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I think I know why certain sets are considered unattractive; their organic look.
Yes, that's right, the organic look and feel of them. Think about it...
2001:
Everything is sharp and technological looking; The masks are distinct and creative, the characters are, though not very articulated, very alien and robotic, while still being somewhat human in appearance).
2002:
The Bohrok followed the same style that the Toa and Matoran were in, as did the Bahrag, and the Exo Suit, and the Boxor, and so on. The Nuva on the other hand were... a bit of a dissapointment. Don't get me wrong, the shiny new armor and so on were neat, but the masks, as one person stated "look[ed] like a professional wrestler made them".You see, most of them had an organic look and feel to them, thus they stood out and looked ungainly on Biomechanical creatures, which are characterized by their sharp and technological appearances.
2003:
I, personally, liked how the 2003 Matoran followed the same design philosophy as the 2001 sets; mechanical and alien, as did the Rahi of that year. However, I disliked how the Rahkshi were a bit more rounded and whatnot than the "good" characters of that year, though I still liked how they were more articulated than previous sets. And on the subject of Makuta, I think it was a decent set, and followed the "not too organic" style, but was just plain lacking in aesthetics. Still an alright set, though.
2004:
Probably my favorite year. The designs followed not only an improved style of 2001's, but were more useful for mocing, and were more articulated than in previous years. I especially approved of how old 2001 shaped masks were used on the Matoran of that year, but in better colors. And on the subject of the colors, I ,unlike some people, actually approved of how they were darker and more drab than the traditional shades.
2005:
I liked how more pieces useful for MoCing were released, but really, the canister sets just seemed too organic for my taste. I liked the boxed sets, though. In fact, I much preferred the large sets of that year to any of the previous ones, to be honest.
2006:
To be honest, I think the Inika were actually kind of neat, despite being a bit organic, with a few exceptions: The masks were ugly as heck, the heads would only accommodate the new masks, and vice versa, and the shoulders were too wide.(And I'll admit, although the tools they carried were kinda tacky, they were actually kinda neat with their strobing lights and whatnot) The Piraka, though, were ugly for the most part. And I mean it when I say ugly; they mixed the weird organic spine with the mostly mechanical body, and the glow in the dark teeth... ugh.... The Titans weren't exactly that great in my opinion, though; not because of the general style of them, but because of their proportions, and their masks being so ugly.
2007:
The Toa and Matoran Mahri, despite being a bit out of proportions, were awesome; they seemed to be in a style similar to the old Throwbots theme, had futuristic weapons, and most importantly their masks didn't suck this time around. Though the Stone elemented characters being yellow still bugs me a bit, they were robotic and mechanical, and he organic stuff wasn't stressed. The Barraki, however, were kind of lame. Though, I'll admit, some of them were neat, they just seemed ugly. Their peices were good for MoCing, though...
My conclusion:
Organic elements, while decent in some circumstances, are almost always overdone if there is an emphasis on them. Seeing as how almost all criticized sets have organic values, it is, of course, logical to assume that this is what makes them unattractive.
Also, In my opinion, The people who love everything that is classic regardless, usually pay more attention to the "Technic-ish", "Lego-ness" or "Classicy feeling" of a set, rather than the other values of the appearance thereof.
Also, in my opinion, The mask must have special attention payed to it: not only should it be sharp and vaguely technological, but also appear to make the wearer have an intelligent personality, as should head pieces for maskless creatures. The overall appearance should also be human like in proportions, but not be organic as such, as well have a mechanical element without overdoing it. Also, while being somewhat boxy, the designs must not revolve entirely or mostly around 90 degree angles, as to ensure some slight smoothness.
Did that make any sense?
Anyway, feel free to tell me what you think. I know I messed up there somewhere. Or contradicted myself, most likely...
-Gakurak
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