The Faxon just looks more streamlined to me. The Elda...no. It seems bulbous, and the expression looks angry. The tube does look like a mustache, in my opinion.

-Seran

Because it's blue.

To me a mask looks feminine if it appears on a female character.

The Faxon looks feminine to me.

While it's a far cry from the kissability of the Great Rau due to the sticky-outy bits around the mouth, I'd say the Faxon is eminently feminine. (Wow -- I'm a poet and I didn't even know it.) While part of this perception may be due to the character of Hahli behind it, I think there's more to it than that. The lines of the mask are very streamlined and clean, and the smooth, close-fitting visor underneath really shines due to the exposure through the oversized eyeholes and holes in the upper forehead. The back end has a beautiful follow-through flowing back, which counts for a lot somehow in feminine masks.

The fact that Lesovikk, a male character, also wears a Faxon testifies to the mask's inherent look of strength and determination, factors that can apply equally to both males and females.

-BC

I don't think it's so much that the Faxon looks feminine in and of itself as that the Elda was distinctly not.

The heavy, forward-protruding jaw alone made the mask look severely masculine, and for most people the mustache sealed the deal. The curves forming the rest of the mask could be considered feminine, but the jaw (and arguably mustache) override them.

Whereas the Faxon lacks anything pointing to either gender in specific, so it did not look peculiar on a female Toa – and in fact fit Hahli Mahri's design to utter perfection.

Edited because BC posted at the same time: Aye, the smooth, sweeping look the mask has, even down to the little prong-things at the mouth, certainly contributes to femininity – although it works equally well on a male, as shown by Lesovikk.

The Faxon just looks more streamlined to me. The Elda...no. It seems bulbous, and the expression looks angry. The tube does look like a mustache, in my opinion.

 

-Seran

Meh. I disagree. And "streamlined" doesn't seem to make up for the hideously jagged shape of the eyes, IMO. Could you call the face of the Toa Terrain Crawler "feminine"? After all, it's more streamlined even than the actual mask.

Expression looking angry doesn't really seem any more noticable to me than on the Faxon, which looks very militant and hard-core.

Because it's blue.

So true.

 

I think the Elda is one of the three most feminine masks. The others would be the Kaukau Mata, and the Great and Noble Rau.

 

All the others are meh.

 

BtB

I'm sorta looking for reasons. I've seen enough posts to know that the mask is popularly regarded as feminine. I agree that the Rau has been feminine in both its forms, though. Kaukau Mata could also fit that category.

Y'know Aanchir, you need to stop picking out all the little details and making up your opinion with it. Just look at it as a whole -- it looks incredibly feminine that way. I don't know why and I can't explain how. It just does. Probably the fact that it was on Hali, a female Toa of Water...

 

~SB~

I'm not seeing it. I'm seeing horribly-shaped eyeholes. Those are not a "little detail"-- those are one of the chief factors that decides whether a mask is feminine. I agree, power of suggestion could have something to do with it, but then it's hard to explain why the Elda and new Kaukau Nuva get such abuse if that's the only factor... There obviously must be others. Perhaps "relief" after the Elda?

While it's a far cry from the kissability of the Great Rau due to the sticky-outy bits around the mouth, I'd say the Faxon is eminently feminine. (Wow -- I'm a poet and I didn't even know it.) While part of this perception may be due to the character of Hahli behind it, I think there's more to it than that. The lines of the mask are very streamlined and clean, and the smooth, close-fitting visor underneath really shines due to the exposure through the oversized eyeholes and holes in the upper forehead. The back end has a beautiful follow-through flowing back, which counts for a lot somehow in feminine masks.

 

The fact that Lesovikk, a male character, also wears a Faxon testifies to the mask's inherent look of strength and determination, factors that can apply equally to both males and females.

 

-BC

Again, streamlined doesn't seem to work for me. The shininess of the visor is an interesting observation, though-- points for your attention to detail.

Agreed on the mask's look of strength and determination-- it is for this reason that I can accept it as a suitable mask for Hahli, although it is nowhere near as good looking to me as the Elda. I guess the follow-through of the back of the mask might appeal to some-- I'm rather indifferent to it myself.

I don't think it's so much that the Faxon looks feminine in and of itself as that the Elda was distinctly not.

 

The heavy, forward-protruding jaw alone made the mask look severely masculine, and for most people the mustache sealed the deal. The curves forming the rest of the mask could be considered feminine, but the jaw (and arguably mustache) override them.

 

Whereas the Faxon lacks anything pointing to either gender in specific, so it did not look peculiar on a female Toa – and in fact fit Hahli Mahri's design to utter perfection.

 

Edited because BC posted at the same time: Aye, the smooth, sweeping look the mask has, even down to the little prong-things at the mouth, certainly contributes to femininity – although it works equally well on a male, as shown by Lesovikk.

As I said above, streamlined doesn't work for me. Look at the more streamlined Toa Terrain Crawler face and you'll see what I mean.

The jaw of the Elda isn't that bad actually. It's not feminine, but not really too masculine either. I've drawn the mask many times and not once had to stylize away the protruding jaw to make the mask look attractive. Maybe if I still have any of them sketches I'll post them, or maybe I can procure another with a similar lack of stylization. The mustache I find acceptable as a point to joke about, but it seriously doesn't look at all like such except for from below. Otherwise, it connects to the sides of the nose, and furthermore is recessed into the underside of the cheeks (you'll have to look at the mask for this one; it's not easy to explain).

The Faxon... I guess it had stylistic consistency with the fins to a slight extent, with its heavy angularity... but otherwise it fails to have stylistic consistency with such traits as her legs, feet, etc. The jaggediness overrides the overall rounded shape of the mask, making the great Huna a far more feminine mask in that respect. I respect your feelings, however, that masks for female characters are suitable if they look good on either gender rather than specifically on female characters-- that is something that the Elda lacked, partly because it seemed in a sense "personalized" for Hahli much like the masks on lead characters in the BIONICLE movies.

Thanks for your feedback, everyone; I'm glad to see there were a few reasons that can be provided, even if the most often provided (its streamlined appearance) does not strike me as feminine. If anyone has other reasons to offer, by all means do so.