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A treatise on set-to-character recognizability. As I see it, there are three basic elements by which it is possible for a new set of a character to be recognizable as his or her previous form. If any two of these are kept, it is very easy to recognize said character. If only one is kept, recognizability can be pulled off, but you'd have to be one heck of a good designer to do it, and it also depends on which one it is that is kept. If none are kept, there is nothing by which to identify the character. Primary colorMaskSecondary color There are, of course, additional things that add recognizability – the Nuva's armor, Kopaka's sword and shield, and Pohatu's toe guards. Anything in a character's previous form can serve to make the transformation believable, but the three above (and the Nuva's armor) are the most general. But, these are reasons the Inika bore no recognizability as the Matoran, and why the Mahri were only semi-recognizable as the Inika. Of the Inika, only three retained any of the above three points, and only one each at that. And because these three were now the standard colors for Toa of Earth, Ice, and Water, there was nothing to suggest they were Nuparu, Matoro, and Hahli. When the Inika became Mahri, they kept only one point each (primary colors except for Hewkii, who kept his secondary color), and the recognizability that was there was through the structural similarities to their Inika forms of Jaller, Hahli, and Matoro, and to a very small extent Nuparu. These are the standards by which Lego has to adhere if they want to create Toa recognizable as the Nuva. As I said, it's possible to retain only one of these and have a recognizable set, but that one cannot be secondary color. In the case of the Nuva, it would have to be either mask or primary color, given that these two are very large parts of the Nuva's distinction from recent sets. Secondary color could be kept by itself, but it would have to be in conjunction with another color very close to the original primary color – like Lewa Nuva in lime and dark green, or Tahu in orange and dark red. Also, Nuva masks restyled in the manner of Lhikan's Hau (keeping all the necessary features in the same places, just with a different overall style) would count as keeping their masks. (I would absolutely adore Nuva masks restyled that way, by the way.) I should also differentiate between recognizability and believability. Lewa with a new mask in dark green and lime would be a believable transformation, not necessarily one maintaining recognizability. Matoro, Nuparu, and Jaller Inika were believable, because ice blue was not a great stretch from sand blue, light bluish grey not distant from dark grey, and dark red and bright gold are not terribly far from red and yellow. Believability is subjective; to me Hewkii Inika was not believable at all – for the reason that he was not recognizable. Project Nuva (something that keeps far more than three points of recognizability, as you've seen) will hopefully continue tomorrow – it would have on Monday, but I had difficulty with colors, and since then I've been both really busy (driver's ed after school Tuesday and Wednesday and extraordinary amounts of homework severely limit free time) and lacking an optimal setting of natural light for Kopaka... ~ ToM
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I was wondering if anyone knows where I can get PDF of the first series of the BIONICLE comics. I haven't read many of them and only the 04/05 ones are on Bionicle.com. Thanks if you can help
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I am so hyper right now. Thank goodness for Photoshop, with which I recolored his arms to dark bluish grey so they matched his legs... since him having the old dark grey wouldn't be possible, since that color was replaced in 2004. He's actually an even better example than Lewa (aside from having to edit his arms), because his hunch allows him to still have gears. Along with this, he also has one very useful thing the original Nuva had – the 3-axle/gear contraption to lock his arms in place. You can sort of see it in that pic. His neck isn't quite how I'd want it to be – the socket ought to be level with the top of his body, but the Nuva armor prevents that. To remedy this, his armor would be attached a stud lower – see "How to Rebuild a Toa Nuva" two entries below, including a torso change allowing this. He also has the 3-axles with studs on his feet so the quake breakers can be attached, but unfortunately his Bohrok arms had to go. They were wonderful for individuality, but had to be replaced with Nuva legs to allow for elbow joints (again, see below if you haven't). [subject change] The skit went amazingly well. The only problem was that the timing got messed up when Pac-Man was supposed to eat the Fruit (Adam, Mike, and Lowell as a banana, strawberry, and blueberry). All of Ally and Winona's choreography paid off, and their Ghost dance was awesome. We also used a very good song (don't know the name), so that helped coordinate everything, and people really liked it... ...And yet, it still was given 3rd place. Behind the Freshmen (who had a skit with some funny moments, but just lacked... oomph) and the Seniors (who have twice as many people as us, somehow managed to get a ton of props, including a unicycle, for their circus theme, and always have these flashy skits – but no plot at all). Ours had a plot (and considering our theme was Pac-Man, that's quite something), and also really good choreography, so we were all annoyed about that. However, Rose realized we would very thoroughly get our revenge through the "floats" at homecoming, and she actually got an impromptu round of applause after she gave an Inspirational Speech about it. But it was fun. If annoying to get 3rd place yet again after something we put so much effort into. But we shall have our revenge! ~ ToM
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YES. UPDATE TWO IS SEMI-ON TIME. I still have half-an-hour my by clock. Hush. I've also decided to split this group up more than I'd anticipated. This marks the Introduction to BIONICLE: Judgement, 2004 and 2005 will be covered in subsequent entries. Not much preamble this time. In fact this is it, once this sentence ends the preamble ends. Period. BIONICLE: Judgement A Reimagining For those of you wondering, BIONICLE: Judgement is the current name of my long-standing alternaverse--or AU. An Alternate Universe (AU) as most of you know is your own private story wherein you essentially do what you want. You can design them around paticular ideas, rules, or plans--and can break them at any time, that's half the fun about AU's. However with BIONICLE: Judgement I set out with very specific ideas and rules. They are as follows Ideas BIONICLE: Judgement is not a rewrite of the story, rather it is a replacement of certain portions. Others are kept in their entirety, for example 2001 and 2002 are untouched by the events of BIONICLE: Judgement--or rather their direct stories are not effectedBIONICLE: Judgement is my personal playground, most of my stories are incubated in here for a while before being shot into another universe, or my own original stories. BIONICLE:Judgement is all about taking the story in the directions I want it to go without altering it too heavily, as such we enter DA RULES. DA RULESRULE THE FIRST: Canon characters cannot be deleted, omitted, or removed for any reason. Natural deaths may occur but the character must be established ADDENDUM: This is only in place if the character has not been killed off in previous story and has only recently returned in the Official Universe. EXAMPLE: I cannot decide that "Botar" is a stupid name and remove the entire character from the story. I can however kill him off--the addendum to this is if Botar takes a large role in 2008 and he's already killed in BIONICLE: Judgement. I will not resurrect him. RULE THE SECOND: Settings must stay the same for every year they take place in. EXAMPLE: I cannot be working with Mahri Nui in 2004--I can have events HAPPEN in Mahri Nui in 2004, however they will not be expounded upon until 2007. RULE THE THIRD: Character personalities are fair game, changing things such as motivations and names are perfectly acceptable so long as the end character bears resemblance to the original ADDENDUM: Original Characters can be made, so long as their 'base' element is one of the canon stories. EXAMPLE: I cannot have Pridak be motivated by a burning love of Carapar, and also have him control an army of fluffy teddy-bear sharks. It just doesn't work that way.--The Addendum to this is that I can create 'original' characters out of canon characters: Essentially what I've done with the Inika who are no longer the 01 Matoran but are my own original characters. RULE THE FOURTH: Significant portions of story can be changed so long as all existing characters and backdrops are kept.EXAMPLE: Takanuva no longer being Takua, that's a rather significant portion of the story (Considering it got a movie about just that) however I had to keep all the characters and the backdrops--IE: Mata Nui, Ta-Koro, Ga-Koro, etc. RULE THE FIFTH: All deaths are final, none of this comic book stuff with me.EXAMPLE: Takua dies in 2003. He does not return. Ever. And now with that stuff out of the way, let's move on to 'altered' character profiles through the years. Please note that none of this is finalized, and is certainly not in final written format, as such I will only be giving brief outlines of each section of story. The character profiles will also avoid giving out spoilers--those will be given out in the outline quite readily. 2003 Altered characters List: Takanuva Real/Original Name: Takanuva Storyline: Takanuva is the previously nameless Toa of light. Cursed by the master of shadows to an eternal sleep in a near-death state he remains trapped his his tomb at the Kini-nui Story Outline: The first half of 2003 passes in the exact same way, the Kal steal Nuva symbols, Nuva gain them back and Tra-la-la-la, we go on our merry way. The big difference in this comes in the latter half of 2003--once again it's virtually the same but then we hit Mask of Light. While the discovery and quest for the Mask are virtually identical there's a few key differences: 1. Tahu manages to take on multiple Toa and in the end is incapacitated for the final confrontation with the Rahkshi--why? Because four Toa just layed the smackdown on him, that's what happens when you have a rageful fire Toa setting fire to everything. 2. Jaller is critically injured during the quest and is forced to stay with Pewku at a critical part of the journey--little does he know that this saves his life. 3. As I'm sure you already realize Takua isn't Takanuva--this is the third big variation. At the final part of the journey they arrive at the same place, the Kini-nui...surrounded by all six Rahkshi. Definately a bad place to be. However the big difference is that a CAVERN is revealed by the light of the Mask, Takua leaves Jaller and Pewku (See above) and journeys down the passage by his lonesome, Rahkshi in hot pursuit. At the end there's an inscription about sacrifice--I haven't worked out exactly what it says at this time and Takua desperately pushes his hands against the stone the inscription is written on (it's a dead end, by the way)--and unknowingly fulfills the inscription. The wall drains his energy and channels it to the near-dead Toa of Light revitalizing him and allowing to break free from his tomb. Asking the dying Matoran his name the Toa takes on the prefix Tak in honor of the hero who rescued him. He then proceeds to go lay the royal smackdown on Makuta. And there you have it, the beginning of BIONICLE: Judgement--sure it doesn't seem much different, but this is the humble beginnings of something that has blossomed far beyond my expectations. Feel free to leave any feedback you like, good, bad, or ambivalent. I'm always interested in people's thoughts. Additionally, I will try and get the other BIONICLE: Judgement entries up when I'm not sleep deprived, and thus make sure that they're more coherent. Coming Soon: BIONICLE: Judgement (2004-2005) Triad: Gundam SEED Destiny AU BIONICLE: Judgement (2006) Apocalyptica BIONICLE: Judgement (2007)
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Continuing Project Nuva, just how a Toa Nuva would be rebuilt (see below entry) would be to use these pieces... you can faintly see the lines of the graph paper I drew them on, so if you need a scale reference, it's there. :: New pieces :: Modified single socket, similar to the rubber-lined ones of $20 set fame, except with the middle area shortened by half a stud. This allows for the gears to fit beneath it while still giving neck movement, keeping the head at the same level as the original Nuva (connected to the body by a 3-long axle).Modified Toa body, in the style of the Metru. Again, keeping the gears, but giving a connection slot for a Metru-type hip piece.Shortened Metru hips. Just an idea, having the beam part be only four studs long instead of five, so that they wouldn't have long bodies with short legs.In two pieces, a flexible Nuva leg. The upper half is Rahkshi-thigh-esque, except the socket is built in, making it only one piece. The lower half is one stud shorter than the Metru leg piece (as can be seen by the faintly visible grid).A new thigh armor piece. About the same size and shape as the Metru thigh armor, but smooth and round to work with the Nuva legs and armor.:: Construction :: As you can see from the pieces, the torso would be much like the Metru torsoes crossed with the originals – arms connected both by gears and by friction axle/pins, but with hips like we've had since 2004. This gives a much wider range of both arm and leg posability. The arms would make use of the new Nuva legs, an unfortunate sacrifice of individuality between Toa in favor of flexibility. This means there's both side-to-side articulation, thanks to the single sockets at the shoulder, holding their armor, as well as elbows. But it does seem to be something of a trend that the leg pieces of one group become the arms of the next. (For instance, Tahu and Lewa Nuva's arms, the Metru legs in the Inika and Mahri...) Anyway, the legs would be what was the basic Metru leg construction – short double socket with the new thigh armor piece over it, with either Metru or Inika shins. I imagined Metru on Lewa, Gali, and Kopaka, with Vahki on Tahu, Onua, and Pohatu. And no, I did not realize until afterward that I had split the leg pieces between Wairuha and Akamai. As to extremities, they would keep their feet and tools – after all, one of the many cool things about the Nuva was the dual tool functions. Their heads would use Metru heads, but recolored into light grey, with all their original eye colors. (Which means Metru eyes in trans-pink, ice blue, and trans-yellow!) It would also thus be useful for there to be six new molds of the Nuva masks, just replacing the stud mouthpiece with the axle mouthpiece (otherwise the Kanohi Nuva wobble on the Metru heads). Though something akin to Lhikan's Hau might be interesting as well, I personally have never disliked the Kanohi Nuva... All of this is why I pointed out last entry that Lewa was an example – he conveys their general look, but the points requiring new pieces can't be illustrated photographically. He has the appropriate visual elements, but obviously not the new molds that would be needed... He's still the mascot of Project Nuva, though. ~ ToM
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An idea I've had brewing for a while now, spurred to life recently... We know the Nuva will be returning as sets at some point – this is my imagination of how they ought to look. Not transformed, just restyled – flexible limbs, post-Metru hips, and poseable necks, but keeping their armor, masks, (most of) their colors, and the gist of their appearance. Lewa above is an example of their general appearance. The arms and hips would be different, as well as having gears again (the socket makes them physically impossible with existing pieces, but I have a design for that, hence the larger gear on his back just to represent their presense), but those would require new molds. The shapes for which I have designed, and which you will see next blog entry... The black accent in their color schemes is replaced by other dark shades – dark green (as above), dark blue, dark red, dark grey for Kopaka, and I haven't decided Pohatu's yet, but the way things are going he may not need one. The Metru thigh armor is there just for example, by the way; a new, rounder piece, to preserve the smoothness of the Nuva designs, is what I have in mind. Oh, the glorious new and recolored pieces that would come about if Lego did this. ~ ToM
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I had heard they break easily, so when I got Hahli, and later Lesovikk, I was careful when putting them together. Nothing went crack. I was also careful not to remove the joints after that. Until one day. Without thinking, I had Carapar cut Hahli's head off. After the battle, I realized with dread what I had done. I took the Faxon-wearing head in one hand, and Hahli's body in the other. When trying to connect the two, my hand slipped because I was putting the pressure in the wrong place or something. It was the sort of slipping action that usually precedes the breaking of a joint. But this was no ordinary break through the thin part of the join like usual. This had cracked in the middle of the hand piece's curve, and the crack continued all the way through one of the sideways + holes. Hahli's head was basically limp, as opposed to the slight looseness of the other sort of breaks. A replacement was needed. So, knowing the danger, I took off the hand that Lesovikk doesn't need to use and replaced it with Hahli's neck. When I put Hahli's head in her new neck, it was discovered cracked in the same way, though I felt none of the pressure or slipping. I didn't even hear breaking. Hahli's permanently decapitated until I can come up with a replacement. Maybe grab a dark blue piece from her MOLtoran or Gaaki.
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Again I die and break my schedule, I know, I know. Its been a crazy week, and I'm tired. In fact I should probably save this for the Monday update, but I wanna get it out of the way. Or something like that. Anyhow. On the current state of BIONICLE I'm not happy. Strong words to start off with, I know, but it's true. I'm simply not happy with BIONICLE at this time. Now, before the accusations begin pouring in that I've grown out of it, or I'm a 2001-2003 fan, or something like that. Allow me to head that off--yes, In a way I've grown out of it, however I still purchase and enjoy the sets, and still read the comics and enjoy some of the media, as for being a 2001-2003 fan? I'll admit it, I love the Toa Olda--and I think the Toa Nuva were the most ugly things ever, I also highly enjoyed 2004 and others. This is not about not being on Mata-Nui, or anything like that. This is simply my opinion on the current state of BIONICLE, and the main problem points I've found. Problem point #1 Accessability: Like many of you, I recall when BIONICLE first came out, and recalling the dissapointment that was Robo-riders and Throwbots/Slizers I warily stayed away--and then that accursed and beloved first comic appeared in mailbox and I was instantly hooked, the powerful story, the mysterious origin, everything was so very fascinating to me--and it continued to be throughout...until the first crash. Mask of Light. Now, don't misunderstand, I liked the movie well enough, heck, I still have it. My problem laid with the gaps in the comics, "CONTINUED IN MASK OF LIGHT" well, that bugged me, but it was minor enough that I could overlook it. 2004 came with much fanfare, a return to the past and an interesting story of the Turaga we knew and loved as powerful (if somewhat unsure) Toa. It was an interesting story psychologically, going from the powerful and confident Toa Nuva to the unsure and frightened Toa Metru--and then that accursed thing appeared in the comics "CONTINUED IN LEGENDS OF METRU NUI"--or at least as far as I recall, as it was around this time that LEGO central seemingly forgot that I was to be sent comics as well as catalogues. Three catalogues, no comics. Frustrating. Likewise with 2005, but at least this time they were organized and didn't send me ANYTHING. No catalogues, no comics. 2005 passed without much fanfare from me (minus of course, my own stories) I also managed to snare every toy from this period minus some the Rahaga and the playsets. Ah, 2006 the return to comics and the return to the Nuva--or not. The Piraka were interesting, as was the new art style, but I couldn't help but feel that I wasn't getting the whole story, everything was being told in fragments, little tiny pieces of a greater whole. Where once I could pick up a comic and be quite up-to-date on the general going-ons in the mysterious world of BIONICLE, they started to become shallow, with little information and lots of fighting. (and this is a trend that's continued in my eyes.) And so to come to the crux of the issue, I find it wonderful that the BIONICLE books exist, it's a great way to give the story some depth--however now I find that the BOOKS are what contain most of the story, and the comics are really there to showcase all the nice toys you can buy, and show how 'cool' everyone is. A dissapointment, in my eyes. Problem Point #2 Characters: A sensitive spot for many, I know. It is not that I dislike the characters, no, I quite enjoy many of them. It's more the fact that in my eyes in many ways they've ceased being just that, characters, rather they seem in many ways to be character-types. One of the reasons I fell so madly in love with the story of BIONICLE was the rich characters woven seamlessly with the story. The Turaga while all wise were also all distinctly different, the Toa while powerful had different opinions on how power should be used, they fought, they lost, they argued and they seemed to live. Around 2005 I began to notice this changing, with the advent of the books much of the life seemed to be leaving from the characters--even in said books (I've read quite a few of them, thank you very much) they simply weren't diverse, weren't interesting. It was as though one archetype was chosen and simply given different colours and slightly different views. I noticed this more than ever in 2006. Describe the defining characteristics of The Piraka, Vezon, and The Inika. Now describe the characteristics of the Toa Nuva--notice a difference? It was also around this time that characters truly began to suffer--gone were the brave and diverse Matoran of Mata-Nui, no, upon transforming into Toa it was as though they'd lost their old personalities completely--and still feel this. The Toa Mahri to me seem flat and uninteresting. Now I will admit that I have not read any of the books, but I going back to my first point, I don't think someone should have to read all the books simply to feel like there's a real character, rather than a generic hero. Problem Point #3 Structure: This refers to two things, one, the construction of the sets, while having a definate shakeup in 2007, has been growing more and more generic. Two piece body, plus head, plus limbs. The Toa Mahri and Barraki were a welcome change, but even then the "Warriors" as they're now called, seem like more of the same--not in that they're all the same, as Gadunka is just about the most different thing I've ever seen from BIONICLE ever--but in construction. The pieces seem to be growing ever larger ESPECIALLY in larger sets--now I am not at all advocating for a return to the "Technic" style of the 2001 Rahi, nor the Bahrag. I'm asking for a between-ground. Back in 2003-2005 I could take any of my larger sets, and using only those pieces create something else, be it a Rahi or a Toa or another figure, I could create something. So I decided to do the same when I bought Vezon and Fenrakk--and was absolutely shocked that there was little I could do with the pieces, they were simply too large to do anything good looking with. Now I understand that that MOCers are not the primary market for BIONICLE--heck, we barely fit in at all, but as this is my opinion, I felt I should state it. The second structure? Toy/Story I believe that BIONICLE has a fascinating story, a story in many ways WEIGHED DOWN by the toys. While some of the toys are simply amazing, the fact that we have to constantly 'mutate' or otherwise change previously known Toa or 'create' them from somewhere is frustrating. Now I understand that LEGO is a play company, but I feel that the STORY should be at the forefront--Throwbots and Roboriders were good toys, but were utterly defeated by a lack of story. And now I feel that in many ways BIONICLE is fallling into the same trap, wherein Greg is forced to adapt sets into the story, rather than deciding "This is where we feel the story should go, could you create _____?" Which I feel would be a far superior structure. Problem Point #4 Technology: BIONICLE, in my eyes always walked a fine line. Mysterious and fantastical, yet tempered with the obvious technology of the world (I mean, they're bio-mechanical)...yet with the advent of Metru Nui we began to move away from that and technology began to rise to the forefront, gone were the trials of seeking for the mystical Kanohi masks--here you could simply create them as you pleased, this problem has in many ways fluctuated, as we managed to go to a more primitive location on Voya Nui--unfortunately the Piraka and Inika felt that they needed technologically superior weapons in order to combat one another--even in 2007 we see this trait, Toa with high-tech gattling guns? It seems that in many ways BIONICLE has decided to stop walking that line and has sided unconditionally with Technology. I will also admit that much of my problems come from the "Kanohi" from 2004 onwards. While the interesting characters distracted me from it, I now find that what I had hoped wasn't true was indeed--gone are the simple and almost tribal mask shapes, masks that look ancient and powerful, now there are complicated and elaborate designs that obviously have a more technological and futuristic bend to them. For example, compare the Faxon of Hahli Mahri to the KauKau of Gali Olda, the difference is astonishing. Now while there is much more that I could nitpick, that's not the point of this entry. I still quite enjoy BIONICLE in many ways and am thankful it continues, and am thankful for all the hard work that LEGO puts into making it, these are just my thoughts on its current state. Finally, as many people will undoubtedly say "If you don't like it, why don't you do better", or even "LEGO is all about making your own stuff" To them I say, I can, I have, and will continue to do so. If you want to see my take (Which I understand in many ways would be impossible for Greg to do) then you'll get your chance in my upcoming entry. BIONICLE: Judgement Coming Soon: Ruby Gloom BIONICLE: Judgement 2003-2005
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Just a few minutes ago, a lady knocked on the front door and handed me a package. Inside it was Bionicle Legends#7, so I'm happy
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Okay, this is partly just an excuse to have a blog entry. But also I wanted to put my answer to the above question here in full. Gravitan asked me about this in my profile comments but the answer looks way too convoluted split up into 400 char segments. But in all seriousness, this is a topic many have brought up, and it is VERY relevant to Bionicle -- the answer is one of the core lessons that Bionicle teaches. On a Bionicle fansite, it's pretty important that we recognize that. So here we go: Are "Good" and "Evil" just points of view? QUOTE(Gravitan) Can it truly be said that good and evil are not points of view? A (very long ) post of yours caused me to wonder about this. My answer: Gravitan -- it is possible to "redefine" good and evil so that those words are subjective. It's true that some people and cultures have used the words to just mean "my side" and "my enemy's side". However: the words themselves also mean some real things that have clear differences, and those differences are NOT just points of view. "Good" people are more self-LESS than selfish, wanting the good of others above themselves. Nobody's perfect at this of course, but that's the idea. Good guys don't backstab each other (or rather, when they do, they aren't being good). Evil is self-ISH. Evil beings want everything for themselves above others. They use minions and allies when they need them, but as soon as they don't, they will backstab the heck out of 'em. Again, most of us have aspects of this in us, which is why humans aren't truly one or the other. But it's, again, the basic idea of evil. The above differences simply are not arguable. What's arguable is whether the uses of the word "evil" and "good" are always used accurately. Often they aren't. But that doesn't change the fact that good and evil mean real things. So to say "good and evil are just points of view" is simply false, because it blindly rules out the correct uses of the words. In technical logical terms, t's an Equivocation Fallacy -- it's based on noticing that sometimes good and evil ARE used as points of view, but then equivocating those meanings of "good and evil" for the absolute ones, and trying to say "this proves ALL meanings of good and evil are points of view." It is logically invalid, so it is impossible for it to be true. What about in Bionicle? Bionicle has shown this time and time again, with it being a major theme of 2004, 2005, and 2006 (especially 2006). It's also been strongly implied from the beginning, from the moment the legends told us of a "brother" of the Great Spirit, Makuta, who betrayed Mata Nui and cast him into a slumber (one that we now know is killing Mata Nui) and tried to conquer for his own selfish gain. Bionicle fans really should recognize this basic truth -- evil is selfish. Good is not. However, it is muddled in real life, and thus it makes sense that not ALL "good" and "evil" are really good and evil. The Bohrok were marketed as the "bad guys" and the Toa fought them. But the Toa found out that the Bohrok weren't actually evil. Just not designed to handle people living where they are commanded to Clean It All with capital letters. There's an important lesson there too -- the Bohrok weren't doing that for selfish reasons, but as part of what's needed to wake up Mata Nui, thus for the good of all. So it's important to try not to use the words "good" and "evil" just to mean "my side and theirs". Using those words as points of view is wrong. So pointing it out when it happens is certainly a good thing, and it would be just as wrong to sit here and tell you that "good" is always truly good. Not true. In different ways, all of Bionicle since has been reliving those two themes in different ways. The Piraka were the pinnacle of a clear example of how evil stabs itself in the back. The Piraka stand for betrayal with a grin. The Toa Nuva facing off against the Matoran Resistance in the books was another example like the Bohrok, as was the Piraka's pretending to be Toa. The Matoran were fooled into confusing truly evil beings, Piraka, for good guys (called "naivete"), and once they realized this, they were fooled into the opposite, confusing good guys for evil beings (called "cynicism"). This year, what we're exploring is a different form of evil. One that is (for now) united in purpose, and not backstabbing left and right. It could be mistaken that the Barraki are not as evil as the Piraka. But the Barraki are willing to kill on a whim for their own selfish desires -- they are only on each others' side because it is necessary at the moment, and they're a heck of a lot smarter than the Piraka. They know they have to work together to achieve their selfish goals. They know from experience -- it was how they were originally designed to work back when they were good guys (unlike the Piraka). But watch how they act towards each other. Do they seem like best friends? Carapar hates Takadox, Pridak threatens to rip arms off to get his way, Ehlek zaps whoever annoys him... Etc. Total betrayal isn't all that makes you evil. It's the little things too -- you know the old saying "if you can't be trusted with the little things, you can't be trusted with the big things either." Compare it to how the Toa act towards each other. They tease jokingly, they encourage each other -- but sometimes they also mess up, insulting each other, and in Vakama's case betraying each other. But what did that make Vakama? A bad guy. It's clear that the Toa do what they do self-LESS-ly, even to the point of risking their very lives (or losing them) to protect the Matoran and each other (Case in point, Lhikan, though he was a Turaga, heh). Bionicle clearly shows that good and evil are NOT merely points of view. Not only that, but it shows that good is a much better way of life. When neither side has really won, it's muddled and unclear: Which is better? Evil often uses the mistakes of good guys to say "See? See? They're just as bad -- try life our way!" But when you see one side or the other winning, you see the truth. When the Piraka take over Voya Nui, Matoran die left and right because the Piraka really don't care. There is pain and horror and anything but peace. When the Toa Mata defeated Makuta, the Bahrag, when they defeated the Rahkshi, when there were, for the moment, no selfish enemies of power making life miserable, the Matoran had peace. They enjoyed their jobs because they did them willingly for the benefit of others, they were in practically no danger of death or pain, they could see right before their eyes the fact that selflessness produces better results, ironically, for the "self". For each "self." Back to the Basics Think about it: If two beings work together to ensure they each have the best life possible, they are both happy and well off. By itself, makes a lousy story, but a great life. If one being insults, steals from, attacks, wars against, works against the other being, both beings are filled with negatives. The one with anger and hatred, which inhrerently torment the very person who uses them, and the other with pain and suffering, even if he cowers and obeys order. If he fights back in hatred, both simply have equal amounts of hatred and pain, and both are miserable. Even if one kills the other and has no conscience left at all, heshe has nobody to help them out with chores, enjoy sports with, etc. If the other fights back, not in hatred, but from good motives, he won't suffer the torment of hatred, and won't suffer as much pain if he stops the evil one from attacking, but will always be scarred at least a little because he too has no companion to enjoy life with. In a nutshell, that is all stories. Just the existence of "conflict stories" should be enough to prove to us that good and evil mean different things -- without conflict there is no story, but without the possibility of good and peace, there also is no story. Conclusion The answer is yes and no. Sometimes good and evil are points of view, but there are absolute definitions of both words, based on selflessness and selfishness. Good is self-LESS, looking out for others above the self. Evil is self-ISH, looking out for the self above others. To confuse the former definitions of these words with the latter is an equivocation fallacy, which is invalid and logically impossible. True good and evil mean very real things that are opposite and mutually exclusive: evil is deceptive, seeming to bring benefit for the self but ruining the self in the process, while good truly brings benefit not just for others, but also for the self as a bonus.
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Just so people know, every Tuesday and every second weekend I am at my Dad's house and have limited access to the computer Today my friend finally asked out the girl he likes and she said yes, so that was pretty fun Other than that I made a plastic Mata Nui stone in Manual Arts I'm going to my Dad's place for a few hours soon, so not much to say really. I took some pictures of Gadunka, so there will be a review of him tomorrow when I have more time I'm not going today after all, but I will be away for a week starting Friday I don't have any box pictures or anything, but I will review him nonetheless (Click Here) Gadunka's Design is not similar to any other set I know of. His torso is made up of several Inika bodies held together (Click Here)and a few plates of armour attached to keep the body stable. His arms are pretty standard, basically Kalmah's arms (Click Here) with Mahri Nui Matoran blades as fingers/claws, which to might delight have excellent mobility The squid launcher sit comfortably on his left hand and the two squid ammo are held on hid back (Click Here), again similar to Kalmah. The legs are far apart, but big and sturdy, allowing him to keep his balance. Without the Inika shoulder armour, Gadunka's thighs would look horrible. One thing I also noticed was these little, red two+ (Click Here) rods that sit there uselessly, and considering there is no combiner, I don't know why they're there. Now, I'd say the best part of Gadunka is his awesome head (Click Here). It is pretty cool and for those who still haven't found out yet, his teeth are the same piece as Ehlek's spines and Spinax's back. His tongue is the only odd bit about the head, it's a red Piraka foot (the clawed one), it seems odd that he has a clawed tongue, but it works well with the set. The head is attached to the main body by only two pieces as seen here. Once built Gadunka looks pretty fearsome, especially with a Matoran in his mouth (Click Here) If he stands up to his full hight, he s actually pretty tall (Click Here). He is fun for posing and playing, though the squids on the back fall off a lot. I recommend Gadunka to anyone that can't decide which titan to get first. He ties with Hydraxon as my favourite set of the year that I have so far (Click Here) PS: I changed my font colour again if you didn't notice
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Acquired: Hahli, Nuparu, Kongu, Makutilos, Lesovikk. Hahli: She's pretty awesome, as you are probably guessing. I have a problem with how the tube connects though. It's strung through a piece on her back in such a way that if you move the head without feeding it through that piece, the tube is basically going to come off. Sucks for Hahli, if she likes breathing. Kongu: Kongu has one of the better breathing tube setups. It never leaves the head, and so it works great compared to Hahli's. You should be seeing more of my thoughts on him later though. Nuparu: The ankles and wrists are on 2D joints (the Piraka lower long arm). It gives more stabiliity, but less posability. The breathing tube is a little long, so he can pose his head anyway he likes. Too long, IMO. Makutilos: Spinax is a great model by himself. The tail is too long and unmovable, so he can't crouch down low. Other than that, he's great. Makutilos himself has an interesting torso design with movable shoulders. Not really an incredible design, but it's okay. Lesovikk: The bike is pretty neat. Has some great pieces. Lesovikk is your classic Toa, with Pridak's weapon and no Cordak Launcher (as it's on the bike).
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I just finished my collection of Mahri! No, I didn't buy them off the internet. I do it the ol' fashion way. Who wants to pay 10 more bucks for shipping!? Next on the list, Gadunka. It really helps that I have a little nine-year-old brother that likes to buy them. Yes, we share the Bionicles we have since it';s just a waste of money to buy 1 each. I might take some pics of them on Sunday or Monday. Just a heads up, I'm going to be at my Grandma's house all day. See ya!
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First, Matoro! Posted my revamp of him, fixing everything I didn't like about the set, and even some things that were perfectly fine but could have been more Matoronian. (Namely, the light blue.) I've gotten used to Matoro Mahri as a hunchback and now don't mind it so much, but having a hunch is disadvantageous underwater, since it usually helps to be able to look up while one's swimming. Second, Mahri Nui itself... I was siezed by inspiration to draw this yesterday, did, had difficulty with the Fields of Air, but in the end was quite pleased with the result. It turned out looking exactly like I had meant it to, which was quite surprising considering I've never CG-ed a wide shot like this or drawn such a picture entirely in Photoshop to begin with... On a different note, school starts in two and a half weeks for me, and I have summer reading to finish... I've already done The Sorrows of Young Werther, Germinal, and Kafka's The Metamorphosis for AP European History, but still have to read Bread and Wine... Far too much for my tastes. >< And after that there's still Pride and Prejudice for English... Comments and critiques appreciated as always. I've been on an art spree for the past few days... I sort of wish it were a writing spree; I could use one of those... ~ ToM
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"Next Issue: Not a JokeNot an Illusion The Death of Mata Nui." You should all know what I'm talking about. The above quote is from Ignition Nine (Mahrition Nine?). We've known about it for longer than that though. I personally blame a certain group of characters for this catastrophe. Read on to find out more. This opinion review on the story review will be updated with new part approximately every day. Now, allow me to continue: First, there is still an extremely slight chance that the story team pulled a fast one. It isn't a joke. Nor is it an illusion. But jokes and illusions aren't the only non-real things. The fact that Greg tries to convince us that Mata-Nui dies may support this theory. But all the same, I doubt it and the story gurus would shoot it down. The remainder of this article will be written assuming he dies, which I believe he does, despite that ever-so-slight chance. Now to vaguely answer the simplest questions about the characters I blame. The ones who share most of the blame number more than seven. They are both good and evil. At least one can be thought of as "neutral." What I say next will either drive you away or keep you reading the updates. This Part #1 of the article will only have the following information: who I don't blame. The Toa Nuva: they did all they could to keep of Makuta's attacks. You might have an argument against that, but I'll address that later in the "who I blame"s. It's not their destiny to save the Great Spirit anyway. They wake him up.Now on to the good part. I'll start with the ones I feel are least responsible and work up. I've removed some of the people from the original list because the blame was so little it didn't really matter. The list:Turaga of Mata Nui: The Toa Nuva should have known about Metru Nui earlier. They might have been able to go during some of the peace months then. Matoran wouldn't have had to know. Even if/though other things stopped them from going to the island earlier, the Toa Nuva still should have known. Toa Mahri: Some of the main villains behind this. The Inika were very good. Just going to Voya Nui took guts. They did what they weren't supposed to and ended up doing what was right for the universe. Now, the Mahri have less than 24 hours to complete their mission. Let's take a look at how they're doing:Hahli: designing underwater Kohli. Yeah, if I had 24 hours to fight more than six powerful beings for a mask, I would certainly be playing sports.Nuparu: having way too much fun practicing with Cordak Blasters. Practice? It's more fun and better for the universe to use them on Barraki.Matoro: learning sea-rahi language. Sure, you may need help from locals later, but Matoran already speak your language. Plus, you should be fighting the Barraki. Your mask can get you an army, no need to negotiate with monsters.Makuta (and his brotherhood): Though most would blame him for the initial sleep of Mata-Nui, I don't. The master mind has slipped. His plans were great. But he sepnt too much time bugging the Matoran. Why not get the Ignika during the pledged year of peace? Then he'd have it in 1000 years when it was needed. What were the other Makuta doing during this time? Could they get it? Why don't they help Maxilos-Makuta now? Mutation not worth their reward? Makuta must have known his sleep injured Mata-Nui, so you would think he would plan the Great Spirit's revival in his plot.And finally...the Kanohi Ignika: So Mahri-Nui needed help. It might need it more when Mata-Nui dies. So the Toa might have abondoned the mask after saving the Great Spirit. I doubt it, it's too powerful. If they left it, they would leave it on Voya-Nui where they got it. It could save Mahri-Nui (if it's still there) by plunging into the sea before then. The mask should get its priorities strait. Universe > Mahri Nui.8-16-07: Now that Premier perks are over for members, this may get more attention. So, I have at last posted the conclusion above.
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Today I got 3 new sets, including Toa Lesovikk. Jaller: Has the best torso design of all the toa mahri, in my opinion. Nuparu: Is basically a toa inika. Lesovikk: Basic toa shape, But he still rules. Speederbike: Looks awesome! It does remind me of a motorcycle. All worth the $40 I spent to get them. Alku
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I have Hahli. And Matoro. They are generally spiffing. *angelic chorus* ~ ToM
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I know they're old but I finally got my first ones I got Zactan and Thok. They were 50 % off so I got them for the price of 1 Piraka
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Most of it was spent clothes shopping. Over the week, I decided which sets I liked... Mahri Hahli Mahri: Yes, but I'd change the lime green for blue faster than you could say, "kamikazi!" Jaller Mahri: His set is fine, but not $10 fine. I'd get him on sale. Matoro Mahri: I can't believe I'm saying it, but this one is better than I originally thought. However, I'd still wait for a discount. Kongu: No; the only reason why I would buy Kongu would be to change him entirely. Nuparu: I like his shield, and if he has four matching armor plates... I could use it for an MOC I want to make. Hewkii: Yes. Not quite sure why. Titans For now, the only Titan that interests me is Gadnuka: with his/its big teeth, wouldn't it be awesome for Halloween? Limited edition Both Lesovisk and Karzanni are tempting, but aspects of both make me hesitant. Lesovisk does come with a silver pridak blade and hunter green parts, yet his speeder bike does not seem interesting in real life. When I originally imagined Karzanni, he was tall, black, and twisted. Now we see him, and he's... green? And where's his "mask that seemed to be made of several masks patched together?" I will have no internet access for the next ten days. Peace, Y'all!
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Today, the Bones Blog provides some much-needed perspective on the issue of the "violence level" in Bionicle. Often lately members have made false claims about certain types of "violence" nowadays compared to 2001 or other years. So I'd like to provide a list of the real story on the history of violence in Bionicle, subject by subject. This will be set up like a Myths and Misconceptions article, listing the subject or accusation that is false in bold then the explanation following. Note, that I put "violence" in quote marks because I am including whatever other members have seen as violence. Personally I see things like swordfights and gunfights and acrobatic fighting as "action" and gore and actual injury as "violence". But for this entry I'm looking at what others have alleged, so let's set that aside for now. From here on in this entry, "violence" means any physical force being used against an opponent, mainly if I've seen other members calling it violence. Also note, I'm including semi-official and official storyline together, since most members bring up even non-official story such as Bionicle Heroes in this debate. But for this entry, I will not include non-official story like that game, since I haven't played most of those (I have played Heroes, but I'm looking farther back in history here). Basics Violence is only a moral issue -- A rarer claim, but I'd like to clear up my view of this off the bat. Violence can certainly be a moral issue. However, in entertainment, there is one type of violence where the amount of it used and shown is actually only a matter of taste, not morals (in my opinion, please note, on this one). That is, "moral violence", as opposed to "unjust violence." The real moral issue in entertainment is whether or not violence is "glorified". When a villain uses violence against the innocent, it is clearly wrong, and showing that as wrong does not glorify it (Bionicle passes this test; this is what we have Toa heroes for). If a good guy uses violence for no good reason, it is also wrong, and it's not glorifying it if this is clearly shown as wrong too (Bionicle passes this test; MOL Poisoned Tahu for example or MNOG Infected Lewa, or the fight-to-the-death test in Inferno). If, on the other hand, a good guy uses violence where he or she must to stop a bad guy before the bad guy causes more violence, this is good and just. (Bionicle obviously passes this test as well; again, the whole point of the Toa.) So Bionicle's got it right on the moral issues. The other question, the one that is generally a concern to member is "How much violence is OK for the age group?" so that's what I'll look at for the rest of this entry. Again, this one is only my opinion, unlike everything that follows, so if you disagree, don't take this as set-in-stone. It is, however, the most logical conclusion I believe that can be reached, being a logician who has studied this issue and debated it several times with some who see it completely differently. It's also based on my religious beleifs, which many may differ from, since just violence is clearly seen as good in the religious text for my religion. 2001 was not violent -- Very wrong. 2001 actually contained many examples of violence. A Muaka was frozen to death, Makuta was hit with a blast of fire (and the other elements too), Rahi punched (Tarakava), bit (Muaka), dropped from heights (Rama), swiped with their claws (Muaka, Rama, etc.), rammed with their heads (Muaka, Kane-Ra), lunge-attacked (Manas), shot poison (Jaga), and done who-knows-what-other-violence in the thousand years that they terrorized the Matoran. Makuta tried to drown Lewa (the plants in the comic), and kill the Toa (the final face-off). Infected Lewa sliced a bird's wing with his axe, sending it and its riders (Kongu and Takua) crashing. Infected Lewa fought Onua by punching, clanking weapons. Onua threw a huge clump of earth at Rahi. Finally, Kopaka even clanked his sword against a Muaka (just before it bit him--and a Muaka-bite is no walk in the park). Even all this only scratches the surface. 2001 was very violent. It is simply faded memory at best, or selective memory at worst, that causes this misconception. These things aren't up for debate--they happened. The claim that 2001 wasn't violent is quite simply false. It is illogical to argue that what is OK in 2001 is somehow not OK in 2007; we must be consistent if our arguments are to be taken seriously. The real question is, was it less violent than later years? Violence Level is going up and up -- Actually, while this is to a degree subjective, the violence or darkness level increased in 2004, and it has stayed roughly the same since then. The style or method of violence has simply varied each year, for the most part. This increase was in response to BZP complaints and LEGO research that revealed that previously, Bionicle had been holding off a little too much on the level for what the target age group could handle/wanted. For example, the characters held bladed weapons, but rarely actually used them in melee combat, which was a source of annoyance for many fans. The basic change in level began with the "plant-death" of Morbuzahk and the real, violent death of Lhikan in 2004, not to mention the first really horrible catastrophe, the Great Cataclysm. Other lesser examples of this basic level are clear in the books, starting with Voyage of Fear. Since then, although not everyone agrees, not much has happned to "up" the level at all (read on for details). Now, one caveat to that is that with Pridak's "blood", if it had panned out as we originally thought, that would have introduced gore to Bionicle (although it would only have been fish blood), but this has not ended up being the case; it is simply red markings officially. Violence level has raised as fans have aged -- Absolutely not. Bionicle targets the same age-range in 2007 as it targeted in 2001. This is a totally unfounded myth that is contradicted by every available fact. For one, the vast majority of those complaining about violence are much older fans than most fans, even than many BZPers, so upping the violence level would be the opposite of what they want. Secondly, it was always clearly stated that the violence level was raised in 2004 because that is what the target audience was seen as wanting. Bionicle is a toyline; it targets kids, not teens. This myth is usually one of the main points made by those complaining about violence, usually coming in unaware of anything that's been said in previous debates on the issue and simply assuming it from the start, rather than thinking it through. It's understandable; many other franchises do this (Harry Potter, for example), but Bionicle has never done it that way, is not now, and never will or could. All the changes that have been made are tested with target age-groups, or done because of what the target age group wants, not the rare older fans. Most kids lose interest in toylines when they grow up, so there would not be enough to sustain that kind of targeting. Yet Bionicle's sales have gone up, not down, which can only happen if the target age group likes the change. Specifics Explosions -- First, remember that explosions are the answer. That aside, the allegation is that things like the Cordak Blaster are new increases of violence. In truth, the Cordak blaster is only used to blast the stone cord apart, not to attack the Barraki directly. Even if it was, a fiery explosion is no more violent than a blast of actual fire sent at an enemy. Tahu did this in 2001 (MNOG Makuta battle), in 2003 (versus Rahkshi in MOL, and when poisoned, against Gali), and perhaps most notably in 2002 (when he built up heat pressure to literally explode a Bohrok lair). And as far as actual explosive weapons, two words: Madu Cabolo. These explosive fruit were featured in 2001 (the first GBA game). And like the Cordak Blaster, they were used to blast through rock, not characters. [Note: Ojhilom says they actually could be fired at Rahi in the game -- I apparently forgot that myself. Not sure if you ever had to or not -- if so, that would change this quite a bit, but I do not want to just assume that. If anyone knows, please comment.] Fireworks were also featured in MNOG, presumably powered by Cabolo or something similar, though these are not weapons (but they could be used as them, as I have used them in one of my epics, for example). And let's not forget that all an explosion really is is a wave of high pressure expansion and/or in most cases, high heat as well. Tahu demonstrates both or just heat sometimes, but high pressure expansion is the same idea as powerful punches, which is seen all over since 2001. There are also many "explosions" not of fire but of some other power as well. Probably most notable is the "explosion" of Makuta himself at the end of MNOG. Pieces fly all over--and as far as we knew at the time, that "explosion" actually killed him. It didn't, but regardless, it hurt. Other examples include some of the Kal's demises, the explosions that seemed to blast dismembered Toa out of their canisters (a very violent-appearing opening to Bionicle itself, notice!), the explosions that blasted Takua across the island (big island, note) and made him lost his memory on impact it was so strong (if that's not a violent explosion, what is? He survived only because he landed on loose sand, really), Pohatu exploding a hill of rock (which then buried Kopaka alive), and many more. Note: There is some dispute more recently over whether the Cordak are used to fire at Barraki or not. I'm not sure what the correct answer is yet, but take note of this confusion for now. The primary purpose is, however, still to fire at the stone cord, and again, Tahu did the equivalent of it several times. Guns/Projectile Weapons -- When the Kanoka Disks came in 2004, we heard cries of outrage and dissapointment. "Bionicle shouldn't have projectile weapons" we were told. Well, many of us seemed to forget that we had projectile weapons in 2001 and 2002. In 2002, we had the clearly gunlike weapon of the Exo-Toa, and in 2001, we had powerless versions of Kanoka; bamboo throwing Disks. The bamboo throwing disks were specifically shot from a mechanical device mounted on the back of a Gukko (Kewa, as it was called then), shooting down flying Rahi (Nui-Rama). Both of these are projectiles, and essentially "guns". There have been two changes, however: 1) The style of the projectiles has varied. The only point I've ever seen someone raise against the Exo-Toa launchers, for example, was that they did not "feel" like a gun to that person. This shows that it's a matter of style, not actually of violence level; that is a matter of taste for that person. Now, note that Bionicle has, for now, a "no actual guns" rule, but this is done purely for style reasons, for the same reason wheels were originally not allowed. It just isn't seen as fitting the Bionicle style as well as more inventive weapons like Zamor launchers or Cordak Blasters. But there is no rule against weapons that resemble guns, which is why Hakann's lava launcher and the Cordak itself look like guns. Neither is technically a real gun, because explosive force does not fire them in the story; they are simply launchers much like the Zamor launcher, with a different shape, so the projectiles are not going at bullet-deadly speeds. 2) Projectiles have replaced collectibles in sets. This is important, because most Bionicle fans like "guns" or projectiles, much more than they like collectibles, and so Bionicle has adjusted accordingly. There are, of course, more projectiles now than 2001-2003. However, they aren't really new. Swordfights -- The first fully official swordfight was featured in 2006, when Zaktan fought Tahu. Swords were clanked, and when Tahu lost, Zaktan's sword turned into protodite form and "stabbed" underneath Tahu's armor, forcing him to lose consciousness so he could be captured. Those that don't like this might want to know that I take some of the "blame" on this one as I was actually one of the people arguing for this change. I based that on the fact that, as many had pointed out previously, the bladed weapons really would be used, and as long as they aren't actually used to cut anyone up (Zaktan didn't do that, notice) and thus there was no gore, it was "action", not "violence". Others may disagree, of course. But something that has stood out to me about most disagreement with this swordfight is total silence on the same thing in 2001. In MNOG, Lewa and Onua were swinging axes and claws at each other (Lewa was infected), and clanking them. At one point, Lewa actually swipes Onua so hard Onua flies backward and slams into a wall. This is essentially a swordfight. The only difference is that one weapon was an axe, and the other was bladed claws. The concept is the same, though. Kopaka, on the other hand, has a real sword. And he used it in MNOG. In what was probably the most violent action used by a good against a bad guy in 2001 (other than blasting Makuta to pieces, perhaps), Kopaka turned invisible with a Noble Huna, and swung his sword at the Muaka beast that was attacking him. It hit. Three times, once on the face! The animation shows dark lines on impact, implying strongly that the Muaka's armor was chipped. Curiously, those complaining about the 2006 swordfight never bring this up, and when questioned, they appear never to have taken objection to it, or they had brushed it aside for whatever reason and forgotten it. Now, one caveat can reasonably be applied here. MNOG was not totally official, and Kopaka's use of the Huna in this scene indicates that it may not be totally official. Officially, the Toa could borrow the Turaga's collected masks via the Suva, but they didn't collect their own, as the web team seemed to think. This case is a toss-up. Nuju wears a Matatu, not a Huna, so Kopaka could reasonably have switched. But the mask is shown gold in the scene, which is incorrect. The gold Kanohi could only change to the other Great Mask shapes/powers, not the Nobles. So it's possible the Muaka sword-clanking episode never happened in the actual story. But we also must keep in mind that since MNOG is semi-official, and also is mistaken for official story by many fans (and most, including me, assumed that in 2001), the perception that Kopaka used his blade on an animal is still protrayed, coming from LEGO. So just as someone might take issue with Toa blasting creatures in Bionicle Heroes, it would be consistent for them to take issue with this even if it wasn't official. And one final note; the Lewa Infection scene is known to be official, though it is less emphasized than his later Krana-ization which was featured in fully official story sources. Also of note is that the endscene with Makuta is official, and he is blasted to bits, which is arguably worse than clanking weapons that cause no major damage. So this caveat is not worth much; the point is that if what amounts to "swordfights" are okay in 2001, they must be okay in 2006. Deaths -- The first permanent death was in 2004 with Lhikan killed violently by Makuta (or Morbuzahk killed by the Toa, if you count smart plants), and other deaths have followed, with Visorak killed by Roodaka and Sidorak killed by Keetongu in 2005, Matoran being killed by Piraka in 2006, as well as deaths such as the messenger from Mahri Nui dying due to lowered pressure on the surface. Probably the biggest death imaginable is Mata Nui's death, which will occur this year (it's not even considered a spoiler, it is that huge). It's true that prior to Lhikan, no sapient being had ever been permanently killed. However, we should not forget that death is not new to Bionicle. It began, like most things, in 2001. Kopaka froze a Muaka to death. It was just a Rahi, true, but then in 2004 we learned that some Rahi are actually intelligent, such as Kikanalo, and mistaken by Matoran for dumb beasts -- Kopaka had no way of knowing for sure that the Muaka he killed was not sapient like himself. Makuta, as mentioned above, appeared to be blasted to bits. Dead as a shapeshifting doornail. It wasn't until 2003 that we learned he had only seemed to die (we even saw a corpse!). Several Bohrok were destroyed, as well as the Kal and Rahkshi armor, although these were not "alive". But more importantly, Jaller died in 2003. "But bones, but bones," you say, "he didn't stay dead." This is true. But an injury to somebody's skin by, say, a sword that cuts, can heal as well. Does this make the swordcut or the gore that, for example, a violent movie shows, any less violent? No, of course not. Death is death. It hurts, you die. Unless you're undead, your death is just as bad whether you are later revived or not. Jaller died; death of sapient beings began in 2003, not 2004. Takanuva died in that year as well; he was also revived. It's fair to say that here, yes, there was a change. Permanent death certainly has more of an impact on us as readers over the long haul. Many of us liked Lhikan, and wish he could still be around (although it's worth pointing out that he's actually gotten far more story features since his death than many characters who are still alive, lol--but that's just one example). So yes, this is one where we can say without question "it's changed from 2001." However, let's not kid ourselves into thinking it's changed all that much -- and let's be consistent. If these things are OK in what we assumed happened in 2001, or what happened in 2003, they must also be OK in 2007. Also, again, let's keep in mind that just because it changed, it isn't necessarily bad. If the deaths are not glorified and the age group can handle it, there isn't really a problem. Gore -- Actually, Al has never been in Bionicle. Just kidding. Obviously, Bionicle has never had any actual blood and guts, but this is an issue that is often on people's minds. Personally, this is where I draw the line, as do many others. Many wonder, "if the violence level is going up, will it include this, and go too far?" We had a scare recently. When the first images of Pridak came out, members noticed that the teeth and mouth, and blades, had red markings that appeared like blood. Official word was unclear at first, and there were rumors of set designers saying the equivalent of "let's have blood on this guy". For a while, Greg could provide no official answer, leaving it to fan imagination. It could be seen simply as red markings, or as fish blood, depending on the fans' choice. Since Pridak is a shark, he does eat fish, many of which in the surface Ocean being totally organic, not biomechanical, so reasonably could be assumed to have blood. (Most Bionicle characters/creatures do not have blood.) It would be reasonable to assume it was fish-blood stains, just like real sharks' mouths. If it had been this, even though it is "gory" to a degree, it could be considered to not cross the line, since it is simply a shark eating fish. However, recently it has been decided that it was merely red markings, not blood at all. So this is now a non-issue. Also there was a scene in one book where a Toa was fighting with Zaktan, and after the battle, there was a puddle of some sort of liquid and pieces of armor--some have claimed that this was offscreen violence or Zaktan "eating" the Toa. However, officially it is not stated what occurred. This is a case of readers reading violence into a scene where it may not actually be, not a case of actual gore, which speaks more to where the fan's imagination is at than what Bionicle is doing. We know that Zaktan did not "eat" the Toa; it is possible that some inorganic armor was simply chipped off in a swordfight (like the Kopaka 2001 example), and a stun liquid weapon was used on him. In any case, it was "offscreen", and clearly not glorified. The main change since 2001 is that armor-damage is clearly depicted now. However, remember that Kopaka's sword clank in MNOG seems to have damaged the Muaka's armor too, so the only change is that this is in official storyline now. There are certainly other issues, but these are the biggies that have been in people's posts the most. But if I've missed anything major, by all means, please comment. I hope this helps us keep in mind the actual history of Bionicle and violence/action. Regardless of your opinion on this issue, you can form a better opinion about just about anything when you keep its history in mind.
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And possibly playsetic, too, but that would look odd in a title. Continuing the last entry, because I have nothing else to blog about... Gadunka :: YARGH. It's a walking, eating, giant head with limbs. My immediate reaction was, and remains, dislike. Intriguing though his body construction is, I just don't like how he looks, at all. I would like him better in the tiny size he was before his encounter with the Mask of Life... As he is, the only appeal he has to me is his plethora of dark blue. If I found him at a very low price, I might get him just for that. But that's the only condition under which and reason why I would buy him. Hydraxon :: My favorite of this year's titans (or warriors, as they're being called). Like Hewkii Mahri, he has potential, but some design flaws. Skinny legs with wide shoulders (even wider than usual, thanks to his shoulder-mounted blades), messy upper legs, and as a matter of personal taste I just don't like the blades behind his head or his "mask." It's too small, too thin, too rectangular for me. Overall, he has a very thin, sleek appearance and a very simple design, which makes me think he ought to have been a $15 set like Nocturn, who was similarly simple and slim. I have full intentions of getting and revamping him. Plus, he has a variety of useful pieces – black and silver Piraka feet, a silver Pridak blade, silver Kalmah armor, and a slew of for some reason iron grey robot arms. Maxilos and Spinax :: His box art makes him look the best (that is, in my opinion, some of the best box art Bionicle has seen in years), but other pictures reveal otherwise. Admittedly, being full of holes is understandable for a robot and useful underwater, but that doesn't make it look good. I've resolved not to get him, but Maxilos has one particular very nice bit about him – his shoulders. They have full realistic articulation: up and down, front to back, thanks to the Throwbot limbs in there. If his holes were filled in, he would be a perfect new body for Makuta in my eyes, and does look rather cool as it is, just too holey and blocky for me. The iron grey, dark grey, and red color scheme is, of course, a perfect match with 2003 Makuta. And I still don't like his "mask" much. Spinax neither interests nor appeals to me aside from the silver Piraka armor and Ehlek spines. Karzahni :: Oh, the temptation! Dark green Mantax and Pridak feet. Blended lime/dark green Mantax armor. Dark green Vakama Hordika heads I could care less about, as I neither have a use for them nor like how they look on this set (but a recolored old piece is good on principle). I really dislike Karzahni himself, but he has some very nice pieces. I could use the Takadox blades, too. Bow-legged, rather bulbous in shape, and Karzahni is supposed to be tall, black and gold, and imposing. This looks more silly than intimidating to me. But I may yet get the set... Idris :: If she were sold by herself, I would buy her instantly. Dark blue Ruru, dark blue Bohrok limbs (I still don't have any), and the Hewkii shoulder spike is very good as a blade. Plus she has Kongu Mahri's new eyepiece. She, combined with Karzahni's pieces, may persuade me to get the set – if I can find it on sale. Sarda is not worthy of note. (Idris, by contrast, is so cool that she gets her own listing.) Lesovikk :: Lime green Faxon. Lime Piraka body. Awesome. He has a very nice appearance, the silver of his feet working with his chest and shoulder pads – if Kongu Mahri had been built this way, he would have been glorious. I like the bike, too, using Nidhiki's leg construction; with a bit of refinement and covering up gaps, it would be perfect. Having looked at the instructions, I like the use of Mantax's armor – it gives a nice slope down to Lesovikk's seat. It also has the best attachment for the Cordak blaster after Maxilos. ... Maybe I'll do the playsets another entry. Maybe not. For now I'll say that I like the Toa Terrain Crawler the best, as it is very clearly an undersea machine (despite being made a Rahi in the story). The portals on the middle section, the presense of a claw arm, the various steering wheels and air tubes, and the Faxon-shaped visor all lend to the aquatic appearance, which is good. I also like the Carapar-headed beastie, for some reason. It embodies the strangeness of the deep sea creatures one finds in the pit – four arms and two tails... And as it stands once again... Hydraxon, Lesovikk – definitely getting. Karzahni and Maxilos – possible. The former more than the latter. Gadunka – more or less utterly no. ~ ToM
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Now that the Mahri are occuring in stores, they have an amazing mini-site and animations of their own, and there's been plenty of time for my opinions on them to stew since their appearance at ToyFair, I figured I'd post my current thoughts on them. Jaller – Ho hum. Not bad, but not exceptionally good either. I might get him – I never got Jaller Inika, so his Inika bits (the many of them) would be effectively new for my purposes... and the orange double-sockets I could use. Kongu – Take the dark green, color it black, make it Nuparu, and I would not complain. In fact, it would be rather perfect. Except for the absurdly wide shoulders. I still think he looks like a quintessential Onu-Toa: short, bulky, wide-shouldered, large-masked, and with heavy weaponry. But this is utterly horrible as Kongu, who is supposed to be light, sleek, bright-colored, and tall. But in and of itself, it's not a bad set. The fact that he looks rather cool in the Mahri teaser animation tempts me... as do his recolored pieces... Hewkii – Hewkii Mahri has a design that could be very cool. At the moment he has long, spindly arms, short, thin legs, and a wide, bulky torso and mask: not a good combination. But make his legs longer and bulkier, shorten and flesh out his arms, and rearrange his color scheme slightly, and he would look quite cool. The shape of his mask has grown on me (I still dislike the lack of a mouth connection), and I could use the spike ball halves and his black Inika feet for several MOCs. Those and the desire to revamp him to live up to his full potential mean I'm almost certain to get him. Nuparu – The one Mahri I absolutely refuse to get. He has gaping holes in all his limbs and armor that is almost nonexistant from many angles; his mask is silver when no other part of his body is; his chest armor is misaligned with his hips despite the fact that the two were designed to be aligned. And I rather dislike how the Volitak looks in the first place. The silver Metru chest piece on his back is still strange (and the neon green clashes with his eyes and visor), but I like the principle – an air tank of sorts. His shield is his only redeeming quality in my eyes, since I can get black Piraka feet from Hydraxon. Hahli – *angelic chorus* Solid dark blue Inika pieces. Wings. A totally awesome mask. Get rid of the red Cordak ammunition, and you have a strikingly cool color scheme. Replace the lime with light blue, and you have perfect Hahli. Matoro – Matoro would be on the same level as Jaller if not for two interest-grabbing things: white Inika body and black tubes. Good color scheme. Nice claws. Interesting piece arrangements. Not perfect, but pretty good in my eyes... though he would, of course, be better straight-backed... The Mahri mini-site does its job remarkably well: it makes the six look cool. Kongu looks remarkably good in the movie, Hewkii's form is striking in the animations in his game, and all six sitting in the Toa Chamber have an air of majesty and power... And so, as it currently stands... Hahli and Hewkii – definitely getting. Matoro – very likely. Kongu and Jaller – possible. Nuparu – utterly no. Maybe I'll do another entry on the Titans and playsets, in the same vein as this one... At the moment I'm using the wallpaper of the empty iconic circle in the backgrounds of all the Mahri's canister shots. It's a very cool design. *goes off Mahri-fishing again* ~ ToM
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I was looking at some Pokemon stuff and found something interesting... Umbreon's Japanese name is Burakki... sure the spelling is off but I found it funny. I never knew that Mantax was a Pokemon... (Graduation Party blog entry will be up Monday. I'm trying to lighten the mood a bit here.) Kohaku
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Well, what are you going to call it when Aiyetoro, Matoro, and Toromaga are in the same shot? Yes, it's the return of the Tohunga! The novelty has yet to wear off, especially since I've spent half my time lying on the couch re-reading Harry Potter and fiddling with them in the past few days. Though not so much yesterday and today. They're fuuuunn! I've also been coming up with names for the unnamed Tohunga from the MNOLG1... I'm very fond of Onu-Koronans, I've discovered. Taipu and Aiyetoro coming out of a tunnel Looks like it was the tunnel to Le-Wahi... Taipu standing in the sun And wandering through Le-Wahi... Aiyetoro in the earth under the porch That was in the brief period of sun we had today... For most of the rest, it's been really stormy. Really stormy. Gales of wind, heavy rain, lightning... Perfect conditions to write about the Inika. I think you guys will like this new story... The pain from my wisdom teeth seems to have subsided; now I have one spot left on the lower left, but I'm not sure if it's actually the socket, or if it's a different tooth (one of my late molars) or even the side of my tongue... ~ ToM
