BIONICLE Generation 1 Discussion

[dviddy]

Also, I feel it's really pointless to tear about the alternate universes. So we got some alternate realities, so what? How many times did they affect the actual main story?

The bolded part is precisely my point. Greg wasted time and effort on poorly-written and unnecessary side adventures that not only affected the main storyline by one time giving Takanuva a new weapon (that could have simply been picked up anywhere, it's not like the story ever made the weaponry all that important), but basically just gave him an outlet to make all these dark and morbid side universes where he could be more "mature" with his storytelling.

I have a very strong criticism of Greg's insistence on taking the story to a place where "random deaths for shock value" equals "mature and edgy storytelling". The two are conflated too often and are not synonymous. Greg's non-LEGO work, if you ever get a chance to read it, is full of "zingy" one-liners and gratuitous "shocking" deaths. I don't like the forced attempts to bring that into BIONICLE where it was a tonal mismatch.

This seems more like a nostalgia-based argument, since the "overall tone" you're describing is basically whatever was in the MNOG. The BIONICLE story has always been pretty dark, but it's not until loosening standards that it could necessarily express how dark it actually was; implied violence only carries a violent story so far. Jaller's sacrifice at the end of 2003, for instance, was immediately negated by his deus-ex-machina revival. If we had kept that "tone" through 2007, it would have been a far less compelling quest to revive Mata Nui.

MNOG, we'd had three films, by 2006 we'd had five years of comics, three years of books, etc. It's not just the MNOG or the Bohrok animations (which paired the "our entire island is being destroyed and we're losing our homes" with well-written character moments and even humour, to boot). While I'm sure we'd all agree that the MoL film was too light, let's not pretend there was no tone to the series. I would also quibble with the assumption that grave stakes require a darker mood- several other brands make heavy use of world-shattering stakes and still make fun and enjoyable films that balance the pathos with humour and intelligence (Marvel or Star Wars both come to mind). As Greg gained more control over the story he veered closer and closer to the "grimdark" (I know you hate that word but it is what it is, and it's the perfect term for Greg's tonal shift in latter years) trope. A complete misunderstanding of how a "dark and gritty" take on a series works and when to use it. The new Daredevil television show is dark and gritty and it works because of the stories it tells, and because it doesn't labor under the pretension that "grim and dark" is "how the world actually is". Whereas the newest Superman movie attempts to adopt the Nolan Batman film tone and falls flat because that tone fundamentally missed the characters it's talking about.

In terms of the whole "Greg can only write women as Team Moms and Femme Fatales, what about: Helryx, Annona, Gorast, Gavla, Kiina, Krahka, Hahli, Macku, Dalu, and Gaaki,

Helryx is the overly-violent "anti-caregiver", as is Annona, Gorast, Dalu, and Gavla. The rest are stereotypical "bring the group together/peacemaker" characters. Macku, Hahli, and Kiina have the added bonus of existing in most of their characterization as a potential love interest as well, regardless of the "no romance" angle.

I don't have anywhere near the time to do it, but you could pick out-of-context dialogue snippets from almost any of those characters in the same column and assign them to another from that same column and it not feel out of place. That's a problem.

[Lord-Vorahk]

Well, using the GSR as a reference again, his hands are huge.

I like the connectors as hands better than the Glatorian fists. In some cases, I even prefer them over the HF hands.

Helryx isn't overly violent. She's pretty cold and methodical, and has one ruthless moment in the whole series (Going Nova in the GSR's brain to try and stop Teridax). Annona isn't overly-violent either. She fights the Skakdi Fusion, but otherwise, she doesn't even do a whole lot: She just eats dreams and drives people mad. Malevolent, yes, but that's it. Gorast is psychotic and aggressive, but then you get Gavla, who is aggressive while corrupted, but more distant and lonely because she thinks her fellow Av-Matoran don't like her. Dalu is aggressive too,but there's some nuance to it: She's become more violent after the terrible life she's had.

Meanwhile, Kiina's not the bring-the-team-together-peacemaker character. Mata Nui and Ackar do that a lot more. Similarly, Takua is the one that united his company, while Gaaki is nervous and eager to prove herself. Krahka is a mysterious Rahi, that was initially an antagonist, and helped them occasionally, but never played Team Mom. Norik was the one pulling that duty in 2005. Hahli was shyer and quiet.

Meanwhile we're all forgetting Gali, who did the Team-Mom-bit, yes, but also had her arguments with Tahu, her wiser, introspective moments (One of 2007's serials was told entirely through her eyes, which helped), and that time she blew up an island.

Yes, Greg does tend to defer to these sort of stereotypical roles a fair bit. But they still have more to them than that.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Lord-Vorahk

[Quisoves Pugnat]

The bolded part is precisely my point. Greg wasted time and effort on poorly-written and unnecessary side adventures that not only affected the main storyline by one time giving Takanuva a new weapon

How does being unnecessary matter? Does being irrelevant to the main plot invalidate a story's merits? You may not like them, but I don't see how their supplemental nature factors into their objective merits (or lack thereof.)

but basically just gave him an outlet to make all these dark and morbid side universes where he could be more "mature" with his storytelling.

How so? Of the four alternate universes explored in any detail, only the Toa Empire universe was the dark and gritty sort. The other three were all noticeably nicer (all the species living in peace, the Shattering averted, the Makuta never rebelling.)

Edited May 10, 2015 by Quisoves Pugnat

[Lord-Vorahk]

THe only real dark stuff in The Kingdom came when Teridax showed up, which worked really well, and Kingdom Teridax is one of my favourite things to see people do fanart of, just because of how freakish and twisted he is.

And let's not forget the Oh-So-Dark City of Silver. Home to a cartoon mole and some Kestora which can be beaten via pretty lights.

As an aside, anyone got any tips for getting a Mata Head onto an Inika torso, without sacrificing articulation?

Edited May 11, 2015 by Lord-Vorahk

[MakutaOfWar]

^Connector socket, longer axle, single ball. Like the Inika head.

Edited May 11, 2015 by MakutaOfWar

[Lord-Vorahk]

^Connector socket, longer axle, single ball. Like the Inika head.

Tried that, makes the neck too long.

[MakutaOfWar]

To anyone who owns the Cendox V1, do the treads not work on any hard surface? This is a problem I've had for the years since I bought it in 09', the treads seem to only move on carpet and plush surfaces.

[Voxovan]

To anyone who owns the Cendox V1, do the treads not work on any hard surface? This is a problem I've had for the years since I bought it in 09', the treads seem to only move on carpet and plush surfaces.

Yeah, they move only on carpet-like thingies.

[MakutaOfWar]

Yeah, they move only on carpet-like thingies.

Ah, thanks. I've taken it apart and put it back together for no reason. XD

[Logan McOwen]

I may have just ordered Maxilos and Spinax off of eBay...

[Mandate]

I may have just ordered Maxilos and Spinax off of eBay...

Did they give air, er, water holes for Spinax to breathe with?

I myself have just bid on Toa Mata Lewa and Kopaka. I want Nuparu Inika

[MakutaOfWar]

Ahhh yeah, Nuparu Inika got me into collecting Bio mainstream. Of course I still got at least one each year prior, my first was Tahu Mata, but the first one was missing his mask and sword in the container so I had to get a replacement in 02', can ya believe that? Anybody? ...anyways, I should rebuild Nuparu, and the bulk of my G1, but them 08' sockets scare me. XD And Hahli Mahri is pretty much impossible due to those soooo...

[The Kumquat Alchemist]

Ahhh yeah, Nuparu Inika got me into collecting Bio mainstream. Of course I still got at least one each year prior, my first was Tahu Mata, but the first one was missing his mask and sword in the container so I had to get a replacement in 02', can ya believe that? Anybody? ...anyways, I should rebuild Nuparu, and the bulk of my G1, but them 08' sockets scare me. XD And Hahli Mahri is pretty much impossible due to those soooo...

Hahli's a great figure, and definitely worth rebuilding. If you can manage it, there's always the option to Bricklink some '05 Visorak Keelerak lime sockets, or, if not a stickler for 100% part-accuracy, use lime '08 sockets instead. Though quite fragile, '08 sockets are adamantine in comparison to '07 lime.

[MakutaOfWar]

Hahli's a great figure, and definitely worth rebuilding. If you can manage it, there's always the option to Bricklink some '05 Visorak Keelerak lime sockets, or, if not a stickler for 100% part-accuracy, use lime '08 sockets instead. Though quite fragile, '08 sockets are adamantine in comparison to '07 lime.

Huh, I wasn't aware Keelerak had lime green bones. I'll have to look into that. Thanks. :P

[bidiminished]

Hahli's a great figure, and definitely worth rebuilding. If you can manage it, there's always the option to Bricklink some '05 Visorak Keelerak lime sockets, or, if not a stickler for 100% part-accuracy, use lime '08 sockets instead. Though quite fragile, '08 sockets are adamantine in comparison to '07 lime.

When using Bricklink, how can you be sure that you're getting the sockets from Keelerak and not another Hahli?

I've got a Hahli Mahri revamp WIP, but I'm waiting for my BL order to arrive to complete it . I'm replacing lime green with Br. Blue.

[Logan McOwen]

Never was keen on the Inika, if I'm honest.

[Mandate]

My copies of Toa Mata Gali and Onua arrived today, and I am amazed at how incredibly well the Mata hold up to their 2015 counterparts. Onua hasn't aged as well as Gali, the dark grey on him (like most pieces in that color) looks grimy and disgusting, and on a whole I like 2015 Onua better in all ways except the gear function. Gali, however, I like far more than 2015 Gali simply because of the color alone. I'm incredibly impressed with these, and looking forward even more to recieving Lewa, Kopaka and Pohatu in the coming days!