Alyska

In canon, young Matoran on Metru Nui believed that Mata Nui flew down the chutes to deliver gifts on Naming day. But the thought of stressed-out Kopaka silently freaking out about having to play Santa is the best thing. Nuju would be no help whatsoever, but Matoro would probably make a good little helper elf and have a pretty good idea of what gifts to get the other Matoran. Pohatu would love it, though. It probably helps that being able to summon kohlii balls, carvings, stone jewelry and greeting tablets out of thin air takes a lot of the stress out of gift shopping. Lewa would be trying to work out how to share the Miru Nuva's power between six cows and his questionable attempt at building a sleigh. Matau tried to tell him he doesn't literally need the sleigh or cows, but Lewa looked so disappointed he let him do it anyway. This can only end well. I also headcanon that on Spherus Magna, gaudy festive jumpers are a huge hit with the biomechanical community, who are fairly new to the concept of clothing, and even newer to the concept of fashion sense. Ta-Matoran in particular feel the cold a lot more, so little Agori grannies have taken to knitting and selling brightly-coloured mask-cozies for them. Hahli and Takanuva have an ongoing competition regarding who can find the silliest garment to give Jaller, and who can persuade him to wear it in public.

It's weird to compare Bionicle with other "things from your early-2000s childhood" memes that became popular this year- Lazy Town, Bee Movie, Spongebob, etc. I think it's just the combination of familiarity and bizarre out-of-context-ness of it all. Like, "Surprise! Remember meeee? Weren't expecting that, huh?" with the added bonus of being completely incomprehensible and confusing to people who weren't there at the time (like the unfortunate Mr Trump up there).

When Pohatu gets buried by falling rocks in Tales of the Masks, Kopaka spends some time searching for him, then assumes he must be dead, gives up and walks off to tell his village. Wow, Kopaka, it must have been tough looking for Pohatu under all those rocks, even for a cold, logical genius like you. Such a pity you didn't have something that could help you look for him. Some sort of device that could help you see through solid matter, perhaps? Wouldn't that be neat? You could attach it to your face or something and wear it all the time! Pity you don't have anything like that... no...

I always say this, but I really do believe it was more about the choices made in the marketing and the storytelling media rather than the story itself. Bionicle's greatest strength in the early years was all the free story content on bionicle.com. You could spend days browsing the site and still have new things to discover, without having to bug your parents to spend money on you. After 2004, a lot of the online content was taken down, and you now needed to buy the DVDs and books to understand most of the story. 2006 saw a revival of online content, but most of it was non-canon (Save the Band, Piraka rap, etc) and they only picked up that ball again in 2007 with the serials and mini-movie, but it really was too little too late. Being dependent on books is a bad idea for a franchise such as this. Why? Well, books based on a toyline are something a parent will typically buy only if their child is already very invested in the story. Parents of avid readers will look for something more sophisticated looking, and parents of reluctant readers have no reason to buy them if their kid isn't already interested in Bionicle. The fact that I see a 2003 Bionicle book in just about every book sale I visit shows that they were immensely popular and successful at one point, but the Metru books- published just a year or two later- are rare by comparison, because they didn't have all that free online content to back them up and draw new fans into the story. The direct-to-DVD movies are in a similar position: you need to have kids already invested in the story before they'll spend money for more of it, which is partly why TLR flopped.

The odd thing about Greg's decanonising romance was that he himself was largely responsible for all the Matau/Nokama stuff (or rather Matau --> Nokama stuff, given that she never reciprocated except platonically). The narration at one point says "Nokama was his friend, and he sometimes wished she could be more than that", and the Hordika arc has Matau heavily imply he wants her to be his mate, (or as close as biomechanical biology would allow them to get) so it's pretty hard to deny Greg's role in it. So 2006 was the straw that broke the camel's back, either because Greg didn't like the idea of writing a couple that actually had mutual feelings as main characters (Hahli and Jaller), or having a Toa with a crush on a Matoran was too awkward for him, even though said Matoran wasn't around (poor Hewkii). I think it actually wouldn't have changed all that much if Hahli and Jaller had remained romantically involved throughout the 2006-2007 arc. They both perform heroic acts to save each other's lives at various points (Jaller jumping over the volcano, Hahli wrestling a shark, etc), so those moments could be given more weight. Then there's the potential for tension in the relationship- Hahli was always kind and supportive towards Matoro, which would give Jaller yet another reason to be jealous of him (justified or not), and Jaller's attempted nova blast would give anyone trust issues. It's also established that although Jaller cares about Hahli, he's frequently serious and not good at supporting other people emotionally, leaving her frustrated and lonely. Meanwhile, Hahli's growing confidence leads to her frequently leaving the team behind and them wondering if she's betrayed them for the Barraki, which would be interesting to see more from Jaller's point of view. A breakup might be a possibility at that point, with a possible reconciliation arc later on. It's pretty clear that they need to talk to each other more, romantic connections or not. Macku is only mentioned by name once in the arc (and by Teridax, at that) but her presence (or rather, absence) is felt. At one point Nuparu, acting as a stand-in for the audience, asks Hewkii whether he misses anything about his old life, and Hewkii's response feels a lot like "Yes, of course I miss my girlfriend! Shut up nerd, I don't wanna talk about feelings!" As to what form romance might take in the MU (had it not been decanonised), I see it more as a strong emotional attachment or intellectual connection and wanting to spend time together without others rather than a physical attraction (which I agree doesn't make sense for them). But because it wasn't intentionally programmed in, they don't have a well-defined concept of romantic love, "marriage" is a political union, and "dating" is only a thing archaeologists do with old artefacts. Wanting to hang out with one specific person a lot, hold their hand and/or cuddle them was probably considered weirdly clingy by some, perfectly fine by others, and "mostly okay as long as it didn't distract them from work" by the Turaga. That said, Greg did eventually decide that after being socially exposed to the idea of romance on Sphereus Magna, it might be theoretically possible that some biomechs would possibly maaaayyyybe consider thinking about adopting the custom themselves, but that it would take a long time, and certainly not for everyone. I am 200% up for this, because robots trying to adopt romantic customs (and occasionally failing) is the best.

That Tahnok image is probably what happened in some alternate universe where Takua became a Bohrok. The best worst cleaning machine ever.

Think about your methods for storytelling as well- are you going to use multiple media like Bionicle? Arc-based or episodic? How easy is it for new fans to jump on? What is made explicit right away, what is left for fans to discover themselves, and what will not be revealed until later? Will the audience feel part of the story, and how? Early Bionicle's strengths lie in the storytelling techniques as much as the story itself.

If you're thinking what I think you're thinking... Miraculous Ladybug Lego YES. (fits stupidly well with Lego given her power is creation and all too).

I'm also in the "I'd rather have Elves" camp. I think they should come up with an alternative to CCBS for that to happen though- something that allows for a less bulky build. Some of the recent Monster High dolls have had buildable figures, so a slightly more robust version of them might be ideal. I think I've talked about this before, but I like the idea of separate plastic hair that is itself made from multiple pieces. So you have the basic scalp with bangs (if applicable) and a bunch of small holes in various places to attach locks, ponytails, buns, hats, crowns, hair accessories, etc, like how some minidoll hair has attachable accessories. It also means the detachable parts can be moved and rotated for poseability. This increases the customisation and playability value, as it mimics the hairstyling of traditional doll-play. In fact, it might be better in some ways, since you can mix and match it with other dolls. They could even have recoloured parts in blind bags like the Bionicle mask packs. Short skirts could be molded plastic but I like the idea of cloth for long skirts and cloaks. Some nice textures and shapes can be included here, like Naida having a shimmery fish-scale design or Aira having soft, floaty fabrics. Now, the nature of these figures means that they're inherently going to have less versatile parts, and human proportions may mean they don't stand up on their own easily. So, giving them "play" value should be about poseability and customisation. Have several options for hair and clothing in the one pack (even if it's just a reversible cloak, or one that doubles as a skirt.) Include some versatile stickers that can be placed on the figures in different arrangements. Hey, maybe even have a software pack like the old Barbie ones where you could design outfits and print them onto special fabric. Have an online service ala Hero Factory that allows you to order a personalised Elf with customised hair, skin and clothing colours, along with stickers of your choice (bonus deviousness: make some sticker designs and accessories available only through this service) Diverse body types might be too much to hope for, but the medium has more potential for it than traditional minidolls do. Picture tall, lanky Aira, short, curvy Naida, or strong and athletic Azari. Hands: Have two pairs of hands included with the figure. They are both realistically human in shape and proportion, but one is molded in a "C" shape and functions like a minifig's claw-hand, being able to hold things with handles or stems. The other is an open hand with a stud in the middle of the palm, for holding various objects that click onto it. Some of the accessories could have simple mechanisms, like Aira having a flying machine with wings that flapped when you turn a gear handle, or Farran with a giant flower that opens and closes or something. Hire me Lego

Still cracks me up how the massive plot twist was just "Mata Nui was Mata Nui all along!" Also, not really a meme, but too good not to share:

*Sits back patiently, waits for the Internet to realize that Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" describes both Bionicle and its fandom perfectly right now*

I can see Su-Matoran having yellows and pinks, or Ce- and Vo-Matoran with purple in place of blue. Bo- could occasionally have some brown, which makes more sense than blue to me. I also headcanon that a Matoran's armour colour might gradually change in response to environmental factors or health, so colours might appear duller when sick, and a Ta-Matoran might start to fade a little in extremely cold weather. Ga-Matoran who live in marshy areas might have more teal on them, possibly even green, while those who live near the sea will have deep royal and sky blues. Matoran living in urban or industrial environments will have more dark greys and silver, which can be seen in the Metru Nui Matoran compared to how they looked on Mata Nui. Colour changes might also occur after surgery or rebuilding, which is why nobody questioned Takua's feet turning blue, though this was actually a subconscious manifestation of his Av-Matoran power, possibly also influenced by his admiration of Gali.

I wonder if Lego's kicking themselves right now given that they just cancelled the line right before it makes it big in mainstream pop culture.

There's a popular headcanon that Matoran celebrate a holiday or festival similar to Halloween, sometimes referred to as Karzahni day. So, what kinds of Halloween costumes should your favourite Bionicle characters wear? Answers can be something they'd realistically do in-universe, for example Matoran dressing up as scary Rahi or Bohrok (though Av-Matoran might consider the latter a bit offensive). I can picture Takua doing the equivalent of the "dog in a spider costume" prank by putting a big scorpion tail on Pewku and have her running around at night terrorising trick-or-treaters. Alternatively, ignore what's plausible in the canon- what costume would YOU have them wear? Hewkii and Macku dressed as WALL-E and Eve? Takua in a Pikachu onesie? Kopaka as Elsa? (You might need Lewa and Pohatu's help to stuff him into the dress, but I'm sure they'd be happy to oblige.) What do you think they should wear?

Out of anyone, the most likely people to come close to figuring it out would probably be Fa-Matoran. Since they have an inbuilt sense of direction they'd probably notice when the "geography" changed.

This is a Jaller. He jalls for a living. He has years of jalling experience.

Heh... How did you feel when Hahli popped out of it, then? As for me, I thought Mata Nui woke up at the end of Mask of Light. I also misheard Takutanuva talking about Jaller's mask as "This mask is the mask of life" which got me real confused when the Ignika was introduced. I also thought Takanuva was a Toa Nuva, but I think most people did at the time.

Used to go with "Loo-wah" (I did a massive double take when I heard about a Cyclone Lua), but now I think of it as Lay-wa, even in G2. Side note: This name gets even more complicated when you consider that in some parts of the world, "w" sounds like /v/, as we saw in the videos of the Danish creators. With the first vowel sound in the name now being "ee", this means some people pronounce it "Lee-vah", which is phonetically identical to how I say the word "lever" Consider how confused these people must have been when Onua proudly announced "I hit the lever" in the animations... "Jaller" is an interesting one because there's absolutely nothing remarkable about it to those of us who already have non-rhotic accents (meaning we don't do the /r/ sound in words like "garden" or "teacher"), but it completely throws most Americans and others who typically do rhotic prounciation.

Did the Piraka actually throw Matoran in the volcano? I recall they messed with a Zamor'd one by asking him to walk into the lava, but then kept pulling him back and asking him to do it again and again, and eventually got him to stop so they could use him for other stuff. Many did die by accident in the eruption, though.

I suggest- two groups- one with a large user base designed for general bouncing around of story ideas, that can support multiple projects being developed at the same time to account for creative differences, and a second, smaller group of people that you handpicked to help with your specific project. If the big group spawns some dedicated fan projects, they can later make their own small groups for them. I've seen that kind of setup used before, and it can work quite well that way.

I just like the idea of the Mata Nui Matoran having some very warped ideas about the Toa before they arrived (and for a short while after) in percieving them as godlike beings. I take the old non-canon descriptions as canonically what the Matoran believed about the Toa- my favourite one is the Po-Matoran being terrified that Pohatu (of all people) would summon rockslides down on them if they displeased him. (Onewa probably used him as a bogeyman type figure to scare the Matoran into obedience for centuries). Also, Matoran thinking that any unusual weather conditions were deliberately caused by one or more Toa, or were the result of arguments between them, would lead to some interesting conversations in the village. (Every thunderstorm in Le-Koro has the Matoran questioning Lewa about what he did to annoy Gali this time).

It definitely could, but the marketing strategies from around 2006 onwards had a serious case of Ur Doin it Wrong. I'd say there's a hefty "dormant" fandom of people who liked it as a child but grew apart from it, but would be so on board with a theatrical feature film or a well-produced high profile cartoon.It's not quite fair to compare it to Transformers, but a big comeback around the 20 year mark could be hugely successful with old, new and returning fans. Ultimately the success of most brands is defined by the casual fans, not the superfans that hang out for hours each week on fansites- they're a minority. So the key is presenting Bionicle in a way that's accessible to the casual fan, while still providing enough depth to keep the full-time fans engaged. It's something that the 01-03 story did very well, and I'd be keen to see its success repeated.

Get a grouchy little white cat as well and see how long it takes him to make friends with it. Also, on-topic, look at this robot snake and tell me it's not something a Makuta would create...

Which fictional story/stories do you think could theoretically take place in the same universe as Bionicle? (G1 or G2) Note that this is not asking so much about the practicality of making a crossover episode/story from the authors'/creators' point of view, nor about similarity of the plot or style, but rather which fictional universes have rules or lore that seem consistent with how things work in Bionicle, so that the two stories could theoretically take place in different parts of the same reality. I was watching Steven Universe recently, and started to think that a species like the Gems could very easily exist somewhere in the G1 cosmos (not inside the MU, but perhaps elsewhere.) After all, in Bionicle, rocks seem to be the go-to item for storing immense amounts of power (Toa Stones, Nui Stone, etc), Mutran proved that they can be given sentience, and there is certainly a precedent for beings whose consciousness is contained in a small item but have the ability to create physical bodies for themselves (Ignika, Mata Nui) as well as for creating solid constructs out of light (Solek's power). (I also started thinking that, given that the Gems appear to be purpose-built inorganic lifeforms that require technology to reproduce, it's clear that this is not a species that came into existence by accident- they must have been created artificially by another species... a species suspiciously similar to the Great Beings, perhaps? But that's probably taking things a bit too far...) And yes, it sounds cracky, as I expect a lot of posts in this topic will, but, hey, just remember that most Tarantino films canonically take place in the same continuity as Spy Kids. Nothing is impossible in the world of fiction. Which other existing stories do you think could have happened within the Bionicle universe?

There could also be something subconscious in everyone's programming that discourages it, since Matoran are the ones keeping the universe running. Toa are made for fighting and are designed to be occasionally sacrificed to serve Destiny, but Matoran seem more likely to die by accident than any other way, suggesting that even the most bloodthirsty beings are being steered away from killing them..