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Master Inika

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Everything posted by Master Inika

  1. Why are Rahkshi being removed from the equation? The breeds like Lerahk and Vorahk seem ideal for raids. Other than them, Visorak, Dark Hunters or corrupt Toa seem like who they would use. Exo-Toa strike me as too clunky and uncreative.
  2. Lol, I hate to say it but that would be the funniest and most memorable take of Bionicle and G1 being set in the same universe. If Spherus Magna and the Great Beings are just these primitive cavemen compared to everyone else.
  3. How am I seeing this for the first time? This is a very cute picture and I wholeheartedly believe this is Hahli's handwriting. Is the spelling mistake the second to last word? "new moves to _____ about." I found that word difficult to decipher.
  4. This is beautiful. I was seven years old when Mask of Light came out and it was the same year I got into BIONICLE. I loved it and always know I can return to it when I need a quick fix of pure happiness. There are not many things in the world that I have zero negative associations with and BIONICLE, especially Mask of Light, is one of them.
  5. I really like the Toa of Plasma. Even with nothing groundbreaking in terms of part use, mimicking the simplicity of the original Mata, he looks like an actual Toa who could have washed ashore on Su-Wahi. The Toa of Water basically just looks like a blue Pohatu to me, but I like the image of her water powers in use, that was creative.
  6. This is beautiful. Congrats, your mask design is going to haunt my nightmares.
  7. I feel alone in liking the serials. Sure, they weren't perfectly polished. They didn't always make sense if you thought about them rationally. But they were fun to read, and in a good way I think they show off Greg's experience writing Star Wars RPGs. Seriously, imagine a D&D session with Greg as DM. That would be awesome.
  8. I have Toa Mata Nui's pearl gold Ignika, a prototype all-black Skrall shield, and most of the 2001 misprints.
  9. He looks cool. I like the heartlight and the way you approximated the shape and size of a Metru torso.
  10. I think BIONICLE only got out of hand with people trying to concretely explore every little detail. I remember being really excited when I logged onto BIONICLEsector01 one day and saw the new "Toa Mangai" article. I found its origin and association with Toa Naho interesting. Pretty soon, though, there were all kinds of questions, like if the beach Takua wakes up on in MNOG was called "Lhikan Beach" and if the Three Brothers Bridge in Ko-Koro was named after three of the four Toa Mangai of Ice. It was a little ridiculous, as if these people couldn't use their brains and simply accept that there are probably a ton of places on Mata Nui named after the Toa Mangai. Looking at the Toa Mangai page now, and seeing how much we've squeezed out of Greg about random meaningless details, is pretty weird. Aside from the fan interactions, though, I'm satisfied with how hard to penetrate BIONICLE was. As a kid, I liked trying to put the puzzle pieces together. I felt like it took me seriously and didn't spoon-feed me information. That being said, having a full TV show that is clearly the "main" canon with supplementary comics and books might have made the series more profitable. As much as I like Ninjago, I don't know if I'd want Ninjago's kind of wackiness in, say, 2007 or 2008. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I appreciated BIONICLE's more grimdark elements. To me, they felt earned and I think LEGO did it right, without it being cringey to look back on. Like Shadow the Hedgehog. In hindsight, I don't think I'd change anything except maybe the fan interactions. They're where things began going off the rails.
  11. The thing about the Vahki is, while I like them so much as a whole, I find each individual Vahki so forgettable compared to a Barraki or a Piraka I rarely want to vote for one. Ideally, I'd want at least one to pass on, I just can't figure out which one.
  12. What becomes of the Dark Hunters on Spherus Magna would depend heavily on what kind of society it is that Spherus Magna ends up being. In the real world, at least, organized crime is most influential in places where the legitimate government doesn't or can't provide protection to its people. In Spherus Magna, we could be looking at a New Republic-type situation in the current Star Wars canon, where they're really just letting the First Order grow right under their noses. The Shadowed One isn't going to let people leave his group if he can help it. In the MU, leaving was a big no-no. If you're a Hunter, you're a Hunter for life. The only way I could see DHs leaving in meaningful numbers is if Spherus Magna society is willing to take them in and give them protection and something to do. Maybe they will, but BIONICLE has traditionally leaned very heavily into the "Beauty Equals Goodness" trope. Who knows, this could be the foundation for a great fanfic. I think it's interesting you focus on Tyrant. The impression I got from him is that he's a small-time punk who is only really impressive against Matoran. The Shadowed One could kill him in five seconds if he tried to, and Tyrant knows it. I'm not sure if the DHs moving to Spherus Magna is going to change that. Tyrant is no fool, he knows TSO is more powerful than him, that's why he spends so much energy biding his time and planning. Maybe the move to a new planet will give him the push he needs to make his move. I feel like it wouldn't work out too well for him, though, and it would be a pretty anticlimactic end to an interesting villain we never got to see in-depth.
  13. Even in the first few minutes of Season 2, I like how whimsical and carefree we get to see Sensei Wu (voiced by Paul Dobson, who was Nidhiki, Whenua and Sidorak in the second and third BIONICLE movies). He fully trusts the ninja to do things on their own, so he gets to lean more into the trope of a wacky and unpredictable eastern master. It’s rewarding to see how his relationship with the ninja has evolved so much. Seeing the ninja without their Golden Weapons and elemental powers reminds me of seeing the Toa Nuva without the Nuva Symbols or their powers, so even if it’s a totally arbitrary reason to, I like this chapter of Ninjago so far. (This is a really small nitpick, but when Garmadon is using all four weapons, where are the second Ice Shuriken and Lightning Nunchuk? I know they’re just someone not visible but accessible. It bothers me more than it should.) Once again, Skales is the best Serpentine. I can feel his frustration trying to keep the others from going with Garmadon so much. It is very well done. I like that they touch on why the ninja don’t use their hero status to at least get a place to live. Seeing them having normal jobs after helping defeat the Devourer is really funny and reminiscent of Peter Parker. After the Alpha Team, the Toa, the knights of Morcia, the Exo-Force and the Hero Factory heroes, I think the ninja are the first LEGO heroes to ever canonically have to pay rent. LEGO’s first Millennials. Honestly, realistically, Jay probably could have received a large settlement suing the pizza maker for failing to provide a safe working environment. Jay was physically assaulted and kidnapped on the job. If Jay had provided the other ninja as an emergency contact and the pizza maker contacted them when Jay did not return, they might have been able to stop the Serpentine in time. Dareth is a perfect character (and is the best comic relief character the show has had thus far), and it just makes me happy watching heroes with elemental powers again. Are Jeffy and Phil (Dareth’s students) supposed to look like Harry Potter and Ron Weasley? Because they do. I shouldn’t like Ninjaball Run. But I’m a sucker for Wacky Races-type episodes, ever since my Billy & Mandy days. It makes me realize just how many characters there are, and how well-written they are that you can cram so many of them in and still have them stand out. Child’s Play is a great, epic episode. I’m currently midway through Wrong Place, Wrong Time and as far as time travel stories go, this one’s not too bad. It’s interesting seeing the Skulkin animated with the noticeably better 2013 animation as opposed to 2011’s. The episode where they cross the sea to the Dark Island and meet Zane’s father is good. It establishes the sense of a great adventure well. My only issue is, when the Leviathan is looking into the tower, and they have to pretend no one except Zane’s father is there, how does the Leviathan not notice the Bounty on shore? On the whole, the recent episodes of Ninjago have been pretty epic. I have noticed that Ninjago villains exist on a spectrum from Silly to Serious: the Skulkin are almost exclusively Silly, while the Serpentine were a good balance. The Stone Army is consistently depicted as Serious. In fact, depicting the Skulkin kidnapping and forcing Zane’s father to build their technology makes them seem far crueler and more formidable than they were when they were actually the main antagonists. It’s interesting how, once they’ve been defeated, the Skeleton Army seems to have been more of a threat after the fact. Seeing the ninja at their lowest in “The Last Hope” was powerful. I’m glad Jay and Nya’s relationship is a real part of the show and not just comic relief. In the same episode, we also see the Stone Army begin to slide into Silly territory with the ninja making fun of the ancient language. I didn’t realize until this episode that Misako is voiced by Kathleen Barr (Gali/Roodaka). There is something cathartic about Nidhiki/Sidorak and Roodaka’s VAs finally in the same production as real friends. There’s something genuinely upsetting about seeing Garmadon with normal fingers when he transforms into the Overlord. That whole sequence is pretty scary and epic. I was just reflecting on how, as just a glowing orb until this point, the Overlord is the first Ninjago villain without a set form. It was a bold move on Lego’s part. As of General Kozu being beaten up by Dareth’s students, the Stone Army has officially entered Silly territory. The final episode was okay. It reminded me a lot of both the Web of Shadows and The Legend Reborn climaxes. The Lloyd vs. Overlord segment also reminded me of Takanuva vs. Makuta, but it’s not really to the show’s credit that this final battle has no identity of its own and just reminds me of other, better final battles. Kung Fu Panda 3 and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 also come to mind. I also think the action scenes showcase how ill-equipped the show is for LEGO animation. The Overlord’s tank and Nya’s gun platform look awesome. The Overlord himself, though, is too organic. I’m on the fence about how I feel about Lloyd’s mech. They use it to cross the ocean, but it gets scrapped in battle and forgotten almost immediately. It’s not bad per se, just forgettable. I find the most memorable Ninjago episodes to be the funny ones, like Jay’s first date with Nya and the Wacky Races-style episode. Those are what hold up, but I can’t really imagine being excited for this final battle even if I were in the target demographic. If anything, the very end most reminds me of the Takanuva/Makuta Kolhii match ending. It doesn’t do a good job of explaining things. I’m divided on Garmadon’s redemption. It is cathartic to watch, but it also feels poorly set up and a little unearned. It feels as though what was being built up to was a conscious choice on Garmadon’s part, not for him to be magically turned good again. Good Garmadon has a gray version of Anakin Skywalker’s hairpiece, though, which is neat. I’m left with a lot of questions: How did Lloyd beat the Overlord? I thought I paid attention, but it feels like Lloyd just turned gold and beat him. What happened to the Stone Army? I honestly thought Dareth finding the helmet was a pretty good twist, but where are they? Did they get destroyed by Nya’s turret and completely disappear? Even one shot of them rebuilding the city, like the reprogrammed Bohrok, would have helped wrap up that loose end. In my final analysis, I am a little disappointed. It feels like it was written to be the series finale if they needed one, but wanted to leave themselves open for more. I will be watching the next season, and time will tell how I find it.
  14. Interesting, I found it funny and memorable. The key, at least for me, is to just take Ninjago for what it is. Early on, I was comparing it to BIONICLE, which really was a mistake. Ninjago's strength is humor and heart, not necessarily big epic plotlines.
  15. This guy looks awesome. The use of the rubber band holders is naturally what jumps out at me, but looking at it further, it's clear to see that it's not just a gimmicky MOC to use those pieces, it's a great model on its own.
  16. For a while, I've been working on something. It's a 100-page history of the entire world, beginning with the invention of writing in ancient Sumer and going all the way to the modern day. It has not been easy. I have been able to work on it twice a week and make 5-8 pages per session. I am 90% of the way done, and my mind is racing. This is something that part of me has always wanted to do. I loved watching The History Channel and asking my dad about the Civil War and American Revolution when I was a kid. Even then, I always wanted to somehow categorize all this knowledge, and now I'm actually doing it. Honestly, I was bored in history class in school. I always wanted to go deeper and look at more primary documents. But at the same time, whenever I tried to do my own research, I quickly found myself overwhelmed at all the books and articles I had access to. I never knew where to start. It is titled Elementary World History and one of the reasons I am writing it is to provide something I would have benefitted from as a child. It is a sampling of history, not going too deep into any of the topics I cover. (Getting the entirety of World War II into a single page was not easy, but I did it.) The finished book will be dedicated to my nephew, who is still a baby. I hope he grows up to love history and gets some enjoyment out of it. I'm going to print it out and put it in a binder for him. I don't know anything about actually getting stuff published. I've written novel-length stories before that none of the publishers I reached out to wanted. Honestly, I'd say the publishing aspect is harder than actually writing the book.
  17. G1 had too many ideas, G2 didn't have enough ideas. G1 was amazing, G2 was forgettable.
  18. Cryoshell didn't record a song specifically for BIONICLE in 2010, so for whatever reason I just listened to one of their non-BIONICLE songs ("Falling") from the time and arbitrarily decided that was their BIONICLE Journey's End song. Did anyone else do that, or use any of their other songs? I also sort of associate "Murky" with Journey's End, but TBH I simply did not care for it as much as "Falling," which I feel also captures the themes of the year pretty well.
  19. I'll believe it when I see it.
  20. 1. Coca Cola (can) 2. Barq's root beer 3. Pepsi 4. Mug root beer 5. Coca Cola (bottle) Peach tea is somewhere before or after Pepsi.
  21. It's not unique to BIONICLE. When it comes to hobby stuff, if multiple people all want to buy it, it gets bought. Back in around 2015, I worked over about $175 for about nine misprint masks, and I still don't regret it. It sucks that this is how it is, and it's probably going to just get worse as BIONICLE becomes more nostalgic to the people who grew up with it. If I were able to responsibly, I'd bid on that disk. This are completely non-utilitarian pieces of plastic; ultimately, all of its value is subjective and comes from the happy thoughts it brings us, whether it's $10 for that feeling of $100.
  22. Presumably, the Turaga were the ones who taught them the legends of the Toa, so the real question is, when did the Toa Metru learn about the Toa Mata? They are never mentioned in any capacity during the LoMN or Great Rescue arcs, so it would have to have been at some point after becoming Turaga. I wonder if the Red Star and star prophecies in general had anything to do with it. BIONICLE has never been very clear as to how valid they were in-universe. That would also make it more likely that Nixie or the Ko-Matoran were the ones who "discovered" the prophecies, not the Turaga. OR, it could be Vakama's visions, which have also never been clearly explained in-universe. I'm comfortable crediting their knowledge of the Toa to Vakama's visions, aside from it just being Early Installment Weirdness.
  23. Another solid chapter. I especially liked Nokama's rescue. It captured the comedic scenes of him slamming into things very well, which I wasn't expecting and am surprised translated so well into prose. Looking forward to the next one.
  24. Atakus' BIONICLE.com quote is: "No one rides into Roxtus without getting past me. And those that do, heh, never leave." It sounds intimidating at first, until you realize Atakus is admitting he's bad at his job. I thought more about the quote, too, and realized there's quite a bit more going on here than at the surface. When Atakus says "getting past" does he mean "sneaking past" or passing him at all? Are there certain people he is supposed to let in, or is he supposed to turn away everyone? I detect no fewer than three possibilities: 1) Atakus' job is to prevent anyone from entering Roxtus, and those who do enter Roxtus without him knowing are caught and killed. (This interpretation doesn't work for character reasons. It makes Atakus sound incompetent for sometimes failing to keep people out. Sure, it makes me not want to try going to Roxtus, but because of whoever kills me once I get inside, not him specifically. The "heh" makes it sound like Atakus is trying to talk himself up.) 2) Atakus' job is only to prevent some people from entering Roxtus, but some others are allowed in. (This interpretation fails because it indicates that even those who are allowed to visit end up getting killed.) 3) Roxtus is such pleasant and welcoming place to live that everyone who visits inevitably chooses to stay there of their own accord. Atakus' job is to make Roxtus sound scary to stop everyone from trying to live there. (This is the least likely of the three possibilities, but as stated, Atakus' words do leave this a distinct possibility.)
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