#bionicle 2016

[animus84]

[dogesterone]

Unity • Duty • Destiny • DOOM

[matoroblogs]

Bionicle G2 on Shelves

S O U R C E S

[coldgoldlazarus]

Just watched a video dissecting Nostalgia Critic's The Wall

And just like

That was A Lot

[makuta-kotok]

The Lore

oh god the tags are going to be a nightmare

to avoid a Dr. Robotnik situation where there’s just a random normal human in a furry setting, assume Denji is a dog.

[thejokig23]

What does it mean if you have The DreamTM but most of your experience with Bionicle was after it was canceled?

[wjbs-bonkle-au]

Bionicle names in 2001: "This is Tahu. His name is Māori for 'burn' because he has fire-powers." Bionicle names in 2002: "This is... uh... Hewkii. His name was something else, but we got sued- uh, he played an important role in repelling the Bohrok invasion, so the spelling of his name was changed." Bionicle names in 2003: "These are Vorahk. They have hunger powers. Get it? Like 'Voracious'? What do you mean the word 'vore' has other connotations?" Bionicle names in 2004-2005: "This is Dume. He's not actually evil, but the series big-bad is pretending to be him, so we called him a name that sounds like 'doom'. That being said, the actors in the movie pronounce the 'e' as 'er', but I doubt 'doomer' will come to mean anything within the next decade or two..." Bionicle names in 2006: "This is Axonn. He carries an axe. Also his ex-husband former-friend Brutaka, who is brutal." Bionicle names in 2007: "This is Kalmah. He's a fucking squid." Bionicle names in 2008: "This is Photok. He is a light-elemental, and 'photo' is the Greek word for light. Also this guy is called Vamprah, because he's literally just the Bionicle-universe equivalent of a vampire, and his two main allies are named after various taxonomical terms related to bats." Bionicle names in 2009: "This is Gresh. He's named after a character from an earlier book by one of the series' main writers."

Bionicle names in 2015: "This is the Lord of Skull Spiders. I guess." Bionicle names in 2016: "This is Umarak. He's vaguely deer-themed, but for some reason his name contains the Japanese word for horse."

[keepwaitingforyou]

do you have any facts about dylann that are your favourites? could you share them with us? :3

I already answered this question this morning on my other blog but I'll give some more bc why not

there are supposedly hundreds more photos that he took that still haven't been released to the public

he wrote a letter to tucker carlson

apparently he'd leave in the middle of conversations and go listen to music in his car

in his interrogation, he very incorrectly guessed how long he stayed in the church and forgot what month and day of the week it was

when someone would try to quote dylann, they'd have to get every word exactly how he said it, or else he would say that they're wrong

in 2016 he said he'd rather have bernie sanders as the president than donald trump or hillary clinton

he thought his message would get across better if there were only black people on the jury because he thought white people would want to give him the death penalty so they wouldn't seem racist

he got passport photos taken at cvs. i have no clue why.

when he was a kid, whenever he'd go out to eat with his family he'd almost always order spaghetti

there was a map of the world on the wall of his bathroom and a chair right next to the toilet

and here are the facts from my other post since that blog got termed anyway:

- I've never seen anyone bring this up, but in his bank statements it shows that he went to an aquarium in charleston

- Dylann had a friend who died in November 2013, and he left a tribute on his obituary in May 2015

- his favorite photo is the one he took with the slave mannequins at boone hall plantation

- Dylann bought the rhodesia and apartheid south africa patches on his jacket on the same day that he registered the lastrhodesian.com domain in February 2015, but didn't put his manifesto on his website until the day of the shooting

- he seemed to mostly listen to music on cassette tapes, and asked someone on stormfront if they'd be willing to sell cassettes to him

- he's been described by people who have talked with him and saw him after the shooting as "gentle", "childlike", "polite", "mostly passive and submissive in dealing with others", "wary and sensitive"

- at one point he said he wanted to get a job as a retail worker but thought no one would hire him because of the way he looks

- when dylann was in middle school, he saw a band live and then asked his mom if they could stay in their house. his mom's boyfriend at the time allowed it and the band slept in the basement

- when he was a kid he went on vacation with his family to the florida keys, which was the only time his dad was able to remember dylann befriending someone else

- dylann wanted to change his middle name

- some of his other interests before white nationalism were Star Wars, Maple Story, Bionicles, dogs, and dinosaurs

- Dylann is too shy, socially inept, and easily embarrassed to engage in conversation a lot of the time. He speaks softly and usually only gives one or two word answers. When he'd ask the manager at Clark's for a day off of work, he'd "wring his hands in nervousness"

[wjbs-aus]

Fuck it, here's three important websites for if you want to get into Bionicle in 2023, inspired by a conversation I had with a mutual.

Biosector01

The main Bionicle wiki, which is very thorough. Has articles about everything from main characters to minor background villagers, and even out-of-universe stuff like the mediocre (but free) downloadable first-person shooter and the franchise's infamous use of the Māori language. It also covers the 2015-2016 reboot, and also has a sister-site dedicated to Hero Factory I guess.

Wall of History

An archive of all written and illustrated canon Bionicle media, including books, comics, animations, and even the official in-character walkthrough for a fan-favourite adventure game. The text can be toggled between the Latin alphabet and Bionicle's own "Matoran script", for some reason. I can personally say that it is really good, and if I wasn't busy with, like, 5 other things, I would probably be pretty far in (at time of writing, I am at the end of 2002/beginning of 2003).

Biomedia Project

Basically Wall of History but for non-text stuff (including some of the animations that are included in Wall). Includes all the games (free and retail), as well as the franchise's excellent music, various fanmade games and animations, ISO files of promotional CDs, all four films (including their bonus-features!), and even concept art and early pitch documents!

Oh also uh go check out @wjbs-bonkle-au I guess

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

End of month update - April

Hello, all! This is the end-of-month update, where I post Tumblr’s current top four films that have received the highest percentage of “yes,” “no,” and “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes.

As of today, the top four films with the highest percentage of “yes” votes are:

Finding Nemo (2003) | Shrek (2001) | Monsters, Inc. (2001) | The Lion King (1994)

Next, the top four films with the highest percentage of “no” votes are:

Sausage Party (2016) | Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014) | All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) | Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Finally, the top four films with the highest percentage of “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes are:

Monica and Friends: Bonds (2019) | Monsturd (2003) | Heroic Losers (2019) | Death Trance (2005)

There were no changes in the top fours between this month and last month’s updates.

Currently, The Incredibles (2004) is the still the only film to receive absolutely zero “haven’t heard of this” votes.

That’s it for April’s end-of-month update! Remember that you can view last month’s update by clicking here. Additionally, you can view the full ranked Letterboxd lists of movies that have come up on this blog by clicking the following links:

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “yes” votes.

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “no” votes.

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes.

Remember to vote on the polls that are currently running: Seven Beauties (1975) | Starfish (2018) | The Changeling (1980) | Cronos (1992) | Notting Hill (1999) | Mulholland Drive (2001) | The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) | Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) | Bionicle: Mask of Light (2003) | Don’t Look Now… We’re Being Shot At! (1966) | The Adventures of Buratino (1959) | The Rescuers (1977) | Memories of Matsuko (2006) | Hellraiser (1987) | Spaceballs (1987) | A Fish Called Wanda (1988) | Summer Days with Coo (2007) | Her (2013) | Barton Fink (1991) | Hot Rod (2007) | The King of Comedy (1982) | Maurice (1987) | Planet of the Apes (1968) | The Beach (2000) | Frankenstein (1910) | Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) | George of the Jungle (1997) | Bride of Frankenstein (1935) | Dracula (1931) | The Mummy (1932) | Paris, Texas (1984) | Ghost World (2001) | The Long Goodbye (1973) | Casablanca (1942) | Ponyo (2008)

[tenosit]

On bit of "early and missed worldbuilding" aspect of 2001 Bionicle, there are the very fun interactions in MNOG in the Onu-Koro, between Whenua and representatives of Ussalry, miners and traders (last one doesn't get as much representation further down the line).

First one, is how Ussarlyman describes the sudden dense layer of stone (which, as we belatedly know, is Mata Nui's surface): he calls it "with high organic levels", and even elaborates for Whenua.

Depiction of GSR appears fairly mundanely robotic, so organic traits to it make it very interesting - its also a Bionicle! IIRC it has been described as organic-like in Hapka books around Bohrok, but more concrete mentions benefit that.

Before that, he also suggest moving Onu-Koro to other Wahi. This is a really cool detail - perhaps, Onu-Koro has evolved from an aboveground settlement (as it could have been in 2000 story bible), or moved from another location already.

Since miners compose the actual tangential events of the chapter, it is the third Matoran who falls into interest - evidently, a Guildmaster of the Trade Guilds.

(there is a much stronger focus on Toa "descending from heaven" in 2001 than in subsequent retellings 2001 plot; you can tell they expected to wrap it up sooner, and it is something 2016 reboot tried to play with)

The Guildmaster, expectedly, is worried about both the sudden unbreakable layer and stalling of Le-Koro route. Onu-Koro trades Protodermis to Po-Koro, where goods are finished, whereas Onu-Matoran recieve stone (? Perhaps it is higher quality, or easier to work with aboveground). Evidently all Matoran engage in trade, which is why Le-Koro route is important (Le-Matoran can access Onu-Koro, but with much difficulty); he dismisses proposition to travel by sea, as it has even more Rahi than the unlit tunnels (according to him). He even tries to drag in Onua, asking if the fabled hero is unable to help do the trade route faster.

There is a really cool characterisation to Saffire's Onu-Matoran; there is a very strong current of them being workers and traders. Later depictions sort of sidestepped that, with their former Metru Nui culture being that of miners and scholars. I wish there was more of a dedicated source to culture of Matoran of Mata Nui; it is a topic that is fraught with complexities of not exoticising oppressed cultures, but if care would be given to it, I imagine it could be a really great piece of worldbuilding.

[kopakaskoolkompanion]

+Share your reasons if you want! (in the tags, preferably)

(Please don't hate on other years in the notes!)

[dogesterone]

something bionicle fans seem to do more and more as we get further from 2016 is every bionicle fan has their own little mental gen 3 and i think thats cool as hell

what if we called them "gen 3i," like imaginary numbers, but with the "i" standing for "indie" or smth

[matoroblogs]

tahu master cosplay from a bionifigs convention in france. 

[malwarewolf-mocs]

Rating Yoda Minifigs Because I have Nothing Better To Do

There have been a number of Lego Yoda minifigs over the years, and I’m going to rate them. My criteria is more or less “does this minifig represent the Yoda puppet from the original trilogy well”

Basically I think a good Yoda minifig should look like this:

Let’s get into it.

- Original Yoda

Item number: sw0051

Released: 2002-2005

Appears in 4 sets

Rating: 6/10

This is the only Yoda that gets the stoned eyes right.

Points off for lack of face printing but. It was early in the Lego-Lucasfilm partnership.

The CORRECT shade of green, thank you

legoyodadying.wav

- Clone Wars Yoda

Item number: sw0219

Released: 2009-2011

Appears in 2 sets

Rating: 3/10

as with most Clone Wars figures, yikes.

It can see my soul

There are a couple different variations of this fig, but they all have the all-seeing eyes and weird proportions

This one gets points for giving him hair but that's about the only good thing I can say about it

- Olive Yoda

Item number: sw707

Released: 2016-2019

Appears in 2 sets

Rating: 8/10

friend

just a guy

looks like a muppet

Eyes are weird again, and I feel like they switched to the wrong shade of green personally.

- Olive Yoda w/ Belt

Item number: sw0906

Released: 2018-2022

Appears in 2 sets

Rating: 9/10

That's him! That's Yoda!

Panpipes printing absolutely essential

I can't even complain about the shade of green or eyes that's YODA BABEY!!!!

and lastly.

- Whatever the hell this is my bionicle buddies told me about when I mentioned I was rating Yoda minifigs that just got released

Item number: who cares

Released: Literally today

Appears in that one new set about that star wars cocomelon ripoff for babies

Rating: -47/10

Literally what is that

Why is he MORE green (okay I know they use brighter colors on +4 sets to make them more appealing to kids but STILL they could've used the olive colors it would've been fine???)

He looks like the little green aliens from Toy Story help

Is that literally master wu's gi torso or am I tweaking

That's it for now, I may do more of these because they're fun.

[hollowtones]

How do you feel about the new Bionicles?

There haven't been any new ones since 2016. Best of luck on the time traveling, bud!