Two of my BIONICLE 2015 set reviews for The New Elementary have now been posted, with a third still forthcoming. I received six BIONICLE sets from the LEGO Group to review for that site: three Toa and three Protectors. Check out my review of 70788 Kopaka - Master of Ice right here! Check out my review of 70784 Lewa - Master of Jungle and 70786 Gali - Master of Water here! And finally, because I was lucky enough to receive these three particular Toa, you can see my attempt at building a 201
So I saw the new Ninjago episode tonight! It was pretty intense. The series is definitely moving towards a conclusion that will do the series as a whole justice. A short summary of the coolest parts and my thoughts follow: In other Ninjago news, I found a Japanese online shop today that had descriptions of next year's Ninjago sets. I obviously can't share this on BZPower since this site probably wasn't supposed to disclose this so soon... but at the same time, it gives some insights into
Hello. If you are reading this then you are not only in a large minority intent on self-inflicted misery, but you may also be a reader of my epic, Frost Rising. Regardless, you are probably interested in finding the answer to one question: What is Sebald Code?
Let's begin with a little history. Sebald code is named for its inventor, a volunteer named Dr. Gustav Sebald. Dr. Sebald was a reputed filmmaker who is well known for his production of movies such as Ghosts in the Desert, Goblins in the
I was thinking about how Ninjago's story compares to BIONICLE, specifically on the subject of character development. Now, naturally, what I'm about to say is going to be disputed. But personally, I feel Ninjago is stronger than BIONICLE in terms of character development, and here's why: Compared to BIONICLE, LEGO Ninjago explores its characters and shows their development on a much more individual level than BIONICLE often did. Obviously the TV-series format is a major asset here. Certain epis
I was just listening to some BIONICLE movie soundtracks on BioMedia Project. While it's good for a nostalgia kick, I'm finding that much of the music is just as generic as I remembered. I don't mean that in the sense that it's not memorable or distinctive. It definitely checks both of those boxes. But there's nothing about it that makes it a particularly apt fit for the BIONICLE story and universe in particular. A lot of it sounds like it could just as easily belong to an adaptation of any adv
Before we proceed, let me say that this model is NOT MINE. It was created by LEGO Group designers (EDIT: The designer was Christoffer Raundahl, one of the inventors of this building system whose BIONICLE design credits include the original Tahu and Kopaka sets), though it is most likely a MOC and not a set design (if it is an unannounced set design, though, you are free to celebrate at your leisure). The painted variant was detailed by Søren Westborg, a Danish artist who seems to specialize in p
In my last entry, I shared my first two BIONICLE 2015 set reviews for The New Elementary. Now, I can share the third and final (for now, at least). Check out my review of 70778 Protector of Jungle, 70780 Protector of Water, and 70781 Protector of Earth right here! In addition, I've managed to draw something I'm really proud of for the first time in months! Check out my drawing of Gali - Master of Water right here in the General Art subforum! I'd love to draw some other BIONICLE characters, i
Well, it turns out Kit Martello didn't perform too well in the BBC contest, only getting around seven votes in the first round of polling. I don't feel too bad about not winning, since there was a lot of talent in the contest, but it still bothers me that most of my feedback concerning Kit has been largely negative. Regardless, I think Sparkytron's Eris is due a round of congratulations for emerging victorious in the final poll. There are several things I dislike about this MOC, particularly the
...In another show altogether. Turns out they are voiced by Brian Drummond and Tabitha St. Germain. You might know them better as Mr. and Mrs. Cake from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Of course it's already well-known that voice acting can be a tightly-knit community, but it's still fun to find amusing little coincidences like this. P.S.: I am not at all suggesting any sort of relationship between the actual voice actors. That would be a little bit weird. P.P.S.: Feel free to su
(cross-posted from Brickset) This is just something I've been thinking about lately. When #70751 Temple of Airjitzu was announced, a question that seemed to be on a lot of people's minds is "how many AFOLs will be interested in buying a Ninjago set?" (or conversely, "how many Ninjago fans are even old enough for a set this size?") This is something that I see a lot of in the AFOL community — themes like Ninjago being perceived as "too childish" for most adults to take a serious interest in.
I was just thinking about the Hero Factory Brain Attack sets and was struck by something unusual. Obviously, from a story perspective, it's obvious that the theme for the year was a combination alien invasion/zombie apocalypse. But has anybody noticed that the sets almost had more of a historical fantasy flavor to them? Think about it — the heroes had helmets with visors that folded down over their eyes, and segmented metallic armor. Rocka, Furno, and Stormer all carried a traditional sword an
Hey everybody. Sorry it's been a while since I last blogged! But we're less than halfway through February and already there's been more than enough news in the last week and a half to fill a blog entry. On Saturday, January 31st I was invited by Black Six to become a BZPower News Reporter. I jumped at the opportunity. I already report news to BZPower rather frequently, and this was an opportunity to both do that in an official capacity and help other people get the news THEY find on the front
Dear friends, The past year has been really bumpy for me in a lot of ways. I’ve grappled with emotional dependency, depression, anxiety, and more. One good thing that has come about over the past year, albeit with some challenges of its own along the way, is thinking critically about my gender identity, which has led to some big realizations. For a long time I have related really well to my female peers and have felt deeply invested in their personal struggles. Many of the fictional characte
Anyone who read my last entry on Mistika height might get the impression that I have dabbled before in BIONICLE heights for set and story, and so I have. In fact, a few of my recent PMs to Greg have dealt with the height of certain characters in story. But anyway, I've managed to get a decent word document together for my own reference when dealing with issues of height, and decided today while updating it with tentative information on the canon height of Takanuva that it was worth posting here,
This amazing LEGO leaflet from the 1970s has been making the rounds this week. It's definitely worth a read. But unfortunately, some people have tried to spin this as "look how much LEGO has changed" when in fact that's at odds with the truth of the situation. Believe it or not, the 1970s were not some idyllic time before the concept of gendered marketing existed. During the 1970s, the LEGO Group had two themes which had what could be considered "dolls houses": "Homemaker" (http://brickset.com
Let me make this clear: I do not hate TTV. I do not enjoy the TTV podcast (mostly just personal preference — I do not enjoy getting my news in video form when given the choice), but I respect them for what they do — and I reserve the right to be disappointed when they do it badly. If a BZPower set review made similar mistakes, praising or criticizing features that do not exist when the set is built correctly, then I would want them to be held accountable as well. In fact, I have vocally critici
Wow! In response to a recent news report, I got a proto energy boost, which means I've finally achieved Premier Outstanding BZPower Citizen status! To be honest, this might not change a whole lot for me. It's not like I've been actively seeking to achieve this status, and seeing my name in orange is not a huge change. Also, I'm not sure how many people actually pay attention to a member's rank when it's not indicative of a staff position. Still, I feel like it's a significant milestone... sign
Welp, I'm pretty close to prepared for Brickfair. Got my clothes, MOCs, name badge, and art all packed up. MOCs I'm exhibiting this year include Caitlyn Gauss XL, Delwyn Buckler, Blacktron Vivisector, Kit Martello, Hero Factory Canine Buddy, Rise of the Dread Colossus (submarine only — I had to borrow some of the Dread Colossus's tentacles for Delwyn's hair, so he's out of commission), and My Little Tahu. I think Delwyn Buckler and Caitlyn Gauss XL will probably be the most popular of those se
Earlier I was looking at how this year's Hero Factory sets compare to similarly-priced BIONICLE sets in terms of complexity. Turns out they fare rather well. Let's look at one in particular: 44024 Tunneler Beast. Tunneler Beast is a $9.99 set coming out this summer (as such, it's at the lowest price point for this year's sets). It boasts 59 pieces (45 if you don't include the minifigure or his accessories) and 20 points of articulation (15 if you don't include the jaw and fingers, which onl
I made the following analogy in a BIONICLE-related Facebook group I'm in, and my twin brother Lyichir says I should post it here as well, so here goes.
A little over a month ago, Tim Johnson (owner of one of my favorite LEGO blogs, The New Elementary) approached me asking if I'd like to review some sets for his site. I jumped at the opportunity, and today I can announce that my first review for TNE is now live! Click here to take a look at this amazing set and the many interesting LEGO elements it offers! I am very proud of how this review turned out. I am already working on another review for the site, and will share it here when it is compl
Hey, BZPower. Sorry for not being too active this past month. Life's been kind of crazy for me. I suppose before I jump into talking about fun things like MOCs, I should get the important stuff out of the way. School has not been going well for me. I'm in my second semester studying Industrial Design, but my classes have really been a huge source of anxiety, which has at times been crippling for me. I have a couple weeks left here in Boston, but after that I'm going to take a semester off to g
Lately I've been thinking a lot about the Hero Factory building system and its commonly-perceived flaws. Chief among these is the allegation that the builds are too repetitive. It's kind of funny to read this because frankly this was a major criticism of BIONICLE builds for many years as well, and it was far from rare even when people weren't complaining about it. Remember Inika builds? They were the default build from 2006-2009, and many people really and truly hated the repetition. But rep
