CyclonatorZ Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 (edited) This is a very interesting question to me, because for the first few years of G1, at least to my knowledge, I don't believe there was any mention of their supposed biomechanical nature, apart from one or two erroneous references in the C. A. Hapaka novels. The characters were seemingly assumed to be robots in media like the MNOG and the canceled Legend of Mata Nui video game. The idea that they had organic internal components seemed to come around after the first movie, in which the characters were redesigned with much more organic designs - including mouths, which up to that point had never been depicted on the Toa, Turaga, or Matoran in visual media. Later, Greg added more references in his books, but these references also seemingly contradicted early media. Now, you may ask, what then does the name of the franchise refer to? The term, as we all know, is a portmanteau of Biological and Chronicle. I would argue, however, that this is not a reference to the characters themselves, but a reference to the overarching metaphor for the human body fighting off a virus - which we didn't know about until late in G1's run,but was actually much more central to the story and themes than the physical nature of most of the characters. Thus, it seems to me that the whole notion of Bionicle characters being biomechanical is a retcon, and one that does not fit with the original intentions of the franchise - which was that they were 100% robotic beings. Is there anything I'm not aware of that contradicts the above hypothesis, please let me know. My knowledge of the Bionicle canon has slipped significantly since the days of G1, so I might have forgotten something crucial. Edited August 13, 2015 by ~~Zarkan~~ 1 Quote I have slept for so long. My dreams have been dark ones. But now I am awakened. Now the scattered elements of my being are rejoined. Now I am whole. And the Darkness can not stand before me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 1st Shadow Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 No, it was pretty much in there from the beginning, even if they didn't explicitly state it to be so. Hapka's novels accurately described them as being at least partially organic, and their appearances in set made it clear that they were also robotic. It didn't take rocket science to figure out how the two concepts went together. 1 Quote ~Your friendly, neighborhood Shadow ~Credit for Avatar and Banner goes to NickonAquaMagna~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPIRIT Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 What vexes me is that I think I had a vague sense of them being half organic, half robotic back in 2002 when I first got into the line, but for the life of me I cannot think of what source of information would lead me to think that. Just the fact that they needed to breathe in the comics or that they acted like humans in MNOLG1? Obviously the nature of their biology wasn't something the early storyline delved into, but it was still clear pretty early on that they weren't quite robots. 6 Quote ~ The Jazziest JtO Spoof ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.B.O.C Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 The Hapaka books did occasionally mention muscle tissue, if I remember correctly, something that was not dropped and I vividly remember being brought up in the first few Voya Nui books. That might not be right, but I at least thought so. I think there was enough to infer, most likely. I believe we knew they could feel pain, and I can't remember if it did happen in one of the books, but I remember it being mentioned that they regrew their muscle tissue upon reforming on the beaches of Mata Nui. 1 Quote My Brickshelf, please don't copy!... ...Looking for shiny Regirock, Articuno, and Virizion!(Can trade most any legendary for them!)My 3DS friend list is full, sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iruini Nuva Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 What vexes me is that I think I had a vague sense of them being half organic, half robotic back in 2002 when I first got into the line, but for the life of me I cannot think of what source of information would lead me to think that. Just the fact that they needed to breathe in the comics or that they acted like humans in MNOLG1? Obviously the nature of their biology wasn't something the early storyline delved into, but it was still clear pretty early on that they weren't quite robots. Agreed, they never felt fully robotic, even back then. I think a lot of it was just an implicit feeling based on how they interacted with the world around them. They had oddly close ties to the natural world for robots (use of stone in storytelling and art, living in the treetops, domesticated Rahi, etc.). Too many connections to life to be cold steel. That said, I can't think of any references prior to Hapka, either. I believe that's where we start getting references to pain (Kofo Jaga stings, etc.), exhaustion, etc. 5 Quote Makuta: Consumed By Light • Rebrick Entry • Topic & Backstory • Blog ----------------- 2015 Sets: 18/18 + 3 • Polybags: 1/2 • SDCC x2, NYCC Clear MoF, Trans-MoF 2016 Sets: 17/17 + 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rahkshi Lalonde Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 ahd we can't forget how in one of the comics a bohrok is called "bio-mechanical" as if that's an alien concept to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSciFiGuy Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 There's Bio in the name for a reason. I thought it was pretty clear right of the bat they were biomechanical and not entirely robots. Quote Bionicle: ANP aims to create narrated versions of all the Bionicle books, with voice actors for each character, and music taken from various media to enhance the story. Check here if you're interested in voicing a character, and here for the chapters that've already been released!Formerly: Tahu Nuva 3.0Looking for a Bionicle Beanie. Black one with the symbol on it. Contact me if you are willing to sell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IXRollOutIX Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 (edited) Did Hapka's books ever even refer to the characters as robots either? They were described as having armor for sure, but I don't remember if they were depicted as robotic at all. Sometimes I wonder how someone would digest and perceive the Bionicle story if they never once saw the toys, covers, or comic books; just reading the text outright without any given visualizations. That would be an interesting experiment of some sort. Edited August 14, 2015 by IXRollOutIX 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iruini Nuva Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 ahd we can't forget how in one of the comics a bohrok is called "bio-mechanical" as if that's an alien concept to them. I looked back at that reference. I'm not sure it's alien, but it is interesting that "biomechanical" means "artificial" to them (at least in this case). Seems ironic. Sometimes I wonder how someone would digest and perceive the Bionicle story if they never once saw the toys, covers, or comic books; just reading the text outright without any given visualizations. That would be an interesting experiment of some sort. I would try it on my wife, but there are sets and posters all over the place. Quote Makuta: Consumed By Light • Rebrick Entry • Topic & Backstory • Blog ----------------- 2015 Sets: 18/18 + 3 • Polybags: 1/2 • SDCC x2, NYCC Clear MoF, Trans-MoF 2016 Sets: 17/17 + 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IXRollOutIX Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 (edited) ahd we can't forget how in one of the comics a bohrok is called "bio-mechanical" as if that's an alien concept to them. I looked back at that reference. I'm not sure it's alien, but it is interesting that "biomechanical" means "artificial" to them (at least in this case). Seems ironic. Why I ask if Hapka ever refered to them explicitly as robots, is because maybe in her vision they were completely biological organisms wearing mechanical armor rather than it being integral to their anatomy. Perhaps in that case, seeing something truly bio-mechanical would seem odd. Or maybe it's completely the other way around. They don't personally consider themselves bio-mechanical because the biological and mechanical parts of their body are so intrinsic. Seeing something with the two so separate but somehow directly linked might fit their own culture's definition of the phrase. Edited August 14, 2015 by IXRollOutIX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eclipsed Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Wow, I have to be honest, I never thought of them as biomechanical, the always felt mechanical to me, like the transformers. Bring completely mechanic, but alive, thanks to a "spark" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyclonatorZ Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 (edited) No, it was pretty much in there from the beginning, even if they didn't explicitly state it to be so. Hapka's novels accurately described them as being at least partially organic, and their appearances in set made it clear that they were also robotic. It didn't take rocket science to figure out how the two concepts went together. Hapaka's novels also mentioned that the characters had blood, and we know now that this was an error. How can we be so certain her other references weren't also inconsistent with the story team's original vision? What vexes me is that I think I had a vague sense of them being half organic, half robotic back in 2002 when I first got into the line, but for the life of me I cannot think of what source of information would lead me to think that. Just the fact that they needed to breathe in the comics or that they acted like humans in MNOLG1? Obviously the nature of their biology wasn't something the early storyline delved into, but it was still clear pretty early on that they weren't quite robots.Agreed, they never felt fully robotic, even back then. I think a lot of it was just an implicit feeling based on how they interacted with the world around them. They had oddly close ties to the natural world for robots (use of stone in storytelling and art, living in the treetops, domesticated Rahi, etc.). Too many connections to life to be cold steel. That said, I can't think of any references prior to Hapka, either. I believe that's where we start getting references to pain (Kofo Jaga stings, etc.), exhaustion, etc. Humanization isn't exactly new to toylines based on robots. Transformers was doing this since the 80's, featuring characters that acted like humans despite being 100 percent robotic, and in some more recent continuities even featuring cybertronian xenophobia against orgainics or biomechanial beings in the storyline. There's nothing to say that the Matoran's human-like culture and personalities meant they were by definition at least partially organic. There's Bio in the name for a reason. I thought it was pretty clear right of the bat they were biomechanical and not entirely robots. The idea that the "Bio" in the name stands for "Biomechanical" is actually a common misconception among fans. As I said in the OP, it actually stands for "Biological," and arguably refers to the metaphorical elements of the storyline rather than the physical nature of the characters. Edited August 14, 2015 by ~~Zarkan~~ 2 Quote I have slept for so long. My dreams have been dark ones. But now I am awakened. Now the scattered elements of my being are rejoined. Now I am whole. And the Darkness can not stand before me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 1st Shadow Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 No, it was pretty much in there from the beginning, even if they didn't explicitly state it to be so. Hapka's novels accurately described them as being at least partially organic, and their appearances in set made it clear that they were also robotic. It didn't take rocket science to figure out how the two concepts went together. Hapaka's novels also mentioned that the characters had blood, and we know now that this was an error. How can we be so certain her other references weren't also inconsistent with the story team's original vision? That is true, but what about the other way around? The story team tells Hapka "The characters are part machine, part robot," and so she writes them in her vision of how that would look? 1 Quote ~Your friendly, neighborhood Shadow ~Credit for Avatar and Banner goes to NickonAquaMagna~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iruini Nuva Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 What vexes me is that I think I had a vague sense of them being half organic, half robotic back in 2002 when I first got into the line, but for the life of me I cannot think of what source of information would lead me to think that. Just the fact that they needed to breathe in the comics or that they acted like humans in MNOLG1? Obviously the nature of their biology wasn't something the early storyline delved into, but it was still clear pretty early on that they weren't quite robots. Agreed, they never felt fully robotic, even back then. I think a lot of it was just an implicit feeling based on how they interacted with the world around them. They had oddly close ties to the natural world for robots (use of stone in storytelling and art, living in the treetops, domesticated Rahi, etc.). Too many connections to life to be cold steel. That said, I can't think of any references prior to Hapka, either. I believe that's where we start getting references to pain (Kofo Jaga stings, etc.), exhaustion, etc. Humanization isn't exactly new to toylines based on robots. Transformers was doing this since the 80's, featuring characters that acted like humans despite being 100 percent robotic, and in some more recent continuities even featuring cybertronian xenophobia against orgainics or biomechanial beings in the storyline. There's nothing to say that the Matoran's human-like culture and personalities meant they were by definition at least partially organic. Of course. I was commenting less on the anthropomorphization (if that's a word) of the characters. Rather, it was how closely they integrated with the natural world. The Transformers' relationship to Cybertron strikes me as different from the Matoran's relationship to the island of Mata Nui, for lack of a better comparison. Between their lifestyle and the mysticism of the early story in general, they at least gave off the feeling of being less robotic, even if it wasn't stated explicitly. 1 Quote Makuta: Consumed By Light • Rebrick Entry • Topic & Backstory • Blog ----------------- 2015 Sets: 18/18 + 3 • Polybags: 1/2 • SDCC x2, NYCC Clear MoF, Trans-MoF 2016 Sets: 17/17 + 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danska: Shadow Master Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 What vexes me is that I think I had a vague sense of them being half organic, half robotic back in 2002 when I first got into the line, but for the life of me I cannot think of what source of information would lead me to think that. Just the fact that they needed to breathe in the comics or that they acted like humans in MNOLG1? Obviously the nature of their biology wasn't something the early storyline delved into, but it was still clear pretty early on that they weren't quite robots.I think at some point, the Bohrok were described as being "not truly alive", and it was definitely known that they were fully mechanical (hence no cries of Zomg murdurz!11! when they were torn apart to make the Boxor). At the time this was definitely meant to be in contrast to the inhabitants, so we could deduce from this that the island's inhabitants were, at the very least, not fully mechanical. I was going to use the example of the Matoran rebuilding themselves in '03 to show that we knew they were at least party mechanical, but then I remembered the Toa were doing that right back in '01 both when they landed and to become the Toa Kaita. So while it may have taken a while for things to be set in stone, we seemed to know from at least as early as '02, possibly from the very start, that they were biomechanical in nature. I'd like to say I can remember for certain knowing they were biomechanical back then (and I am fairly certain), but alas my memory is not as reliable as I would like. *staggers off complaining about "you young'uns" and all that* 4 Quote Click on them to build them yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorQuaoar Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 Well of course they were always part biological. Why else would Gali need a mask of Water Breathing? Robots don't need to breathe. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xarok Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 I just sort of thought they were cyborgs at first, before reading the books I just assumed they were normal organic beings that were fused to mechanical parts like Darth Vader or something. 1 Quote -BE EXCELLENT TO EACH OTHER- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonesiii Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 (edited) This is a very interesting question to me, because for the first few years of G1, at least to my knowledge, I don't believe there was any mention of their supposed biomechanical nature, apart from one or two erroneous references in the C. A. Hapaka novels. The characters were seemingly assumed to be robots in media like the MNOG and the canceled Legend of Mata Nui video game. The idea that they had organic internal components seemed to come around after the first movie, in which the characters were redesigned with much more organic designs - including mouths, which up to that point had never been depicted on the Toa, Turaga, or Matoran in visual media. Later, Greg added more references in his books, but these references also seemingly contradicted early media.No, MOL was clearly portrayed at the time as bringing the "bio" of the characters into an actual portrayal. MNOG was probably simply the usual -- they didn't run everything by the story team, so mixed signals resulted. They also didn't have speech as audio, but had audio in the game, so I think they actually made a good call there to have the motions have sound effects -- otherwise the characters would seem oddly silent in contrast to the music and other sound effects. A purist might demand they picked more accurate sound effects to mechanical-only functions, but given the limited time and resources they had (if they had even been told about this, which I highly doubt), I don't think that would be reasonable. And the sound wasn't literal anyways -- if it was, they would have had to have speech like in the movies. (Even then it isn't completely literal as they wouldn't be speaking English.) Now, you may ask, what then does the name of the franchise refer to? The term, as we all know, is a portmanteau of Biological and Chronicle. I would argue, however, that this is not a reference to the characters themselves, but a reference to the overarching metaphor for the human body fighting off a virus - which we didn't know about until late in G1's run,but was actually much more central to the story and themes than the physical nature of most of the characters. Thus, it seems to me that the whole notion of Bionicle characters being biomechanical is a retcon, and one that does not fit with the original intentions of the franchise - which was that they were 100% robotic beings.It was also a play on words with "bionic" -- which is also probably why the MNOG creators assumed the nonbiological side was more robotic than strictly mechanical. Now, they certainly refined it as time went on, but it wasn't a retcon. They were always meant to be somewhat biological, and things like gears and pistons were always meant to be there. Due to "bionic" they were probably originally vaguely half organic, half some kind of technology, and what was later added was apparently the idea that the tech side did not (for the most part) rise to the level of electronics. (So at that point the robotic sound effects of the MNOG and updates would stop working.) This may have happened at the point of MOL, but it wasn't that they were previously completely robots. Re: Bohrok being "biomechanical" -- that sounds vaguely familiar, but foggy. Where specifically is this? I recall something about that word originally seeming to mean "more mechanical than we're used to" but later being used in its now well-known sense. This would have made sense at the time because the speakers were more biological than Bohrok (who were entirely lacking biology except the Krana -- and "biomechanical" could have included the Krana in the bio part of it, since they don't really function properly, as 'bad guys' in the story, without them). Edited August 16, 2015 by bonesiii 1 Quote The Destiny of Bionicle (chronological retelling of Bionicle original series, 9 PDFs of 10 chapters each on Google Drive): Part 1 - Warring with Fate | Part 2 - Year of Change | Part 3 - The Exploration Trap | Part 4 - Rise of the Warlords | Part 5 - A Busy Matoran | Part 6 - The Dark Time | Part 7 - Proving Grounds | Part 8 - A Rude Awakening | Part 9 - The Battle of Giants My Bionicle Fanfiction (Google Drive folder, eventually planned to have PDFs of all of it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Knight Krazy Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 (edited) Just checked some of the early comics for references to mechanical life because I'm a huge nerd and needed a nice dose of nostalgia today anyways. Here's what I found: Abstract: throughout most of the comics, there's no reference to the Toa's (or any species') mechanical nature. If you were just to read the script, you could easily assume they were fully organic. They definitely breathe, which doesn't make much sense for robots. Most notably in #2: Lewa: "Hard to see under here... and to breathe. I'll have to find the mask quickly if I don't want to run out of air and..."WHAT--?"Shock made me open my mouth... no air... but I... will... be... FREE!" Later, in the Bohrok saga, it's a pretty big surprise when Kopaka figures out that the Krana are alive. You'd think they'd already know that, since they're fully organic and probably pulsing a little bit. I always imagined them pulsing like an alien brain or something. Maybe it's because they're not used to seeing fully organic life? But then there's lots of plantlife and a few organic creatures on Mata Nui, too, so, hmm. </ramble> Then there's this interesting bit from #6: "The Matoran have learned that the Bohrok do not truly live. They are artificial life... biomechanical creations," Onua explains. "The villagers salvaged parts from fallen Bohrok to build the Boxor vehicles."(emphasis mine - I mean, sort of, that particular phrase is emphasized in the comic but so are a LOT of things that I didn't bother to emphasize) So apparently being biomechanical makes you not alive. In conclusion: Yes, I think the biomechanical nature of the characters was introduced later, but not in the way you'd expect. (It was probably canon from the beginning, but not relevant in any way) I think that early in the series, they were treated no differently than ordinary living beings and their robotic appearance was treated as nothing more than artistic license, and only later did the writers make it an explicit part of the story. (I remember vividly - it might have been 2006 - a discussion about how the Toa's organic tissue atrophied and decayed while they were in their canisters, while their armor was fine; when they put their pieces back together, the tissue grew back) P.S. If you happen to have a collection of the comics lying around, I'd highly recommend giving them another read! They're great. The Bohrok saga, in particular, is my favorite. And lots of interesting nods to future story... "Do you ever get the feeling there's a lot more to this island than we know about?" "Yes. It is not a comforting thought." And then there was Tahu's "That voice... I 'hear' it in my mind!" which immediately reminded me of how inarticulately G2 Tahu got the same point across... Edited August 16, 2015 by Jedi Knight Krazy 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zox Tomana Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 (edited) A thing to keep in mind regarding the Bohrok statement: the Bohrok are biomechanical differently from the MU Beings. They're fully robotic shells with an organic controller. So when the Toa look at them compared to themselves, they are less organic and more mechanical. Edited August 16, 2015 by Zox Tomana Quote ~~-BS01 Histories-~~ by Zox Tomana, B.A. - Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonesiii Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 (edited) Yeah, that sounds like the one I was thinking of, and clearly does not support the idea that the main characters were originally robots. I think it's a mistake to take it the other way, though, and assume they were originally meant to be fully organic with armor or something. "Bionic" in the name is not a coincidence, and they didn't design all those pistons and anything without the story team noticing. Clearly when Greg wrote that he meant mechanical, and didn't realize at the time that the term meant a mix, or simply got mixed up and didn't mean to use that word there. Later on he used it in the correct sense and always seemed to be describing what was always planned, though again, the details were surely refined over time. As to being surprised the Krana were alive, it's probably the oddity of having an organic brain in what otherwise appears to be completely inorganic, and may also have been an attempted hint to the readers that Bohrok had a biomechanical (literally) origin, along with the "brothers" hint. Edited August 16, 2015 by bonesiii 1 Quote The Destiny of Bionicle (chronological retelling of Bionicle original series, 9 PDFs of 10 chapters each on Google Drive): Part 1 - Warring with Fate | Part 2 - Year of Change | Part 3 - The Exploration Trap | Part 4 - Rise of the Warlords | Part 5 - A Busy Matoran | Part 6 - The Dark Time | Part 7 - Proving Grounds | Part 8 - A Rude Awakening | Part 9 - The Battle of Giants My Bionicle Fanfiction (Google Drive folder, eventually planned to have PDFs of all of it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takhamavahu Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 I remember it coming out in a 2002 comic that the Bohrok were purely mechanical, to which I thought, "Oh, so everyone else isn't then." Quote Flash Fire Adaptive Armour Where They All Are Tobduk Nikila Iron Wolf Artakha Adaptive Armour 2 Helryx Lariska Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan McOwen Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Well of course they were always part biological. Why else would Gali need a mask of Water Breathing? Robots don't need to breathe. Well, some vehicles such as Land Rovers have snorkels so that if the engine is submerged, it still has access to air. So even if G1 characters weren't partially organic (which they are), the need for access to air could very well still be something of requirement. 6 Quote I inadvertently predicted Vorox armour's use in G2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Knight Krazy Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 You know, come to think of it, we still don't know exactly what the G2 characters are. I think it's a safe bet that they're biomechanical, but they already seem more organic than their G1 counterparts; the Protectors have family-like relationships, and their corpses appear to be able to decompose to some extent (hence the skeletons). Slightly more on-topic point: early on, it seems like there's not much interest - in either generation - in explaining exactly what these characters are. I do find it interesting that many commenters in this topic can't remember assuming that they were just robots, yet we can't seem to find any official material early on suggesting they were biomechanical. LEGO may have won an award for implicit clarity here... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toa Imrukii Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 The G2 characters are most likely biological, with metals skeletons, and semi-metal skin in some areas (as in hands and feet, hence why some of the characters have silver or just metallic hands and feet) But as for the Toa, I think that they are Bio-mechanical, but protectors themselves can become Toa (but it's more like when Mata Nui promoted his Glatorian friends to Toa status) only instead of them being tall for most of their lives (like the Glatorian), they grow up to be Toa sized if they are destined to become Toa, if not than they become Protectors. (this is just a theory though) Quote Quote: "Love has no fear, and no vengeance." | :i: | Andekas ⴳ A RUDE AWAKENING - A BIONICLE G1 Continuation and Video Game Project (ARTIST AND CONCEPTUALIST) | I am an ENFP, that is my Personality. Check Out Makuta Teridax: Reaper of Darkness | Check out my Taknuva Stars MOC | ⴳ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan McOwen Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 (edited) The G2 characters are most likely biological, with metals skeletons, and semi-metal skin in some areas (as in hands and feet, hence why some of the characters have silver or just metallic hands and feet) Those are some pretty big assumptions, especially seeing as they really don't look organic at all. I mean, blocky metallic bodywork, exposed joints, glowing components, hydraulic pistons and built-in gatling guns are certainly not biological aesthetics. I'm seriously really bewildered as to how you've come to your conclusion. They might be biomechanical to some degree, or they might be technorganic. The "bio" in "Bionicle" this time around might even just be allusion to the Toa's control over the elements. But, anything of this degree is yet to be confirmed. I do find it interesting that many commenters in this topic can't remember assuming that they were just robots I did up until I got the first movie. My only exposure to the characters was the toys, what few comics I had, and the promotional animations, as was the case for most kids in my area. The supremely mechanical aesthetic of the characters and the fact that they made motor sounds while moving around led me to that conclusion. To find out they had muscle tissue however, was a really big kick in the teeth for me as a kid, so I always imagined that they were just mechanical, as heartbreaking as that may be for some of you. This feeling kinda stuck with me up until only recently. Edited August 21, 2015 by Logan McOwen Quote I inadvertently predicted Vorox armour's use in G2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesy Mac n Cheese Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 (edited) I somehow knew back around 2001/2002 that they weren't just robots. One of my friends even described them using the term "bio-robots" (he was, like, 10, so "biomechanical" probably wasn't in his vocabulary). I'm not sure if it was explicitly stated, but we just somehow (correctly) assumed they were living creatures. There were actually a few hints. Tales of the Tohunga has that poisoned Vuata Maca Tree sidequest, which was a tree that provided food for the villages, and MNOLG showed Ga-Matoran in Onu-Koro selling fresh fish. Since robots don't eat, the presence of food kind of makes it clear that they're not robots. EDIT: As mentioned above, the Kaukau. Robots don't breathe, either. Although, I think the biggest indicator that they weren't robots was the simple fact that they were individuals. They had personalities. Edited September 7, 2015 by Cheesy Mac n Cheese Quote My friend went to Po-Wahi and all I got was this lousy rock. Blue sea...a Ruki leaps...the sound of water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 1st Shadow Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 I wholeheartedly agree with you, Cheesy, except for one point: Although, I think the biggest indicator that they weren't robots was the simple fact that they were individuals. They had personalities.I'd like to introduce you to R2-D2 from Star Wars, a robot known for his distinct personality. 4 Quote ~Your friendly, neighborhood Shadow ~Credit for Avatar and Banner goes to NickonAquaMagna~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Editor Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 I wholeheartedly agree with you, Cheesy, except for one point: Although, I think the biggest indicator that they weren't robots was the simple fact that they were individuals. They had personalities.I'd like to introduce you to R2-D2 from Star Wars, a robot known for his distinct personality. Don't forget Threepio! :^) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorQuaoar Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 They might be biomechanical to some degree, or they might be technorganic. The "bio" in "Bionicle" this time around might even just be allusion to the Toa's control over the elements. But, anything of this degree is yet to be confirmed. Ryder Windham confirmed that "just like the Toa, the Inhabitants of Okoto are biomechanical" in this interview. http://derchronist.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1104&start=10#p10566 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akavakaku Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 I didn't start reading the story until about 2004, but I figured out pretty quickly from Hapka's writing that they were cyborgs. Incidentally, it's technically correct to call a Bohrok biomechanical, since that doesn't mean something has to be alive, it can instead mean a mechanical system which resembles a living one. Quote ( The bunny slippers hiss and slither into the shadows. ) -Takuaka: Toa of TimeWhat if the Toa you know best were not destined to be? Interchange: The epic begins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesy Mac n Cheese Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 I wholeheartedly agree with you, Cheesy, except for one point: Although, I think the biggest indicator that they weren't robots was the simple fact that they were individuals. They had personalities.I'd like to introduce you to R2-D2 from Star Wars, a robot known for his distinct personality. Don't forget Threepio! :^) I'm thinking in a real world perspective. R2-Ds and C3PO are not realistic robots (or at least won't be be quite a while), not with artificial intelligence in the early stages it's in now.. Quote My friend went to Po-Wahi and all I got was this lousy rock. Blue sea...a Ruki leaps...the sound of water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 1st Shadow Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 I wholeheartedly agree with you, Cheesy, except for one point: Although, I think the biggest indicator that they weren't robots was the simple fact that they were individuals. They had personalities.I'd like to introduce you to R2-D2 from Star Wars, a robot known for his distinct personality. Don't forget Threepio! :^) I'm thinking in a real world perspective. R2-Ds and C3PO are not realistic robots (or at least won't be be quite a while), not with artificial intelligence in the early stages it's in now.. You missed the point. Just because we don't actually have those things in real life, doesn't mean kids weren't familiar with the concept, seeing as it had been around decades before BIONICLE ever was. Quote ~Your friendly, neighborhood Shadow ~Credit for Avatar and Banner goes to NickonAquaMagna~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsutta Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 (edited) The biggest indicator that they were 20% organic and 80% mechanical is to quote the Matoran BS01 page: "They are dependent upon the wearing of their powerless Kanohi, without which they will weaken and be rendered comatose." No purely mechanical being can go into a coma. Edited September 25, 2015 by Wamsutta 1 Quote For the first time in four years ... the Bionicle story comes to a closewith the Bionicle Disunity trilogy Were you as shocked as I was upon learning the Bionicle serials "The Yesterday Quest" and "The Powers That Be" would never be finished?Did you know that Lego won't allow Greg Farshtey to complete the story because they want to focus on marketing G2? My close friend The Mad Great Being has been working tirelessly on completing the Bionicle story ... and now it is finally finished. His writing style staystrue to the integrity of the characters that we know and love. His plot ideas are something only comparable to Greg Farshtey's. Trust me, I'm hard to please with fan-fiction. If you liked reading Bionicle Chronicles/Adventures/Legends ... then you won'twant to miss the next best thing since learning Mata Nui was a 40-million-foot-tall robot. BZP User The Mad Great Being presents ... Bionicle: Malevolencehttp://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/19970-the-great-being-civil-war/ Sponsored by Wamsutta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rahkshi Lalonde Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 The biggest indicator that they were 20% organic and 80% mechanical is to quote the Matoran BS01 page: "They are dependent upon the wearing of their powerless Kanohi, without which they will weaken and be rendered comatose." No purely mechanical being can go into a coma. I'm thinking in a real world perspective. R2-Ds and C3PO are not realistic robots (or at least won't be be quite a while), not with artificial intelligence in the early stages it's in now.. Both of these sorta seem to be missing the point that even if they were full robots, Bionicle is fiction, and in fiction, a robot can breathe, go comatose, have complex emotions, bleed if the author wants them to... Sci-Fi loves complex and near-human robots. o: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrinkledlion X Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I somehow knew back around 2001/2002 that they weren't just robots. One of my friends even described them using the term "bio-robots" (he was, like, 10, so "biomechanical" probably wasn't in his vocabulary). I'm not sure if it was explicitly stated, but we just somehow (correctly) assumed they were living creatures. There were actually a few hints. Tales of the Tohunga has that poisoned Vuata Maca Tree sidequest, which was a tree that provided food for the villages, and MNOLG showed Ga-Matoran in Onu-Koro selling fresh fish. Since robots don't eat, the presence of food kind of makes it clear that they're not robots. EDIT: As mentioned above, the Kaukau. Robots don't breathe, either. Although, I think the biggest indicator that they weren't robots was the simple fact that they were individuals. They had personalities. Came here to mention the fish sellers in MNOLG. I'm surprised it took so long for someone to mention that. There's also the fact that the Rahi, while mechanical in appearance, form an ecosystem that included both herbivores and predators. (Plus you've got the Nui-Rama, who build hives out of organic-looking materials.) The existence of Rahi in nature does a lot to imply that the Matoran are alive, just through context. Because even though we may be used to stories about humanlike robots, but how often are they part of an ecosystem that includes mechanical tigers and goats? 1 Quote [bloog] [brickshelf] [This used to be my library but the link is broken] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Editor Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 (edited) I somehow knew back around 2001/2002 that they weren't just robots. One of my friends even described them using the term "bio-robots" (he was, like, 10, so "biomechanical" probably wasn't in his vocabulary). I'm not sure if it was explicitly stated, but we just somehow (correctly) assumed they were living creatures. There were actually a few hints. Tales of the Tohunga has that poisoned Vuata Maca Tree sidequest, which was a tree that provided food for the villages, and MNOLG showed Ga-Matoran in Onu-Koro selling fresh fish. Since robots don't eat, the presence of food kind of makes it clear that they're not robots. EDIT: As mentioned above, the Kaukau. Robots don't breathe, either. Although, I think the biggest indicator that they weren't robots was the simple fact that they were individuals. They had personalities. Came here to mention the fish sellers in MNOLG. I'm surprised it took so long for someone to mention that. There's also the fact that the Rahi, while mechanical in appearance, form an ecosystem that included both herbivores and predators. (Plus you've got the Nui-Rama, who build hives out of organic-looking materials.) The existence of Rahi in nature does a lot to imply that the Matoran are alive, just through context. Because even though we may be used to stories about humanlike robots, but how often are they part of an ecosystem that includes mechanical tigers and goats? This pretty much sold it for me when watching MoL. Also, the way the movies portrayed muscle under the Toas' and Matorans' (blech those words look wrong) armor in the movies made me think they were at least partly organic. I'm sure others did too. It kind of seems deliberate to me. Edited October 11, 2015 by The Editor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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