I assume that nearly everybody knows the Bionicle G1 storyline on this forum. And the G2 naturally too. But comparing both makes me realize something: The G1 story had more suspense, a darker atmosphere, full of mysteries(and controversies too). Since the beginning of Bionicle in 2001(I was too young to follow the first years of Bionicle), the story was so interesting.
But G2 is different. I feel like it isn’t the primary objective of LEGO anymore. It seems very linear, without real mysteries. I know that Bionicle is for young children, but reading all the G1 stories, it felt more like an “all-age” storyline(wars, violence, death, nothing really you would see in a LEGO theme). Not that I dislike the G2 story, I really liked the Netflix series, but it isn’t the same feeling as it was before. And since I heard rumors about Bionicle’s discontinuation, I suppose that the story wasn’t appealing enough. But that’s just my opinion.
So do you also think that the G2 story isn’t as interesting as the G1’s, or do you think that the G2 storyline will get better with time?
I honestly don’t think the Bionicle story will last long enough to get good. additionally, with the current goals/themes in mind I don’t think G2 could ever have a plot quite as appealing as G1, even if it lasted indefinitely.
In any case I’m still on the hope train
######see what I did there?
Ehm what did you do?
Let me address a few things here.
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G1 and G2 are being told in different mediums. While G2 does have books and comics, its main story is being told via web animations and a tv-series. G1’s story was primarily told through books and direct-to-dvd movies. Each medium has different restrictions on what you can and can not do depending on your audience.
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G1 aged with its audience. You may forget but the early years of BIONICLE was fairly bright compared to it’s later years. Early BIONICLE had an unspoken rule of “nobody dies,” kind of like G2. We wouldn’t get our first death until late 2003, and even then it was undone by the end of the movie. However, BIONICLE started to aim at older kids as the years went on. It’s why the sets switched from the bright Mata colors to the darker Metru ones.
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A Dark Story =/= A Good Story. The tone of a story doesn’t automatically correlate with its quality. You can a bright story well and a dark story poorly, and vice versa. The first Star Wars movie took off because the 70’s was full of cynicism and people found a black-and-white space adventure refreshing. Conversely, an overly dark story can alienate your audience away form it, which was a problem some people had with BIONICLE’s later years.
G2 has its issues but not because its not dark enough. I think G2’s main problem, at least compared to G1, is that it doesn’t want to take risks. The story feels very safe to me. LEGO doesn’t want to fall into the same pitfalls as G1 did, and rightfully so, but there also seems to be hesitation to fully embrace G2’s full potential as well.
It probably because 2015-16 and 2001 are very different times for LEGO. The company was still struggling in 2001 so they had to take risks. Now LEGO is a giant, so there’s less for BIONICLE, especially now that they already have a cash cow called Ninjago.
G1 had a different audience.
That’s really the reason.
Definitely, and while I was definitely hoping for a grittier story (I still hold the Ignition Trilogy as the best of Bionicle’s story), it does make sense for this easier, brighter one.
Reason?
They’re making it for little kids again. 2001-03 were for young kids, and as those kids aged, the story matured. Once again, they’re targeting kids - they know we’re all going to buy the sets, so what they need is a new audience.
However, as has been said, there was still room for them to take risks, and unfortunately they largely haven’t.
G2 has certainly lost the charm that G1 had, it’s not because of the darker themes, but because of the characters, the mistery and ‘power’ that G1 had. I’m not saying G1 was perfect (I hate you 2010.) but it was more ‘complete’ and well executed. (Except 2004 and 2005, those were good years, but why would you put a flashback right after the first years ended?)
That’s probably the best explanation I’ve read about the differences in story between G1 and G2. Good job, Sharnak.
speaking of this I went a lego store the other day and they only had 3 different bionicles that were being sold (it saddened me)
wow
just wow
It’s all about execution, not the tone itself.
The reason G1 stands over G2 is because of writing quality, not necessarily because one was darker than the other.
2001 had MNOG, which in of itself, while dabbling with darker stuff here and there, was pretty light-hearted.
However, it was still a decently-written and lore-rich hook, one which G2 hasn’t really gotten an equivalent to.
The 2015 animations were mediocre at best, and Journey to One was just okay.
Neither packed that umph MNOG had, and as other people have stated, that simply has to do with G2 playing it safe and not taking the risks G1 did, not because it isn’t “dark” enough.
Only that without taking risk, their theme will be cancelled even faster than they expected. Or is LEGO not as interested anymore to bring Bionicle as main theme back anymore?
There’s two different types of “dark” stories.
•Where the story is given a light tone, but has a very dark undertone that is briefly touched upon until the very end.
•Where the story starts light-hearted, but slowly goes darker over time.
Which one is G1 and which one is G2?
I suppose that G2 is option 2, but given the small time G2 will survive they will have to bring something really good. Perhaps with a real plot twist, Bionicle G2 could survive even more. There are many rumors like Ekimu being actually evil and so on. But would LEGO accept that?
Mine is a supposition since I have no idea how the later story continues with G2. But for me, it is very light hearted right now. I don’t have this feeling of a dark undertone(not yet).
Tell me why then, because I’m seeing no real dark tone in the G2 storyline. Or I am blind.
You’re blind, but I hardly blame you. It’s a subtle way of writing that hints at it. In fact, the toa have actually been the biggest hints of it so far. Look at how each one minutely behaves to an event. There is a light-hearted tone, but equally a dark undertone that is lightly touched upon, and that darkness grows and grows.