Aaaahh yes, the Mistika. Anyone on here noticed them?

More to the point, anyone on here missed them? It is quite hard.

So, yes. what do I think? Am I another part of the 'omg they're so terrible!' crowd? Do I despise them in every way? Can I possibly suggest what they could have done better?

Yes, no and maybe, respectively, but my reasons for disliking them are not purely grounded in the sets themselves.

I'm speaking solely about the so-called Nuva here rather than the Makuta. I might discuss them a bit.

When I heard the Nuva were being re-released, I was thrilled! They're the original heroes with whom I began my interest in Bionicle. To me, they are the quintessential Toa. They are noble, strong, powerful and each one represents entirely their given element through their personality. For all their faults, which they have largely overcome, they are in every sense of the word heroes.

Through my kits, I can easily create versions of the Nuva with updated poseability that strongly retain a semblence to their original forms using only existing parts. I could even add flight or swamp related features if I had to! It's not hard! What's more, I can make every single one different! No clones! Infact, not one of them need have the same armour type, feet or limbs! So WHY is this so impossible for Lego!? Only a couple of the Nuva, Phantoka or Mistika, bear even a passing resemblance to their original forms and their masks do not, in any way, look like the originals (excepting Kopaka, thanks solely to a single misplaced scope).

Why, exactly, do both Tahu and Gali have more silver parts than their own colour? Have primary colours been dropped now? Are we to be treated from now on to silver and grey Toa with small splodges of colour? And why does Onua have red pieces!? Where did Lego's obsession come from for throwing in colour-scheme destroying pieces!?

As sets themselves, if you look past the blatant series cloneism, they're fine. Decent build, interesting...oh no, wait, only one of them has a weapon. The masks...well, two look like helmets and the other like it came out the wrong side of a molten protodermis vat. After the Phantoka masks, which were truly excellent, I'm seriously dissapointed.

But as sets, they're really not all that bad. The big problem, the huge, towering obstacle is that somehow, incomprehensibly, these sets are supposed to be the Nuva! THAT is why I dislike them! I cannot see anything of the original heroes in there - nothing at all!

Take Tahu. One of the things that made him was the expression on his mask, and that huge hole around the mouth. Is any of that in his new mask? Nope! All gone! Why bother with something as trivial as continuity?

As for Gali...man, that spiked armour on her shoulders makes her look so feminine! You can just tell from the mask, too, that she's female!

Or am I perhaps being incredibly sarcastic?

There! That's some of my anger vented. If the pretence of the Mistika being the Nuva was dropped, I would be thrilled with the sets. As it is...I think I've made my views clear.