Banana Gunz

I think this is a cool theory and I love Takanuva but it doesn't feel like his presence is necessary or likely here. I think anything he does could be more easily and effectively done with Ekimu in his place. Besides, it would be awkward and strange to introduce Takanuva so suddenly. G1 had already established him as a matoran, and he had a strong symbolic and story role, but here it doesn't seem to serve a particular purpose. But I think having to toa be defeated would be a dark and cool twist that would change the way we look at the line. It could then even be argued that the supposed emptiness of the story and characters was an intentional and clever symbolic choice, where the toa being these decorated legends end up failing because they were so busy working to fulfill prophecy and having their names chanted as legends that they never truly put in their greatest or really struggled and sacrificed. It becomes a fantastically interesting comment on prophecy and how those who try to follow it and fulfill the roles other give to them will never truly live to be much more than prideful failures. And then if you replace Takanuva here with Ekimu it becomes a far more interesting and focused finale. Ekimu has shown he has had to save the toa's butts already before and that he now has to step up and take responsibility for him not seeing his brothers pain and corruption. He now has to face the consequences for failing as a brother and not doing more to keep Makuta from falling to jealousy. As for the Mask of Time... I dunno, I'd like to see a more personal resolution between Ekimu and Makuta, but perhaps there could be an even crazier twist, where the MOUP separates from Makuta and kills Ekimu, making MAKUTA the hero and having to go back in time to save the life of his brother, by ending his own. It makes him a far more interesting character (he was an interesting character but currently isn't an interesting villain) in that he was never meant to be accepted by the protectors because that's simply who he is and was, and he has to learn acceptance and overcome his jealousy only through going through the extreme tragedy and pain of losing his brother whom he realizes he cared about all along when the MOUP isn't playing with his emotions. It generates a fantastic theme that being anyone can't just be a hero, but has to earn the chance and make the right decision, as well as sometimes you need to accept the way things were meant to be and that you're not always going to fit in, and that's okay as long as you know yourself. I would almost forgive G2's quality (or lack thereof) if my version of your pitch were how things ended up. From there on if Bionicle weren't likely to end next year you could continue to focus the story on the revived Toa as a story of redemption and a deep quest to fully realize themselves as real heroes and learn what it really means.

I could write a whole essay or research paper on this subject, but with recent things such as the fan negativity and general distaste for G2 (not discluding myself), I think it's worth this just being a positive fan discussion. And maybe along the way we can remember what we loved about Bionicle so much, and gain a better and healthier understanding of what we dislike about G2 and ways things can be done better, as well as recognize what it already does so well. So, what do you think made Bionicle so special? And what made Bionicle so special specifically to you?

Fans overall are impossible to totally satisfy. No matter what you do, people are different, and some get more dramatic than others. I myself have expressed really negative reactions and opinions on Bionicle G2 simply because I don't like it and that it's a serious let down. I brought all the first wave toa and continued to support it but eventually it became clear the story and scope of it all was far from exciting or interesting and Bionicle has faded out of my mind for now. But believe me I'm still gonna keep supporting Bionicle G2 no matter how much I hate Journey to One or the story as a whole because heck it's Bionicle and that's what matters for now. I imagine Bionicle will end after 2017, and that's upsetting, but I'm not crying about it. If fans are being sour, what can I say. I don't post much here anymore because of just how easy it is to get upset and make others upset on the internet, and I guess that's just how it is.

Matoro totally sacrificed his spirit to revive Mata-Nui, meaning there was nothing left of him. One could view it as he used his spirit to bring life back to Mata-Nui meaning that part of his spirit is now a part of Mata-Nui, so bringing Matoro back to life wouldn't be possible, as it is essentially one with Mata-Nui entirely or in the least totally gone. Not to mention is would kinda undermine his sacrifice in terms of story-telling (one of my absolute favorite Bionicle moments of all time, if not number one). Matoro reviving Mata-Nui involved a transfer of energy, say spirit energy. Matoro drained his entirety to give it all to Mata-Nui, so the life force of one transferred to the other. When other characters die in G1, I'm assuming usually their spirits are in some ways still alive and connected to the corpse, which is used to bring them back to life on the Red Star. And I assume if a character isn't revived their spirit could at least be partially intact? Bionicle has some real wacky spirit logic, but I don't think Matoro's case is quite the same as Hydraxon's case to be perfectly honest. I wouldn't over think it. Matoro was simply a great character with an excellent sacrifice. I think it would be interesting to say the least if he were ever brought back but I'd personally be against it. As a younger kid Matoro really affected me from his sacrifice in the comics and was super influential to me. I wouldn't want to undermine that, though I do love this silent idea that perhaps Matoro "lives" in an even deeper realm, a spirit state beyond the spirit state where he drifts and watches the world and its inhabitants, perhaps playing recorder like a Ko-matoran inscribing legends and philosophies but simply in his "mind". He never interacts with anyone or anything, but he's always there in some way, living out every tragic moment with our heroes, but feeling every tender sweet one too. Like that beautiful picture in the back of the last 2008 comic, of Matoro on Bara Magna. Who knows, maybe that realm he's a part of is our realm, and Matoro is just another kid now, reading Bionicle books and comics and living every single one of those beautiful and powerful moments with the rest of us...

"Oh, yeah, Bill. Yeah no we don't talk about Bill. Not ever since last Christmas. We don't invite him to family reunions anymore... Not after what he did to ma babe Jessica..." -Exclusive ABC interview with Ekimu.

So I really already said multiple time I have NOTHING against the people that were put in charge of making this or their skill or anything, I explicitly said more than once it wasn't some horrid sin against humanity but just a bad show, and I did find some small details that I found positive. I really don't know how much you're reading my posts because I feel I've already addressed most of this. I'm not a hater and I don't enjoy hating things. And I don't see what's wrong with me wishing that that hour I spent watching a bad show could've been me watching an hour of a good or even great show. Good quality content? What a sin! I think you're really oversimplifying G1. G1 had a lot of serious and interesting plot ideas and philosophical aspects. Just look at its main motto: Unity, Duty, Destiny. That one line is a centralized ideal of how to make things work, of sticking together with your people to be strong and build on each other to gain the strength to move forward, doing what you must to keep that unity working even if you don't like it, and finding your own self in that unity and reaching for your own personal goals and needs to retain your own strength in that unity and be a healthy working gear in the larger machine. G2 takes that, and almost plays it as a joke. Journey to One half heatedly called back to it as well as once in a LEGO Magazine comic and it doesn't have any of that same weight because the characters aren't fully realized and their quest doesn't fully match up with that idea which it doesn't even fully express. That is practically symbolic of G2 so far. It takes what G1 did well, sometimes too much of and calls back to it for the sake of being Bionicle but not actually being a Bionicle that works. G1 experimented with interesting and powerful other philosophical plots and aspects, like the concept of sacrifice and what it takes to conquer fear selflessly for the better of all others, and what it means to have power and what its effect really means and how it affects everyone as a result of it. Bionicle outright made the bad guys win after almost eight years of story, with a plot twist that redefined how we saw everything that the entire story was built on from the beginning as a result of one of the most inspired story beginnings from the brilliant mind of Mr. Faber. And G2 is G2 for the sake of being G2. Even the villains are uninspired. And simplifying things is not bad at all. In G1's case rebooting it in a more simple and concise form is a brilliant idea, but it wasn't done well. As a result they neutered Bionicle, and made it a run of the mill story with nothing new or interesting to tell. Even Ninjago is loads better than this. It takes characters and makes them complex in their relationships with each other and keeps evolving them, and is in my honest opinion the best story telling LEGO has done since Bionicle (even if it has massive continuity problems). Even the comedy usually hits on some level if you look past some of the slightly more goofy parts at the beginning. And I don't need help. I don't think I'm wrong when I say it wasn't just a commercial. I'm not insane for having a different opinion than you or believing in something that I've thought about and established a qualified idea on by listening to the criticisms and ideas of others and using that to develop my own thoughts. Hollywood and ALL of cinema is made to MAKE MONEY. No matter how good you think it was, no matter how much it's praised by artists, it was green lit by studios under the hope/expectation that it would garner a product and make them money. There's a reason why they keep making Transformers movies with Michael Bay no matter how bad they are and how much people hate them. But under that logic any movie like Blade Runner or Citizen Kane or any grand movie that is considered a masterpiece and is smart and careful with what it does to convey complex and interesting ideas and themes is just a soul less cash in. Sure, maybe LEGO decided that they wanted this tv show to be a long commercial, but that is not what it should've been because that's not how you write a story. I have already explained myself so much on why things like that aren't just suppose to be cash ins and commercials but it seems you either don't want to listen for the sake of being right or are just too stubborn to think that maybe not everyone who dislikes G2 is a nostalgia crazed maniac who will only ever see Bionicle as some holy grail. And if it is a commercial, then that is NOT something I would want to show any future children. Stories are meant to affect and sometimes even change you, or at least make you feel something or have anything to say. Even with kids shows (if not more important with those), they shouldn't just be made to get them to shut up and sit down. LEGO doesn't have to make quality toys or products either that stimulate kids' creativity and help affect them at an early age and develop more healthily than other toys. If they wanted they could start selling the sets fully assembled and I'm sure they'd still make plenty of money. The effect is that making something of quality is worth it. I don't think it's a lot to ask for something good, and I don't think it's a lot to ask for a tv show that does more than kill brain cells. It's not the worst thing ever made, it is not a sin against humanity, but it doesn't fulfill the role or promise of a tv show or a Bionicle story, making G2 and it's attempt at a show a bust, and saying all it had to be was a commercial does not make it better or more successful, because sure, it fills that criteria but it hardly fills the criteria of something good or meaningful which in the least is what a story/tv show should be. The least it could've done was decorate a skimpy story to make it look better but instead it's cringy and upsetting. But just because you didn't explicitly say that doesn't mean that's not what it comes off as. You've said before that the story is fine because it's just a toy commercial, when looking at it from any more critical perspective lends the idea that it's not. And please do not put words into my mouth because that is just rude. I am NOT bashing the creators and saying they "tainted my very existence". If you've actually read anything I've written then it would be remarkably clear that I've stated multiple times it is not terrible, it is not an insult to me personally, that I hold nothing against them and any criticism I give them is of the work they produced, not them personally, and that that work no matter how bad it gets is not my opinion of their ability or talents or my respect of them as a whole. I have said that I am really thankful for Bionicle and its return and that LEGO decided to fund a tv show, but that doesn't excuse its quality or anything about it. I'd rather have gotten this than nothing, but it is not a sin to expect something better from something that was heavily disappointing. I don't think I took my dislike of G2 too far, because I've been open to it and still am and will continue to keep up with it because I'm willing to accept anything new out of the possibility of it being good rather than unfairly bashing anything they make because boohoo it's not old Bionicle. That argument is long gone and has been for a very long time yet people still find it relevant for some apparent reason because it's easier to paint someone who disagrees with you in a negative like that makes it seem like their opinion would have to be equally as irrelevant rather than actually listening and taking their opinions critically. And I don't think I took my dislike of G2 too far by being careful and thoughtful about how I feel. AGAIN, I've stated multiple times why I dislike it rather than descending into a blind rage or fit. I will live on, I will be fine, my life force is not tied to Bionicle being good, but it sure is depressing watching what could've been solid and good from all its potential be put to waste. G2 has been underwhelming as a whole since it began, and that would be forgivable if it got better but it's not. Again, I'm thankful for what I got, but just because something could've been worse doesn't mean it's good or couldn't have been better. It makes sense to look at G2 with a simpler perspective, but I'm not willing to dumb myself down to the point where I'm going to eat everything up because it's got the Bionicle logo slapped on it and decide that it's fine even when it's not even good under a simpler lens. Lessening one's expectations or saying it's okay to be less doesn't make it better, because as I explained not everything is just a dumb commercial or at least shouldn't be.

I completely disagree here. It doesn't matter if there's worse, what matters is the quality of this show, here and now, and though they could've screwed it even more there is A LOT it could've done better. And to me it's not that the characters sound new, it's that they don't sound good. The voices themselves don't bother me but the lack of any skill or appropriate tone being put into shows no effort and is a serious turn off. It makes the show ten times cheesier on its own. The fact that they're new isn't the problem, it's the fact they didn't make interesting or meaningful decision with the voices in any way to further the characters or better the show. Nope, nope, and nope. This statement completely makes no sense to me. Yes, Bionicle was made to sell toys, the story was made to sell toys, but that doesn't mean it has to lack in quality, and ESPECIALLY, for a tv show, a visual medium who's FIRST and most important priority is to TELL A STORY. A person looking on Netflix that watches this doesn't care that there's a toy line attached. They want to be entertained, they want a good story. And sure, you can say Bionicle's story is tacked on to sell toys, but that doesn't make it good or worthy, and for a tv show that makes it downright disturbing. Look at the LEGO Movie. It was not just good, it was AMAZING. It had heart, it had soul, it had meaning. Saying the shows priority was to sell toys is a lazy way of excusing its lack of quality. People were likely to buy the toys already if they were planning on it, and don't imagine a tv show with a cheesy bad story is going to entice anyone to want to buy them. And one shouldn't have to try to turn off their brain and enjoy this as someone else. Look at Avatar the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra. There are FANTASTIC childrens tv shows that are cool for anyone to watch. Aiming at a target audience does not excuse you to put out a bad product, and being a kid doesn't mean they're gonna settle for something that was tailored to insult anyone's intelligence. Kids aren't dumb and can watch something intelligent, and even if they don't totally understand it they can be enthralled by it and revisit it later, happy to see something they loved actually hold up. The show doesn't have to be complex or edgy to be good, but that doesn't mean it has to be super cheesy, cringy, and in general meaningless and be a basic and outlying toy commercial, because anyone can see through that and it doesn't at all make it good. I expect a good story from a tv show first and foremost and if they can't do that then I can watch commercials in between actually good shows already. And G1 at least tried some things sometimes and had some heart to it. I'm tired of the stupid and irrational argument that all Bionicle ever was or needs to be is a function to sell toys, because it's just not true in the case of a tv show. G2 doesn't suck because it's just like G1, G2 sucks because it's not good. You don't need 13+ years of complicated story, you need to have a focused and caring one that has some actual depth to it and has a unique, interesting, and meaningful identity. And again, if all you ever expect is a toy commercial then that's all you're ever going to get and all I can do then is feel sorry for how much heartless cash ins have taken control over that people can't even ask for quality in their toys or tv shows. because I dunno, I guess empty money and commercials are good for personal growth now apparently. Bionicle isn't about living up to some hype, I know it wasn't designed for me but from this tv show I don't see how it could be designed for anyone. Settling for "it was fine, everything is a commercial" doesn't get you something good. Quality doesn't work like that and it won't work for older fans or younger kids either. I don't think it's unreasonable for fans to demand something a little bit more interesting than a flat story with copy and pasted tropes and jokes. Bionicle took risks before, it did things that were weird and interesting and though it wasn't perfect there is more than just nostalgia with it or else there wouldn't be this large community of people who returned and stayed loyal to it after all these years. They would have left, realizing it was dumb and stupid, because we forget the things that were empty and meaningless. What sticks with us is what affected us and at least mattered at the time. That's why LEGO is so important as a whole. It didn't matter that you bought a set, it mattered that you did something with it and it meant something to you and made a memory. A childhood or a memory is not something someone can just sell to you. It has to WORK to give you that.

Okay, I thought my reaction and take on it was harsh and over the top. But this is just ridiculous. The show is bad, yes. But it could be much worse. How so? For one thing the animation style could look terrible, Like I mean even worse than the 2015 animation style. The fight scenes aren't so bad, and some of the voice acting is kinda good. Some, mind you. Yeah, the storytelling is very bad, and the Characters of the Toa are not lovable or relatable at all, let alone Ekimu, the Protectors (what we've seen of them) or anyone else really. Personally, it just feels like G2 has no heart, no love, no soul in it. It just feels rushed and not thought out well. Perhaps, they want us to see these characters as young and foolish, but with the whole thing, it's just so redundant, it's ridiculous. I know, that they're bodies maybe changed, and thas their memories wiped, but you'd think they'd have some level of muscle memory that was undamaged, or something else. But nope. The whole of G2 so far just feels soooooooo contrived, it hurts. Grant it, BIONICLE's later year's where like that too, but that doesn't make it any better, and it's certainly no valid defense that G2 could have on it's side when it comes to it's quality and heart (or lack there of). At least JtO wasn't a Cringe-Fest (for me). But the animation wasn't great in my opinion. The scene where The animation in general feels slow and bulky and the action doesn't feel right because of it. I'm not saying the people who made it have no skill, I'm just saying that from a clear point of view the 3D models in 2D environments felt weird and that as a whole it wasn't great. The characters didn't feel natural in their movements, and yes that may have been an "artistic choice" but I don't think it's one that worked. Even if they're robots and you're trying to convey their human aspects and personalities then make them move like people. Even the Legend Reborn was more fluid. I may have over exaggerated, but I don't think it was very good. The 2D Bionicle animations at least had style and consistency and moved fluidly. And for me it was a SERIOUS cringe fest. There were so many stupid tropes, and I could see literally everything that would happen coming from a mile away. Yes, the first year was like that too, but I don't think it worked there either, and it especially does not work for a tv show. The jokes never hit for me even once because they weren't clever, and take some parts like where the dialog doesn't even feel like it fits the scene, and is just out of place and meaningless. They literally could have taken it out and no one would have noticed, and it could've been better for it. The voice acting just isn't good either though. Every time the toa spoke I cringed because it felt like there was no control or no actual decisions being made. The tones of their voices never completely worked for the situation and just always felt the same and if it deviated it wasn't appropriate and sounded off. Think Sonic Adventure voice acting. Sure, it was probably a little better, but for the most part it was over exaggerated in inappropriate ways that didn't help make the toa any more likable, believable, or anything. I could at least partly forgiven it if they had done something to add more depth to the voices, but even that still wouldn't forgive that most of the writing isn't good at all. And Ekimu DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING. Every time the toa ask him about something he just goes It's just STUPID. None of the characters make any sense or are clever in any shape or sense of the word. Even if you fixed all these problems, you'd only even have half a decent show, but it still wouldn't excuse how uninteresting it is and how unmeaningful it is. It's story has nothing new to offer and the characters aren't endearing enough to even forgive that. Yes, there were redeeming points, and it's not like this show is a sin marked against this Earth, tainting society from the inside and secretly manipulating and corrupting people and taking away good television. There are redeeming moments and even the dialog had some highlights in some very small places, but overall the show is so underwhelming and upsetting that those points can't even be forgiven because they would only really work if anything else so much more important did. Underwhelming doesn't even actually describe the show. Sure, it's not insulting or pure evil, but it is a shame and a disrespect to the source material. Yes, Bionicle was always contrived, but at least at certain points it was interesting. It took often risks, it tried, and it had way more commendable points and cool creative things about it. But this show takes the characters we knew, and not just changes them dumping everything they stood for, but doesn't even do it well. The dialog and script makes the show try to sound smarter than it really is but it just isn't. This is exactly a copy paste of the story from last year, not just G1 or even all of generic television. It's important to recognize somethings strengths, but I'm not going to fool myself into liking it or ignoring the terrifying stack of problems about it. This show was desperately needed in a time when the story of G2 was already somewhat underwhelming, and it let that down. It only needed to be decent, to at least have something unique or interesting, and there just wasn't enough of that. And now what makes me upset is when people are now saying "Oh, it's fine it's not like I was expecting something super amazing. It works for what it needs to." But that's just not true. It doesn't take away from the fact that a tv show is suppose to tell a story, and this one took a bad story and didn't at least decorate it or write it in a way that makes it endearing. All it had to be was not cringy or at least paced a little better than it is. Bringing down our expectations doesn't make a better product. People for a while were saying "OH, just wait for the tv show to come out before you judge the year, that's where the real meat of the story is coming." But it DIDN'T come. And that's upsetting. If they didn't know for a fact they could make it good, then why do it at all if it's only going to turn people off. Sure, you can make great sets, but if you're coming up with a story make it a little more interesting or don't make it at all. And I'm not trying to be selfish or whiney. I'm glad Bionicle came back, I'm glad that we're getting sets and story again. But right now other than the sets it seems like the greatest part about Bionicle coming back WAS Bionicle coming back, because the story just doesn't work.

I finally got around to seeing Journey to One. I wanna cry. It's so bad. Like really, really bad... Like nothing against the people who made it and such, I'm sure they're talented and all, but this show really doesn't show it. Even the animation doesn't look good. Gosh this is just depressing. Even the redeemable factors are still heavily flawed in themselves. I'm surprised no one else is talking about the show here. It's not even bad but unique, it's just uninteresting and sad. I guess maybe that's what I get as a fan looking for a good story out of LEGO. Though this is Netflix, so I don't even know anymore. I thought in the least it wouldn't be cringy but sadly it seems like this show along with G2 will disappear into history. Life sucks, and now so does Bionicle. Oh well, at least the sets look good. EDIT: Final thoughts. Bionicle Journey to One is stupid. Really, really stupid. It adds nothing and does nothing and its excuse for charm is cringe fest 2k16 I liked only two things from this series so far. I thought the shadow traps were cute and had actual real charm that made my painful face twitch into what was almost a miniature smile being slowly warped by the realization that my expectations were fruitless. I also liked how Umarak warped and traveled. It looked pretty cool, but the animation in general was still terrible. Oh, and his voice and maybe Ekimu's were the only one's I'd say I actually liked to any extent. And I will never forgive what LEGO and this show have done to Pohatu. They took his character and shredded it. I'm open to character changes, but this is too drastic, and it's not even done well. Or any of the other characters for that matter. Even if you take this show at the bluntest value possible, it's still not good by even that standard. I'm sure the peeps at Valve or whatever, whoever made this show, are really good at what they do, and I like the character models, but everything just doesn't work for me, even when being generous. It's just disappointing, and it's not like I was anticipating gold or thrusting my finger into the refresh key repeatedly on the Journey to One Netflix page waiting for the milisecond it was released. It just doesn't at least feel good, or work and feel wrong.

EDIT: Whoops, didn't realize there was a topic for this. I'll repost my thoughts on Journey to One there, this is a pretty un-neccessary post now... But hey, my general thoughts on the new villains are that they're oke. It seems like LEGO has such a hard time balancing form with function, especially (and mostly) with constraction. I dunno, they've done it before but they're always too limited with what they can do to create a sell-able product. The most exciting things to come out of this wave were the pieces/recolors. Interested in seeing what they roles of the Beasts are gonna be in the story (or maybe not, G2 isn't that interesting to me sadly...)

I voted neutral, because as much as it may bring to the story, it may also take away. It could also be difficult to pull off in a way that might feel cheap, though with that said if they do it and do it well then I'd be totally happy and on board. As of now, I'm mostly happy Bionicle's back and am excited to see where they take the story next!

Don't flatter yourself. This is why we stopped discussing connection theories in the first place; most of us are perfectly fine with the two generations being different and unrelated, and the other side is clinging to the vaguest hint that allows them to believe their precious G1 isn't finally over and done. *snip* Bruh that just sounds absurdly scewed towards your own perspective. You're literally painting anyone who feels differently than your side as being silly and stupid and holding onto nostalgia, refusing to grow up just because they feel differently rather than what they're saying might actually be possible or not. This is unfortunately what I hate about this community. People can't take those that disagree. It's one thing to have an irrational and absurd theory/opinion that makes no sense and is driven by pure emotion or nostalgia, and it's another to recognize and support the possibility of something. Like, seriously what is wrong with liking the idea of the two generations being connected? Why is it such a sin? The only reason people have been making as many of these fan theories and speculations about it is because of the extra bits of possible evidence and such that could be looked at as supporting it. The moment someone brings up the idea or that they think it might be possible they're suddenly looked down upon as being nostalgia drunk idiots who don't know how to enjoy something for what it is when that is hardly ever the complete truth. Yes, of course there's some nostalgia behind why people think it, but nostalgia doesn't obliterate all reality the same way the consistent reports of Bionicle possibly coming back were more than just nostalgic fans clinging onto hope because there is a line of reality where one has to realize there is a possibility. It doesn't mean they're trying to confirm it or anything more than the face that it's POSSIBLE and that seems to rub some people like a hot iron. The only thing more ignorant than one suggesting a connection or what not is one who completely debunks it for the sake of debunking it because LEGO SAID it was a reboot which means there's NO POSSIBILITY that it could be anything else because why would a story teller misguide someone to make their story have greater effect on the audience? This is the problem with BZPower/the Bionicle community. There's this elitist attitude where a group of people stood up and decided to feel more intelligent and entitled so they labeled anyone who felt differently or likes the old more or anything among those lines as being nostalgic and irrational fan boys. Nostalgia doesn't make you stupid, and criticizing those who are still more attached to the old and can see its strengths doesn't make you smart.

I think it's worth noting that when a person loses their memory or experiences amnesia it's incredibly difficult to regain memories if even possible most of the time. If the toa lost their memories, they could turn out to be very different individuals. Think about it, what if you couldn't remember that one moment in your life that changed you and helped you grow into who you are today? I'm not totally happy with some personality changes (cough cough, Pohatu, cough cough), but I don't think it's impossible for them to be the same toa. And I don't think that it being different universes with seemingly different physics discounts it either. If you went to another universe you probably might find the mechanics it's built on are different as well, which is why reality is different. I just got a fun little idea if what if Okoto was an idea or name of an island in G1. Could be fun lol. I wish Okoto had a little more personality though. G1 had some great settings and I get they're trying to reminisce and call back to Bionicle's most early years but it just feels like a less interesting Mata-Nui at this point. I loved the idea of Karda-Nui. Let's get more places like that. Let's make the G2 Bionicle universe bigger and cooler!

I don't think a connection between G1 and G2 is the problem with this theory. You rule it out like it's completely impossible. My main issue is that it's not very well written (in my honest opinion). There are plenty of theories about them being different dimensions and such. Would it be the greatest move in terms of story telling? Probably not, but at this point it would be exciting in the least, so I don't get the heavy distaste of it since there are good ways of doing it. I just don't think it's worth discounting so simply.

BIONICLE IS BACK! HOLY CRUD THIS IS AMAZING THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVAAAARRRR!!!!!11!!1!!!111!!! But that's not the story. G2 is cool, but that's the problem. That's all G2 really IS. It's cool, and the sets for the most part are really good, and the story is simple and fine. But ask most people and I'm willing to bet that they love G1 for it's stories and characters. They love Bionicle for its deep and interesting ideas, even if execution at times was far from perfect. As good as G2 is, its story and universe is simple, and in Bionicle's case that's become a problem to many, simply because having a large and expansive universe and many unique and memorable settings is important. In my opinion, it's WHY Bionicle is so beloved by many and has had such a strong fan base that has stuck through all these years. Think about it: every very successful series or story has a rich and flavorful universe. The types of stories that garner fan bases are those that have room for more stories to be told, like fan fictions and fan created characters that allow fans to insert themselves into the factions of that universe. Look at Harry Potter with the four houses of Gryffindor, Percy Jackson with the different cabins to gods, Transformers with Autobots and Decepticons, Star Wars with the Jedi and Sith and many many other examples. Now, the common belief is that Bionicle got cluttered and complicated and even inconsistent later in its original life span, and I feel that is completely correct and relevant. The story tellers were never prepared for the massive success of Bionicle, and so the theme was never particularly built to sustain a large universe and the story was for the most part improved with a large over-arching plot twist. Why is this? Well that's simple. It's because it was made by LEGO. Yep, that's the honest and sad answer. Bionicle was made by a toy company where the profits of a theme come from the toys and the story is built to complement them and help explain what they see on the box to perhaps hook them and make them desire it more. A concept like Nexo Knights garners some explanation for some kids and adults. With G2, LEGO is still a toy company trying to sell toys. Though there is more focus in its story than in other themes, the bottom line is they're making the story around sets, and that's always going to hold the story back a little bit, even if it does allow for some creative filling in the gaps, but it would be lying to say that wasn't what killed G1. So, what's the point of me writing this article? What is my vision for the future of Bionicle? Well in my mind Bionicle was one of the most brilliant concepts ever. EVER. It was thoughtful, it was unique, it was interesting, and it deserves to be popular, like, really really popular. Like Transformers popular, and I don't think a tossed in Netflix show (though really awesome and I'm totally looking forward to) just doesn't do Bionicle enough justice. Bionicle and its story shouldn't be held down by its toys. If LEGO really wants to make Bionicle as popular and relevant as G1 and even more than that, it's gonna require doing something pretty unorthodox for them. First, LEGO needs to wrap up G2. Sure, it's good, but listen the rumors are probably true. If Bionicle were really doing super well, we'd know about it. We'd be seeing this development clearly. Bionicle is less marketed than most other LEGO themes right now and the rumors are the sales figures are just good. But G2 isn't dragging people in. It's still living off of what worked years ago in the early 2000's but hasn't adapted to the future. To make way for the future of Bionicle, G2 needs to call it a day soon and exit with a noble and fair run. So what next you crazy banana? You just got LEGO to cancel the very theme people have been hoping to come back for so many years. Am I insane? Probably, but here comes the bulk of this idea: Restart and reboot Bionicle again, but this time as a comic book and novel line exclusively. No sets, no toys, no nothing. What LEGO is going to do is they're going to hire some top tier writers, like really well know writers and artists that fans follow and look for their next projects. These writers are gonna put together a new, ultimate Bionicle story and universe that is balanced in its content with mystery but an expansive universe and story that people can follow without getting confused. Ah, now people are gonna get interested. LEGO is also gonna give out a few of the first few issues free with the LEGO Club Magazine. Kids are gonna see that, and they're gonna get interested. They're gonna see this amazing and cool story and wanna know what happens next. So what do they do when the final free issue comes? They're gonna go on LEGO.com and purchase a subscription to keep sending the Bionicle comics to their house. And now other adults and comic book fans are gonna walk into local comic shops or go online to Comixology or something, and they're gonna see this Bionicle thing. But oh wait, it's made by that artist? And what a cool concept, I might just check that out! So suddenly LEGO has tapped into two very relevant markets and Bionicle is becoming a thing. With an amazing story written by well known and top tier writers with free reign over most of the story, and being published by one of the biggest toy companies in the world in collaboration either DC or Marvel, Bionicle is back, but REALLY back for real this time. People love this new story and are going out to buy the novels too. It's interesting, emotional and has many cool stories, settings and characters but follows a centralized story line. LEGO uses viral marketing like perhaps Tumblr to get out the message and start spreading the movement and love for this cool new story. Many people who loved the original Bionicle will notice this and think, "Oh wow, Bionicle? They're still doing that? Let's see what they're doing now." Believe me, I've met many people now that remember Bionicle as kids and loving it but are completely unaware of its existence today as a reboot. Oh, and debut it at NY Comic Con again. NYCC is becoming more and more popular and relevant every year and it would be used by LEGO as a tool to make Bionicle popular again, but this time LEGO won't skip out on a year and Bionicle will have a consistent and yearly presence at the convention. One of LEGO's biggest mistakes was to put out Nexo Knights this year. Sure, they may regard Nexo Knights as being more important but then set up another panel. People need to constantly SEE Bionicle. It can't be that one theme that was there that one time and then completely forgot about. The more often and consistently people see it, the more they're gonna get interested in it. Oh, and THIS TIME they're gonna actually have a centralized place to get the story. Seriously, G2's BIGGEST short coming is that the story has no single home. For a time, it was the shorts, but those are done now, and in their place we have both comics, books, and a TV show coming soon, but that doesn't work well. Since the theme didn't start that way, people might feel lost as to where they should go to get the themes story. Right now, it looks like the TV show is gonna do that job for at least this year, but even so, if they decide to make it the central home of the story line for the rest of G2's run, they started in its second year. WHAT!?!?!? That's just a terrible idea. They should've started from the beginning as pure logic, no matter when the sets are coming out or where the story is in the other mediums. If you're ever gonna do a TV show, get it started from the beginning, and catch it up. So, here's what's going on, Bionicle is cool and a huge hit with its first year. The story is super cool and people are hooked onto this stuff like it's Attack on Titan. Now what? Bionicle was never JUST about story. One of the coolest parts was the sets! Ah, yes. But this new Bionicle is being marketed as simply Bionicle. The LEGO logo would still be bit of a turn off to many people looking for a serious story to follow and not something tacked onto some toys. And that's important. Bionicle needs to stand on its own. Admit it, if it weren't for the sets G2 would be even more underwhelming. And now that people are hooked and fans of LEGO are reading and loving Bionicle, LEGO is gonna listen to them and their reactions to the story. What characters do they like? What do people want to see and get? NOW this is where LEGO starts producing sets based on the new Bionicle. People are gonna be buying the sets because of a story they're hooked on, rather than halfheartedly following a story they don't care about because of some toys they like. The story will AFFECT and CHANGE people, it'll stick with them and no matter what you do but stories don't leave you like other things. LEGO is now gonna be making much more money from Bionicle, because they're gonna be the ones with the rights to make figures based on the theme, and multiple markets are gonna be wanting physical representations of their favorite characters now. "Tell me, why did you buy that toa this year? They were a terrible set!" Well friend, you did that because you had to have gotten that character. It's what happened in G1 with the Toa Mata and I have no doubt that it's a common thing in the toy industry. Just look at Star Wars! Disney literally just surpassed LEGO in the toy market BECAUSE of Star Wars toys! People want 20 Finns and 800 Rey's and 1000 X-Wings, and because of that money was made. And then, just keep going. Follow the popularity with a TV show (that you will start from the beginning and not a season in) and video games or something, keep the excitement going. Bionicle has reached its fullest potential now. It has reached relevance in pop culture, because that's what it deserves. Bionicle's rich possibility and love is why it came back, and why it deserves to get done right. Don't just copy the old story, but take chances and go all out. Be gutsy and make something that people will remember. G2 is fine, but it's just not that memorable. Maybe it'll get done more correctly later, but Bionicle deserves to start strong and fulfill its destiny. I titled this story "How to Save Bionicle" because I'm afraid that Bionicle as it is might be in danger of becoming a nostalgia based relic that become irrelevant. We can all agree that G2 is awesome and a gift to at least some level, but the original was beloved, helped save LEGO, and built a loyal fan base, and that means something. That means that maybe the fact it lasted so long was that it wasn't just a brief treasure of its time, but maybe something that if realized to its full potential could go leaps and bounds beyond what it is now. I read the Bionicle comics as a kid and played MNOG, and I was entranced by the story. I literally owned just a few Bionicle sets, but I watched moments like the death of Matoro and the awakening of Mata-Nui and I knew it was the story that was special but wasn't being given the ultimate treatment. It's what I feel needs to be marketed most and yes, sure this article might be a perfect fantasy, but I believe it could work and if played right could make Bionicle more important and more amazing than ever before. Tell me what you think, tell me how crazy I am or how long my stupid posts are, but respond, tell me what you want the future of Bionicle to be, because as of now I don't see it going anywhere. Go big or go home I guess.

Wow, really creative! I love the concept and the execution is no less. Super job!

Weow, what a great idea! I remember getting Rascus as a kid and absolutely loving him. Though I'm not really into Nexo Knights (I've unfortunately been going through a slight dark age because of all the difficulties in my life and haven't had the time to keep up) the sets looks really cool and constraction would look awesome. I don't think the translation is that big of a jump. With the Chima sets they suddenly went from cartoony to realistic, but I think that wouldn't be the case quite as much with these. Knights Kingdom figure sets worked really well for me in that regard and I loved seeing how Rascus was just like the minifigure but just up-scaled with more details.

Doesn't bother me honestly. I doubt LEGO is hurting in any way from money, product quality, to brand recognition (well, at least not more than usual with some parents ). Besides, I love Disney, especially with Star Wars and The Force Awakens. I doubt anyone needs proof from some ranking or statistic to know that we love LEGO, and I doubt it'll affect them in any way so it's of any concern, and it probably only would be if set quality or prices started changing from it (which is heavily doubtful they would).

Honestly for the most part this does not feel true for the majority of the community and I think that people get this idea from the common conception that there's a large mass of people that hate anything new and feel this way when in reality it's only a small group of people either yelling about it or those who disagree with that group that like to be cynical and imagine the other end as being bigger and more ignorant than they really are. In my mind it sometimes feels like the Bionicle community here has descended into an off version of politics between imaginary Bionicle conservatives and liberals when in reality for the most part it's somewhat sensible to be skeptical about what's new and it doesn't make one wrong to either like what came before for the mean time. It's like fan communities are trying to emulate politics but failing miserably to sound like they're making a point. This isn't anything against you or what you're saying but I don't think it's entirely fair to assume the majority or even significant number of people feel everything new is bad, as for the most part it seems like people are on board and accepting while recognizing points of contention, which is actually called having a qualified opinion which requires far more thought to put together than just leaning to one side or the other of "everything new will never live up to the old because false perceptions of life" or "everything new is way cooler because it's new". And I'm not even gonna try to get into elitism in the Bionicle community and how that these creates false perceptions of mass opinion. All in all, don't underestimate the communities intelligence all the time, even though it often feels (and sometimes may well be) valid. EDIT: It's almost really late here so I don't even know what came out of my mouth so apologies if I made a fool out of myself as usual lol sorry I need some sleep.

Well, I liked the trailers for the movie which looks like it might be fun... I never played the game though and never had any sort of interest in it though, and I guess the same goes for these sets. They're not bad by any standard (unless you count those un-natural figs...), but I could honestly care less. I doubt I'll see the movie in theaters, and I most definitely don't see myself buying these. They have some nice parts I guess, but my main criticism is that this is one of of those themes and properties that doesn't feel particularly suited to a LEGO theme while there are others that would be so much more interesting (at least to me). An upside to this is that this is technically a video game movie, and if it does well then maybe we'll see more of those (as in good adaptations) in the future, and perhaps somehow by some off logic more LEGO sets based on video games or at least video game movies. I'd like to see a Legend of Zelda set or something. All in all, Angry Birds doesn't make me angry, it just makes me sigh and go "oke" because it just doesn't matter that much to me.

G2 as far as we know so far (as everyone else has already said) is independent. It's a common theory that they could be connected, and if that were the case it would be interesting to see where and how that's the case. But since at least for now they are totally separate I don't think it's complicated. It's not difficult for me to see them and like them the way they are, though I know for some that seeing such a large and rich universe be left alone and a whole separate and smaller one started up could be a negative thing, just not for me though. As for the serials and such, I personally hold the belief that they were for the most part interesting and cool but made some very questionable decisions. Though the universe still makes sense, it's gotten much more complicated with alternate dimensions and all that, resulting in some really convoluted things, like Tuyet being alive. Sure, it technically makes sense, but in terms of story telling it wasn't some of the better decisions made by Greg even if at the time it added a brief surprise factor.

The graphic novel says that the Mask of Time in the new story is said to be only the upper half of a full mask, and that the place it is housed in (the Temple of Time) acts as a gateway between worlds or something like that. It also says the lower half of the mask is missing. As someone who isn't particularly interested in seeing the two generations connected, this reads to me a lot like they are screaming "the Vahi from the original story is the lower half of the mask!" But people are actually pretty divided about that being the case, so make of it what you will. Yeah, I myself have slowly been finding myself less interested in the story but I'm just waiting for the Netflix show. It's an interesting possibility that can be looked at that way, but it can also mean anything. Though it would be interesting to see the two worlds cross over or connected for a moment (alternate realities were a pretty big part of G1 off of the main story), I don't think it's in any sense a guarantee or would make the story better, but it would be one of a way to honor the old theme.