Bionicle 2016 Story Discussion & Rumors

[TheDesuComplex]

Do you think Umarak's mask has a power? What do you think it would be?

I doubt it. The transparent-ness isn't really a good indicator for if something has power, as all of the Skull Villains have plenty of transparent parts and don't have elemental affiliation outside of stealing the Toa's energies. If it does, though, I am betting it will be related to Hunting in some fashion (improved accuracy, better camoflage, etc.).

At any rate, I wonder if the toa and creatures will actually combine minds in-story when in Unity mode, or if they'll just be able to hear each others thoughts. Speaking of which, do you think the creatures will be sapient? I always like the "sapient, but still animalistic" approach.

I will bet that the Toa maintain completely control over their United forms and that the Creatures are definitely sapient but act like one would expect pets too.

[Voxovan]

At any rate, I wonder if the toa and creatures will actually combine minds in-story when in Unity mode, or if they'll just be able to hear each others thoughts. Speaking of which, do you think the creatures will be sapient? I always like the "sapient, but still animalistic" approach.

I'll take anything, but please don't make them talk, Lego :P

[The Outsider]

I'll take anything, but please don't make them talk, Lego :P

Seconded. It felt weird and nonsensical in Savage Planet, and it will feel weird and nonsensical now.

On the other hand, I hope Umarak (and maybe Makuta, since we'll see the MoCo this year) speaks more than this years' villains.

[MakutaOfWar]

Seconded. It felt weird and nonsensical in Savage Planet, and it will feel weird and nonsensical now.

On the other hand, I hope Umarak (and maybe Makuta, since we'll see the MoCo this year) speaks more than this years' villains.

I hope this year's villains speak more than this year's villains next year.

[Bigger Fish]

I hope that Umarak speaks with an Australian accent in the Netflix show.

Also, who do you think will be in the voice cast for the Netflix show?

[TheDesuComplex]

I hope that Umarak speaks with an Australian accent in the Netflix show.

Also, who do you think will be in the voice cast for the Netflix show?

I've always joked that I want Umarak to pull in as many redneck stereotypes as possible, as that's what I (hailing from Texas) associate 'Hunter' with. There's also the (far more likely) possibility that they will give him something along the lines of a more historical big game hunter stereotype (for example, General Zaroff from The Most Dangerous Game). I don't really get where the Australian accent could come from though.

Speaking more on the question you posed... Even though I was alright with it last year, can we please get a female voice actor for Gali this time? I am hoping that there will be enough room to work it in. They could also take the opportunity to reuse the same voice actor for a couple of the Creatures if they decide they should be talkative.

[Bigger Fish]

Here's my personal idea for a good voice cast for BIONICLE.

Tahu: Someone like Travis Willingham or Quinton Flynn. A sort of stereotypical hotblooded anime hero voice.

Kopaka: Steven Blum

Onua: Phil LaMarr or Khary Payton could work.

Pohatu: Michael Dangerfield. For some reason, I've always imagined Pohatu with a cowboy voice.

Lewa: Jess Harnell

Gali: Tabitha St. Germain

The reason I was thinking Australian for Umarak was because I kind of imagine him to be a sort of cross between the TF2 Sniper and the Predator.

[Aethersprite]

I doubt it. The transparent-ness isn't really a good indicator for if something has power, as all of the Skull Villains have plenty of transparent parts and don't have elemental affiliation outside of stealing the Toa's energies. If it does, though, I am betting it will be related to Hunting in some fashion (improved accuracy, better camoflage, etc.).

I wasn't referring to its transparent-ness, but I get your point. It's a pity, though. Umarak's mask design has got to be my favourite of the 2016 masks. I'm a bit disappointed that the G2 villain masks have no powers, though I get why Lego might do that to "simplify" things.

On voice actors, no Australian for Umarak please! I think it'd make him more goofy. He looks incredibly menacing and intimidating, IMO an Australian voice wouldn't fit.

[Shakar]

There'd be no point for me to list an Italian cast (or a Japanese one like the weeb I am), so I'll just point out some aspects of the English voice acting I'd enjoy:

Tahu: Deep, gruff and hotblooded. I mean, it's Tahu.

Kopaka: Deep, smooth and quiet, but with a snarky tone.

Onua: Like Kopaka's but a bit older sounding. And please drop the dumb brute voice the English narrator gave him because it didn't fit him at all.

Pohatu: Like Tahu's, but slightly higher.

Lewa: A bit hoarse and nasal, slighlty younger sounding than the others, and snarky of course.

Gali: A powerful but calm voice, with a hint of snark at times. And obviously female. : P

Umarak: a deep, smooth voice. I don't see him as hotblooded, he's closer to Kopaka (as a cold, intelligent hunter), without the snark and with a menacing and creepy tone when needed (like Kulta's "And I will have plenty of time..").

EDIT: Oh, come on! One time I don't edit my post, I have to do it anyway because the forum posted the message twice on the same post. :P

Edited November 27, 2015 by Shakar

[Toa of Gallifrey]

Ono Daisuke to voice Kopaka and Tomokazu Sugita to voice Lewa or bust.

Edited November 27, 2015 by Toa of Gallifrey

[Shakar]

Thank you, now you're making me post my Japanese cast (which does not follow the Toa voices from the Japanese MoL dub). Some choices feel a bit different from the voices I described above, but I think they work fairly well:

Tahu: Toshiyuki Morikawa

Kopaka: Ryotarou Okiayu

Onua: Akio Ootsuka

Pohatu: Katsuyuki Konishi

Lewa: Hiroshi Kamiya

Gali: Miyuki Sawashiro

Umarak: Naoya Uchida.

[Kalta the Noble Mind]

i want Michael Dorn to voice Onua. he always had this sense of power and wisdom that would have fit Onua in both generations.

never understood why they always made the earth toa sound like fantastic Four's the Thing with rough uncouth tough guy demenour. always felt that was more suited for the toa of stone.

[Bigger Fish]

Matthew Mercer could also work for Tahu.

[DraikNova]

I'd like Onua to sound very restrained, like he's making a definite effort not to break things, while also sounding somewhat intelligent. Less generic aesop-wise dumb muscle, more plain genius bruiser.

[Aanchir]

I wouldn't mind if the creatures spoke to the Toa telepathically, to be honest. It'd help firmly establish that these are magical creatures with a special connection to the Toa. With that said, it's not something the writers HAVE to do — if they choose not to have the animals speak in any way I'm sure they could still manage to establish that connection.

[Aethersprite]

Thank you, now you're making me post my Japanese cast (which does not follow the Toa voices from the Japanese MoL dub). Some choices feel a bit different from the voices I described above, but I think they work fairly well:

Tahu: Toshiyuki Morikawa

Kopaka: Ryotarou Okiayu

Onua: Akio Ootsuka

Pohatu: Katsuyuki Konishi

Lewa: Hiroshi Kamiya

Gali: Miyuki Sawashiro

Umarak: Naoya Uchida.

Uhh... Nope. Hiroshi Kamiya would be my pick for Kopaka. I think he'd pull off Kopaka's bored, cold, I-want-to-work-alone vibe really well.

(Then again, he's my favourite Jap VA, and Kopaka's my favourite Toa, so... )

[Bigger Fish]

Uhh... Nope. Hiroshi Kamiya would be my pick for Kopaka. I think he'd pull off Kopaka's bored, cold, I-want-to-work-alone vibe really well.

(Then again, he's my favourite Jap VA, and Kopaka's my favourite Toa, so... )

Could someone please run me through some of the voices these guys did? I watch a bit of anime, but I'm not very well versed in it or the fan culture.

[Aethersprite]

Could someone please run me through some of the voices these guys did? I watch a bit of anime, but I'm not very well versed in it or the fan culture.

Don't know about the others Shakar mentioned, but Hiroshi Kamiya famously did Captain Levi from Attack on Titan, and (my personal favourite) Tieria Erde from Gundam 00.

Edited November 28, 2015 by Lockon Stratos

[Bigger Fish]

Mkauta's Japanese voice actor should totes be Takehito Koyasu.

[xboxtravis7992]

Tahu: Someone like Travis Willingham or Quinton Flynn. A sort of stereotypical hotblooded anime hero voice.

Kopaka: Steven Blum

Onua: Phil LaMarr or Khary Payton could work.

Pohatu: Michael Dangerfield. For some reason, I've always imagined Pohatu with a cowboy voice.

Lewa: Jess Harnell

Gali: Tabitha St. Germain

Jess Harnell as Lewa? Hmm, I only know his Animaniacs work so I wonder what he'd normally sound like.

[Shakar]

Don't know about the others Shakar mentioned, but Hiroshi Kamiya famously did Captain Levi from Attack on Titan, and (my personal favourite) Tieria Erde from Gundam 00.

I was thinking more about how he voices Izaiya from Durara, which is a mix of bored and mischievous that I like for Lewa. The other VA I picked for Kopaka voices Byakuya in Bleach, who has a similar cold and cocky attitude and has that kind of deep voice I imagine for Kopaka.

And below is my reply to DuplexBeGreat, which I originally wanted to post on the 2016 Sets Topic but since it spawned into a rambling on Umarak and the 2016 story I decided to dump post it here:

And finally... the big man himself. Umarak, the Hunter! Mata Nui, that name is awesome. Right. The set. I'm in the "weird-but-makes-it-work-really-really-well" camp. His colors, focusing more on black but still using a delicious dark red, and adding in that wood-y brown, do an amazing job of giving off the right villainous vibe. The trans-green scattered throughout the set, especially on the mask, looks creepy and improves the design even further. The tan horns on the bow and mask seem ridiculously large at first, but as with the rest of the set, it just somehow works. The mask's design is beautifully evil as well, and thankfully it's black! That magazine image had me worried. I haven't even started on his details! The trap pieces for shoulder armor are an ingenious idea that works really well. The way that his bow curves unorthodoxically is also neat and accentuates the idea that Umarak is not your average being. The random chains here and there? Love it. The hip-mounted blade? LOVE IT. The technic legs are weird, but wonderfully nostalgic of the Titans from '05 and on. And then we come to the images of him combined with the Creatures, and I start screaming freakishly. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. I actually didn't anticipate that Umarak would have a combining function, but GOD it works so well... in particular with Uxar, who, if I haven't already said it enough, is my favorite Creature. I may just need to get TWO Uxars just so I can combine him with both Lewa and Umarak! The wings--- the regalness--- the angel-of-death motif--- the GREEN--- AAAAAGH! Umarak-with-Uxar is too perfect!

I haven't thought of Umarak+Uxar as an "angel of death" as you called him, but I guess the insect wings can be likened to certain figures representing evil and death (like Beelzebub, "Lord of the Flies"). When I see Umarak with Uxar's wings the first thing I think about is the traditional European portrayal of fairies, horrible monsters living in the woods who like to kidnap humans and do horrible things to them. That's what Umarak reminds me of, an evil spirit of the woods. This subtle traditional fairytale motif, if it is intentional that is (I think it is, at least in part), is something quite new for BIONICLE; which has, so far, mostly relied on sci-fi and modern fantasy and horror as inspiration for its antagonists.

You could say the Creatures represent the "mortherly" side of nature, while Umarak and the Beasts represent its unforgiving and destructive side. Potentially, this could be far more interesting than 2005 and bring a much more solid environmentalist message. We know there's a law saying you must not mix elements together, so one of 2016's messages could be "You can make use of Nature's gifts but be careful, if you try to experiment with it BAD THINGS might happen". Umarak summoning or creating the Beasts means that he decides (with Makuta's blessing I bet) to insult Nature's laws and mess with the natural course of life. And so the Hunter gets his upgrade by becoming a bringer of calamity and chaos, a Destroyer.

Sorry I rambled on, but I came up with this as I wrote it, so I guess one thing led to the other.

Edited November 29, 2015 by Shakar

[DuplexBeGreat]

I haven't thought of Umarak+Uxar as an "angel of death" as you called him, but I guess the insect wings can be likened to certain figures representing evil and death (like Beelzebub, "Lord of the Flies"). When I see Umarak with Uxar's wings the first thing I think about is the traditional European portrayal of fairies, horrible monsters living in the woods who like to kidnap humans and do horrible things to them. That's what Umarak reminds me of, an evil spirit of the woods. This subtle traditional fairytale motif, if it is intentional that is (I think it is, at least in part), is something quite new for BIONICLE; which has, so far, mostly relied on sci-fi and modern fantasy and horror as inspiration for its antagonists.

You could say the Creatures represent the "mortherly" side of nature, while Umarak and the Beasts represent its unforgiving and destructive side. Potentially, this could be far more interesting than 2005 and bring a much more solid environmentalist message. We know there's a law saying you must not mix elements together, so one of 2016's messages could be "You can make use of Nature's gifts but be careful, if you try to experiment with it BAD THINGS might happen". Umarak summoning or creating the Beasts means that he decides (with Makuta's blessing I bet) to insult Nature's laws and mess with the natural course of life. And so the Hunter gets his upgrade by becoming a bringer of calamity and chaos, a Destroyer.

Sorry I rambled on, but I came up with this as I wrote it, so I guess one thing led to the other.

Interesting thoughts! I didn't literally mean that I see the character as representing an "Angel of Death", I just meant that I liked the aesthetic... but I'm glad it inspired you to expostulate on this! :P

[Shakar]

Yeah I know, I'm not saying it's a direct reference. And I don't have any proof the designers have taken inspiration from fairies either, the comparison just came to me and all the other stuff came on its own : P

[TwistLaw]

There'd be no point for me to list an Italian cast (or a Japanese one like the weeb I am), so I'll just point out some aspects of the English voice acting I'd enjoy

As an italian I am curious, who you'd think would fit the best each Toa?

[Shakar]

I don't have a specific cast in mind, but let's try:

Tahu: Roberto Draghetti (same VA from the MoL dub)

Kopaka: Francesco Bulckaen

Onua: Alessandro Rossi

Pohatu: Vittorio Guerrieri

Lewa: Fabio Boccanera

Gali: Laura Boccanera (same VA from the MoL dub)

Umarak: Roberto Pedicini

Ekimu: Michele Kalamera

Too bad most of the voice samples you find for them are way off from the voices I have in mind for them.