User blog:Berrybrick/BIONICLE analysis
I'm starting a new blog, because the last one was hardly a roaring success and I never really updated.
Firstly, a personal update: My life has been a bit busier these last couple of weeks and probably won't slow down for a few more (maybe mid-November?) so please try to get along without me, and I mean that in the least pretentious way possible.
Okay, and as for the main course, LEGO issued a bit of a disappointing announcement today decreeing that BIONICLE would indeed be coming back, after over six other confirmations (I lost count) coming from LEGO and other sources. If you have not already, please read our news article by BrickfilmNut here.
Really, the only thing that was solidified is that the Queen Breez mask is actually the Mask of Creation, which I and many others had been guessing since we first got the standee image, although I admit it was more wishful thinking on my part back then. But, in our defense (or at least my own), the crownlike one which we have seen in legal images does fit the description of the Mask given in Reign of Shadows: "[Artakha's] mask was the most ornate anyone had ever seen – more than just a Kanohi, it was a true work of art. The metallic protodermis from which it was forged was arranged in intricate patterns and designs, each reflecting one of the many cultures that flourished in the universe. The eye slits were angular and pointed, giving him an air of both wisdom and a vague sense of menace."
The announcement describes the MoC (think about that acronym for a minute) like this: "It is told that there exists a mask that will grant its bearer unspeakable power. Made from raw magic and solid gold, it is an artifact crafted with absolute precision and timeless skill – it is known as the Mask of Creation." The Mask of Creation was introduced in the BIONICLE serials, sort of like their expanded universe, though they are also notorious for being one of the reasons the story became overcomplicated (Reign of Shadows, which was mentioned above, is possibly the worst offender with a nonsensical ending and plot threads which went nowhere). Anyway, it is able to show its user how they can create basically anything, and, if they already know how to, do it for them. I personally wouldn't call that power unspeakable, but in the wrong hands, a villain could probably use it to do some pretty interesting disservices, especially since it's limits are poorly defined (does it only show how tangible things can be created, or may it also display how a new world order could be established?). We could even get a Macbeth type character from that.
The fact that we are going to be seeing the Mask of Creation excites me for two reasons: Continuation or reboot, the Mask of Life (or Ignika) will be getting a break so we can see a new story (as new as Maskwest can be, at least) and the story team is choosing details from the older lore to implement in the new tale. Artakha, Karzahni, and the Mask of Creation are certainly some things I would have selected if I were to be involved in continuing or recreating the story. Perhaps that last point was sort of obvious because of the Skull Spiders, but I keep forgetting about those....
Speaking of the story, older fans, people who were never too interested in BIONICLE's lore in the first place, or people who didn't read the serials might not be aware of the Mask of Creation's back story. It is a Legendary Kanohi (meaning it is on the same tier as the Masks of Time and Life). It was forged by the Great Beings, the same species which created the Matoran and their universe. Two brothers, Artakha and Karzahni, were some of the first inhabitants created by the Great Beings, and they were each given a land to rule. Artakha named his realm after himself and intended for it to be a safe haven for hardworking Matoran. Karzahni also named his realm after himself, and intended for it to be a place for damaged Matoran to be repaired. After forging the Mask of Creation, the Great Beings had Artakha and Karzahni compete for the mask. Artakha won and, through practice, managed to master the mask's power, and his land and the Matoran who lived there experienced milenia of peace, even after Mata Nui was put to sleep (though he was terrible at fending off raids). Karzahni, however, withdrew to his nightmarish kingdom where he found himself to be a terrible builder. Any Matoran he repaired became horribly deformed (explaining the poor Matoran to the right), while Karzahni regressed into an insane tyrant.
Arthaka and Karzahni were two of my favorite parts of the BIONICLE lore because of the mythological feel of their story, which was not always present in the theme's later years as it became more sci-fi (not that that was an unnatural progression). Unfortunately, Karzahni was murdered off screen by Velika, who also rigged a bomb outside of the fortress that Artakha and some others were inside of. That's one of the reasons I am vying for a reboot, I don't really want to see Karzahni or Artakha dead, since they had so much untapped potential. It does seem implied that the Mask of Creation, for whatever reason, will be separated from Artakha, so perhaps Velika will kill him and they will continue from there. That might be the most obvious logic jump. However, Artakha was also the creator of the Toa Mata, the Mask of Light, the Nuva Symbols, the Kanohi Nuva, and the vehicles they discover in Karda Nui, so his connection to them is strong, plus we already know that the story going to prominently feature his traditional mask, so that would make him a good candidate for a character to appear in a reboot that features the Toa Mata front and center once again.
Okay, last bit about Artakha and Karzahni for now, but the themes of building between them are clear. Some of them are even touched in on in The LEGO Movie, sort of. Artakha and Emmet both follow the instructions so they become strong builders, and are both creative (though Emmet needs to learn how to; we don't know much about Artakha though). Karzahni, on the other hand, is a bad builder and adds weapons to compensate for his failed designs. Though BIONICLE did try to distance itself from LEGO a bit (the red square always appearing on the bottom of the packaging rather than prominently at the top, though that seems to be changing) there were a few references I can think of.
- In the quintessential Mata Nui Online Game, Makuta makes a lovely introduction which you can watch in this video, but I would recommend playing the game even more so (link), and don't spoil yourself.
- The second time was a bit throwaway for me since I wasn't a huge fan of the alternate universes, but a good callback to MNOG. Highlight for spoilers: In The Kingdom, an alternate version of Toa Matoro is absorbed by Makuta. Takanuva believes he has seen the last of Matoro and that the Kingdom will be destroyed, but before his spirit fades, Matoro takes some control over Makuta's body and says "You once told the Toa Mata that you could not be destroyed, because you were nothing. You were wrong — it is because you are nothing that I can destroy you. You have no heart, you have no spirit, you have no reason to exist — even your hate is a pale reflection of what once burned in you. You survive out of habit, monster, and habits...and minds...can be broken." Though I wasn't a huge fan of the story, that isn't a bad inversion....
- Thirdly, in the last issue of the disjointed (whistles innocently) comic series, "Rebirth", which has gone missing from my collection so I cannot quote directly, Tahu closes with a speech about "building" a new life. It may be a weak correlation, but knowing LEGO, the word "build" (or some form of it) was clearly chosen purposefully.
One thing to note from the new logo is that LEGO is up beside BIONICLE, making it officially "LEGO BIONICLE". Plus, the choice of the Mask of Creation implies that there will be a stronger emphasis on building and creation as a theme this time, which I am okay with. It can be cheesy, of course, but The LEGO Movie handled it well, in my opinion, and I also think that Artakha and Karzahni brought it to the BIONICLE universe in an interesting way, which was almost nonexistent aside from Makuta's first monologue.
Another thing to note about the direction of the story, it is taking a new tone, or at least a different one to where we left. And there will be some simplification. Though I do think it is too early to say that "Master" is replacing "Toa" in story and not just on set packaging, the description uses simple words like "raw magic" (which is what?) and "solid gold" instead of "protodermis". The small sets are also called Protectors. I do not believe that they are Matoran, mostly because they share the same mask and do not have proper names (if Gali - Master of Water is acceptable, then Onepu - Protector of Earth must be), but they are still only protectors in the sets, suggesting that there may be a bunch of them. Kind of like the Bohrok, Rahkshi, Vahki, or Visorak, but each type still had their own "subspecies" name. And aside from the Bohrok, those names were hard to pronounce and remember. There clearly is a simplification in the way that the theme is being presented, and a logical follow through will be that the story will also be streamlined. Which is fine, the story becoming bloated in later years is part of why the theme was cancelled, and in retrospect, I really do think it made it less enjoyable. It became impossible to keep up with everything without relying on a wiki Another reason I am vying for a reboot. Yes, some things can be ignored, but the story left off on a good note with two sets of two similar species (plus some others) forming a mosaic society together (the Toa and Glatorian, and Matoran and Agori). Having two sets of villagers which are hardly different but also are is an issue, and I cannot think of a way for that to be resolved which would satisfy me. Erm, I guess I'm getting off topic. Maybe we'll save that for another day when I am feeling catty (or you can bring it up below if you really want to :P ).
The teaser also mentions magic and the Toa would appear to have tribal paintings on their chests (one of my favorite aspects of their new designs), so the theme is going to be reverting to some degree back to its mystical roots. Tribal tattoos, especially, would be totally out of place in a setting like Metru Nui. I'm okay with that. I always thought that robots on a tropical island was more interesting than robots in a futuristic city or an underwater dome, though both of those settings did have their merits. Again, it was a logical progression, but I think it will be nice to have that feeling back.
Another note on the new direction, Greg Farshtey confirmed earlier today that he will not be writing the story, but instead consulting. I'm okay with this, it means new ideas. One point to be made though is that Farshtey may not be writing solely so that they can replace him with "new blood" and a new tone, but because BIONICLE's reboot may be accompanied by a TV series or a movie, and a script writer he is not. I believe that there were roughly two years between Ninjago and Chima's animated series began airing, and since Chima turns two in 2015, perhaps it is time for another LEGO show to be added to the roster. Looking over 2015's other themes, the only other viable choice would appear to be Elves, an adventure theme targeted at girls, but with as few sets as it is getting, that might not be too likely. Anyway, some consolation for people who might be disappointed that Greg Farshtey will not be penning the story (which doesn't bother me too much, personally) he is still, as far as I know, involved in writing books and graphic novels for Ninjago and Legends of Chima (and he did for Hero Factory before its series was cancelled) so he may have the chance to write some stories there.
Well, I do believe that was all I had to say. Wait, it wasn't, the next paragraph is an injection:
Whether Artakha or Karzahni will appear or not, LEGO has selected a previously obscure part of the mythos to feature. That gives me a bit of hope that we will see other parts adapted. Aside from the original six elements (fire, ice, water, air, stone, and earth) plus shadow and light, the other eight (lightning, plant life, sonics, psionics, magnetism, iron, plasma, and gravity) never had Toa nor Matoran released as sets. Some of the expanded universe elements are odd (psionics and plasma are strange choices, as are the redundant magnetism and gravity). Actually, aside from lightning, none of them seem to be as popular with the fan community as the eight main ones. I myself think that plant life and iron (just call it metal) fit in well enough, and even if sonics doesn't quite, it is still close enough (and an underrated power :P ) for me. A bit of variety could do some good, as long as they are not ridiculous about the distinctions (I can accept earth and stone separately, but stone and sand?).
Okay, now I believe I am done. Again, I think that a reboot would be the best way to tackle this, but as long as it is yields good sets, I'm okay. The story is just a bonus, and it isn't as if I would decry it for being a continuation (which would include a soft reboot, mind) because it isn't as if those cannot be done well, I just have a preference and an insecurity making me defend that preference when I should be wrapping up the article. So I'll try that. Having confirmation that the Mask of Creation will be appearing is exciting, for one because it means we might get an Artakha set, but also because I am liking the look of the new direction. It would appear to be streamlined, but streamlined does not mean dumbed down and I do believe that LEGO is treading carefully. As I caught Farshtey saying a few posts above the one I linked when asked how he feels about the return: "Happy and nervous too -- the return is a big deal, and you really want it to succeed, because you only get one chance to bring something like this back."
Now that we have some vague idea of what BIONICLE 2015 will be like based on prelims and today's announcement, what do you think that we may see? What characters, or plot threads? Is my analysis that this is a reboot totally off? Please comment below, I want some discussion!
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