could take them apart and build new creations. That's some of the reason I could never get into Transformers very much. I just think that Bionicles are more enjoyable to interact with as a whole.

 

However, I also enjoyed the story and the mystery, and it made my love for the toyline turn into more of an obsession, haha. 

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