Bionicle 2015 Discussion

[Capt. Redblade]

What was up with Tahu's voice in Episode 6? He just sounded weird, almost like the narrator was mixing Pohatu and Tahu's voice.

I think it's a symptom of a larger problem: namely, Lego is far too cheap to pay for half-decent VAs these days. They have the one guy doing every voice (including Gali! ) for Bionicle, to the point where they all sound the same. And it's not just this theme either: the voice acting in the Ultra Agents app really makes me cringe.

My training is primarily in stage acting, but I could still act circles around the guys they hire.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Capt. Redblade

[DuckBricks]

I think it's a symptom of a larger problem: namely, Lego is far too cheap to pay for half-decent VAs these days. They have the one guy doing every voice (including Gali! ) for Bionicle, to the point where they all sound the same. And it's not just this theme either: the voice acting in the Ultra Agents app really makes me cringe.

My training is primarily in stage acting, but I could still act circles around the guys they hire.

Eh, I'm fine with it. It makes it seem like there is one narrator (the PoF) describing a story, which I think was the intent.

[The Kumquat Alchemist]

I wish that the 2015 web videos had used subtitles accompanied by an incoherent but distinctly speech-like noise, akin to the method used for the 2005 Hordika web animations in which the Toa searched for the Mask of Light; that may have been my favorite BIONICLE web series just for its unique method of portraying speech sans any proper voice actors.

Edited March 6, 2015 by The Kumquat Alchemist

[Mandate]

I wish that the 2015 web videos had used subtitles accompanied by an incoherent but distinctly speech-like noise, akin to the method used for the 2005 Hordika web animations in which the Toa searched for the Mask of Light; that may have been my favorite BIONICLE web series just for its unique method of portraying speech sans any proper voice actors.

ew no.

Anyway, aside from the crummy voice acting I enjoyed this episode far more than the others. Maybe it was seeing something other than crazy action sequences and cheesy dialogue and actually getting some real mystery to Okoto that did it. I'm really curious now as to how the Skull villains are going to function in the plot, perhaps the Golden Masks are linked to their creator?

Really though, this makes me speculate about how Ekimu, the MoCR, and the Golden Masks work, and the relation behind Makuta's Mask of Control and the undead villains. There's too many plot holes in my theory, but maybe the Golden Masks are connected to the Mask of Creation (assuming Ekimu made them) and masks made by Makuta are connected to his Mask of Control, giving him LoTR-like control over anyone wearing a mask he made?

edit: Oh, I forgot to mention. Onua's digging towards a Vahi and a some broken CCBS bones, literally.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Mandate

[MakutaOfWar]

Oh, are they still releasing those unholy animations? I wouldn't know BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN WATCHING THEM. *turns off caps* I couldn't stand the voice acting, being the reason I haven't been following them, I would have much appreciated subtitles instead. I find the MNOG animations much more appealing to this day, even though they were released 13 years ago. They were much more stylized and less, how should I put it, cringe-worthy.

[Logan McOwen]

Oh, are they still releasing those unholy animations? I wouldn't know BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN WATCHING THEM. *turns off caps* I couldn't stand the voice acting, being the reason I haven't been following them, I would have much appreciated subtitles instead. I find the MNOG animations much more appealing to this day, even though they were released 13 years ago. They were much more stylized and less, how should I put it, cringe-worthy.

You must be fun at parties.

[MakutaOfWar]

You must be fun at parties.

I don't get invited. :c

[Logan McOwen]

I don't get invited. :c

Neither do I -n-

[The Outsider]

It's probably on purpose. The Protectors' masks are ornate and ceremonial, whereas the Toa came with them and are technically a part of them.

The Proctector masks are functional... I mean, for all we know, they've been using elemental masks longer than the Toa, just with less power. If anything, the Toa's seem more ceremonial, since somebody went out of their way to make gold versions of it =P.

But yeah, fine episode. Not much happened, but it at least acknowledges the other Toa, which has probably been one of the more interesting aspects of the animations so far.

I actually had a different idea in mind: that the Okotoans' Masks (Mask Makers and Skull Spiders included) have more traditional designs because they come from a tribal/ancient society, and the Toa's Masks have a more futuristic design because they come from a more technologically advanced society (having fallen from space and everything, and possibly being called from a different point in time). But since the Okoto-located Golden Masks share the Toa's mechanical details, I'm not sure how well that theory holds.

Damn if this turns out to be true, rumours certainly have begun to appear earlier.

This was found from the unholy depths of the Internet, you can probably guess where.

"Some guy whose nephew was in a lego play test supposedly took him along and it turned out to be Bionicle.

If he's to be believed, the bad guys have a new shiny-platinum metallic color, two new overlays (one which is sort of a chest-belt combo that goes over existing torso shells, one which is like a shoulder spike with a vent) and most importantly, a new shooter which works a little like the new LEGO spring-loaded missiles, only it fires some sort of slime/ghost spirit thing.

There will be one good guy in the Winter wave (a Toa version of Ekimu) and the smaller sets will basically be the shooters with limbs."

I want to believe this because it's a good explanation enough but I really don't think they are turning Ekimu into a toa. either way it seems G2 Takanuva is on it's way.

While I like the idea of "Ekimu, Master of Creation", I really hope this is just a rumor. I mean, an entire line of limbed shooters?

Yes, they usually start to work on a wave approximately a year before the sets get released, and not only in Constraction, but in every theme. That's why sets based on movies aren't always accurate : the designers often have to work with early designs / ideas / concepts which might not be used in the final movie.

Yep; I remember when I was a gullible kid I usually mailed them ideas I had for new toys, and they answered they couldn't accept them because the design process takes years and one of those ideas could already be in development (and also copyright issues, obviously).

I think it's a symptom of a larger problem: namely, Lego is far too cheap to pay for half-decent VAs these days. They have the one guy doing every voice (including Gali! ) for Bionicle, to the point where they all sound the same. And it's not just this theme either: the voice acting in the Ultra Agents app really makes me cringe.

My training is primarily in stage acting, but I could still act circles around the guys they hire.

My problem is not so much the voice acting as the pacing of the episodes. Seriously, most of them are just previews of the next one! We just spent 3 of them with ONE Toa finding and using his Golden Mask, while the other five were shown for barely a glimpse.

That said, however, if they focused in every Toa finding their masks it might run the risk of feeling formulaic, like the instruction comics.

I wish that the 2015 web videos had used subtitles accompanied by an incoherent but distinctly speech-like noise, akin to the method used for the 2005 Hordika web animations in which the Toa searched for the Mask of Light; that may have been my favorite BIONICLE web series just for its unique method of portraying speech sans any proper voice actors.

That would be cool, but I don't think kids these days would enjoy a video where they have to read unless it's from a video game (and even then...)

ew no.

Anyway, aside from the crummy voice acting I enjoyed this episode far more than the others. Maybe it was seeing something other than crazy action sequences and cheesy dialogue and actually getting some real mystery to Okoto that did it. I'm really curious now as to how the Skull villains are going to function in the plot, perhaps the Golden Masks are linked to their creator?

Really though, this makes me speculate about how Ekimu, the MoCR, and the Golden Masks work, and the relation behind Makuta's Mask of Control and the undead villains. There's too many plot holes in my theory, but maybe the Golden Masks are connected to the Mask of Creation (assuming Ekimu made them) and masks made by Makuta are connected to his Mask of Control, giving him LoTR-like control over anyone wearing a mask he made?

edit: Oh, I forgot to mention. Onua's digging towards a Vahi and a some broken CCBS bones, literally.

Hmm, interesting theory... That probably explains why on Spherus Magna a Mask Maker would choose to wear a Mask of Control instead of Creation.

Edited March 6, 2015 by The Outsider

[Leewan]

I actually had a different idea in mind: that the Okotoans' Masks (Mask Makers and Skull Spiders included) have more traditional designs because they come from a tribal/ancient society, and the Toa's Masks have a more futuristic design because they come from a more technologically advanced society (having fallen from space and everything, and possibly being called from a different point in time). But since the Okoto-located Golden Masks share the Toa's mechanical details, I'm not sure how well that theory holds.

I don't think the Toa's Golden Masks come from a different planet / time : we know thanks to the Episode 6 that Ekimu has the ability to speak to the Toa through them, so I guess he forged them on Okoto, and then hid them. But perhaps him and Makuta also come from a different planet / world. They might look like the Protectors, but they seem to have more powers / abilities than them (they're known for making masks of power, and their own masks don't have elemental powers like the islanders' ones do), so they might not be the same species. So it's possible that they arrived on Okoto with the Golden Masks and hid them. It's even possible that he knew the prophecy before he came to Okoto, and that he forged the Golden Masks because he knew the Toa would need them to save the island. But if it's the case, there's a problem : the threat seems to come from Makuta (either directly or indirectly, because the MoUP seems "evil", and it was forged by Makuta), and if Ekimu knew that, why would have he came to Okoto with his brother in the first place ?

While I like the idea of "Ekimu, Master of Creation", I really hope this is just a rumor. I mean, an entire line of limbed shooters?

Think of an army of Protectors of Earth.

If it turns out to be true, though, I hope they'll be humanoid, I don't want spider-like baddies for the third consecutive year. But you know, things might drastically change, we're only in March, and they certainly have defined the core concept, but the sets' design is far from being finalized, so I wouldn't worry too much.

[GK733]

While I like the idea of "Ekimu, Master of Creation", I really hope this is just a rumor. I mean, an entire line of limbed shooters? .

Well as it seems the same guy drew these some time ago.

http://i.imgur.com/7FH4eiH.png

From the looks of it the walking shooters are more like Hydruka.

Those leg shells are incredibly similiar to the ones on Star Wars. When did these rumours start to appear, before the reveal of SW constraction or later?

[Clone 01354 Productions]

I think it's a symptom of a larger problem: namely, Lego is far too cheap to pay for half-decent VAs these days. They have the one guy doing every voice (including Gali! ) for Bionicle, to the point where they all sound the same. And it's not just this theme either: the voice acting in the Ultra Agents app really makes me cringe.

My training is primarily in stage acting, but I could still act circles around the guys they hire.

At first, I was against having only one narrator, but I actually like it now. I like the theory that the story has already happened, and this is some character (*cough* baby Protector) who is telling the story to a new generation.

My only complaint for this episode was that the narrator didn't do his normal voice for Tahu. But I still love the narrator himself. (In a non-creepy way. :P)

Damn if this turns out to be true, rumours certainly have begun to appear earlier.

This was found from the unholy depths of the Internet, you can probably guess where.

"Some guy whose nephew was in a lego play test supposedly took him along and it turned out to be Bionicle.

If he's to be believed, the bad guys have a new shiny-platinum metallic color, two new overlays (one which is sort of a chest-belt combo that goes over existing torso shells, one which is like a shoulder spike with a vent) and most importantly, a new shooter which works a little like the new LEGO spring-loaded missiles, only it fires some sort of slime/ghost spirit thing.

There will be one good guy in the Winter wave (a Toa version of Ekimu) and the smaller sets will basically be the shooters with limbs."

I want to believe this because it's a good explanation enough but I really don't think they are turning Ekimu into a toa. either way it seems G2 Takanuva is on it's way.

I have no clue what to make of that, other than this: "Shiny platinum metal color"? "Toa version of Ekimu"?!? #FunmetalTakanuva2016 is real!!!!!!

[Shakar]

They came after Toyfair NY. I know because the poster said Master Ekimu has elongated leg armour with a small curving at the top, one asked them if it's the same shell Vader and Luke wear and they said yes.

Also, the guy said there's a tan and trans purple villain with a cape. Again, I wasn't sure whether posting these or not given 4chan's... reputation over here.

Were this info to be true, I can't say I'm excited about the small villains,

Ekimu turning bigger is certainly the oddest one. Maybe him and Makuta can change size for battle? It was never stated they belong to the Protectors' species afterall, and there's a fair number of reasons to assume they indeed don't (unique incredibly powerful masks of unknown origins, unique armour style, unique colour schemes..).

Those villains do indeed sound very cool though. I mean, tan and tr. purple?!

Still, there a big reason I don't believe these rumours: it'd be VERY odd on Lego's part to release two villain waves in a row. They did it a few times during G1, I just don't see doing it again. One year and half without any new hero set besides two Ekimu? Really?

[Logan McOwen]

I wish that the 2015 web videos had used subtitles accompanied by an incoherent but distinctly speech-like noise, akin to the method used for the 2005 Hordika web animations in which the Toa searched for the Mask of Light; that may have been my favorite BIONICLE web series just for its unique method of portraying speech sans any proper voice actors.

Hell yes.

[GK733]

Still, there a big reason I don't believe these rumours: it'd be VERY odd on Lego's part to release two villain waves in a row. They did it a few times during G1, I just don't see doing it again. One year and half without any new hero set besides two Ekimu? Really?

Yeah, that might be an issue. Though those were just early prototypes possibly mistaken as villains.

[The Outsider]

Well as it seems the same guy drew these some time ago.

http://i.imgur.com/7FH4eiH.png

From the looks of it the walking shooters are more like Hydruka.

Those leg shells are incredibly similiar to the ones on Star Wars. When did these rumours start to appear, before the reveal of SW constraction or later?

They came after Toyfair NY. I know because the poster said Master Ekimu has elongated leg armour with a small curving at the top, one asked them if it's the same shell Vader and Luke wear and they said yes.

Also, the guy said there's a tan and trans purple villain with a cape. Again, I wasn't sure whether posting these or not given 4chan's... reputation over here.

Were this info to be true, I can't say I'm excited about the small villains,

Ekimu turning bigger is certainly the oddest one. Maybe him and Makuta can change size for battle? It was never stated they belong to the Protectors' species afterall, and there's a fair number of reasons to assume they indeed don't (unique incredibly powerful masks of unknown origins, unique armour style, unique colour schemes..).

Those villains do indeed sound very cool though. I mean, tan and tr. purple?!

Still, there a big reason I don't believe these rumours: it'd be VERY odd on Lego's part to release two villain waves in a row. They did it a few times during G1, I just don't see doing it again. One year and half without any new hero set besides two Ekimu? Really?

Slightly better, but unless the shooter creatures are different for each element (i.e.: a bird or an insect for Jungle, a predatorial fish or an amphibian for Water), it's still a bad call in my opinion.

And if I recall correctly, the one time they released two villains in a row (Bohrok-Kal and Rahkshi*) it ended up being one of their worst selling years, so I don't think they'll repeat that again.

* not counting the Vahki and the Visorak since the latter only were released before the Hordika in Europe, I think

Also, since we're starting to discuss 2016, shouldn't we perhaps rename the topic? Maybe "BIONICLE Gen2 Discussion"?

On a sidenote, who wants some Gen1 concept art?

[Leewan]

Yeah, that might be an issue. Though those were just early prototypes possibly mistaken as villains.

The Toa are the main characters, I doubt we'll get new good guys next year, an upgraded version is more likely. They could gain allies, though. We could get a split wave like in 2008, with three bad guys and three new good guys, and the six Toa for the second wave.

Also, since we're starting to discuss 2016, shouldn't we perhaps rename the topic? Maybe "BIONICLE Gen2 Discussion"?

And we'll end up with a 3000 pages-long topic in 2017, no thanks. I think it would be better to open a 2016 rumors and discussion topic, although it might be early (on an other hand, this topic was opened thriteen months before the official release date).

On a sidenote, who wants some Gen1 concept art?

Brand new boxes and canisters, this is magnificent.

[TheOneVeyronian]

Well, there's not really much evidence yet to assume that the first wave of 2016 will also be exclusively villains. It's entirely possible that the next wave could feature 3 heroes and 3 villains, like in 2008. Or a mix like that. That would be something I'd like to see since I tend to prefer villains to heroes. EDIT: Aw man, Leewan beat me to the idea as I was typing it

But a possible tan and trans-purple guy (not calling it a villain... yet) with a cape? And possibly a Master Ekimu using possibly recoloured Luke/Vader leg shells? Yes please.

Edited March 6, 2015 by TheOneVeyronian

[GK733]

Well I hope those shooter things turn out to be fauna.

I personally would love to get some birds and stuff but would kids be all over it?

[Leewan]

EDIT: Aw man, Leewan beat me to the idea as I was typing it

Great minds think alike.

[Bbrink1996]

On a sidenote, who wants some Gen1 concept art?

That is amazing.

[Tazakk]

Still, there a big reason I don't believe these rumours: it'd be VERY odd on Lego's part to release two villain waves in a row. They did it a few times during G1, I just don't see doing it again. One year and half without any new hero set besides two Ekimu? Really?

By that same token, wouldn't any fake leaks be likely to feature a new set of Toa, catering to what we would naturally expect? It's that and the fact that they are apparently reiterating a concept that was applied in Ninjago only one half-year earlier that to me really lends credence to this leak.

[Still Raindrop]

That would be cool, but I don't think kids these days would enjoy a video where they have to read unless it's from a video game (and even then...)

There were people saying this about kids back when G1 came out. In fact, people have been saying things about "kids these days" for ages.

[DuckBricks]

Why is it that this was the first thought that came to my mind when I heard "walking shooters?"

[Quisoves Pugnat]

By that same token, wouldn't any fake leaks be likely to feature a new set of Toa, catering to what we would naturally expect? It's that and the fact that they are apparently reiterating a concept that was applied in Ninjago only one half-year earlier that to me really lends credence to this leak.

Though by that token, the idea of a larger Ekimu seems to fall similarly within the range of "obvious choices that haunt fans' dreams." That said, I agree that it does make the story somewhat more plausible.

As for the oddity of two consecutive villain ranges, consider this. In 2002, we didn't get new iterations of the Toa until late Summer/Fall. The Toa fought the Bohrok in the same forms as the previous year, albeit with golden masks. Granted, 2001 had a single wave, making the Bohrok the immediate next wave, but nonetheless, the heroes fought two sets of villains in the same forms. Perhaps LEGO is keen to give each iteration of our heroes more breathing-time, as opposed to "here comes a new threat, it's redesign time!"

If this a genuine leak, then I imagine that there will be some trinket for the Toa to collect (probably the blasters.)

Edited March 6, 2015 by Quisoves Pugnat