I’m a little nervous, honestly.
I’ve been with Ninjago since Day One. I’ve watched it go through many twists and turns, ups and down, and changes over the years. Unlike most people on these boards, I still enjoy it, but the more time goes by, the more it feels like it’s worn out its welcome. We’ve had season after season after season, with three “final battle” chapters, and villains we thought were gone for good coming back for revenge because the show needed an iconic villain for its “climax.” And the sets, for as well-designed as they are, tend to get REALLY repetitive. Every wave is basically: oversized motorcycle, a jet, a bad guy base, a big jeep/4X4, a bigger vehicle, a mech, and a dragon or two. Heck, @LegoDavid wrote an entire opinion piece about it:
BUT, with all that said, I do still find some enjoyment in Ninjago. Since I’ve been there since Day One, there’s definitely a nostalgia factor. Despite the sets feeling repetitive, the majority of them are well-designed, and many of the waves have interesting themes to them. For me, some of the standouts include Master Of The Mountain, Skybound, Hunted, The Island, and Rise Of The Snakes. And, of course, the 2011 sets are really unique for their time, and they have an even bigger nostalgia factor for me.
And as for the TV s h o w…it’s definitely got an “oh, it’s made for kids heehee!” feel to it, but it’s kind of hard to get mad at it. Not because it’s “too childish” or anything like that, but because there does seem to be some amount of effort put into it. The characters have distinct personalities, and there is character development (even if it’s not as prevalent in the more recent seasons), and many of the episodes have good messages to them. And there just seems to be this huge amount of passion coming from Tommy Andreason. From the quality of the material he and his crew put out, and from his interactions with fans, I can tell he really cares about Ninjago and its world and characters. Many would argue that Ninjago has only lasted as long as it has because the corporate executives have forced it to continue so they can make more money-and those people are right. But even though Ninjago is only continuing out of necessity, there is still effort being put into it. And that, I appreciate. To quote myself…
But I’m worried that with Tommy Andreason gone, Ninjago might lose that “creative spark.” I know he didn’t single-handedly pump out 12 years of Ninjago by himself, but he was still a pretty big driving force. We know that Ninjago is gonna be starting a “new story” next year, but it’s something about which we know frighteningly little. Some 2023 set names have been leaked, and they include the original ninjas’ names, but those are most likely just Core/EVO sets. They’re not part of the “rebooted” franchise or whatever it is we’re getting next year. In any case, if Tommy Andreason isn’t involved, then…will it be as good? Or will it just devolve into what the detractors are having us believe: a soulless brand that only exists to make money?
Side note: This quote aged rather well: