Wrinkledlion X

I somehow knew back around 2001/2002 that they weren't just robots. One of my friends even described them using the term "bio-robots" (he was, like, 10, so "biomechanical" probably wasn't in his vocabulary). I'm not sure if it was explicitly stated, but we just somehow (correctly) assumed they were living creatures.

 

There were actually a few hints. Tales of the Tohunga has that poisoned Vuata Maca Tree sidequest, which was a tree that provided food for the villages, and MNOLG showed Ga-Matoran in Onu-Koro selling fresh fish. Since robots don't eat, the presence of food kind of makes it clear that they're not robots.

 

EDIT: As mentioned above, the Kaukau. Robots don't breathe, either.

 

Although, I think the biggest indicator that they weren't robots was the simple fact that they were individuals. They had personalities.

Came here to mention the fish sellers in MNOLG. I'm surprised it took so long for someone to mention that. 

There's also the fact that the Rahi, while mechanical in appearance, form an ecosystem that included both herbivores and predators. (Plus you've got the Nui-Rama, who build hives out of organic-looking materials.) The existence of Rahi in nature does a lot to imply that the Matoran are alive, just through context. Because even though we may be used to stories about humanlike robots, but how often are they part of an ecosystem that includes mechanical tigers and goats? 

Back in early 2003, I got an avatar of my BBC entry from Aero Crunch's avatar shop. I linked it to his image host directly, and he replaced it with an image accusing me of stealing bandwidth. I was mortified and thought I had broken some sort of internet law.

I think I stayed off BZP for a couple days.

These are really fun. I especially like Onua's.

It's not my favorite in terms of the one I love the most or feel the most affection towards, but just as a set? Gotta be Maxilos & Spinax. What a fine piece of engineering that was, and such great colors.

I don't mind canonizations in general, and I for one used to be pretty active in the S&T scene. I enjoy mining old story for details that can be filled in, and most of the time it's harmless enough.

But changes that come with weird implications bother me, like that business about the Toa Cordak. "Cordak" already meant "desolation" in-story, and now it's the name of a Toa team? I know they worked out an explanation for that, but it just seems too convoluted for my tastes. It makes the world feel smaller--not only have we lost a Matoran word from the lexicon (poor Tolkien), we've also established that the Toa Cordak were so widely-known as to influence language across the MU. (And yet, we don't even know what island they guarded.)

It's a fine line, but I guess my problem is with canonizations that delete or replace existing canon. It's fine if they add a fun detail here and there, but fan ideas often seem more like retcons than anything else, considering the story's over.

 

I think there were foam gali hooks too.

You could also get Tahu swords, Lewa axes, Kopaka swords, Nuju skate thingys, the list goes on.

I had the original Tahu sword, but I didn't know about those others. Were the original Mata all represented (sans Pohatu)? 

I liked 2009 quite a bit, I just think its legacy has been soiled in the intervening years. The first wave of sets that year was really solid, and had great colors and some occasionally innovative design (ie: the Skrall). Although there was still some Inika stuff going on, it wasn't as miserably dull as in 2008. 

I remember a lot of excitement for the story, as well as for the sets. That image of the tiny figure staring up at the giant Vahki leg still jumps out in my mind as a very memorable, very Bionicle image. It was a good location, and pretty well-developed, so I was ready to settle in for a few comfortable years on Bara Magna.

I don't know what the exact plan was for the MU during that time, but I'd have liked to see hints of Makuta's apocalyptic arrival in the years leading up to it. They could have really built that up in a way that was scary and dramatic. And even if we weren't in the MU, Bara Magna still provided access to a lot of mysteries related to classic Bionicle. We had the scattered body parts of a great spirit, we had the Great Beings, we had the Red Star... (Personally, I really wanted to see the interior of the Skrall city housed in that giant head. I think it should have held the ruins of a sideways Metru Nui clone, hanging high above the Skrall city.)

Of course, that year cumulated in a pretty weak movie, and as soon as the plot seemed to get moving, 2010 happened, and everyone was disappointed. But I think that if 2010 hadn't affected our views retroactively, 2009 would have a pretty good reputation as the start of a new story direction.

 

Alright, here comes the unpopular opinion. These videos are so bad they are hilarious.

 

We've got a temple of time with the oh-so-clever giant pendulum on it, the spiritual elements that were previously vague now reference prayers to... the sky? What?

 

This world has nameless villagers who specifically mention having sons, as well as a cute baby villager with goo-goo eyes. 

 

There's a confusing prophecy that says the Toa will find the special masks and the Mask Maker, even though they've established that there are two(perhaps this is some kind of fake-out for them finding Makuta instead of Ekimu, but I'm not sure this story is clever enough even for that).

 

We have failed and strange attempts at humor with Tahu making what are supposed to be somewhat threatening skull spiders look as effective and terrifying as thrown pillows.

 

We have a voice actor who was clearly chosen for his "narrator voice" trying to play seven different characters(one of which is a woman) and a Protector who dresses up as an old person until it's time to take action, where he reveals that he has a gatling gun on his back.

 

And so far all the "nods" to the original story are slapping the Mask of Time in whatever nonsensical place imaginable.

 

Call me a curmudgeon, but these videos do not make me confident that this story will be even remotely as good as the old stuff, even with how convoluted and messy it got. They're rehashing all the basic elements of 2001 without putting any heart or thought into telling a good story. Now it's just each cutout Toa having a "destiny" to find their golden mask with the help of a nameless nobody who gives them extra weapons. Thrilling. I suppose there is still a chance for Lego to redeem themselves when the story continues to play out, but right now it's a childish mess in this viewer's opinion. 

 

Well, right now they need to make kids feel welcome to join the story, and they need to introduce this entire world to them, with the products just hitting shelves. Does anyone remember the early days of BIONICLE? Dare I say it, this is actually more in-depth. I mean, come on let's face it: MNOG was you walking around Mata Nui, and that was it. 

I'm not taking a stance on 2015 yet, as it seems to offer both good and bad things, but it's really reaching to say that it's more in-depth than 2001.

In the MNOG, you could go into Whenua's hut and, if you just kept clicking on him, listen as he rambles on about mining operations and workers' unions for an entire 44 lines. Not to mention the maps of the island with every name indicated, the introduction of a Matoran language, and even a scarcely-used system of measurements. The Toa's story that year was mostly hinted at (we only saw them find, what, three masks?), but they knocked it out of the park with the worldbuilding. It would take a lot of effort to reach that level of immersion again.

Seems like the story is being told in a much more cursory fashion than in the past. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it does feel less immersive and ambitious. Hopefully the story is expanded upon in more detail in other media. (Books, I think?)

I've always liked the Av-Matoran-into-Bohrok thing, but it only just occurred to me how unsustainable it is. Weren't there millions of Bohrok? Where did they get that many dead Av-Matoran?

 

According to Brickipedia the 8539 Manas was $89.99.

I specified "figure" to rule out vehicle sets, but I suppose I forgot about the Manas (if you can call a creature with such limited articulation a "figure"). That price, of course, was almost entirely due to the über-specialized RC/Motor parts.

 

My point was that, as far as "titans" are concerned, there was never any that exceeded $50. And there hasn't been a $50 Titan since Bionicle ended. I'm sure Lego has the sales data to show that constraction sets of that size don't sell as well as more moderately-sized sets, but it's still a darn shame given that Lego designers repeatedly show how awesome a larger figure set could be.

 

If you want to count exclusive sets, I believe the Kardas Dragon was $70. That's almost cheating, though.

Everything I see of Onua makes me like him more. I don't want to buy any Bionicle sets this year, but I might have to.

(Why does the gold and silver work so decently? I know I should hate it, but something about the color distribution actually works really well.)

I don't actually want to see the Chronicler's Company as Toa, because generally I like my villagers to stay villagers. Nonetheless, it would be really interesting to see Taipu as a Toa, because we've never had a Toa before who was straight-up dumb. (Especially not an Earth Toa.) 

Plus, tan-highlights on a black Toa would look really neat.

Gotta have skills. What are you gonna do if you wanna be an accountant? You can't just put on your number-crunching mask and get to work, you gotta be certified. 

I imagine there are certain requirements when it comes to durability. Like, a fire Toa could channel his powers through a wooden stick if he wanted to, but it would be a one-use weapon. Maybe an air Toa or Toa of the green could make better use of it. 

Come to think of it, though, MoL Vakama was portrayed with a wooden staff. Perhaps he only channeled his powers through the head of it.

Come on, people, the Noble Mahiki is the best! So much personality.

I gotta say, I never liked the Great Rau. It's too cartoonishly feminine and Clikits-y to be used for anything else. The best female masks are androgynous enough to be used on either gender--think the Noble Rau, the original Kaukau, the Faxon. 

Also, the less said about the Inika the better.

Not sure how you'd attach them, but you might wait until the new wave starts and use some skull spider legs. They look similar to what I see here.

 

Found this on Google images, and it's pretty much as I remember it. Definitely my most nostalgic image.

Ah, Tripod. That DOES bring me back. 

Anyway, I'll go for this one:

That otherworldly music coupled with those mechanical noises really left an impression on me. I remember at age 6 wondering if I could find the Slizer planet in the telescope. 

Does anyone else miss 2006 Vezon? He was actually really creepy when he was first introduced. I wouldn't mind seeing 2006 Vezon come back. 

Metru heads have the most functionality, but I never understood why they had to look the way they did. Such an awkward mouth shape!

I voted for the Mata heads because they were functional for their time, and they looked great. I'm also a big fan of the Piraka skulls, even if they aren't useful for very much. 

Jaller's Hahnah Crab. It was a really neat concept of having an animal carry a weapon, but I feel that it didn't get enough recognition in the story. To exaggerate, it was almost as irrelevant as Lhikan's Kikanalo, which is presumed to have never existed.

It was such a brilliant idea, but was so utterly wasted.  

Thulox and Morak, too. That was a bad year to be a Rahi.

It's a shame, as it would have been nice to have some cute animal sidekicks, Puku-style.

Over the years, a lot of characters have been introduced and then shuffled quietly offscreen once their story year was up. This is just in the nature of a toyline, but are there any that you wish had gotten more attention?

Personally, I find Reidak very underrated. I loved the combination of character traits he had—brutal and "simple" in a way that made him seem stupid, despite the fact that he was wicked-intelligent. In some ways that makes him a mirror image of Onua (who is wise, but strong and quiet) which was in keeping with the theme of the Piraka as "dark Toa." 

More generally, I'd nominate the Piraka as a group, because they really got screwed over after 2006. The whole reverse-Toa theme was really cool, and it even brought back some of the Polynesian aesthetic in the form of their crazy Tiki-faces. By 2007 Greg kind of wrote all the villains in the same quippy manner, but it was the Piraka who did it first, and it felt very new at the time. 

So: which characters do you think were unjustly forgotten, either by the story team or the fans? 

Hey, this is really cool! Loving all the mechanical detail.

The one thing that jumps out at me as a problem is that his right arm kind of blends into the detailing of his legs. I'd try enhancing the shadow beneath the arm to create a more visible separation.

I'm an AFOL and couldn't be more excited to buy the new sets!   LEGO is my main hobby and I've been collecting all sorts of themes like Star Wars, Super Heroes, City, etc. for my whole life. It's a very natural thing for me, and my family and best friends embrace it. That's me though, and while I'll be collecting all of the new sets, it doesn't mean it's the best thing for you. 

 

Your expression of fandom could certainly include purchasing all of the new Toa, but you're not limited to that as an outlet. If you're artistic, then maybe fanart or fanfiction could fun to try. Or if you're more in the mood to reminisce or discuss Bionicle, BZPower is a great place to express your excitement with fellow fans. 

 

My advice is, come 2015, purchase your favorite Toa. Build it, enjoy it, display it in a cool pose, and see how you feel after that. You may be satisfied and not need to collect more OR you may keep going and enjoy some new adventures with Bionicle. 

HOLY WOW it's OnuaNut.

Anyway: a part of me really wants to buy Onua (my favorite Toa), but sets are so expensive now and I am but a poor student. I'm actually more worried about getting sucked back into the story than the sets, though—I love Bionicle, but getting all into storyline and theories is a huge time sink.