Thoughts On 2009
Entry posted by ToM Dracone
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This has nothing to do with recent occurances.
I started typing this up while on vacation, but since I didn't finish I've just left it as a draft since then – a sort of rambling entry detailing my expectations for 2009 over the years, as we've learned progressively more about it.
In 2006 and early 2007, we knew that '06-'08 was the Mask of Life story arc. I assumed (as I think many did) that the Inika would be the heroes for all three years, ending with the healing of Mata Nui and the death of Matoro in exchange. 2009 would then return to the Nuva, going on whatever quest was next for them in preparation to actually awaken Mata Nui.
But then we learned that the Nuva were going to return in 2008, and that Mata Nui would die at the end of 2007. This changed things, and I had the idea that 2008 would be spent jointly between the Mahri and Nuva to bring Mata Nui back to life. (I have never ever liked that all Matoro had to do was fall into Karda Nui wearing the Ignika. No preparations or mysterious forces or ritualistic events involved. But that's a rant for somewhere else.) I don't recall what I thought of 2009 at this point, but I do not think I ever thought they would awaken Mata Nui in '08.
Once that fact became clear, and it was stated that '09 would be starting anew, something simple, something old and new fans could appreciate, I began to dream up ideas for what this could entail. As I saw (and still see) it, there was infinite opportunity to explore the rest of the world. Without being constrained by using old characters (and thereby probably displeasing old fans with their new forms), you could completely start over – no need to create a transition, or some awkward and illogical explanation for a transformation.
There are loads of places in the Bionicle world we've never been – take the mainland, for instance. It's huge, we've never been there; you could hardly have more opportunity waiting to be used. And there's a ready-made set of villains you could take advantage of: the Zyglak! Since their introduction in 2007 I've been waiting for a year where they were the canister villains. They'd work wonderfully for a simple, fresh-start storyline. Maybe a 3/3 split again.
And the small sets? They could be anything. Smaller Zyglak, Matoran (but a change from them would be nice), or – dare I say it – the Nuva turned Turaga. I've long thought that the Nuva will have to give up their Toa power to awaken Mata Nui, so having Turaga 'Nuva' as small sets in 2009 would work wonderfully. And since there are plenty of Turaga in Metru Nui now, the six of them could easily travel together somewhere where they might be needed – like one of the Continents.
I'm really rambling, but this idea amuses me greatly. It has endless potential. And you might even be able to get a bit of the old tropical island feel back, or something similar to how 2001 felt, if you did it right.
So it has always seemed silly to me to switch to a whole new universe, when there's a ton of stuff begging to be explored in the original one. Does that mean I think 2009 will be bad? Not at all. We still know almost nothing about it, so I can't say. But there's a part of me that will always wish something like the idea outlined above had been done...
~ ToM
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