Are We Wasting Our Time With This?

LEGO BIONICLE
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I’m a little afraid to post this, but it’s been on my mind for some time now. So the primary focus of TTV is Bionicle. The TTV people let us post about other Lego themes on these boards, and they even have forums for non-Lego related stuff, but most of what I see on here is Bionicle-related.

Do I have anything against that? Absolutely not. Bionicle was a big part of my childhood. I drew pictures of Bionicle characters. I read the comic books that came free with every Lego magazine. I spent significant portions of my free time poking around the Bionicle website, playing the games and reading up on the stories and characters. And, of course, I collected the sets. I got a pretty respectable amount from the 2007-2010 era, and even though they’re all in pieces due to the parts breaking, I still have my tub of Bionicle parts. I may not have gotten up in arms when G2 came around, but in the years since, I’ve regretted not getting more of the sets. From what I’ve seen, many of them were pretty solid. I’ve gone back and revisited Bionicle media in the past couple years, and I still find enjoyment in it.

But no matter what I do, a fact remains that I cannot escape. G1 ended ten years ago, and G2 failed so bad, it didn’t even get a third year. And Lego is showing no signs of reviving Bionicle, or any kind of constraction. Even though it’s sad to see constraction go, I enjoy seeing their other themes, such as Ninjago, Hidden Side, Monkie Kid, and Nexo Knights (fight me).

Of course, nothing seems to be capable of stopping the Bionicle fanbase. We’ve still chugged along, sharing MOCs and writing fanfics. Even though Sokoda’s Ideas project didn’t get approved, we were still able to band together and show Lego that we still care. And the G1 canonization contests have brought out some really good MOCs.

But what I’m wondering is…what are we doing this for?

The reason why I’m feeling these feelings is because of stuff I’ve seen on these boards. I’ve seen people make claims that Lego doesn’t care about Bionicle, and that everyone who worked on G1 has left the company (sans Greg). One post even said that Greg “doesn’t care as much as you do.” Some people have even criticized the G1 canonization contests, saying that we’re getting all up in arms about a line that’s ten years old, and that we should find better things to do with our time.

Watching people argue isn’t the most fun way to spend my time. But I can’t help wondering…what if those people are right? Sure, Bionicle was unique, but it was, at its core, a Lego theme. Plenty of Lego themes-Exo-Force, Power Miners, Space Police, Adventurers-have came and gone over the years, but you don’t see that many people obsessing over those or yelling at Lego to bring them back, do you? And if Lego no longer cares about Bionicle or constraction in general, then it’s likely that we’ll never see it again.

I’m not saying it’s bad to be nostalgic. What I’m saying is…maybe it is pointless to make more Bionicle Ideas sets. Maybe it is pointless to do these G1 canonization contests. I hate to admit it, but given what I’ve seen, I don’t think Greg really has his heart in canonizing these MOCs. His attitude seems to be “Eh, whatever.” And maybe it is pointless to keep making these two-hour+ YouTube videos about a Lego line that’s dead. It just seems like a lot. Especially because lots of people that liked Bionicle back in the day seem to have moved on and forgotten about it.

On the whole, I’m just not sure how to feel about this. I’ve always been a nostalgic person, so I understand the Bionicle community’s devotion to the theme that did so much for them back in the day. But at the same time, the people on these boards that emphasize Lego having no reason to do anything new with Bionicle have a point. Wise people like to say that, if you get too caught up in the past, then you’ll never have a future. And maybe that’s what’s happening here. Maybe we’re so fixated on G1, we’re blind to whatever new and cool stuff Lego might roll out. And to that end, I’m somewhat ashamed to be part of the Bionicle community.

[takes a deep breath] There. It felt good to get that off my chest.

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“Are we wasting our time by being passionate about something we enjoy?”

Very few people have expectations of Lego bringing back Bionicle.

If you don’t want to be part of this, leave. There is no need to dump on everyone who does.

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I’m sorry. I guess I’m being a little harsh. I was one of the many supporters of Sokoda’s Ideas project, and when I heard about the G1 canonization contests, I was pretty open to the idea. But the critics I’ve seen…they’ve made some really good points.

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I disagree, but this is purely opinion.

But here’s the thing. The canon contests are one of the many, many ways that the community is keeping Bionicle alive. If you think they are unnecessary, or you think there are better ways to keep Bionicle alive, that is a valid opinion. But your original post makes it sound like you think that keeping Bionicle alive in any way is a waste of time.

If you think that keeping Bionicle alive is a waste of time, then you can leave. Just walk away and never look back. That is okay. But there is no reason that you need to try to convince everyone else to walk away with you.

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Alright I’m gonna answer this with an essay cause I think it deserves one.

For starters you have to remember that Bionicle was a big part of all of our childhoods, and whether because of nostalgia or sheer love of the material, we all still love Bionicle. If you’re trying to escape, you’d going about it wrong. Bionicle IS the escape - a fun thing that we can all share between us that was great while it lasted and kept alive by virtue of a large, diverse fanbase that may not always agree, but loves the material all the same.

Lego isn’t going to revive Bionicle, at least not any time soon. And I can point to facts and figures to back that up, like the fact that Bionicle stopped being their #1 line by 2005 and they then go on to never mention it in their yearly reports at all. I could point to the fact that G2 happened, clearly didn’t sell like they hoped, and was cancelled prematurely compared to other Lego themes. Or I can simply point to the fact that if it did came back our collective reaction would be the same as it was with G2: lukewarm.

And they know this because they watch the fandom. They may not actively participate in boards but you can guarantee they have systems in place to monitor the fandoms of their products.

But the thing is that we aren’t continuing to be fans of Bionicle because we want more. We’re fans because we enjoyed what we already had, and because many of us have formed life-long friendships and shared interests because of it. None of us would have ever met much less talked to eachother without Bionicle. My closest friends are all people I know because of Bionicle, and without it I wouldn’t have them at all.

The reality is that yeah, there are arguably better things we could do with our time. Schooling, work, building a business, all things are “better uses of time” than discussing and interacting with a long-dead Lego Toyline. But Bionicle is the escape from those better uses of time. I don’t get on the boards to have discussions, handle bellyaching, and generally moderate discussions in spite of my other obligations - I do it because those obligations suck.

You try running a business while being in school AND almost 100 grand in debt. Real Life Sucks.

But no one can take that away from me. No one can sit there and say that I’m wasting my time by talking to my friends or discussing with people in the fandom things entirely unrelated to the fandom, because it’s a hobby.

And yeah, there’s some validity in the thought process that “We shouldn’t take Bionicle so seriously that we rip eachother to shreds over it.” There’s a level of maturity that we should all be able to exhibit because the line is 20 years old and we grew up with it. But that’s a behavioral issue, not a “are we wasting time” issue/

Wasting time implies we are supposed to be working towards a goal that we are putting off in order to participate in these Boards, or Contests, or fandom. So what would you rather us all be working towards? Getting Lego to bring back Bionicle? It’s been tried, didn’t work out well for us collectively. Should we be actively attempting to fix the holes that exist in the old storylines or build new content off the backs of the original years? That’s what most people are doing.

The fact of the matter is that if you view being a member of the fandom as a waste of time… well you aren’t wrong. We all have other things we could be doing that would arguably benefit us more to just do. But if you genuinely think that it’s a waste of time… Jerminator’s right - that’s a you issue, and if you truly think that then taking a step back is the right move.

The fandom collectively has no goal to work towards and therefore cannot waste time. However, individuals can. This is a discussion TTV has had over and over again - it’s why you see less and less videos as time goes on. It’s a hobby, not a career, and so it’s no one’s #1 focus. These canonization contests are a way to bring the fandom together to do something cool, and if you see them as a waste of time as well that’s fine as well, even though the time realistically being devoted to them isn’t a waste as long as everyone participating is having a good time and enjoys the outcomes.

The reality is that I used to leave the group every 6 months, for 6 months, to “stop wasting time.” And every six months I’d come back, because sometimes wasting time is a good thing. And if you’re that concerned about what other people think that it’s making you question your chosen escape, you have to either decide to stop escaping, or find a different one.

Note: This is stream of consciousness cause having a super well thought out essay felt wrong for the situation. The fact is that your questioning the worthiness of contributing to the fandom is an emotional situation, more than a rational one.

TL;DR: The fandom has no goal to work towards and therefore canot be wasting time. However if you as an individual feel that you are wasting time by participating, the literal only way to fix that is for you to leave and do something you feel is worthy of your time. It is not up to others to decide the best use of your time.

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Here’s what you need to keep in mind most of all… LEGO perceives BIONICLE differently than the fandom does. Sure, there were people who worked on the theme that legitimately loved it (many of them), and LEGO obviously recognizes its prestige because they cite it as the line that saved their company. However… to them, it is a product line. It exists to make money and generate sales. When sales began to stagnate, they made the decision to take it shelves before it plummeted even further. They then continued its legacy by creating new story-driven themes like Ninjago to carry on the torch.

We as a fandom inherently see things differently. We don’t have access to detailed sales statistics or financial metrics, we don’t get to be flies on the wall of the corporate boardroom where decisions get made. We see BIONICLE from a broader sense, as the multi-faceted, unique, beautiful accident that it was, and because of that perception, we’re able to find the things we treasure about it and hold on to those, celebrating them in our own way through discussion or creativity. For some people, it’s the sets, unique build techniques, cool new pieces, MoCs, etc. For others, it’s the atmosphere, the world, the storyline, the characters, the media… BIONICLE ran for so long and had so many different facets to it that it would be impossible to decide on what the “core” of BIONICLE is. Everybody has their own different answer.

To LEGO, it is a product, sure… but that doesn’t mean that’s all it should be to the fanbase who loves it. That doesn’t mean that we are obligated to view things with such a cynical and corporate ideology. You mention this point:

How many of those themes had BIONICLE’s sprawling, decade-long storyline? How many of those themes had a rich, thriving world? A unique atmosphere? A beloved cast of characters? Multiple forms of media, like books, comics, games, movies, iconic CGI commercials?

How many of those themes had contests to integrate fan support into the theme? How many of those themes released guidebooks, had entire other websites just for chronicling further story content on the web? How many of them had passionate websites and fanbases who became so invested they could debate every tiny, insignificant breadcrumb of information for HOURS?

I’m not saying BIONICLE is “so much BETTER” than all those other themes, or that they’re trash and not worth remembering… but I’m saying it’s pretty foolish to compare BIONICLE to those themes as if they’re somehow equivalent. The fact that BIONICLE lasted as long as it did and had so many unique forms of media driving it forward makes it inherently have more of a passionate fanbase behind it, and those people don’t just like it because it’s “BIONICLE.” They like it because of the qualities that make it unique, and the qualities that make it successful, which inherently leads to discussion value and more support in online fan communities. These are the reasons why BIONICLE has had such a lasting impact, why its legacy has lasted so long, and why people still want to see it back.

What I’ve said for years is that people obsess too much over tying their own recognition of BIONICLE and their love for it to LEGO’s official support of the theme. In a lot of peoples’ minds, BIONICLE NEEDS to be an active and ongoing theme for it to have any worth, it NEEDS to be generating new story content, new pieces for MoCing, new sets, LEGO NEEDS to acknowledge it…

…but they don’t. The fan community as a whole is more than capable of carrying on the spirit of BIONICLE and paying respect to everything positive it did for our lives WITHOUT LEGO’s official support or acknowledgment. Does it suck that LEGO didn’t approve Sokoda’s set? Of course! Does it somehow invalidate the quality of his MoC, how good it was, how much of a celebration it was of BIONICLE’s life, and how heartwarming it was that the community banded together to get it 10,000 supporters so quickly? Not one bit!

Why do you think Eljay and I cared so much and fought for the allowance of 3D printed masks and custom pieces in our canon contests? That’s just one example of the way the BIONICLE community continues to change and evolve, incorporating peoples’ modern day creativity and the tools people have access to nowadays into BIONICLE, doing the things that LEGO refuses to do for ourselves. That’s just one way of many, but it’s the spirit of it that drives my whole ideology towards the BIONICLE community. You don’t define your own beliefs and opinions based on what the hypothetical majority says, does or thinks. It has to come from you and your heart and how you feel about the thing.

If you decided, tomorrow, to quit being a part of the BIONICLE community because you’ve moved on and don’t see the point anymore, that is totally fine. Everybody has the right to do that, and it doesn’t make them any less of a “true fan.” Plenty of people fall out of love with something over time, that’s just the natural progression of life. But only do it because that’s what YOU want to do. Don’t let people infect you with apathy, or the whole attitude about how “BIONICLE’s dead, why bother?”

I bother because I still care. I bother because BIONICLE means a lot to me, and my enjoyment of it isn’t tied to whether the current CEO of LEGO feels it could generate a profit in the modern day or not. My opinions aren’t defined by other people who, inherently, will look at the situation differently than me. My opinions are defined by ME, and the things that I love. BIONICLE’s legacy to me, is about creativity, passion, drive, and all those unique qualities that separate BIONICLE from anything else like it. Even its community is unique; for all of our flaws, we have such a diverse wealth of people and perspectives and so many unique subcultures… it’s unlike any other fandom I’ve been a part of out there. Because of all that, no matter how difficult it may be sometimes to deal with pessimistic outlooks and second-guessing whether BIONICLE is still relevant or not, I will NEVER be ashamed of being part of the BIONICLE community.

SIDE NOTE: I can say all that and still like other things. G1 isn’t the only thing in my life, and I like tons of other franchises, both LEGO and not. I’m a massive Ninjago fan, and a lot of people hate it because they think it’s the “BIONICLE killer.” That’s dumb, and anyone is capable of having more than one thing they invest into. If someone is incapable of doing that… that’s not a BIONICLE community problem, that’s a personal problem.

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Hello friend. First off, thanks for being honest and getting all that off! I’ll come at this from my personal perspective. BIONICLE was my entire childhood. It defined 10 years of my life from the day I got my first set in 2001 till 2010. I was cresftallen, dissappointed and heartbroken when it first ended. It had been everything I did in my free time from school and life. I watched all the movies, bought the sets, played the games, made mocs daily. So when it ended, I frankly didn’t know what to do with myself. Over time I slowly moved away from holding on to it. I kept all my sets and I held the story and the years I had with it fondly, but there were other things that I enjoyed, other franchises and entertainment that I found enjoyable. I had come to a point where I could move on from BIONICLE and not feel sad just thinking it was gone.

This unfortunately had a side effect later on. I had a rough first year of college. For my whole life up to that point, I inteded to keep my BIONICLE collection for the rest of my life. I wanted to pass it on to my kids and reminisce some day about what it meant to me as a kid. But I was so broken down by all I went through, that I wanted to just erase all the things of my childish past. All the stuff that made me happy before was just baggage holding me back I said to myself. So I sold my entire collection. Everything save the Toa Mata and one or two sets. I thought casting off all of that would make my troubles fade away. It didn’t. At all. I thought why should I hold on to something that is just dead and never coming back. Boy was I wrong.

A few months later, G2 was leaked. I was despondent that I had tossed away all my past while it finally came back. I was haunted by selling it, but at the same time felt it was a new beginning. I was in a new chapter of my life and BIONICLE was back with me for the journey once again. It was a great feeling. I was buying the sets again, I was excited to finally have it back. But that didn’t last either. G2 ended abruptly with JTO. I was legititmately crying when the final episode ended. All this I went through, all these years loving this line, just for it to be wantonly tossed away again. To watch it all crumble, again. I decided at that point that I would just leave BIONCLE behind for good. To not think about it, to not do anything with it and to remove myself from the community entirely. LEGO doesn’t care, and all this line brings is pain and dissappointment.

But you know what, I was wrong. In 2020, with all the horrible things in the world, all the struggles that I and thousands of others have been facing, I saw that BIONICLE was once again back. This time in the form of canonization contests. I was skeptical and cynical at first. It was amplified even more after the hose debacle. But then something clicked with me after that. I remembered a little kid who read about Artakha and spent days building him in his room, imagining and dreaming about the world and story that had shaped him for so long. And I started to remember just what this line meant to me. How much it helped me to become who I am today, how it shaped years of my life. Helped me to meet friends I’ve known for over a decade. Gave alot of joy and excitement and wonder.

These contests have been…controversial. I must admit. But I have to say, from the perspective of a lapsed fan going through the turmoil of this year, being able to have a chance to revist and commemorate such a happy time in my life has given me a lot of reasons to smile. It helped to remind me of a part of myself I kinda lost a bit along the way all these years. And reinvigorated a spark of creativity and fun that I have been missing for a long time. I know my case isn’t shared by everyone, but I’m sure that many people have seen these as a chance to truly commemorate BIONICLE and what it meant to them. To remember a time past with fondness instead of biterness. To get a smile just thinking about a line that held a spot in their lives. It’s important to move towards the future, of course, and not stay mired in the past. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t appreciate the past, to think back fondly and to commemorate things that helped to shape who we are and what we did. And so long as even a few people can get some joy in a time of …alot of sadness from something from the past being commemorated, remembered, and kept alive, then I’ll always champion for it.

I understand how your feeling. Reading all the negativity and arguments is draining and irritating. But for all the vocal negativity, I’m sure there are dozens of fans right now who are overjoyed to see this line get something special to commemorate it in it’s 20th anniversary year, when LEGO doesn’t seem to care. And its ok that they don’t. But unlike all those other lines you mention, BIONICLE is truly unique. It captured the imaginations of so many in a way that LEGO had never done before. It was, for all intents and purposes, a global phenomenon for 4 years, and a cultural mainstay for its entire lifespan. It had the most widely distributed comic in history. It was a multimedia multiplatform product that grew well beyond its “craze toy” beginnings. Its a special line. It meant the world to so many, myself included, and it deserves to be remembered and commemorated. This is just one small way of doing so.

Just because its gone, and likely never coming back, doesn’t mean it wasn’t important, special, and worth keeping on in the hearts of those who loved it. Greg often used Star Trek as an example, of which I’ve been a fan since I was a kid. It ended after a 3 year run in the 60s and was never supposed to come back. Fans loved it so much they kept it going in their hearts. They petioned for it to come back. They made their own adventures and stories. And now its still on TV to this day. While that may never be the same for BIONICLE, that doesn’t mean it should be forgotten and tossed aside. No matter what all the naysayers and negative people push out about the contests, its a chance to bring the community together to celebrate BIONICLE, one last hurrah, after 20 years. And that’s worth doing, if even one person gets some joy out of it, in my book.

I apologize for the essay. I tend to overwrite when I’m passionate about something XD.

-Sol

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Oh yeah, and about the contests specifically… inherently, yes, Greg does care about all the tiny little details way more than the community does. There’s a degree of overcomplication that the fandom does because we inherently love the thing and care about all the little eccentricities… meanwhile Greg looked at Helryx and said “Very nice.”

Does that mean the contests are bad? No. It’s Greg way of being able to give the power into the fans hands to be creative and drive “new” stuff forward even in 2020, rather than Q&A, for instance, where he has to answer the same old questions 20 times in a row. The contests are a thing that the community takes “ownership” of in a way, hashing out the rules and whatnot, but that Greg can still participate in and be involved with. That doesn’t mean he “doesn’t care.” If Greg didn’t care about us, he wouldn’t have spent so many years answering questions. His priorities and time allowances, however, can change with time, and that’s okay.

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In all seriousness.

:man_shrugging:

It’s certainly a waste of time to try and get Bionicle back, that ship has sailed and sunk, twice now if you count the ideas project.

but in the end of the day there’s a lot worse things to do online then talk about a dead toyline.

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Wow. I really suck at conveying myself, don’t I?

It feels like I should be surprised by this. But I’m really not. How else would Lego know how much we still care about a twenty-year-old theme?

Well, I guess so. You could say that about any hobby. And frankly, I’m kinda sad I didn’t think of this when I was writing my opening post. It’s not just about what people do with their spare time. It’s their escape from the absolute grind of life.

…and, like I mentioned in my opening post, they’re all gone now.

To be fair, Johnny Thunder is popular enough in the Lego community that a.) he got a cameo in The Lego Movie, and b.) Lego made this minifigure as a nod to the fans that remember him:

image

But then again, you’re right. Even Adventurers wasn’t as rich in lore as Bionicle was.

Yeah, I was pretty disappointed that it got rejected. But, the more I think about it, the more I realize that it isn’t possible for a Bionicle Ideas project to get approved.

Boy, if you only knew how much I watched the sneak peaks for TLR on the Bionicle website back in the day…:stuck_out_tongue:

Yeah, that was the main thing that drove me to make this topic. Often, when I read excessive negative comments and trolls about something, it can affect my enjoyment of said something. I personally loved the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but the fan backlash has somewhat tarnished my view of it. And let’s not even talk about the prequel vs. reboot controversy around the Bumblebee movie…

A lot of people (myself included) seemed to feel that way about the Ideas project that got rejected. Even though we lost, we can take pride knowing that we made an effort.

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You and me both haha.

Bye Bye Babylon playing on loop in the background of the first iBZP episodes intensifies

-Sol

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I remember wanting to get the DVD for Christmas that year. I found a present that was the right size and shape, so I got excited. But I was disappointed when I saw that it was Ice Age. Granted, when I did actually watch Ice Age, I loved it. But still. I kind of wish that I’d gotten TLR.

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Yes, bionicle is a waste of time. That’s why I’ve moved on to Galidor years ago. Much smaller fanbase, so frewer arguments.

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Wait, Galidor actually has a fanbase? :stuck_out_tongue:

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Only five people.
But they are five dedicated people.

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Wow. I had no idea.

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To bring this a bit more on topic: I would much rather follow a dead theme/story/series than a live one. Partly because I like to make up my own stories/characters, and it would be irritating if I made a story or a character I really like and then something new comes out that makes it no longer work.

Also, less chance of spoilers. When I’m, say, watching a show as it airs, everyone else is talking about it too. If something aired years ago, however, less chance of spoilers. (This of course doesn’t apply to bionicje)

Three: no one can “ruin it”. We’ve all heard the stories: of how the ending of game of thrones ruined several character arcs, or the new star wars trilogy ruined star wars, or so on. Unless Lego revives bionicle g1, they’ll never write, say, some new story that ruins kopaka’s character. I’m not saying that is a risk for bionicle, per set, but it is a possibility for other series.

Also: certainty is another matter. I watch the Mandalorian, which is unfinished and could be cancelled tomorrow. Conversely, if I want to watch something like Legend of Korra , I know it will have an ending. When I go back and read the bionicle books, I know that they do have an ending, serials notwithstanding.

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“I have claimed that Escape is one of the main functions of fairy-stories, and since I do not disapprove of them, it is plain that I do not accept the tone of scorn or pity with which “Escape” is now so often used […] Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? Or if, when he cannot do so, he thinks and talks about other topics than jailers and prison-walls? The world outside has not become less real because the prisoner cannot see it.”
– J. R. R. Tolkien

I was about to write a lengthy response to this post, but @Mesonak (and Tolkien, aha) absolutely nailed my feelings on the subject, so I’ll be brief.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I hang around because I genuinely liked this franchise. I still think it’s cool, and just because there isn’t any new, active content being pumped out, doesn’t mean I can’t go back and enjoy what was.

I don’t care if Bionicle is “dead”, if it never comes back, and if I end up being the last person on the planet who remembers it. I can still pull out a comic, or a serial, or buy a new set from bricklink and enjoy it for what it means to me, even if it’s no longer popular or successful.

Regarding the matter of spending time, you make a decent point. Time and time alone is the reason I haven’t entered any of the canon contests so far, (except for the current one, because I’d kind of feel bad getting my mask design canonized overtop of KhingK’s). Time is very finite, but time spent is not always time wasted.

Well-written fiction (which I seriously, critically believe Bionicle is) of any kind should never be a one-way trade. Whether it’s a memorable quote that motivates you, a striking visual that gives you creative inspiration, or even just that same “escape” from the everyday - fiction rewards its investor. Some of us are sticking around not to see what’s coming next, but to cherish what has come before.

Quick tangent: this point is factually not true, I’m afraid. Greg’s still around, and he still cares and does multiple-hour-long interviews with fan podcasts and whatnot. Faber obviously still cares because he’s trying to pitch G3 to Lego (which is not a likely thing to see happen, but it shows that the line meant something to him. Otherwise, why not just move on to another project?)

There are also Lego designers sneaking Bionicle Easter Eggs into stickers and decals and things. There are definitely still people there who care about it.
That said, if you’re only enjoying Bionicle because Lego is enjoying it, I think you might be missing the point. :wink:

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@thewimpykid Hey, man, no need to get all stressed-out about things.
There’s no need to obsess over this franchise like it’s supposed to be “someone’s life’s work, or anything”;-- it exists for fun and to have a good time. :slightly_smiling_face: :+1:
If you’re not getting the enjoyment out of it that you want, then you don’t have to have to look to it for that. You can still participate if you want to, but no pressure. :slightly_smiling_face:
Hobbies/things that you do just for fun are like Prequel Memes. You ride the laughter of the ones you’ve seen until it dies down, and then, when another one comes along that gives you more delight, you enjoy that one. :+1:

As an addendum, I’d like to add that there was a time I stopped wanting LEGO, but later, returned stronger to the consumption of the toy brand, and had several more good times. Sometimes liking of a franchise comes and goes, and that’s perfectly okay. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I must disagree, but to argue about that would be to stray from the topic.

Just to be clear, I still like Bionicle. It was a significant part of my childhood, and for years after its cancellation, I continued to MOC with my supply of Bionicle parts. A couple years ago, I started to get back into Bionicle’s story and characters. I went onto BioMediaProject and reread some of the books, and they were just as good as I remembered. And the movies have enjoyment in them.

Admittedly, in this case, I was referring mostly to the designers. But if Christian Faber is trying to get G3 going…well, I can’t complain, if we’re getting more Bionicle content.

But ultimately, it seems like the overarching point that you guys are making is that, since we’re making a hobby out of our love of Bionicle, then it’s not necessarily a bad thing. We are showing Lego that we still care, and we’re keeping the brand name alive. Which I find myself agreeing with. And the fact that there are people on these boards that are speaking out against the canonization contests and Ideas projects…I guess it’s nothing new, considering that AFOLs have bashed Bionicle ever since it began.

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