What I like and don't like about the new storyline

[CarumEsSarene]

This is completely opinionated, if you don't like what I say it's totally okay.

 

What I like about the new story:

The overall plot is well planned. It's basic which is good for younger fans.

The designs and the themes of the story are well placed too.

 

However, there are a couple ticks.

The personalities are a bit off.

The toa were tasked to protect the villages from the spiders. So that should have been it.

They didn't even defeat the lord of skull spiders. They just knocked it off a cliff. What.

The protectors were doing all the fighting. Especially Tahu's. Tahu is a hothead. Why did he run away??

 

Agh, hopefully the August continuation will pay off.

 

I think the issue is Lego spent too much effort in developing the toys and not the story. Like what happened with the Metru Nui arc. They need to find a balance. I think that's what will get Bionicle a big name.

[fishers64]

Uh, the Metru Nui arc was the best Bionicle story.

 

Anyway, I thought that he busted up LoSS pretty badly - they flipped it over on its back, and usually doing that means death for most insects. Also, they didn't drive it off a cliff, they smashed a part of a rock bridge using a hammer. I thought that would bury the LoSS under a ton of rock, in addition to the spine-snapping fall on its side.

 

The final battle could use some polishing, but mostly because elemental power use isn't there or is poorly represented.

 

Anyways, I mostly agree with your favorable points. I also liked the intriguing legends and prophecies, the Toa coming in from the sky, and some of the jokes.

 

What I disliked was the lack of emphasis on characters other than Tahu and Protector of Fire.

[believe victims]

the spine-snapping fall

 

It would be interesting to see a spider snap its spine. Mostly because they don't have one.

 

The personalities are a bit off.

 

These are new takes on the classic Toa. Optimus Prime may have defining characteristics, but his personality can change depending on the continuity (or even within the same continuity).

 

The toa were tasked to protect the villages from the spiders. So that should have been it.

 

No, the Toa were tasked with stopping the Skull Spiders. They are not guardians, they are heroes. They do not stave off an enemy, they go to its doorstep and stop it at its root. In this case, that root was in the City, so their priority was first to unlock their elemental powers, and then to reach the city and stop whatever is causing the Skull Spiders.

 

The protectors were doing all the fighting. Especially Tahu's. Tahu is a hothead. Why did he run away??

 

No matter how good a hero someone may be, if they don't actually remember how to do any of it, they will die in a fight. Tahu, recognizing this, fled to where he could unlock his fighting abilities.

[Lyichir]

 

The protectors were doing all the fighting. Especially Tahu's. Tahu is a hothead. Why did he run away??

 

No matter how good a hero someone may be, if they don't actually remember how to do any of it, they will die in a fight. Tahu, recognizing this, fled to where he could unlock his fighting abilities.

 

Now I feel like I want to see a video of what would have actually happened if Tahu had tried to go all Leeroy Jenkins on the encroaching wave of Skull Spiders. I wonder how long it'll be before we start seeing fan animations in the 2015 animation style.

[Dorek]

What I like: Cool animations

 

What I don't like: People acting like we've already had ten years worth of info and thinking that any such type of comparisons have validity

[Sybre]

I agree with fishers64. The Metru Nui arc is the best arc in BIONICLE.

 

First off, I just wanna say that the reboot started off with a sputter. It could have gone way better, but maybe my expectations were just too high. However, it does have some good qualities that I can and will list. Also, this is just my opinion. If you like everything I dislike about G2, I won't even think about bashing you. If you dislike what I like about it, I'll leave you alone. And if I somehow offend someone with my opinion, that's nowhere near my intention.

 

What I Like

• Sets: The sets take new and old qualities and make something rather satisfying out of them. The varying builds are about a decade or more late, but they're here! No two sets are exactly alike. Not only do they have different color schemes, masks, and weapons, but they're also built differently! That's definitely something that's long overdue by now. The builds also kinda have personality, if that makes any sense. Like, you can tell Onua's the muscle of the team just by looking at his size and Pohatu being the smaller, quicker one due to his lack of bells and whistles. I'm probably not making much sense on that part, but overall, I thoroughly enjoy this wave.
• Mystery Aspect: It's small, but it's there. BIONICLE is nothing without its mystery aspect, a feature that diehard fans eat like candy. The mystery compels you to learn more about pretty much everything or stick around as the story progresses and get some answers. While Okoto isn't as developed as Mata Nui, it has its fair share of secrets. I wouldn't mind learning them, so hey, why not? I'll stick around!
• Return of the Virtues: Ah, good ol' Unity, Duty, and Destiny are not absent this year! It helps shape BIONICLE into what it is and make the story recognizable. I don't have much else to say on the matter, but I really like how the writers were sure to put the Three Virtues in this year. Thumbs up for that.

What I Don't Like

Buckle up, folks. Here comes a rant.

• Story: It's bad. I don't care if it has its pluses, because I know where they are, but think about it. 2015's story is turning out to look like a watered-down 2001 with a few things added or removed. I get that it's for kids, but really. I don't mind if they simplified BIONICLE. Who cares? It's mostly for the kids of today, so why should I care? I start to care when it's oversimplified. I get that kids can't process as much information as teens and adults can, but that doesn't mean you can't give them something good or interesting to look at. Kids aren't stupid. The story's just progressing way too fast and only focuses on Tahu. It won't cause a kid to drop dead if they just shine the spotlight on Lewa or someone else for a whole webisode. So yeah, the story's rushed and underdeveloped. That's about it.
• The Spotlight: This borrowing from the previous problem, but this bugs me way more than it should. Tahu just gets way too much screen time. I read 2001's comics, and they didn't focus on Tahu the entire time. No, they told the story while focusing on the other Toa. You got to see the challenges they all faced and how they got out of them. We only saw a glimpse of that. We got to see Tahu ride on lava and fight Skull Spiders while the other Toa walked right up to the pedestals and switched out masks as the Protectors served as lookouts. Who knows, maybe the other Toa actually ran into some kind of challenge on their way to their respective gold masks. We'll never know unless Tahu goes to follow them first.
• The Toa: I like that they brought back the old characters we all know and love while giving them a fresh coat of paint and I can forgive the personality tweaks. I also like the revival of the old Tahu and Kopaka rivalry. It's good to see it back again to give the story some layer. I don't like that this year's Toa forgot that they're elemental heroes, though. Do they think the color coding is to mirror the Power Rangers? They have awesome elemental powers, for Greg's sake! They can practically manipulate the forces of nature and make them their weapons! If the G2 Toa can really do these things, why aren't they doing it? I'm okay with them agreeing to team up and take down LoSS together, but their elemental powers almost seemed nonexistent at the time.
• Lack of Effort: When BIONICLE first came out in 2001, the people working on it really wanted you to like it, so they did their best to give us a show worth staying for. They gave us characters, MNOG, a huge and fascinating island of mystery to explore, and in-story objectives that crossed over into the real world and got us involved (I'm looking at you, mask packs!). And when those Toa Mata step foot near a Matoran, the little person be like, "Bad guy put evil faces on already-rabid animals to control them and the exterminator got his behind whooped by an overgrown mosquito. Lend a hand?" Those animals gave the Toa a run for their money. Every function their sets had involved violently attacking anything in range. They were a force to be reckoned with. Even when we came across spiders in the story later on, they were big compared to that year's Toa. This year, we got little cannon fodder spiders with one big competent one. That's barely threatening. As for the set amount, I can forgive that. That problem will be solved soon and we'll end the year with about 18 sets total, which is pretty normal for some years of BIONICLE. They're also starting out slow; taking baby steps. That's okay. The story might pick up next year and it'll be worth it. Still, man. The lack of effort is headache inducing. It's almost like they don't care as much as the G1 writers did.

So to conclude, I'm not saying 2015 should be exactly like any year of G1. I'm willing to welcome change. I applaud them for paying homage to the old story while making it new. Doesn't excuse them for giving the world a sub-par reboot, though. I don't care if they might have been on a time crunch and I certainly don't care if G2 is meant for the kids of today. You can still make a good, kid-friendly story with a limited time and budget. It only takes a few days to do. The sets are good and some of the other stuff they're doing is good and I can live without mask packs (something I couldn't experience back in the day ), but overall, it's a little tough for me to believe that this is what BIONICLE has become. I don't hate G2, but I feel that it could have done far better. Again, this is just my opinion and I still respect yours.

[ALVIS]

Anyway, I thought that he busted up LoSS pretty badly - they flipped it over on its back, and usually doing that means death for most insects. Also, they didn't drive it off a cliff, they smashed a part of a rock bridge using a hammer. I thought that would bury the LoSS under a ton of rock, in addition to the spine-snapping fall on its side.

 

Obligatory nitpick: spiders are arachnids, not insects. It's a separate class of arthropod. Of course, given that the LoSS and the Skull Spiders have the wrong number of legs, and that it's BIONICLE, Earth taxonomy really has no bearing here.

[fishers64]

My response to both concerns about LoSS is that it has six legs (insect) and that the set looks like it has a spine to me, so I got confused.

[Ballom Nom Nom]

My response to both concerns about LoSS is that it has six legs (insect) and that the set looks like it has a spine to me, so I got confused.

Given that no insect or arthropod has a spine, I'm genuinely mystified as to where this notion could have come from. The set itself doesn't particularly suggest a spine either...

 

~B~

Edited May 15, 2015 by Ballom

[CarumEsSarene]

And what I said about Metru Nui. The first half is good, the second half...eh... It would've been good leaving it with the first half. The Hordika stuff seemed too choppy, like it was made only to fill loose plot holes and not make a story.

[MrSciFiGuy]

I'm taking the animations with a grain of salt so far. Really waiting for the books to elaborate on the story and their own personal character.

[Regitnui]

I agree with Dorek. Everyone's complaints boil down to "this isn't like G1." My (poorly suppressed) reaction is always something the lines of "No kidding! When did they ever say that G2 was going to continue or copy stuff from G1. New Toa, new storylines, new enemies and an entirely new universe, and you're complaining that it's not G1. Go read fanfics if you want more G1. I'll see the G2 on its own terms."

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

Still, Bionicle G1 exists and the new story takes a lot of elements from the original. Like it or not, comparisons are going to be inevitable.

 

-NotS

[Regitnui]

But nobody seems to grasp that comparisons aren't "Tahu doesn't run away from spiders", but "Old Tahu wouldn't have run, why did New Tahu?"

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

I agree with fishers64. The Metru Nui arc is the best arc in BIONICLE.

 

First off, I just wanna say that the reboot started off with a sputter. It could have gone way better, but maybe my expectations were just too high. However, it does have some good qualities that I can and will list. Also, this is just my opinion. If you like everything I dislike about G2, I won't even think about bashing you. If you dislike what I like about it, I'll leave you alone. And if I somehow offend someone with my opinion, that's nowhere near my intention.

 

What I Like

• Sets: The sets take new and old qualities and make something rather satisfying out of them. The varying builds are about a decade or more late, but they're here! No two sets are exactly alike. Not only do they have different color schemes, masks, and weapons, but they're also built differently! That's definitely something that's long overdue by now. The builds also kinda have personality, if that makes any sense. Like, you can tell Onua's the muscle of the team just by looking at his size and Pohatu being the smaller, quicker one due to his lack of bells and whistles. I'm probably not making much sense on that part, but overall, I thoroughly enjoy this wave.
• Mystery Aspect: It's small, but it's there. BIONICLE is nothing without its mystery aspect, a feature that diehard fans eat like candy. The mystery compels you to learn more about pretty much everything or stick around as the story progresses and get some answers. While Okoto isn't as developed as Mata Nui, it has its fair share of secrets. I wouldn't mind learning them, so hey, why not? I'll stick around!
• Return of the Virtues: Ah, good ol' Unity, Duty, and Destiny are not absent this year! It helps shape BIONICLE into what it is and make the story recognizable. I don't have much else to say on the matter, but I really like how the writers were sure to put the Three Virtues in this year. Thumbs up for that.

What I Don't Like

Buckle up, folks. Here comes a rant.

• Story: It's bad. I don't care if it has its pluses, because I know where they are, but think about it. 2015's story is turning out to look like a watered-down 2001 with a few things added or removed. I get that it's for kids, but really. I don't mind if they simplified BIONICLE. Who cares? It's mostly for the kids of today, so why should I care? I start to care when it's oversimplified. I get that kids can't process as much information as teens and adults can, but that doesn't mean you can't give them something good or interesting to look at. Kids aren't stupid. The story's just progressing way too fast and only focuses on Tahu. It won't cause a kid to drop dead if they just shine the spotlight on Lewa or someone else for a whole webisode. So yeah, the story's rushed and underdeveloped. That's about it.
• The Spotlight: This borrowing from the previous problem, but this bugs me way more than it should. Tahu just gets way too much screen time. I read 2001's comics, and they didn't focus on Tahu the entire time. No, they told the story while focusing on the other Toa. You got to see the challenges they all faced and how they got out of them. We only saw a glimpse of that. We got to see Tahu ride on lava and fight Skull Spiders while the other Toa walked right up to the pedestals and switched out masks as the Protectors served as lookouts. Who knows, maybe the other Toa actually ran into some kind of challenge on their way to their respective gold masks. We'll never know unless Tahu goes to follow them first.
• The Toa: I like that they brought back the old characters we all know and love while giving them a fresh coat of paint and I can forgive the personality tweaks. I also like the revival of the old Tahu and Kopaka rivalry. It's good to see it back again to give the story some layer. I don't like that this year's Toa forgot that they're elemental heroes, though. Do they think the color coding is to mirror the Power Rangers? They have awesome elemental powers, for Greg's sake! They can practically manipulate the forces of nature and make them their weapons! If the G2 Toa can really do these things, why aren't they doing it? I'm okay with them agreeing to team up and take down LoSS together, but their elemental powers almost seemed nonexistent at the time.
• Lack of Effort: When BIONICLE first came out in 2001, the people working on it really wanted you to like it, so they did their best to give us a show worth staying for. They gave us characters, MNOG, a huge and fascinating island of mystery to explore, and in-story objectives that crossed over into the real world and got us involved (I'm looking at you, mask packs!). And when those Toa Mata step foot near a Matoran, the little person be like, "Bad guy put evil faces on already-rabid animals to control them and the exterminator got his behind whooped by an overgrown mosquito. Lend a hand?" Those animals gave the Toa a run for their money. Every function their sets had involved violently attacking anything in range. They were a force to be reckoned with. Even when we came across spiders in the story later on, they were big compared to that year's Toa. This year, we got little cannon fodder spiders with one big competent one. That's barely threatening. As for the set amount, I can forgive that. That problem will be solved soon and we'll end the year with about 18 sets total, which is pretty normal for some years of BIONICLE. They're also starting out slow; taking baby steps. That's okay. The story might pick up next year and it'll be worth it. Still, man. The lack of effort is headache inducing. It's almost like they don't care as much as the G1 writers did.

So to conclude, I'm not saying 2015 should be exactly like any year of G1. I'm willing to welcome change. I applaud them for paying homage to the old story while making it new. Doesn't excuse them for giving the world a sub-par reboot, though. I don't care if they might have been on a time crunch and I certainly don't care if G2 is meant for the kids of today. You can still make a good, kid-friendly story with a limited time and budget. It only takes a few days to do. The sets are good and some of the other stuff they're doing is good and I can live without mask packs (something I couldn't experience back in the day ), but overall, it's a little tough for me to believe that this is what BIONICLE has become. I don't hate G2, but I feel that it could have done far better. Again, this is just my opinion and I still respect yours.

 

Well put señor, people often equate ignorance as stupidity. Children (or at least most of them) are not stupid. They can understand and comprehend things, it's just that they don't know a lot of info yet.  John Tolkien's "There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale"  was originally written as a children's novel, doesn't that kind of say something?

 

And I have said this many times: fire-based characters receive too much attention, not only in Bionicle, but also elsewhere as well. It annoys me ever so, gosh darn-it!

 

 

[Sybre]

 

I agree with fishers64. The Metru Nui arc is the best arc in BIONICLE.

 

First off, I just wanna say that the reboot started off with a sputter. It could have gone way better, but maybe my expectations were just too high. However, it does have some good qualities that I can and will list. Also, this is just my opinion. If you like everything I dislike about G2, I won't even think about bashing you. If you dislike what I like about it, I'll leave you alone. And if I somehow offend someone with my opinion, that's nowhere near my intention.

 

What I Like

• Sets: The sets take new and old qualities and make something rather satisfying out of them. The varying builds are about a decade or more late, but they're here! No two sets are exactly alike. Not only do they have different color schemes, masks, and weapons, but they're also built differently! That's definitely something that's long overdue by now. The builds also kinda have personality, if that makes any sense. Like, you can tell Onua's the muscle of the team just by looking at his size and Pohatu being the smaller, quicker one due to his lack of bells and whistles. I'm probably not making much sense on that part, but overall, I thoroughly enjoy this wave.
• Mystery Aspect: It's small, but it's there. BIONICLE is nothing without its mystery aspect, a feature that diehard fans eat like candy. The mystery compels you to learn more about pretty much everything or stick around as the story progresses and get some answers. While Okoto isn't as developed as Mata Nui, it has its fair share of secrets. I wouldn't mind learning them, so hey, why not? I'll stick around!
• Return of the Virtues: Ah, good ol' Unity, Duty, and Destiny are not absent this year! It helps shape BIONICLE into what it is and make the story recognizable. I don't have much else to say on the matter, but I really like how the writers were sure to put the Three Virtues in this year. Thumbs up for that.

What I Don't Like

Buckle up, folks. Here comes a rant.

• Story: It's bad. I don't care if it has its pluses, because I know where they are, but think about it. 2015's story is turning out to look like a watered-down 2001 with a few things added or removed. I get that it's for kids, but really. I don't mind if they simplified BIONICLE. Who cares? It's mostly for the kids of today, so why should I care? I start to care when it's oversimplified. I get that kids can't process as much information as teens and adults can, but that doesn't mean you can't give them something good or interesting to look at. Kids aren't stupid. The story's just progressing way too fast and only focuses on Tahu. It won't cause a kid to drop dead if they just shine the spotlight on Lewa or someone else for a whole webisode. So yeah, the story's rushed and underdeveloped. That's about it.
• The Spotlight: This borrowing from the previous problem, but this bugs me way more than it should. Tahu just gets way too much screen time. I read 2001's comics, and they didn't focus on Tahu the entire time. No, they told the story while focusing on the other Toa. You got to see the challenges they all faced and how they got out of them. We only saw a glimpse of that. We got to see Tahu ride on lava and fight Skull Spiders while the other Toa walked right up to the pedestals and switched out masks as the Protectors served as lookouts. Who knows, maybe the other Toa actually ran into some kind of challenge on their way to their respective gold masks. We'll never know unless Tahu goes to follow them first.
• The Toa: I like that they brought back the old characters we all know and love while giving them a fresh coat of paint and I can forgive the personality tweaks. I also like the revival of the old Tahu and Kopaka rivalry. It's good to see it back again to give the story some layer. I don't like that this year's Toa forgot that they're elemental heroes, though. Do they think the color coding is to mirror the Power Rangers? They have awesome elemental powers, for Greg's sake! They can practically manipulate the forces of nature and make them their weapons! If the G2 Toa can really do these things, why aren't they doing it? I'm okay with them agreeing to team up and take down LoSS together, but their elemental powers almost seemed nonexistent at the time.
• Lack of Effort: When BIONICLE first came out in 2001, the people working on it really wanted you to like it, so they did their best to give us a show worth staying for. They gave us characters, MNOG, a huge and fascinating island of mystery to explore, and in-story objectives that crossed over into the real world and got us involved (I'm looking at you, mask packs!). And when those Toa Mata step foot near a Matoran, the little person be like, "Bad guy put evil faces on already-rabid animals to control them and the exterminator got his behind whooped by an overgrown mosquito. Lend a hand?" Those animals gave the Toa a run for their money. Every function their sets had involved violently attacking anything in range. They were a force to be reckoned with. Even when we came across spiders in the story later on, they were big compared to that year's Toa. This year, we got little cannon fodder spiders with one big competent one. That's barely threatening. As for the set amount, I can forgive that. That problem will be solved soon and we'll end the year with about 18 sets total, which is pretty normal for some years of BIONICLE. They're also starting out slow; taking baby steps. That's okay. The story might pick up next year and it'll be worth it. Still, man. The lack of effort is headache inducing. It's almost like they don't care as much as the G1 writers did.

So to conclude, I'm not saying 2015 should be exactly like any year of G1. I'm willing to welcome change. I applaud them for paying homage to the old story while making it new. Doesn't excuse them for giving the world a sub-par reboot, though. I don't care if they might have been on a time crunch and I certainly don't care if G2 is meant for the kids of today. You can still make a good, kid-friendly story with a limited time and budget. It only takes a few days to do. The sets are good and some of the other stuff they're doing is good and I can live without mask packs (something I couldn't experience back in the day ), but overall, it's a little tough for me to believe that this is what BIONICLE has become. I don't hate G2, but I feel that it could have done far better. Again, this is just my opinion and I still respect yours.

 

Well put señor, people often equate ignorance as stupidity. Children (or at least most of them) are not stupid. They can understand and comprehend things, it's just that they don't know a lot of info yet.  John Tolkien's "There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale"  was originally written as a children's novel, doesn't that kind of say something?

 

And I have said this many times: fire-based characters receive too much attention, not only in Bionicle, but also elsewhere as well. It annoys me ever so, gosh darn-it!

 

Thank you! In my opinion, that belief holds the story back. Think about what we could have gotten in terms of story if the target audience wasn't stupidly underestimated. The sets do an okay job of demonstrating complexity, but that says more than the underdeveloped plot. And I had no idea that novel was written for kids. I think that says a lot.

 

I get why they're representing Tahu as much as they are. He's the most eye-catching character and would have a personality that kids might find cool, but that doesn't mean Tahu's practically the only Toa who matters. But yeah, the whole fire character being important thing is a subtle marketing scheme.

[Lyichir]

 

 

I agree with fishers64. The Metru Nui arc is the best arc in BIONICLE.

 

First off, I just wanna say that the reboot started off with a sputter. It could have gone way better, but maybe my expectations were just too high. However, it does have some good qualities that I can and will list. Also, this is just my opinion. If you like everything I dislike about G2, I won't even think about bashing you. If you dislike what I like about it, I'll leave you alone. And if I somehow offend someone with my opinion, that's nowhere near my intention.

 

What I Like

• Sets: The sets take new and old qualities and make something rather satisfying out of them. The varying builds are about a decade or more late, but they're here! No two sets are exactly alike. Not only do they have different color schemes, masks, and weapons, but they're also built differently! That's definitely something that's long overdue by now. The builds also kinda have personality, if that makes any sense. Like, you can tell Onua's the muscle of the team just by looking at his size and Pohatu being the smaller, quicker one due to his lack of bells and whistles. I'm probably not making much sense on that part, but overall, I thoroughly enjoy this wave.
• Mystery Aspect: It's small, but it's there. BIONICLE is nothing without its mystery aspect, a feature that diehard fans eat like candy. The mystery compels you to learn more about pretty much everything or stick around as the story progresses and get some answers. While Okoto isn't as developed as Mata Nui, it has its fair share of secrets. I wouldn't mind learning them, so hey, why not? I'll stick around!
• Return of the Virtues: Ah, good ol' Unity, Duty, and Destiny are not absent this year! It helps shape BIONICLE into what it is and make the story recognizable. I don't have much else to say on the matter, but I really like how the writers were sure to put the Three Virtues in this year. Thumbs up for that.

What I Don't Like

Buckle up, folks. Here comes a rant.

• Story: It's bad. I don't care if it has its pluses, because I know where they are, but think about it. 2015's story is turning out to look like a watered-down 2001 with a few things added or removed. I get that it's for kids, but really. I don't mind if they simplified BIONICLE. Who cares? It's mostly for the kids of today, so why should I care? I start to care when it's oversimplified. I get that kids can't process as much information as teens and adults can, but that doesn't mean you can't give them something good or interesting to look at. Kids aren't stupid. The story's just progressing way too fast and only focuses on Tahu. It won't cause a kid to drop dead if they just shine the spotlight on Lewa or someone else for a whole webisode. So yeah, the story's rushed and underdeveloped. That's about it.
• The Spotlight: This borrowing from the previous problem, but this bugs me way more than it should. Tahu just gets way too much screen time. I read 2001's comics, and they didn't focus on Tahu the entire time. No, they told the story while focusing on the other Toa. You got to see the challenges they all faced and how they got out of them. We only saw a glimpse of that. We got to see Tahu ride on lava and fight Skull Spiders while the other Toa walked right up to the pedestals and switched out masks as the Protectors served as lookouts. Who knows, maybe the other Toa actually ran into some kind of challenge on their way to their respective gold masks. We'll never know unless Tahu goes to follow them first.
• The Toa: I like that they brought back the old characters we all know and love while giving them a fresh coat of paint and I can forgive the personality tweaks. I also like the revival of the old Tahu and Kopaka rivalry. It's good to see it back again to give the story some layer. I don't like that this year's Toa forgot that they're elemental heroes, though. Do they think the color coding is to mirror the Power Rangers? They have awesome elemental powers, for Greg's sake! They can practically manipulate the forces of nature and make them their weapons! If the G2 Toa can really do these things, why aren't they doing it? I'm okay with them agreeing to team up and take down LoSS together, but their elemental powers almost seemed nonexistent at the time.
• Lack of Effort: When BIONICLE first came out in 2001, the people working on it really wanted you to like it, so they did their best to give us a show worth staying for. They gave us characters, MNOG, a huge and fascinating island of mystery to explore, and in-story objectives that crossed over into the real world and got us involved (I'm looking at you, mask packs!). And when those Toa Mata step foot near a Matoran, the little person be like, "Bad guy put evil faces on already-rabid animals to control them and the exterminator got his behind whooped by an overgrown mosquito. Lend a hand?" Those animals gave the Toa a run for their money. Every function their sets had involved violently attacking anything in range. They were a force to be reckoned with. Even when we came across spiders in the story later on, they were big compared to that year's Toa. This year, we got little cannon fodder spiders with one big competent one. That's barely threatening. As for the set amount, I can forgive that. That problem will be solved soon and we'll end the year with about 18 sets total, which is pretty normal for some years of BIONICLE. They're also starting out slow; taking baby steps. That's okay. The story might pick up next year and it'll be worth it. Still, man. The lack of effort is headache inducing. It's almost like they don't care as much as the G1 writers did.

So to conclude, I'm not saying 2015 should be exactly like any year of G1. I'm willing to welcome change. I applaud them for paying homage to the old story while making it new. Doesn't excuse them for giving the world a sub-par reboot, though. I don't care if they might have been on a time crunch and I certainly don't care if G2 is meant for the kids of today. You can still make a good, kid-friendly story with a limited time and budget. It only takes a few days to do. The sets are good and some of the other stuff they're doing is good and I can live without mask packs (something I couldn't experience back in the day ), but overall, it's a little tough for me to believe that this is what BIONICLE has become. I don't hate G2, but I feel that it could have done far better. Again, this is just my opinion and I still respect yours.

 

 

Well put señor, people often equate ignorance as stupidity. Children (or at least most of them) are not stupid. They can understand and comprehend things, it's just that they don't know a lot of info yet.  John Tolkien's "There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale"  was originally written as a children's novel, doesn't that kind of say something?

 

And I have said this many times: fire-based characters receive too much attention, not only in Bionicle, but also elsewhere as well. It annoys me ever so, gosh darn-it!

 

Thank you! In my opinion, that belief holds the story back. Think about what we could have gotten in terms of story if the target audience wasn't stupidly underestimated. The sets do an okay job of demonstrating complexity, but that says more than the underdeveloped plot. And I had no idea that novel was written for kids. I think that says a lot.

 

I get why they're representing Tahu as much as they are. He's the most eye-catching character and would have a personality that kids might find cool, but that doesn't mean Tahu's practically the only Toa who matters. But yeah, the whole fire character being important thing is a subtle marketing scheme.

 

There's a difference between a high-fantasy children's chapter book and a cartoon made to sell toys to kids. Only one of them needs to prove its own literary worth just to justify its existence.

 

I mean, the new animations aren't the same quality as The Hobbit. That's cool. Neither was the classic Bionicle story. Neither is Transformers. Neither is My Little Pony. It doesn't matter how smart kids are—expecting high art from a story shaped entirely by a toyline that must reinvent itself year after year to promote new products is just setting yourself up for disappointment.

[Prowl Nightwolf]

Well Red, Fire or otherwise seems to be a mainstream for a leadership roll. Mind you in Lego the red guy usually has an elemental affinity and that affinity is fire(Tahu or Kai anyone?). Now This can be carried over to other series as well. Anyone remember the Red Ranger? Tell me how many of the Power Rangers series/seasons held a ranger other than Red as the leader? If you dive into Gundam I can call for the Domon Kashu(Sorry about butchered spelling) Who's Gundam was the Burning(Fire?) Gundam. and had the Burning Fist as a special finisher move. Digimon had the main leader Tai with a Fire breathing lizard.

 

It sucks but it is true nonetheless. What can we do if that just seems to be what we drive towards?

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

 

There's a difference between a high-fantasy children's chapter book and a cartoon made to sell toys to kids. Only one of them needs to prove its own literary worth just to justify its existence.

 

I mean, the new animations aren't the same quality as The Hobbit. That's cool. Neither was the classic Bionicle story. Neither is Transformers. Neither is My Little Pony. It doesn't matter how smart kids are—expecting high art from a story shaped entirely by a toyline that must reinvent itself year after year to promote new products is just setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

I never said that I expected a work of high fantasy art (though I admittedly have been reforming it to be as such in my spare time), I just wanted to point out that The Hobbit was originally meant for kids and use that as an example on how (most) children are not stupid and can comprehend both that book and it's multi-volumed sequel.  The story for 2015 BIONICLE could be a bit deeper without going all Tolkien-level and the target audience would still be a-okay with it; and who knows, maybe the story will get deeper with the books that over the horizon (I am more of the optimist).