So now that the "Makuta contest" is done and it being the last bit part of Gen 2 to happen and with me having all the sets, read all the books, watched all the animations and Netflix show. I feel I should give my thoughts on my perspective of the second generation of Bionicle that Lego had given us.
So to start I'll say it truly was amazing to see Bionicle return in the first place as I never really believed that it could come back as it didn't seen like a very likely thing for Lego to do. Now getting in to it I'll talk about several aspects individually such as sets, story, the Netflix show/animations, it as a conclusion, how it lived up to Gen 1, what it meant to me and kinda whatever else.
1.-Sets- Okay I'll say this right now at first I was super against the usage of the Hero Factory(CCBS) but that was more be being a stubborn Hero Factory hater at the time(I didn't actually hate it but I was very disappointed in it). However I did grow to appreciate it and was always able to understand why Lego did this. I still enjoy gen 1 sets and their more technic parts but I have found that a blend of the two is a great for mocing and really adds a lot to building figures. The sets truly did impress me as they really did feel Bionicle to me even though they used CCBS which really did impress me. These are some of the funnest to pose and play with that Bionicle has ever had. Not to mention they look really cool (well most of them). As meny say they blended form and function really well with the new gear functions. However I will not that I was dissapointed in the lack of nice large sets like the titans of gen 1 which many were outstanding sets. The only real "titan' we got was Umarak the Destroyer and he was okay but nothing on the level of gen 1 titians. The Makuta titan form combo model is pretty nice I'll say but doesn't quite have the same solid build like Brutaka or Axonn. Over all the sets were great and brought a lot of great building technics like Lewa uniter's legs and they all looked pretty goooood and I am very happy with how they turned out even if the mask weren't compatible with gen 1 heads.
2-Story-Well their may not of been a lot of it and a lot of it was portrayed for a younger age but I will say I loved it. The mystery of the toa and makuta plus the locations that were never looked into further detail all was really gripping as I found I searched high and low to find more information on everything as I was fascinated by it all. All the locations that never got explored more like the maze, temple or time, the ancient city was all kept rather vague which made me more curious and wanted to know more. As for the actaul plot I found it rather interesting particularly in the toa not remembering their past and the vahi. Oh the vahi how you torture me. The mask of time was truly the part that fascinated me the most as they kept hinting that the gen 1 vahi was the bottom half of the gen 2 vahi which I believe was the story team's way of connecting the two universes with out actually doing by leaving ti to our imaginations. I have a feeling this was something they were never going to explain and leave it ambiguous. Now the story element that I liked the most was actually Makuta's character as he wasn't origianlly bad and was more or less just jealous of Ekimu and I found that rather compelling. Seeing him this time being corrupted rather just being evil because was a nice fresh start for him. I've found as I've grown older that I am finding villains that aren't naturally bad to be more interesting. It may of been a short 1.5 year run and not a lot of story but I think what it did have was really good and worthy of being called Bionicle.
3.-Netflix/Animations- When I first saw the animations I was really disappointed as they were kinda "childish" and not serious enough however I did grow to like them even if I still have some issues with them. I really felt gen 2 needed some really epic visual media as it didn't have any of that if you ask me. Gen 1 may not off had to much epic visual media but it did have some such as the promo animations for mahri nui which I thought that those commercial where fenrakking awesome with the help of the animations and music plus Christian Faber's helping out with them as he was awesome with gen 1. Even the original 2 movies had their epic moments. I guess what I'm saying is gen 2 didn't need to be a super epic story but could of really used some nice epic moments (I'm using the word epic way to much). I will admit the animations did what they were suppose to do tell the first year's story. Now the Netflix show is more mixed for me cause at some times I really like it while at other moments I feel it was really sad. I can't truly say if it was better that the gen 1 movies as I have way to much nostalgia for those but I would like to think that at least Mask of Light and Legends of Metru nui were better to watch than the netflix show. I really did like the first half for the most part but the second half really did a number on it as far as my opinion on it as it was really bad. Didn't help at that point I was really hyped for it and being rather dissapointed and then having the cancellation of Bionicle mentions the next day. So kinda sour around the time I saw it. In time I may change my mind we shall see. Mainly witht eh netflix show I really thought the characters weren't nearly as strong as the toa and matoran characters from the original gen 1 movies. Also I am very mad that I won't be getting my Journey to One on DVD. Possibly I had to high expectations for the show but I truly was disapointed in it. Come on Lego I know you could of done better!
4.-It's conclusion- Way to rushed and poorly done. I could see kinda how year three would have gone and seemed like it would have been really cool and exciting however because it got cut way to short the had to smoosh two years together which didn't just let us not truly see what year three would be like but it also ruined the second year story arch which really bugs me. I am glad it got a conclusion and closure but I do believe they could of done it better. Some may say gen 1's wasn't to good either but I believe it was much better and turned less rushed (maybe). Really the biggest part about it's conclusion that annoys me was that Makuta didn't really do anything at all and the mask of time and toa's origins were never really explained. Yes I am aware the toa's origins were explained a little in JTO but I don't it and feel it was just a quick idea throw in last minute. I still want the mask of time explained!
5.-Living up to Gen1- Ehhh.....kinda. It felt like Bionicle and had a good story great sets but it as a whole kinda had really big shoes to fill as gen 1 was truly an amazing thing lego created and gave us as fans. With generation lasting ten years and gen two only lasting one and a half it's hard to compare fairly but in the first one and a half years obviously did better even if they didn't have any movies or netflix shows. What it did have was books, comics, board games, collectables (that were actually real collectables), and the Mata Nui Online Game (kinda it's trump card). It really did have a lot more for it's time. It's sets on some cases lived up but it's titans really didn't. So did it leave up? I would say no which is apparent as it was canceled so early on which truly was a same. Honestly I didn't expect it to live up to gen 1 but it tried.
6.-What it meant to me- For me personally Gen 2 was amazing as it revived my love for Bionicle to a new level as I started going full collector in the sets and masks, krana, kraata, books, movies and other stuff I can get my hands on. I started building more (sorta) and ended up creating a lot more to my own universe (Trinity Universe) by creating a lot of characters, places and stories(sorta more like back stories). I've created my own lore that I can call my own that has gathered traction over the last year of so. It also is the reason I started watching Bionicle youtubers, joined BZPower and BioSecotor01. Most importantly it is the reason I started this blog which isn't really going as planned as I never did set reviews but I am still planning to work on those species reports and character bios. I just need more time to kinda figure it out. Also on this note Gen 2 did make me want to start a Youtube channel of my own which is in it's preparation stages so well see. The biggest thing Gen 2 means to me is being a part of Bionicle community as it started and ended and actually being here to see it happen as gen 1 I was kinda young when it started and was kinda behind on it when it ended as I had to use BioSector01 to get most my information. So no matter my negative opinions on aspects of gen 2 I has been a awesome part of my life and I do truly like it and am really grateful Lego brought it back again.
So final thought on Gen 2. It was new fresh andfelt like Bionicle. It had great sets, a gripping and mysterious story,fun books and graphic novels, and pretty neat contests. In a nut shell Gen 2 was a great theme of Lego and I wished it could of gone longer to see it's true potential. Gen 2 you were a fun time.
-Onvermel-
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