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Aanchir

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Blog Entries posted by Aanchir

  1. Aanchir

    POBZPC!

    By Aanchir,

    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... significant enough for a blog entry, at any rate.
  2. Aanchir

    Helmet-masks >.<

    By Aanchir,

    You go to a costume shop. There are plenty of Halloween costumes still strewn about, including a variety of rubber masks.
     
    You go to the counter and say, "I'd like that Frankenstein helmet, please."
     
    The clerk is confused. She pulls out a Roman soldier helmet with bolts on the sides. "Is this what you mean?"
     
    "No," you say, "that rubber helmet over there."
     
    The clerk laughs at you. "You doofus," she says, "That's a mask"
     
    DO YOU...

    Insist that it's a helmet, because it goes on over your head Acknowledge that it's a mask, slapping your head in embarrassment for making such a stupid mistake. Ignore her, buy it, and go tell all your friends about the "Frankenstein helmet" you bought. If you picked B, congratulations! You are a reasonable person.
     
    If you picked A or C, then you are the sort of person we have too many of on BZPower. The people who insist that the Ultimate Dume Kraahkan is a helmet, that the Garai is a helmet, that the Felnas, Crast, and Mohtrek are all helmets. Who insist even today that every Agori or Glatorian mask is a helmet.
     
    Wikipedia's definition of mask begins "an artefact normally worn on the face." These are masks. So is this. Really a mask is anything that covers the face, whether or not it is pressed against the face and whether or not it covers the whole thing.
     
    What about in BIONICLE? BIONICLE masks, known as Kanohi within the Matoran universe, follow the same rules, plus another: most masks cover much of the sides and top of the head as well as the face. Does this make them helmets? No. What if they are attached on top of the head? Again, not in the slightest. They are masks. LEGO has told people this-- BIONICLEstory.com has even hinted that next year's face-covers are masks, as has Greg-- but many people would just ignore this and choose answer C, propogating nonsense for the world to spread further.
  3. Aanchir
    Soooo... apparently some weird rule is now in place against wet mane pony pictures. Now, I can put up with this just as well as I put up with other BZP rules that inconvenience me. Better, in fact, because it doesn't really affect me whether other people post such pics or not.
     
    But I do have to say I'm genuinely confused. Does people making joking comments about a non-human cartoon character being "sexy" really drift that close to breaking BZPower rules? If a lot of people posted comments about a LEGO minifigure being "sexy", would pictures of that minifigure be forbidden?
     
    I think the upcoming Samurai fig in the Ninjago theme is pretty sexy, as far as minifigures are concerned. I don't see how that breaks rules any more than posting G-rated art of Roodaka meant to look somewhat sexy, or for that matter posting a photograph of a MOC of a female figure in a somewhat alluring but non-erotic pose. As long as people aren't whistling or making catcalls in the comments, then saying a character looks sexy, especially jokingly, doesn't really seem to imply anything non-G-rated in this day and age.
     
    I'm not trying to be passive-aggressive or to complain, but it seems a bit misguided on the part of the blog staff to make rules like this on a whim. There are already enough people who don't trust BZPower staff, and while I'm not one of them, I can still recognize a decision that doesn't seem to accomplish anything besides hurting one's reputation.
  4. Aanchir
    I may come up with more later, but here goes for now...
    A new Zamor launcher for the Toa. It would make sense if the new launcher has the same ammo as the Skyblasters, but they'd better not have called them Skyblasters if they planned to use them for the summer sets, which will NOT be sky-oriented. Colors as follows: Tahu in red or dark red (since he practically looked dark red in the movie, anyway), Gali in Mata blue, and Onua in-- what else?-- black. A Makuta in dark green, simply because I'd hate to see two lime ones in one year. We averted a close call with Lesovikk (since his color scheme managed to remain distinct from Hahli and Kongu Mahri), let's not spoil our luck. A new basis for the remaining Makuta. How about DRAGONS?!? =D If these Makuta don't fly, a new way to launch the Trydax Pods. Again, no need for a change in ammo, but I don't think bombs will be too effective unless the Makuta fly (then again, dragons... ). Some sort of fancy adaptation for the new Nuva... not sure what would be good for swamps, LEGO, so go ahead and surprise me. A visor on Gali. Maybe some on the other Toa if LEGO can pull it off as well as they did for the Phantoka... No, scratch that. If LEGO can do better than they did for the Phantoka. After all, Pohatu's should have been Jaller Inika trans-orange, and we all know LEGO will do it in orange for Mars Mission anyway if that lasts much longer. THOK WHITE MAKUTA! ...please? A sword for Tahu (though LEGO has proven themselves capable of coming up with equally suitable weapons for our old Nuva pals). A Maxilos-quality or better titan. No matter how ownedage Toa Ignika is (or how much LEGO focused on the too often ignored issue of stylistic consistency with him), we need something spectacular for this year. If that female Makuta doesn't look female, at least make her not look male. And no concave chest like Hahli Mahri. MORE DRAGONS!!! =D Please TRY to use the new Matoran parts in one of the titans, LEGO, if only to prove to me that you're not afraid to try. A new Takanuva, perhaps? Creative tools for Gali and Onua. I don't mind a surprise, but at least make sure their tools look creative, whether you change them significantly or not. An orange (or Avak Brown, if you want to push the envelope) Makuta, because the Hewkii Mahri/Toa Ignika color scheme on one of these shady evil dudes is a bit too vivid. PLEASE MAKE DRAGONS!!! Creative feet, legs, etc. Not the same combinations as the winter sets. Toa with Inika torsos, or at least ones that look like Inika torsos, for the sake of continuity (and the fact that I'd hate to see Piraka torsos on these guys. If that's not failure to have stylistic consistency with their teammates, I don't know what is. On that note, more bley for Nuva! More black for Makuta! Though it would be nice if there was more of the primary colors, I'd at least like the neutral colors to be maintained from winter. Practical Pistons (didn't think I'd forget that, didja?). You know, dragons really would be pretty cool... With all due respect, Aanchir: Rachira of Time
  5. Aanchir

    Tahu Nuva Phantoka

    By Aanchir,

    Well, I've decided I will design a revamp of Tahu Nuva Mistika. About time I tried my hand at setlike revamps. However, since I want to be able to pretend this is official for the sake of my drawings, this revamp will not be Tahu Nuva Mistika, but Tahu Nuva Phantoka. Here is a list of what I have decided to do so far:

    Same feet as the set. Tahu Nuva Mistika is my favorite of the Nuva Mistika on account of his abundant similarities to Kopaka, a trait which has been standard for Tahu both in story and in sets since his debut. Bley limbs. I had so hoped the Mistika would share this trait with the Phantoka, and while silver is no worse (perhaps even better), I want the team to look more unified as I had initially intended. Piraka glaives, as are on the set. Again, similarities to Kopaka are a must. Dark red Inika thigh armor, like Kopaka's but flipped. His current thigh armor has not disappointed in pics, but after experimenting with it I find that it is possibly the least attractive design from direct side view, which is saying something considering that direct side view almost never is flattering for any simple thigh layout. This thigh armor is chosen for its stylistic consistency and overall attractive appearance, but flipped so his legs are not identical to Kopaka's. Leg blades as on the set. While I haven't seen what they actually look like, making this subject to change once building of this revamp is underway, I feel that these are rather attractive on him. Forget realism! Dark red (possibly) Inika torso. Kopaka and Tahu may not see eye to eye in the story, but I feel that they need to in the set, which Tahu's current height does not facilitate. Also, I am not a fan of how his "backpack" is currently attached, as it appears too low for my tastes. This decision may change depending on how the wings work out in this configuration, but the dark red is more than likely a must unless bley proves more suitable. (Possibly) Extra chest armor. This depends largely on the appearance of the actual set and on whether I use an Inika torso. What armor I would use remains to be seen, as I find Kopaka's the best but do not want to overexpress the similarities of the two characters. (Possibly) No jets. This is my desperate attempt to hold onto the system established among the Phantoka that each set will have three new parts which it does not share with any of the other Phantoka: the mask, the tools, and the means of propulsion. Of course, if I keep the leg blades, this attempt at continuity and uniqueness is scrapped, but I figure it would be nice if this pattern could be maintained, as I am not at all a fan of the random sharing of new parts seen in the Mistika. (Carapar and Jaller Mahri were tolerable in sharing Mantax and Matoro Mahri armor, but here we're seeing parts shared between the Toa and Makuta, as well as among the members of each group!) Silver wings. All of the Phantoka maintained this in that the means of propulsion was silver (though of course Pohatu's means of propulsion was also his tool, and his budgeted new piece was rather the arm armor piece used in the functioning of both). I love that Tahu has a variation on Kopaka's wings, and this is the one new piece that must be kept at all costs. Arms identical in style to Kopaka's. Of course, I may leave the lower arms flipped as they are on the actual Tahu set for the sake of poseability, as I see the configuration of Kopaka's as a definite flaw. Nevertheless, the upper arms are more my focus. Midak Skyblaster. The Nynrah Ghostblaster is becoming all the more intriguing in the story with a recent revelation in OGD concerning the nature of the Nynrah Ghosts, but I still find it rather ugly as a projectile launcher and would have preferred that the Midak Skyblaster continued to be used. After all, if it works on the large sets, it should work here. (Possibly) New tool. I like his tool, but it is rather sloppy from the look of it, and while Tahu without argument ought to have some sort of blade as Kopaka thankfully did, I feel that this one (which would appear to double as yet another unnecessary means of propulsion) is not the best he could have. What it will be replaced with remains to be seen. Solek's mask. Here's the most important aspect of the whole revamp. Solek's mask is the one I feel should have been the new Hau Nuva all along, and moreover serves as a perfect means of bridging the gap between the old Hau Nuva and Tahu's Mistika mask. It will need to be painted of course, and for this reason I continue to wonder whether it ought to be dark red as is more convenient or Mata red, which would require painting many other pieces but would better match the rest of the Phantoka's bright colors. Many of these ideas are subject to change once it becomes possible to begin work on this revamp. However, I personally can't wait to see whether this will prove an improvement on the set, and whether it might be possible to revamp the other Mistika similarly. Oh, the possibilities...
  6. Aanchir
    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 page. The news was announced two days ago. I'm still learning the ropes, but hopefully soon I can be posting news articles.
     
    But in the meantime, something has come up that might make me even busier. You see, just a day earlier, I learned that the LEGO Group had liked an application I had put in for a design position in their girls' category and wanted a Skype interview with me that coming Monday. The interview was a great experience. I got to speak with Rosario Costa, the design director for the LEGO Group's entire girls' category. It was an honor for me to even be able to speak with a designer so influential, and I felt like the interview went well.
     
    I was told I'd hear back within the next week about whether I would be moving on to the next stage of the recruitment process. In the meantime, I finished inking my Gali drawing from December and got set up to receive BZPower news e–mails. Yesterday I got another e–mail from LEGO recruitment. It was an invitation to an all-expense-paid trip to attend a recruitment workshop in Billund! The workshop will be on the 23rd and 24th of this month. The e–mail also included a design assignment to work on over the next two weeks (the LEGO Group will be shipping me bricks to use).
     
    I recognize, if I get this job, I will have to give up my recently acquired BZPower news position. But even if I do well in this workshop, I have no idea how long it might be before I hear whether I got the job, let alone before I start work. In the meantime, I hope I will be able to help the news team report on LEGO news, including the impending release of the Elves theme which I've been eagerly anticipating.
     
    Working as a LEGO designer has long been a dream of mine, and even if I don't get the job I'm thrilled to have made it this far, and that confidence will help motivate me to apply for other LEGO job openings in the future. And the workshop experience should also give me a taste of just what it will take for me to achieve this lifelong dream.
  7. Aanchir
    Well, since everyone else has done (p)reviews, I figure I'll do one, especially in light of the new pic with which the magazine has provided us, better in quality than the leaked pics, even! (Greg was right! )
     
    I'll start with the Nuva, since I want to get this started on a good note.
     
    Lewa Nuva-- Lewa Nuva was initially that which I liked least. Now, with new and better pics available, that role has been passed to Kopaka. The new Miru Nuva, some might argue, is vastly different than the old one. Not so, say I. Though the spikes are not present aside from a finlike one on the top, there are other similarities which include the two cheek-boxes on the sides (now in propellor flavors!) and the overall shape of the mouth. Yes, I made an edit to prove it.
    As for the rest of Lewa's construction, let me begin by stating that I don't like his sword all that much, though I will not deny that it is suited to him. The reason I don't like it is a matter of function-- no practical pistons, no apparent joints, no evident function whatsoever from the pics with which we have been provided. However, I must say this is just a bad direction LEGO seemed to take with the Mahri, and perhaps one I will grow to love. The jet on the back brings relief in that it has implied pistons and that yes, they appear practical!
    People complain that the torso construction is boring, but as I have pointed out in the past, normal Toa torso constructions have varied more in this story book than ever before, and at least the Inika torso piece has been shown to be useable in other sets (more than can be said than ANY other Toa torso piece in the past). The practical pistons on the Nuparu Inika chest armor are also a plus. His feet and legs are a bit disappointing, though the feet will grow on me and I can't complain about the use of Inika thigh armor-- possibly the best armor suited to the Nuva. More on that later.
     
    Pohatu Nuva-- Pohatu Nuva initially was a bit upsetting-- some of the ideas I'd seen in "OMG brown is gone!1!11!!" topics had been semi-reasonable, the best being the idea of using Keetorange and Avak brown in conjunction. However, I think the more subdued color scheme used here actually seems better-suited to Pohatu, and as I have said since the start we at least won't have to hear all that cool dudic (for the word I would like to use is censored, and this evokes the same meaning in use of the same suffix) whining about how "yellow rocks don't exist! yellow sand doesn't exist!" Anyway, I've grown to like this new color scheme (and anyone who says orange is a fire color should tell that to the makers of all those Nuparu revamps).
    Pohatu's mask, while it bears a less obvious resemblance to the older form, still has a few minor similarities, and more importantly a look well-suited to Pohatu. And LEGO knew what they were thinking by making it Vahilike in both color and shape-- whether or not people like the mask, people will buy it in order to get their hands on "the new vahi." (sorry, no edits until I can get my hands on a pic both large and non-leaked).
    As for his torso, I applaud it. It gives Pohatu that beefy look that works so well for him, though I would have preferred if his shoulders were attached in the exact same way as Kongu's (they are too flat as-is). His leg and arm armor is not the ideal armor I mentioned before, it is necessary to keep him from looking lanky as opposed to beefy. Feet and armor choice also helps to provide stylistic consistency with his mask.
    The drills/propellors are probably the best tools for early '08, though I can't see any pistons that appear practical. Thus is the dreadful result of function and poseability-- practical pistons are lost each time such a change is made. Still, without the function, these tools would be rather pathetic, so I'll get over it.
     
    Kopaka Nuva-- Mask equates to disappointment. I love the lightsaber blade eyepiece-- it works well with Kopaka-- and will get over the switching of the eyepiece in time, though it will make an awkward transition present in my drawings of Kopaka. Also, it is ridiculous to say that it looks too much like Whenua's mask-- by that logic, the Kaukau Nuva looked too much like the Hau, as did the Avohkii. My main problem with it is a shameful bias-- I hated the Akaku Nuva in the first place.
    Wings are good. I don't care that they look like airplane wings; I think airplane wings are much better than angel wings or FINS (THEY'RE NOT WINGS!!!!) for a Toa of Ice.
    The bayonet is a plus-- while I mourn the loss of his sword and shield, this seems just as well-suited to Kopaka's icy personality. Plus, it gives some much-needed variation to the skyblaster. No practical pistons, sadly.
    The torso seems cliche at first glance, but from various pics I have ascertained that these torsos are more than they appear (they have to be to make the piggyback feature possible and simple). Leg, arm, and foot armor is also good, though it is beginning to appear said armor is not light bley as I so earnestly hoped.
     
    Overall-- Midak Skyblaster is a beautiful weapon, and one that will be thankfully easy to draw with some minor stylization. It also looks promising in terms of function. Color schemes look promising for these Toa, though I should hope they will not become standard-- I was liking the variation in sets as of late. Torsos are as much as we could have expected based on precedent. I sat that overall, these new Nuva get an 8/10 (mostly brought down by Kopaka). That is apt to change once better pics (or even better, the sets themselves) become available.
  10. Aanchir

    Sig Fad No More!

    By Aanchir,

    Hi, everyone! Hate the "fake statistics" fad that's been spreading in people's sigs? Want to protect the good name of rap, or of factual statistics in general? Fret no more! This sig quote aims to solve all your troubles!

     
    Want to add this to your sig? Then copy and paste the following code into your sig:

    [quote=Académie des Beaux-Arts, circa 1870]92% of artists have moved on to impressionism. Copy and paste this into your sig if you are part of the 8% that still creates real artwork.[/quote]
     

     
    With all due respect,
    Aanchir: Rachira of Time
  12. Aanchir

    Summer Nuva Mask Review

    By Aanchir,

    Well, while BZP was down I got the last of the summer Nuva masks.
     
    No, seriously.
     
    Alright, it wasn't in the Nuva set. But still, Solek does just as good.
     
    Pic 1: Hau Nuva. Comes equipped with standard accursed double-grooves which thanks to Mask of Light replaced the traditional triple-grooves on Lhikan's Hau. But hey, it's the Hau Nuva, so I'll let it slide. Drawing the new and old Tahu Nuva has been fun thanks to this mask.
     
    Pic 2: Kaukau Nuva. Most obvious of the three. Between the gills/filters, nostrils, and fins atop the head, I doubt anyone having both masks has not noticed the similarities.
     
    Pic 3: Pakari Nuva. Least obvious of the three. Until actually seeing Solek's mask in the plastic it was not entirely clear whether Photok's or Solek's was intended as the Hau Nuva. Similarities began to jump out once I mustered the courage to actually look at the original Nuva masks, as well as once Solek's mask was out of the package. Some of the noted similarities are a bit of a stretch, but when hasn't the Pakari given me trouble for the purposes of these edits? The mouth similarity is next to undeniable, and I find it rather an irony that the Nuva with matching mouth styles in the originals maintain the same similarities in the new masks, albeit with the designs switched to new 2008-edition ones.
     
    Drawings will come in time.
     
    With all due respect,
    Aanchir: Rachira of Time
  13. Aanchir

    Midterm MOC Report

    By Aanchir,

    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 stand, but it's still a work of art in the end.
     
    In other MOCing news, I've posted a topic of my various tablescraps over the past few months. Now, I don't mean "tablescraps" in a negative sense. I'm quite proud of these, and none of them are bare-bones Heromods. But compared to Kit Martello these were all fairly simple endeavors. I anticipate bringing Kit Martello and some of these MOCs (particularly my good buddy Bogwaddle) to Brickfair Virginia this year. I'm hoping to continue modding some of these in the meantime, and perhaps scrapping some of the more basic ones to open those pieces back up for experimentation.
     
    One set I've been hoping to get lately, both for its MOCing potential and for its brilliance as a model, is 70500 Kai's Fire Mech from the Ninjago line. But frustratingly, none of the stores around where I'm attending college seem to have it. Still, I'm keeping a sharp lookout for it, and will not be afraid to get it online if double VIP points happen before I find it in a brick-and-mortar store.
     
    So that's what's up on the LEGO/MOCing side of things. Schoolwork and other obligations have been keeping me from dedicating long stretches of time to MOCing or building, but I've recently started making progress on my drawing assignments again so hopefully I can get caught up fairly soon.
  14. Aanchir

    Bs01/hs01 Toy Fair Photos

    By Aanchir,

    HS01's full coverage of the 2012 LEGO Collectors Preview from the New York International Toy Fair is still forthcoming, but in the meantime Cholie has finished uploading our photos from the event! They can be found here!
     
    The LEGO Collectors Preview didn't extend to full Toy Fair admission unfortunately, so we couldn't see other exhibitors' displays. But Chols posed for this pic as we were leaving. I'm sure many BZP members will appreciate it!
     

  15. Aanchir
    Sometimes, all it takes is a narrow-minded person for us to realize that we're sometimes as wrong as they are.
     
    I had disliked the Mistika Makuta Kanohi and was holding out for some story explanation that might rectify what I thought to be a grave injury by the set designers. After seeing one person fervently debate the point in the official 2008 sets topic (and very well, I might add, as he certainly had ample reason for his views and little opposition proposed that truly conflicted with them), I discovered a crucial aspect of the Mistika Makuta Kanohi we had all up to now ignored.
     
    Take a look at these masks. When looking at Gorast's you might notice it doesn't fit so snugly as the Hordika masks/faces did. I had previously regarded this as a flaw. But it never hurts to take a second look. Take a look at how the mask attaches. It is not some horizontal attachment like the Hordika had, an attachment which impedes its removal. It is vertical, like the Ultimate Dume Kraahkan, or Teridax's Kraahkan, now Icarax's...
     
    It would appear, at least to me, that a Mata or Metru head might just fit in the standard Kraahkan configuration. Certainly it is obvious that these masks are not "flip masks" like the Kraahkan. But it seems that they would fit as the Kraahkan always has in sets before.
     
    Just think... all this time, we had a mask that fit on Makuta two ways. When new Makuta were released we saw that they tended to wear masks that only worked one of those ways. What fools we all were never to even fathom that there might be more who tended to wear masks that only worked in the other configuration!
     
    Congratulations, set designers, for once again putting us in our place and reminding us that you're putting thought into your noble work.
     
    With all due respect,
    Aanchir: Rachira of Time
  16. Aanchir
    Ever since Mata Nui appeared before our eyes for the first time in 2008, there has been a lot of complaining regarding his appearance. You know, how in my mind/your mind/Bob's mind, he was this glimmering god in armor that seared your flesh off with its shininess, wielding some weapon that only a god would carry and wearing armor in white and gold, which are the only colors a greater being is allowed to wear. (I always personally thought white and brown, maybe with gold-- after about 2007 this color scheme shifted in my mind to being more appropriate for Artakha). For examples of the many ways people viewed Mata Nui, sort through here for a while.
     
    It makes me wonder-- what kind of screaming/whining/moaning fits will ensue when we actually see Mata Nui's personality? After all, everything about his personality was just as unknown as his appearance prior to this year. All we knew about him was that apparently he deserved respect (which naturally made everyone think that he must be a god, because nothing less than perfect can possibly be so important to everyone, right?)
     
    So suppose that when we get a good look at Mata Nui's personality in the movie, he has *gasp* character traits? Suppose he has *double gasp* flaws? Already people have objected to that he has a pet insect-- after all, a being who has cared for hundreds of thousands of Matoran surely can't have compassion!
     
    Yes, it's true, Mata Nui's personality will probably not be exactly as you imagined. And of course, his personality will therefore be terrible and bad and the death of BIONICLE. In fact, perhaps Mata Nui should have never woken up at all, and the Toa Mata should have stayed on Mata Nui fighting scores of new enemies every year, presumably helping this soulless entity Mata Nui somehow, despite his condition never changing. Better that we not risk the disappointment, eh?
     
    To sum up, Mata Nui has woken up, just as we knew he would since 2001. Perhaps it's time for fans to do the same.
  17. Aanchir
    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 episodes can be geared towards exploring and developing certain characters. The ways that the Ninja have independently come to unlock their true potential in episodes seven through nine are good examples of this.
     
    Now, BIONICLE did have strong individual character development in certain arcs. Mask of Light showed individual growth for some of the Toa (mainly Tahu) as well as its stars Jaller and Takua. Legends of Metru Nui gave Vakama a great deal of character development. Vakama's character development continued in Web of Shadows, along with character development for Matau. Mata Nui underwent character development in The Legend Reborn.
     
    You should be sensing a pattern here. The strongest character development for individuals in the series tended to take place in movies-- or in the very least, during years that had movies to tie them together.
     
    The BIONICLE comics, on the other hand, had very little individual character development-- most of the Toa's challenges were overcome through teamwork, and thus individuals rarely had a chance to show growth-- at best, their already-acquired traits would shine when they were needed to help a teammate.
     
    The books are an odd case. Some of them were pretty great in terms of character development. My favorite story arc for character development was 2007, when we saw some great changes in personality among the Toa Mahri, and the reasons for these changes were explored.
     
    One of the most memorable scenes ever, for me, was when Jaller and Kongu discuss why Kongu had become such a joker since going on Jaller's quest. Kongu reveals that this was a coping technique he learned my trying to follow the example Toa Lewa set as a lighthearted free spirit. In this, an inconsistency between his 2001-2003 portrayal as a disciplined military leader and his 2006-2007 portrayal as comic relief was made into an example of personal growth.
     
    At the same time, I don't think this was character development that many readers caught onto, and it demonstrates how in BIONICLE, individual character growth took a back seat to adventure, happening mainly behind-the-scenes. It's similar to some of the character growth we see in Hero Factory under close examination. In 2010 Bulk was established as a dull character with little mental capacity, and a character bio mentioned that he was extremely self-conscious about this. Later, in Savage Planet, a big deal is made of the fact that he's been reading lately, culminating when Furno addresses him as "big guy", to which Bulk replies indignantly "I'm more than just the big guy!" For those fans who followed the story from its origins, this is monumental character development, but it mostly happened backstage.
     
    A similar perceived inconsistency, Natalie Breez's vocal feminism in Ordeal of Fire, wasn't really character development, but that characterization had previously been seen in 2010's Hero Factory FM podcast, when she came on as a special guest to rebuke Tibor Terrell's gag-worthy Hero Factory: The Musical, which cast her as William Furno's love interest. She was quick to point out that her responsibilities as a Hero came first, and she had no interest in romantic pursuits, especially with her teammates. She also spoke on how for outsiders, Hero Factory was usually associated with burly male Heroes, and that as a female Hero she hoped to do away with some of this prejudice.
     
    But back on topic. It's pretty clear to me that actual character growth, with characters uncovering answers about themselves and maturing as characters, did not tend to take the forefront very often in BIONICLE any more than it does in Hero Factory. Adventure is the name of the game.
     
    Is this a fault of Greg Farshtey's writing? Hardly. He handles character development and characterization quite well in the Ninjago theme. I can attest to the level of character development in the four Ninjago novels Kai: Ninja of Fire, Zane: Ninja of Ice, Cole: Ninja of Earth, and Jay: Ninja of Lightning. While the 2011 Ninjago TV episodes focused almost entirely on Kai, these four books explore all four Ninja's characters a lot deeper, even touching on things not explored in the TV show until the 2012 season like Zane's mysterious past and Jay's embarrassing upbringing.
     
    So I think the lack of individual character development in BIONICLE is more a symptom of its very objective-based storytelling and not any one author's storytelling style. In BIONICLE, there was always an overarching mission the Toa were pursuing. Hero Factory's story is also very objective-based, although the "objective" tends to be the more repetitive "capture the Monster of the Week". Ninjago's has objectives, but its objectives are often more individual than BIONICLE's. Each Ninja has their own reason for being a part of the team, not just because of the Power of Teamwork or the team being chosen for them by destiny and/or manufacture. And each Ninja has personal struggles to overcome if they hope to succeed as Ninjago's protectors.
     
    Any thoughts on this theory? I realize I rambled more than I probably should have, but I'd still love to hear if others agree, disagree, or think my reasoning is based on flawed principles in the first place and that BIONICLE had more outstanding character development than I remember.
  18. Aanchir
    A lot of people are bothered by the differences between Hero Factory and BIONICLE, but today I was thinking about some of the story-related decisions made by the Hero Factory creators that really did do favors for the theme and its fans.
    Unlimited Heroes: There was something poetic about BIONICLE's "Six Heroes, One Destiny" tagline in 2001, but when you think about it, it was a creative limitation on fans that later BIONICLE story arcs did well to do away with. Back in 2001, there were a lot of constraints on BIONICLE: there were only six Toa, only six Turaga, only six villages, and only six Matoran tribes. These constraints were a limitation for fan-created stories. To create characters like Voriki, Toa of Lightning, you had to actively contradict the official story at every turn, particularly if you wanted your character to interact with the official characters overtly.
     
    Hero Factory instead encouraged fans to create their own missions and their own heroes by demonstrating that officially, there were millions of heroes far more than you'd ever get to meet in the official storyline. The online mission log, mission ticker, and testimonials even provided examples of these heroes and the variety of missions they were assigned to. This allowed fans to create their own heroes with whatever powers and personalities they could dream up.
    .
    Many Destinies: The "One Destiny" part of the classic BIONICLE tagline can be used as a metaphor for another problem the BIONICLE storyline had. Namely, its characters' quests were part of a singular overarching saga with very few gaps. There were few mechanisms for characters to get new tools, armor, or masks except with a scripted transformation. This limited what fans could do with the official characters in their own storytelling, building, and role-play. There was no way to create new forms for official characters unless they set their stories before or after the official story, because you couldn't cram a new form between two quests. And form changes were often tied closely to the idea of "destiny" most of the time, a character could only transform if they were destined to do so, and it was not a reversible process. The "Adaptive Armor" of 2008 made the characters more adaptible, but the story didn't take great advantage of it.
     
    In Hero Factory, "upgrade" mechanisms were in place from the beginning: first by refitting heroes with new gear, like in the Furno Bike or Bulk & Vapour sets, and later with more elaborate upgrades that completely altered the heroes' armor and equipment. Furthermore, missions didn't have strict placement on a linear timeline, allowing the characters to go on new missions of any importance at any point between the ones portrayed in the main story. They could even team up with people's original hero characters or face off against people's original villain characters on those missions: since each mission was more or less self-enclosed, there was very little danger that such missions would end up contradicting future missions in any way.
    .
    Powers Tied to Design: I remember that back when the Toa Inika, Toa Mahri, Phantoka, and Mistika were introduced, changes to their design were often explained by fans with the idea that they weren't designed with specific characters in mind: they were created as generic characters, and identities, colors, and powers were assigned to them later. It's not clear how true this was, but it could certainly hold true with many character designs and mask powers. The Piraka's powers and personalities had no irrefutable ties to the individual set designs, nor was there an obvious connection between many most post-2003 mask designs and their powers.
     
    Later BIONICLE waves began to improve on this: the Barraki's powers and personalities were expressly tied to the sea creature motifs they were based on, and the powers of the Makuta in 2008 were largely connected with their bat and insect motifs. The Glatorian designs also had clear elemental motifs matching the characters' tribes, though they weren't tied to powers right away since none of the characters had special powers before Mata Nui arrived.
     
    Hero Factory likewise assigned most powers and personalities based on the character and weapon designs. But the 2.0 and 3.0 heroes, despite powers that matched their new forms, did not have obvious design ties to the heroes' previous forms and characterization, other than pretty strong consistency in their color schemes. The Breakout series changed that for good. The characters returned to using their original masks or new masks designed to resemble them, and many parts of their design paid tribute to the characters' original powers, personalities, and motifs. Stringer, the sonic-themed hero, got a guitar cannon and speakers in his shoulders, while Evo, the weapons expert, got a hefty Tank Arm. Subsequent forms, equipment, and powers for the heroes remained extremely character-driven.
    .
    Powers Not Tied to Gender: BIONICLE definitely deserves praise for the decision to have female characters, which came as a result of pressure from franchise manager Lena Dixen. At the same time, the way it dealt with gender was somewhat lackluster. Gender was tied to the tribe or powers of a character: at first, only blue water-oriented characters were female, though later characters who didn't appear in the sets introduced new "female" elements like Lightning and Psionics. Like the constraints I mentioned at the beginning, this was very limiting. Even worse, this rule was more only ever broken to allow a male character to have a traditionally female element, never the other way around. The only female Glatorian or Agori to appear was a water-themed character.
     
    Hero Factory thankfully didn't come up with any rules for what characters had to be like to have certain powers, not even with regard to color scheme. This meant that your custom hero could be male or female regardless of its color scheme or powers. The official story still has downright pitiful gender ratios, but fan-created characters have absolute freedom in terms of gender, powers, colors, and motifs.
    .
    Obviously I'm not trying to hold this up as evidence that Hero Factory was better than BIONICLE as a whole. I could be here all day writing up a list of ways that the BIONICLE story was well planned and well executed, or ways that the Hero Factory story has been poorly executed. But at the same time, I appreciate these kinds of differences between the two themes especially, because they are indications that a theme's design is informed by its forerunners' strengths and weaknesses alike. It's a sort of creative evolution, even when a theme is taking lessons from wildly different themes (like how BIONICLE took lessons from themes like Alpha Team and Star Wars rather than just from Roboriders and Slizer, or how Ninjago took lessons from themes like Exo-Force and BIONICLE rather than just from the previous Ninja theme).
  19. Aanchir

    Shoutout

    By Aanchir,

    Can anyone give me a reason that the Faxon is feminine? Because seriously, the Elda is feminine. The Faxon is hardly so. Its eye holes are jagged rather than rounded. In fact, its whole design is jagged. And while the Elda has a "mustache" that doesn't look at all like one, the Faxon has two bizarre entities sprouting from its cheeks.
     
    I'll be impressed if anyone can provide one reason the Faxon is more feminine than a typical mask.
     
    EDIT: I'm officially impressed, not with the mask (it'll take some more solid convincing, not that anyone should expect that they have to make me believe them to be right) but with the feedback I received. I'm making a list of the current reasons people have offered (at least those that are solid in judgement).

    Streamlined appearance-- while I don't find that enough to override all the jagged edges on the mask, particularly the eyeholes, it cannot be denied that the Faxon is as streamlined as people posit. Still, I find it hard to believe that this is a deciding factor when the larger mask of the Toa Terrain Crawler is more streamlined and looks distinctly masculine. Thanks to Seranikai and BCii for pointing this out. Large eyeholes that offer the visor a delicate shine-- this one was the result of BCii's observation again. The shape of the eyeholes jumps out at me more than this, but still such small details could have had a big impact otherwise. Gender not specified-- this one I could argue against, given that the sharp and jagged angles of the Faxon certainly strike me as masculine and not feminine, but still it does address one way the mask is superior to the Elda, which looks feminine and not masculine, even if it is in some people's eyes not feminine enough. I would be disturbed if I were to see an Elda on a male Toa. Credit to ToM Dracone and BCii for pointing this one out. Please continue to offer whatever reasons you came to see the Faxon as feminine. I do not ask that you convince me that it is-- that's up to me, and these sort of debates don't exist for such a purpose but rather to help us understand each other's views and possibly encourage one another to believe. But I am still curious, and love a good debate. Thanks to everyone who has offered their opinions so far!
  20. Aanchir

    On Mistika Height

    By Aanchir,

    A lot of people have formed opinions of these sets based on height. Some of these are reasonable. Some of these are not. I'd like to offer some of the info I managed to put together from the newest images.
     
    "Bitil/Gorast is too short"
    Hardly. The base of Gorast's head when the legs are stretched out (You have to assume a knee joint on Matoran legs, but this is typical of all accurate height measurements) is exactly the height of the base of an Inika's neck. Her legs, when outstretched, are likewise the same height as Inika legs. Her height with neck stretched vertically is therefore 28 modules, not counting the extra height added by her mask. With neck horizontal her height drops considerably to 24 modules, but I have yet to see an official image of Gorast in this hunchbacked pose.
     
    Meanwhile, with his neck stretched vertically as seen in the S@H image, Bitil is in fact the tallest of any of the Mistika, at a whopping 29 modules. A horizontal neck places him at a shorter 25 modules. For reference, we have never had a Toa set of this height besides Takanuva. The maximum normal Toa height encountered so far is 27 modules on Onua Mistika, Jaller Mahri, and Nuparu Mahri. 26.5 modules is the height of a Toa Inika, and what I typically regard as the "normal" Toa height for Toa of 2006-2008. 25 modules is just the edge of what I regard as "normal" height and posture, and is the height of Hahli Mahri or Tahu Mistika.
     
    "Krika is awesome because he's so tall"
     
    Krika... poor, poor Krika. Assuming his rear leg blades are 10 modules tall (a reasonable assumption), his legs are like Gorast's the same length as Inika legs when outstretched (remember that this is impossible in the set, but necessary in determining his true height). 16 modules, the longest we've ever seen legs on a canister set besides Lewa Phantoka with his taller-than-average feet. Fair enough. Interestingly, Antroz's legs and torso are the same height as Krika's. We find that from base of "feet" to base of neck both Krika and Antroz are 27 modules high. Huh. Looks like Krika is pretty tall.
     
    Don't count your squids before they hatch. With a five module neck, Krika should be far taller than Antroz with neck stretched vertically, right? Yes and no. It is impossible to stretch Krika's head to full vertical height on account of the orientation of his head joint. Thus, at most Krika is able to reach 29.5 modules in height, one half a module taller than Antroz (and this is assuming his leg joints are able to bend, which they aren't). As anyone knows, it's hard to make an exciting pose with any of your figures' legs stretched rigidly to their full length, so of course Krika is still bound to look very tall when posed next to your other BIONICLE sets. I'm not saying he's worthless for his height. But anyone who is of the belief that Krika is of some gargantuan form under which Tahu can get a decent amount of shade is in for disappointment.
     
    "Tahu and Gali are too short / Onua is too tall"
     
    The first one is a misconception, but the reasoning behind it is entirely accurate. How in the world can our formerly hunchbacked Earth Toa be the tallest of the Mistika? But Tahu and Gali are of no unusual height. Tahu, as mentioned before, shares his 25-module height with Hahli Mahri. Gali is merely one module shorter due to her creative but perhaps (depending on your opinion) out-of-place neck configuration. Onua, to my and others' regrets, is the aforementioned maximum Toa height of 27 modules. LEGO disappointed me quite a few times with his set, but this isn't the place to rant about that, only to present concrete facts about set height.
     
    "Takanuva is too tall"
    While I love tall Takanuva to pieces, for the purposes of my drawings keeping his proportion with other sets even nearly the same is inconceivable (remember I work in HSB). Av-Matoran under the energies of Karda Nui are taller than other Matoran, true, but not by too much. At most their height comes to 19 modules with legs outstretched (Source: Solek). The normal height for Matoran has remained pretty consistent since 2004 as 16 modules (story-wise, one bio). Thus, they are over 1/5th of the height of a normal Matoran due to Karda Nui's energies.
     
    I do not mean in any way to imply that Toa and Matoran are due the same effect from Karda Nui's energies, or any energies that have as of yet remained unexplained. But Takanuva has grown from an assumed 26.5 modules of modern set height to 42 modules in height! He has therefore grown by almost a full bio, or 15.5 modules. Some might be apalled at this. I just find it an inconvenience that I will have to cope with in my drawings and in my fervent Takanuva/Gali shipper status (though after he leaves Karda Nui this will no longer matter so much). Certainly from a set standpoint the height is more than made up for by the creativity and beauty of the set.
     
    And last, like the last not dealing with the Mistika themselves,
     
    "Trinuma is definitely not 9 feet tall!"
    Like the last, this is true. Trinuma in the set rises to 30 modules counting his horns, whereas 9 feet would be closer to 32 modules. I'm sure it's a height difference most people can live with. As with Takanuva, I'm impressed enough with Trinuma not to care.
     
    I hope this entry has been enlightening, even if it does not change your opinions on the sets. I do not mean to change your opinions with this entry, although some of your opinions could in my eyes do well from a change. But I want to make sure that Mistika buyers know what they're getting when they purchase one of these new sets, and plan for the one they will truly enjoy most based on their own preferences.
  21. Aanchir

    Chuck Norris Jokes

    By Aanchir,

    This concerns all of the people who post "anti-Chuck Norris Facts" or just post the "truth" about Chuck Norris to spoil everyone's fun
     
    News flash: No one takes Chuck Norris Jokes seriously.
     
    They are not meant to tell the truth about an aged martial-arts film actor. Their only purpose is to parody the butt-kickin' attitude and aura of the characters Chuck Norris portrays, and in some cases to parody the egotism he is accused of having. No one truly thinks Chuck Norris is some omnipotent being, at least no one reasonable.
     
    But the jokes are funny because they are a facet of Internet culture. The jokes could conceivably apply to anyone, not just Chuck Norris. But if everyone was telling jokes about their own mock hero, the jokes would lose their universal charm. As it is, they have become essentially the positive, non-offensive equivalent of the "your mom" joke.
     
    So please, don't go posting the "truth" about Chuck Norris, because most people know and few people care. I only know a few things about who Chuck Norris really is, and knew squat about it before I checked Wikipedia. But who he is doesn't matter; he is for the sake of these jokes merely a name to paste to them which has connotations of ownage and egotism attached.
  23. Aanchir

    Rockoh T3 Review

    By Aanchir,

    Presentation
    From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.
     
    Rockoh's box is a real beauty. On the front you see the Ignika-styled Vitruvian man surrounded by the concentric circular carvings of the Codrex, just as on the Mistika canisters. The difference here is that Little Iggy Faceman is lined up perfectly with the "O" of the word BIONICLE. This touch is made slightly less amazing by the imperfect roundness of the O (or apparently imperfect, anyway), but the effect is very nice and can be seen on any of the large boxed sets.
     
    Overlying this pattern of circles and lines that appears around Iggy Faceman (who I will henceforth call such in this review, even though he isn't a prominent feature in it) is a textured pattern of-- if you've been with BIONICLE for the past year, you might be able to guess-- hexagons. But these vary from those which appeared over the edges of the swamo background for the summer sets (including Rockoh) and the ones appearing around the edges of the Phantoka canister backdrops in that these hexagons do not touch on the edges. This gives a feel of hexagonal bolts, as does the way the shading opposes that of the inlaid hexagons of the swamp background. It may or may not impact my liking of the packaging-- really, I can't say it makes much of a difference, but perhaps the influence is subconscious.
     
    Rockoh and his rider burst forth from the swampy backdrop, overlapping parts of the blue Faceman-and-circles border, with visible speed lines trailing behind the wing tips. Two Zamors-- err, "light spheres"-- are fired from the craft's front. Truly a sight to behold.
     
    On the back, an actual size Pohatu stands before the folded and parked Rockoh in the same beautiful 3-D. Above, the word BIONICLE features the same Faceman-in-the-O, and a hand holds Rockoh to further demonstrate the craft's size as well as the handle. A column of swampy background appears along one side with Axalara and Jetrax bursting through the fourth wall. And of course, we see the obligatory B.I.O. code and demonstrations of the action features along the bottom.
     
    The sides of the box, needless to say, are boring. Let's open them and see what's inside. (Metaphorically, of course; I opened them days ago.)
     
    Building
    Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?
     
    There are three instruction booklets and an assortment of bags numbered one through four. The first bag and the beginning of the first booklet focus on Pohatu. A pretty simple build, but instead of rushing take time to marvel at the pieces and the surprising stylistic consistency between some of them. Pohatu's mask goes well with the Jaller Inika armor used on his back, which makes up for the torso's holes where the obvious similar shape of the torso to the Pohatu Phantoka's didn't. Set him aside to adore later, and move on to the vehicle.
     
    The #2 bags start Rockoh's aft, whose construction foreshadows the vehicle's firmness and stability. It does this because much of its construction is through pins and the occasional three- to five-length rod. Longer rods are almost invariably reserved for aspects of the action features.
     
    Until the mostly pin-and-beam structure is out of the way, don't build ahead. I accidentally pushed some pins in prematurely and had to puzzle for a brief minute why the gearbox for the action feature wouldn't attach right.
     
    Bag #4 is for the Zamor launcher and gearbox. The parts slide together firmly, even though they are built separately, and make for a very solid body. The beams that finish the vehicle's front and the panels and wings that fill it out come in the number 4 bags. Some easy (if not quick) builds after that, and the craft is done!
     
    Set Design
    Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.
     
    The new parts of the set are basically limited to Pohatu's visor and the dark green side panels. The visor is very nice, and its contours are subtle-- the eyes and head are still very visible through it. Among its contours are an arrow-like pattern on the forehead and two rims around the eyes, the latter seeming almost custom-tailored to match the original Kakama's eyeholes. Four fins mimic the Kakama Nuva's original aerodynamic spines very well, and maintain a subtle pattern with minimal impact on the mask's overall stylistic consistency. The side panels are simplistic, but seem very promising for System and Technic MOCs alike.
     
    The new Pohatu is considerably taller than the old. In fact, he stands a stud shorter than Kopaka Phantoka, two studs shorter than Lewa Phantoka, and even in height to Tahu Mistika. Still, he is shorter than what I use as the standard of height for Toa these days (the Toa Inika) and fits much more comfortably on the Rockoh than a Toa of Pohatu Phantoka's stature would be able to.
     
    The Rockoh expresses great stylistic consistency, and one has to marvel at such details as the seat and handlebars. The only part that might corrupt its stylistic consistency is the Gahlok Kal shield on either side. These admittedly don't match any part of the craft in style and were probably little more than space-fillers for a ship that already has gaping holes immediately in front of these pieces (I don't mind the holes, of course, as it keeps Zamor spheres from getting trapped in the ship's body)
     
    The ship can rest neatly on its handle as well as two small, immovable Mahri blades on the craft's tail. Thus the craft can sit on a shelf nicely but still not have bulky or protruding landing gear. Overall, the set is beautifully designed.
     
    Playability
    The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with?
     
    Pohatu fits in the Rockoh's seat nicely, and a long rod protruding from either side of the craft serves as a pair of footholds or pedals. His hands attach to the handlebars nicely, which is good considering their vast physical difference from actual hands.
     
    The cannon on the vehicle's underside operates with a lever on the side of the ship. Some regret that it was not a more easily accessible trigger, since playing with the craft now requires both hands, but I think it a good thing that we'll have less to fear from those who see Rockoh as just "a big gun."
     
    There are six Zamors which can be easily reloaded into the cartridge on top of the ship, which features a simple two-piece addition that effectively eliminates all risk of the Zamors falling out when the vehicle is turned upside-down. But this construction still allows you to pop the Zamors in just as easily, perhaps moreso now that you don't have to carefully nestle them in like in the launchers of the Toa Inika.
     
    The wings also have an action feature, as the front pair fold over the top of the vehicle with the simple turn of a wheel beneath the main engine. A display at Target stores calls the guns mounted on these "rockslide cannons", and I await a response from Greg as to whether this is an official name. The guns, by the way, feature transparent red System parts, so as always there's no need for guilt-tripping over inconspicuous use of System in an MOC which is supposed to pose as a palateable set.
     
    Final Thoughts
    Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?
     
    Pros
    What's to like?
    Beautiful reimagining of the new Kakama Nuva (and Pohatu, for that matter) Lots of parts in great colors, put together on a wonderfully colorful set Supporting the return of action features to their rightful niche-- sets in which poseability is a non-issue Lots of Kopaka Phantoka wings, pins, and beams A moderately-sized and -priced vehicle set Cons What's not to like?
    Pohatu's short stature is, for the most part, gone (but then, Onua is worse in that department). Folding feature is nowhere near as exciting as on Axalara or Jetrax. Replacing all those blue pins will vastly deplete your resources of black ones. (but come on, who wastes their time on that?) Sorry, guys, you don't get a horrendous new Kakama Nuva that destroys the sanctity of the original. I hear a lot of whining for LEGO to give us one of those. On the same note, Pohatu's still orange. None of these cons are too grating on my appreciation of the set (the last three, after all, clash with my stances on BIONICLE and were mostly included because noone takes a review seriously if they see "flaws" that are glazed over-- plus, I was running out of cons). Pohatu's tallness is sadly near-irreparable; I tried to shorten his upper limbs and it negatively impacted his ability to comfortably pilot the vehicle. The folding feature, however, is to me at least worth the price to have a launcher that doesn't require so much force or grasping around for the tiny trigger. Not to mention a launcher that you can easily reload in the middle of play. I hope my review convinces you to give Rockoh T3 a second look, and hopefully come to love it as much as I do.
     
    With all due respect,
    Aanchir: Rachira of Time
  25. Aanchir
    Alright, because I've seen a great number of ridiculous ideas of what the Makuta Mistika are based on, I figured an entry on this would be worthwhile.
     
    Remember that at this stage, these ideas are not laid in stone. Most are merely ideas, albeit ones which I think to be true, and I would be overjoyed if someone can come with a vastly different idea and demonstrate why they feel theirs is correct. Seriously, however awkward some might be, there is a reason you think them to be true, and perhaps a legitimate reason for me to think the same.
     
    Let's begin:


    Makuta Gorast
    This is one of the few I am almost completely certain of. Makuta Gorast is based on a mosquito. My reasons for thinking such, from least to most meaningful, are as follows:Gorast has two thin wings-- a trait mosquitoes share. Gorast's attitude is characterized by an almost suicidal persistence. D'oh! Gorast has a stinger! I can't believe I forgot that one! Thanks to Mr. Spock for reminding me. Gorast is described as "lightthirsty" by Krika in BIONICLE Legends #10. This makes perfectly clear what should already have been evident from the vampiric Makuta Phantoka: light in this sense is the BIONICLE equivalent of blood. Mosquitoes, sucking blood, are therefore the foremost candidate for Gorast's real-world origin. Makuta Bitil
    Again, I have much confidence in my belief that Makuta Bitil is based on a beetle. Reasons from least to most meaningful are as follows:Bitil's head, keeping the other similarities in mind, looks much like it should for a beetle-based Makuta, although other insects have similar heads. Bitil has large, platelike wings-- a trait that is obvious in the wings, or rather wing covers, of beetles. Bitil's name is in fact identical, if I remember correctly, to the Old English origin of the word "beetle." This was the similarity people noticed long before pictures of the sets were even released. On an entirely less serious note, Bitil's head is almost identical in design to the cicada-based Pokemon Ninjask. I am doubtful that Cicadas are a type of beetle, though I'm not at all knowledgeable about that. I just thought it was a cool coincidence.
     
    Makuta Krika
    Here's the one where I would most appreciate the opinions of others. While unsure, I'm leaning toward the suspicion that Makuta Krika is based on a cricket. You know the drill by now.Krika has spiky legs, like some crickets but also like a number of other insects. Krika's face is relatively cricketlike, most notably sharing the highly evident antennae of a cricket and the roundedness of the face. The face's overall shape differs from the taller heads of most crickets, however.
     
    Alternatively (and far more likely-seeming at the time), it is possible that Krika is based on a mantis, specifically a species called the Orchid Mantis.
    Krika can literally "disappear" into the swamp. The Orchid mantis has a similar talent for camouflage, although of course nowhere near as perfect as the magic of BIONICLE powers will allow. Mantises are noted for their long and spiky forelimbs, which hang in front of them as Krika's would had he other legs to support him. The Orchid Mantis can shift from a pinkish-red to a ghostly white. Krika is, like a picture provided recently in the (woe is me!) official 2008 sets topic, is somewhere between the two colors. Offer whatever comments you have; I have seemingly bottomless curiosity based on the sort of questions I tend to ask Greg.
     
    With all due respect,
    Aanchir: Rachira of Time
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