Has bionicle (gen 1) aged well?

[masterchirox580]

So in recent months I noticed that the bionicle fanbase has become increasingly critical of bionicle (gen 1) and I've noticed people bringing up all these criticisms (not that that's a bad thing) that I just don't remember seeing a couple years. People now criticize the sets, the story, it's media (etc etc), and it's made me wonder if bionicle is still considered the great saviour of lego or is it now just seen as an overrated theme that should have ended a decade ago? Also has the bio fanbase always been this critical or is it just that I never noticed it before?

[Regitnui]

It's not so much that Gen1 has aged poorly that its fanbase has begun to grow out of the blind love children have for everything they enjoy. Seeing the flaws for the firt time and commenting on them might seem like they dislike it, but it's in fact the opposite; seeing the flaws allows you to come to a deeper understanding and love for the theme.

[Toatapio Nuva]

It's not so much that Gen1 has aged poorly that its fanbase has begun to grow out of the blind love children have for everything they enjoy. Seeing the flaws for the firt time and commenting on them might seem like they dislike it, but it's in fact the opposite; seeing the flaws allows you to come to a deeper understanding and love for the theme.

 

This.

Edited November 7, 2014 by Toatapio Nuva

[masterchirox580]

It's not so much that Gen1 has aged poorly that its fanbase has begun to grow out of the blind love children have for everything they enjoy. Seeing the flaws for the firt time and commenting on them might seem like they dislike it, but it's in fact the opposite; seeing the flaws allows you to come to a deeper understanding and love for the theme.

I never said people who criticized the theme hated the theme, the term overrated does not equal hate.

[Rahkshi Lalonde]

It's mixed. some parts, like the toa metru, age like fine wine.

 

others, like some of the worldbuilding decisions, aged like cheap sushi. :0

 

(it also varies between people. so...)

[Aanchir]

The BIONICLE fan community has definitely been this critical for as long as I've been involved in it. I joined BZPower in 2006, and already there were people saying that the series had lost its direction by bringing in too many sci-fi elements, that the heroes should never have left the original tropical island setting, that the theme shouldn't have projectile launchers, that the movies were too cheesy and childish, that the character names had gone downhill, etc. Conversely, there were plenty of people who considered the earlier years of BIONICLE overrated, and felt like the theme had improved since the books started to introduce more depth and the sets introduced greater articulation and more diverse builds and colors.

 

I think you're reading too much into this criticism if you think anybody within this community actively dislikes BIONICLE, though. We wouldn't be in this community if there weren't something about it at some point that really spoke to us. Obviously anybody who considers BIONICLE flawless, utterly miraculous, or completely unmatched by any other toy line or story is kidding themselves, but I think we can all recognize its greatness and the importance it had to the LEGO brand for many years.

 

Also, the AFOL community outside the BIONICLE fan community can be a lot more hostile towards BIONICLE than anyone here. There are a lot of people on certain sites like Brickset who consider it complete garbage. At Brickfair 2009, the organizer Todd Webb described one of the BIONICLE sets being given out as a raffle prize as "about as LEGO as Lincoln Logs" (the BZPower community turned that on its head by buying some actual Lincoln Logs to display alongside their LEGO creations the very next day). And just about any insult you've ever seen directed at the Hero Factory theme by BIONICLE fans has probably also been directed at the BIONICLE theme from other LEGO fans. "The sets all look the same", "The names and story are so cheesy", "It's too violent", "It's too childish", etc.

 

Even among LEGO fans who don't actively hate the theme, there are plenty of people who simply don't get it. It's just too great a departure from what they love about the LEGO brand for them to understand its appeal.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

Any fanbase will be vocal and openly criticize what they like. You can't please everyone.

That being said, I am once again going through every Bionicle year and I can say the story has aged very well. The books from a decade ago are still very well-written and top-notch and the way the pieces of the story come together still impresses me to this day. In fact, going back to revisit some years I wasn't too fond of before has actually improved my opinion of it, as I see it more critically, and vice-versa for the years I loved.

 

Sets-wise, it's hard to judge. I'd say designs like the Mata and Nuva have aged considerably well, while some like the Mistika and Vahki have definitely not.

 

-NotS 

[Makaru]

The story has aged like wine; 2002 is a good vintage while Federation of Fear is overexposed and tastes like vinegar.

 

The sets have aged like an old horse. Still reliable, but incredibly malnourished and prone to breaking literally every joint at a moment's notice. Destined to be the glue that holds us all together.

Edited November 7, 2014 by Makaru

[Zyphxion]

The story has aged like wine (2002 is a good vintage and Federation of Fear is overexposed and tastes like vinegar) and the sets have aged like an old horse.

 

See, I feel the exact opposite.

 

Some of the coolest sets came from 2002 (Exo-Toa, Boxor, Bahrag) and some of the worst came later.

[Kopekemaster]

For me, I think it has "aged" well. It still holds much of the mystery (if not more, in some cases), excitement, and nostalgia that it always has for me. The fanbase in general is probably more like Regitnui said, but for me, that's how it is.

[fishers64]

The story aged pretty good. People are still talking about it five years after it ended. The GregF LMB thread asking questions about BioniClassic is 500 pages long.

 

As for sets, they've been out-innovated, but still unique.  

[Lyichir]

The story has aged like wine; 2002 is a good vintage while Federation of Fear is overexposed and tastes like vinegar.

 

The sets have aged like an old horse. Still reliable, but incredibly malnourished and prone to breaking literally every joint at a moment's notice. Destined to be the glue that holds us all together.

Master simile-smith Makaru wins this topic, especially with that last bit.

 

Really, I don't think the story has "aged" much at all; the flaws it has now are ones that there were when it was written, and the stronger points are still as good as ever. The sets have definitely "aged", though, since set design has come a long way since the theme's end, with sturdier, more versatile parts and more complex and unique sets.

 

Ironically, I'd say some of the Gen 1 sets which aged BEST are the Rahi sets from the Technic era (2001 to 2003). Sets like Muaka and Kane-Ra are as functional and unique as ever, and their less impressive poseability isn't a factor since they were not designed to be poseable figures in the first place.

[UngluedBike]

I loved Bionicle all the way through, the only real criticism I have is for the movies. I'm too easily pleased, it would seem

[Blueblur21]

Aside from a few gripes (The movies... 2010...) The line was almost perfect.

[Sumiki]

BZPower used to be notorious for its ability to hate everything about a set yet still buy it in droves. I've found nearly every devoted fan base to be like this, but it seemed novel to everyone back when I joined.
 
Most people back then seemed to dislike new things because they were different. Now, people seem to be more well-thought-out with their criticisms and are willing to see the entire line from the vantage point of combined maturity and hindsight. For example, in 2007, people thought it was bad that the sets didn't "look as cool," whereas now people look back and are more willing to look at bigger issues like "why were there so few female characters."

[Hasreadit]

I think it's kind of like when some guys complain about their girlfriends. It doesn't mean that they don't like them or anything, it just means that nothings perfect and we have to accept things for their flaws

[fishers64]

BZPower used to be notorious for its ability to hate everything about a set yet still buy it in droves. 

It's interesting how BZPower no longer does this. I haven't heard a majority of complaints about the new 2015 sets - people seem to be gushing over them. 

 

GEARS. 

[Sumiki]

 

BZPower used to be notorious for its ability to hate everything about a set yet still buy it in droves. 

It's interesting how BZPower no longer does this. I haven't heard a majority of complaints about the new 2015 sets - people seem to be gushing over them. 

 

GEARS. 

 

A lot of it has to do with the maturity of online communities, I think. Few fandoms have been around in one place long enough to see if this is unique to BZPower.

[Zippo]

 

BZPower used to be notorious for its ability to hate everything about a set yet still buy it in droves. 

It's interesting how BZPower no longer does this. I haven't heard a majority of complaints about the new 2015 sets - people seem to be gushing over them. 

 

GEARS. 

 

Just you wait: When Generation 3 comes out, people are going to talk about how much the G2 sets "Sucked".

 

That's just how people are, unfortunately: They can't see things for how they are, and instead choose to compare everything to decide which is "better".

[Sumiki]

 

 

BZPower used to be notorious for its ability to hate everything about a set yet still buy it in droves. 

It's interesting how BZPower no longer does this. I haven't heard a majority of complaints about the new 2015 sets - people seem to be gushing over them. 

 

GEARS. 

 

Just you wait: When Generation 3 comes out, people are going to talk about how much the G2 sets "Sucked".

 

That's just how people are, unfortunately: They can't see things for how they are, and instead choose to compare everything to decide which is "better".

 

That would imply that most people think that the G1 sets "sucked," which is hardly the case. I mean, there were lots of them, so some of them did, but saying nearly ten years of sets all sucked is painting with a very broad brush that I haven't seen used anywhere on the forums.

 

My point was that I think BZPower is, as a whole, mature enough to take things for what they are instead of the irascible complaining that defined our younger and more vulnerable years.