So, I haven’t been on these boards in ages. Only threads I’ve ever posted have been some artwork and a fanfic, and when I was active it was usually in just a couple of off-topic threads. Never did much, and I’m not known by many. I’m not even 100% sure if I’m posting in the right topic or doing it the right way or whatever, But I felt it necessary - I felt obligated, honestly - to come back and say a few things. And maybe I’ll stick around for a little while, who knows. But right now I just want to get some things off of my chest, as well as give a special “thank you.”
EDIT: This gets long, so feel free to skip to the very end if you don’t want my thoughts on everything.
I was a latecomer to the BIONICLE fanbase. Late 2007/early 2008 was when I really started caring, but I was too young then to know much about the online community in general. I spent the remaining two years and a month of the theme’s lifespan learning all I could, becoming obsessed with the sets and the novels and the comics and the movies and the artwork and the story, and the people behind it all who were making it happen, spending their time helping children like me form life-long memories. And then January 2010 rolled around. I raced outside, got my Club Magazine out of the mailbox and ran back to my kitchen. I was supposed to be doing schoolwork, but my mom was busy and I knew if I was quick, I could finally find out how Journey’s End was going to, well, end. I got comfy in my chair at the kitchen table and ripped the comic out of the magazine, my focus on it and nothing else. I started reading. I had moments of joy, of fear, of desperation, of anxiety, of suspense - then of bewilderment and shock - then a feeling of dread. I could tell be the artwork, but the words, before I even saw the end. Then Mata Nui’s final words. Then Tahu’s. The Greg’s. And I cried. It was over.
To be fair, I’d had the slightest suspicion even before I read the comic. I had caught glimpse on a website somewhere - I think it was Mask of Power, actually - of an article that said something about BIONICLE ending and there being one final set. Because I knew the Stars were coming, I disregarded it - mostly - as false information. But that nagging feeling that there was some truth to what I saw never left me, and reading the comic sealed the deal. It was over.
I’d had two years and a month with the theme. I know some had even less, but for me, it was heartbreaking. I loved BIONICLE. It was all I thought about those days, and I’d been expecting it to go on for so much longer; the whole thing came as a huge shock to me. I mean, yeah, it didn’t stop me from buying sets, reading the novels I hadn’t yet read, or being a part of the online community (which I joined in '13, three years later). But my soul felt empty knowing there’d be nothing new. And it felt that way for a long time.
So the dust settled and as I grew older I got over it. I joined BZP’s RPG and acted out my own stories; I made new friends and got to talk about BIONICLE with them; and I played the games and watched the movies and pretty much acted like it was still going. Eventually interest waned over time, and I turned my attention to other things. Then 2014 rolled around - only a year after I became active in the community - and TTV released the leak video.
I kid you not, I was trembling when I saw the video and the images. I felt as if my insides were glowing with light. I knew from the beginning, from the very beginning, that this was all real, that BIONICLE was on its way back. And for the guy who felt that he hadn’t had enough time with the theme, this was in all ways a dream come true.
And so as the leaks progressively came out, I got more and more excited, then finally the time came and G2 was here.
Two years later, it ended. I’d had two years with G1, two years with G2. Then realization of this makes me laugh, actually. But I want to draw a comparison here.
When I heard/saw that G2 was ending, I didn’t cry and feel hollow inside, as when G1 ended. Instead, I frowned at my computer screen and sighed. And inside, I didn’t feel hollow - I actually felt a little robbed.
I could talk about everything I like and dislike about G2 till the cows come home. But the bottom line is, I didn’t feel the same. It didn’t feel the same. Not at first, at least - as I write this, I’m actually a little depressed and feel lost - but generally speaking, it didn’t feel the same. And I’m disappointed about that. I’m sad, and a little angry, even. Do I have a right to be? I am older now. I’m in my last year of highschool. I have friends, family, and the future of my life to think about. I’ve changed as a person since '08, eight years ago, into somebody a little different. And maybe that contributes to this feeling that G2 wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be. Maybe not being a little kid anymore changes the perspective. I know it does, in fact.
But I think we can all agree that G2 was less than. That’s the best I can put it. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t not good, it wasn’t horrible or the greatest. But it was less than. And as 2015 rolled along, I fell out of BIONICLE during its existence. For that I feel a little bad, honestly. 2016 came, and I wasn’t too impressed. And I honestly wondered, where else they could go from here? My answer came to me via Facebook a couple days ago.
I’m rambling, I know. I apologize. I’ve lost my own train of thought, and I think I’m just spouting random blurbs with little connection at this point. I tend to do that. But I do have a point here.
That point is that, inside, I’m not too upset this time around. But, as I’m writing this, the feeling of emptiness has come once again.
We still have the sets, the books, the cartoon. But knowing it’s no longer active makes me feel… strange. Forlorn. To quote a wise hobbit, “I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.” I’ve told myself that I don’t care - that G2 wasn’t very good anyways, that I shouldn’t mind at all - but I can’t help this feeling. It’s a feeling of loss.
I mean, I wanted more from this, guys. I wanted something deeper, something more powerful, some darker, even. I wanted strong characters and the battles of my dreams and the most malevolent evil imaginable… I wanted connections to the original line and the wisdom of the old stories. I wanted that feeling that I had back when I was 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 even. I wanted to feel like I was part of the best thing in the world.
Before anybody says it, I’m not against G2 being a reboot, or having authors other than Greg. Not at all, honestly. And I wasn’t necessarily not expecting these things. But the other things - the strong characters, deep plot, etc. - I felt, personally, that these were missing. And without them, neither the story nor I felt the same. And that’s why, in the end, I wasn’t as upset. I was pretty passive at the time, actually. But as I mentioned already, that feeling of loss is back, simply knowing that my favorite Lego theme is gone again, maybe for good. Even if it wasn’t stellar, it was still my theme, ■■■■ it, and I would be a fan not out of blind dedication or a feeling of compulsiveness, but because I loved BIONICLE for what it was and is no matter what the story is like. BIONICLE is and was a legend of unity, duty, and destiny. It’s a tale of the power of friendship, the choice between good and evil, the sacrifices we make for each other, the pain and suffering we endure so that others may be happy, the neverending battle against a common foe who wishes to claim us. BIONICLE is about us.
But it ended again, and that lost feeling reared its ugly head again. Then I saw this excerpt from TTV’s latest podcast, where Meso sends a message out to fans. And now, I feel relieved.
I agree with you 100%, man. And I know now why I was able to remain a fan even after the original cancellation, and why I’ll remain a fan after this one, too. It’s not just because of the existing story, sets/pieces, and my own imagination; it’s also because of, primarily because of, even, the imaginations of others. Because of this community and everything they do for each other.
I’m an insecure person, I’ll admit. I always wish I could do more, help more, be more. I’m an artsy person without a doubt, but I envy those who put their talents to such amazing use for this community. I envy those with enough Lego elements to build their own BIONICLE cities and win contests; I envy those who have the money and ability to travel to conventions and display their MOCs and meet each other; I even envy those who get to be part of this amazing podcast! But that envy isn’t rooted in mere jealousy; it’s rooted in appreciation and pride, knowing that even if I can’t do as much as others can, I’m still doing something by being a part of this amazing, fantastic community.
We’re not perfect. To quote that wise old hobbit once again, “I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.” Some people in the community I can’t stand, and others I wish I could be, quite frankly. But together, as Meso said, we’re what’s keeping this theme alive. We build, draw, write, create legends of our own in this universe, and it’s that drive that keeps BIONICLE going. The Matoran Universe existed because of a Great Spirit, right? Well, we exist because we have a great spirit. A spirit that can’t be broken by the passage of time, or the cancelling of the theme, or even our ages. The only thing that can stop us is our willingness to stop. And I don’t know about y’all, but I’m not willing to stop, ever.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, BIONICLE G2 wasn’t all that for me, and I would’ve liked something that, in my eyes, was a bit more thought out. I’m not upset like I was when G1 ended. A little upset, a little empty, but not like before. Because this time I have a community - the same community (if not with a different face) that kept me a fan after G1 ended, and that will keep me a fan till G3 or Hero Factor G2 or whatever comes next. I even have a small Skype group of my own consisting of dedicated fans, and I’m only sad that it took the words of Meso to make me realize just how much I appreciate them, and how much I appreciate all of you.
So, finally… thank you. Thanks to all of you, every last person, no matter who you are or what your preferences are; it’s because of you guys that BIONICLE will continue forever. I would be lost without you guys.
The deepest of my thanks goes to the TTV Cast, without a doubt. I love you guys like family, I really do. You’re all special to me, and it’s due in large part to you that the community continues on. I can’t tell you all just how grateful I am for all that you do for us. Seriously, thank you all so very, very much. I’m very glad I discovered you all those (read: two or three) years ago, and I’m prouder than you can believe to be a part of your following. And an invaluable “thank you” goes to @Mesonak for helping me see that BIONICLE is more than just a theme.
In conclusion: again, because it’s so very important, THANK YOU, BIONICLE COMMUNITY for being there for me, there for each other, and there for the theme we grew up with and love to no end. I look forward to many years more among this fanbase.
BIONICLE may be officially over… but since when has that stopped us?
“Come, my friends, new and old… it’s time to begin.”
Never… The End
~ Tahu, BIONICLE: Journey’s End Pt. 2 Rebirth
