Jungle Love (Please Don't Sue)

[Wiriamu]

So...has anyone else noticed that the Region of Jungle and its inhabitants have been getting an awful lot of attention in Bionicle Generation 2? I mean, consider the following:
 
*The Region of Jungle is not only home to a Protector and Okotan villagers, an Elemental Creature, and various Mask-containing Shrines like the other five regions, but is also where the Temple of Time and the City of the Mask Makers are located.
*In both the G2 novels released so far, the only villagers to be introduced by name apart from Protectors-Bingzak and Harvali-are both Jungle Villagers.
*Vizuna, Protector of Jungle, is the first perspective character for the second of those novels, and also takes point in leading the other Protectors into the City of the Mask Makers.

*In Journey to One, Umarak is first encountered in the Region of Jungle, and the Labyrinth of Control is located off this Region's coast.
 
and...

 

 

*In Battle of the Mask Makers, ancient Protector of Jungle Agarak receives a heavy focus, and also featured-though not named-are his wife and son. Uxar is also the first creature to appear by itself in the story.

 

 

Not that there's anything wrong, it just seems interesting that it's getting so much attention.

[Bonkle]

Probably because jungles are sufficiently generic and are a good place to stage a story.

[Naota Takizawa]

I thought the city of mask makers is in the region of water.

[Dogbert]

As someone who loves the green Bionicle, I actually like it. But if I had to give a somewhat realistic answer:

 

As for the Temple of Time, it's probably the best place to keep it hidden with enough enviromental dangers so as to someone wouldn't just stumble into it.

 

As for the jungle as a backdrop for the story, well, it has a long tradition in literature, although in the Western one was usually forests. They were seen as dark and mysterious places full of dangers, so it makes sense Umarak emerges from there. Non-Western traditions depict them as places full of life and wonders.

[MrSciFiGuy]

Also, before the Crater incident with Makuta, the island was mostly just jungle, with cities scattered throughout. Jungle I think is a simple and recognizable environment, also the most "tribal" of them.

[Toa Imrukii]

There's a lot of factors at play here really. Firstly, long ago Okoto was mostly covered in jungle until the cataclism. Both the ancient city and the temple of time are situated in the Region of Jungle. Plus, I feel that the region itself is the most mysterious in the fact that it is easy for dark forces to lurk in the thick-bush and shade of the jungle canopy, as seen with Umarak in JtO, where he is strong in the shade, and weak in the sunlight. Though, he may just be the strange exception, as though, we don't necessarily see the Shadow Traps or the Skull Spiders gain strength from the dark shade itself, like that of Umarak. For the Shadow Traps and Skull Spiders it's more so that it's a lot more effective to hide in the thick bush, than the conditions of the other regions.

 

Also, something that I would like to point out is that, in the first graphic novel, we are focused in the region of jungle, and, in Revenge of the Skull Spiders, we are situated in the region of jungle, focused on Vizuna.

 

So there is a valid point to this strange common occurance. Though, I am sure it is mostly for mystery purposes, then actual bias on the side of LEGO or Ryder Windham. But, then again, it was Ryder's idea to give Ekimu an Airship, so maybe this focus on the region of Jungle was his idea. Maybe a bias, but more so likely that it is the most logical place to focus on, at least for him as a writer.

[Ford]

I mean, it makes sense for a lot of the landmarks to be in/near a jungle; last time I checked, open fields weren't the most artistic things

[bionicleFanatic]

I mean, it makes sense for a lot of the landmarks to be in/near a jungle; last time I checked, open fields weren't the most artistic things

*Cough*Mata Nui Mainlands*Cough* [] Those rooms (and the accompanying theme/Kahu call) were some of the most evocative out of the whole of MNOG II.

[Lyichir]

Apart from the other reasons mentioned, it's worth pointing out that several of the regions (such as the regions of fire, water, ice, and stone) range from totally inhospitable to fairly uncomfortable for Toa, Protectors, and villagers of different elements. The region of jungle is pretty much the most temperate and livable region on Okoto, and has easy access to several of other elements including earth, stone, and water (making it a good spot for fight scenes involving the Toa as a group).

 

It's also a good place for hidden features that weren't originally revealed or aren't immediately obvious on the overhead map of the island. The overgrown canopies of the Region of Jungle can hold a lot of secrets without having to bury them all underground like G1 tended to do.