Mata Nui Online Game is one of the most core parts of Bionicle for me, I'd even go as far as saying I'm more of a MNOG fan who is also a fan of the tie in action figures.
I think one of the most endearing things about it is its art style, its sometimes quite rough, but it just comes together to make some very evocative imagery.
One of the most interesting examples of the very economical way in which this game was made is, I think, the Ussal crab.
The Ussal is first introduced in the Onu-Koro chapter of the game, an area focused around a large mine, and in keeping with this there's a lot of machinery. A few years ago I 3d modelled a lot of them, which is where I first had the realisation that the bulk of them are actually reusing Ussal graphics.
Its something that's come up quite a bit since so I feel I'd like to have a document that covers it all in detail for future reference.
To begin with: this is the Ussal. Its a cute little crab. It has a little rubber band function that lets it do little punches. Even though it first appeared as a set in 2002 it was all over 2001, from MNOG, to the card game Quest For The Masks, to the video games Quest for the Toa and the cancelled Legend of Mata Nui, and its even one of the first creatures you see in the comics!
MNOG, being a flash game, constructed the Ussal out of several simplified collections of parts that could be animated separately. They then reused these parts, flipping them around, overlapping them, scaling them, all sorts, to make all the various machinery you see throughout the area.
So I thought it would be a bit fun to tear apart a couple Ussals for purely demonstrative purposes.
These are all the main usages that I'm aware of. Note these aren't 1:1, there's some scaling involved in some plus extra little bits here and there.
Small Lava Valve
Large Lava Valve
Lava Pump-aka Tower of Crab Corpses
Drill-This one also contains parts of Whenua!
Light Stand-As I recall this was the what made me finally realise the Ussal connection, the bent beam was confusing me until I worked it out.
Lever-Yeah every time you ride this thing you're grabbing an Ussal's eye.
Elevator Winch-its up there, looming out of the darkness.
This object also includes many parts seen in the ziplines.
And while that may be it for the Onu-Koro chapter the Ussal bits make one last surprise appearance in the little electric bug from the next chapter, Le-Koro.
This one is playing a lot with scale, and its using the back of a Kewa bird for the abdomen. it means that the little guy isn't really buildable, but I've tried.
These are all the usages I'm aware of, I'd love to know if anyone's found any others! I'd also like to quickly note where the Ussal was not used, as I find it interesting.
When the Toa Kaita fight the Manas, a much larger, treaded crab, they end up having to smash these large control towers. The towers are full of miscalaneous mechanical bits, but no crab bits.
And at the end of the game, the void features entirely Toa bits and tubing, so no crab bits there either.
I just wanted to make a note of that since it was something I once wondered when looking in to this.
In conclusion, I find it so inspiring how effectively they used their assets. Like, did you know that Lewa's head here when he gets the infected mask knocked off is just reusing the foot graphic?
Wild stuff. Its just very in keeping with the whole building system Bionicle is based on and I love it.
Hope everyone filed their taxes on time. Good night.
Discussing Jonathan Djob Nkondo's work, the voice behind the surreal sequence in Gorillaz's new short: 'The Mountain, The Moon Cave, and The Sad God'!
Gorillaz's 'The Mountain, the Moon Cave, and The Sad God' is not only a wonderful addition to the band's wide catalogue of short music videos, but also manages to set itself apart in the sheer meticulous attention to the visuals. It takes on a traditional animation approach to the backgrounds and effects, and while these are also wonderful in their own right, I'd like to bring attention to the middle section of the short that becomes looser and more surreal.
Personally, I was blown away by the transition from grounded luscious backgrounds into the cave section's explosion of colour - the manic energy of it all. When I first saw it the first thing I thought was: 'God, I really hope we get some info confirming the people behind this section, their voice is fantastic'. Usually animators and designers online will slowly trickle out bts shots and WIPs post publishing, so I was keeping an eye out to see if we'd get any info.
Luckily I didn't have to wait long - the new bts on Youtube contains an interview section with Jonathan Djob Nkondo. Not only is he credited as sequence director, but he confirms in the short clip that he solely animated the section, a significant amount of work for what was probably a shorter production. There's a LOT happening, with a lot of bits and pieces and multi-character animations layering on top of each-other. The explanation as to why makes sense - it would likely would be easier to keep it to one person instead of attempting to match the intent between shots when done by other people, especially when said person is used to working independently.
For other animation geeks out there, Nkondo is a talented artist who's worked previously with The Line (an incredibly skilled boutique studio that has also previously done music videos for Gorillaz in the Song Machine era.) on some of their marvel snap ads. More notably, he did character design and animation on episode 1 of Scavenger's Reign, something that aligns more with his personal sense of style imo.
In his personal career, Nkondo is a phenomenal short filmmaker. His short 'Little Taste of Joy' is just one example of the fluid, creative style shown in the Gorillaz video. I absolutely adore the portrayal of human bodies in his work, mixed with the abstract throughout his body of work. There's an emphasis on how malleable and physical they are, contrasted with organic shapes that come alive. If you haven't checked out his work, I highly recommend taking a look through this short, through the rest of his channel, or his illustration work!
(Just wow, the sense of composition and shape is so fantastic.)
Personally I hope this short helps bring more attention towards the visionaries and creatives behind the project! Animation artists also deserve the time people give to researching other creative auteurs!
(Final note: I don't think it's officially confirmed anywhere but the cave sequence looks like it's done in Flash or Harmony, so I would say claims that the short is entirely hand-animated are misinformation/overexaggerated. I believe even the first and third act character animation just use animation painted keys as reference, but did their cleanup in a digital software.)
Okay, so, I need to talk about the relationship between Persona 5's ending and Persona 5 royal's ending, because I think it isn't discussed enough how one puts into question the themes of the other and in doing so it elevates everything that came before.
Spoilers are coming, you've been warned.
The main thing that's given me an outlet to think about this is a few quotes from the Phantom Thieves when they're in the Velvet Room after being Thanos-snapped by Yaldabaoth. Specifically these quotes:
Ann: "I... I never want anyone to have to go through what I did!"
Yusuke: "Just as art is meant to break boundaries, people should be saved even if they frown upon it. I won't allow the justice I believe in to be shaken any further!"
Ryuji: "We're doin' this to make sure people don't go through the same crap we did. It doesn't matter if they think we're just or not. We gotta do what we believe in!"
Futaba: "I can't let people suffer like this, even if I don't know them personally"
They mention some core ideas: 1. They want to prevent people's suffering because of the suffering they've felt. 2. They must do this regardless of if people want it, because they think it's the right thing to do. 3. Their justice is worth fighting for by virtue of being what they believe in.
Does this seem familiar? Maybe makes you think of a certain therapist who shows up in Royal?
I think Takuto Maruki serves a decent amount of purposes narratively and thematically, but one of the most genius things about him is that he serves as a foil to both the Phantom Thieves and Akechi, and in being that foil, he is, deep down, following the principles that the Phantom Thieves fought for - In the end, it was largely Joker who inspired him to fight for his reality.
Maruki fights for a reality where suffering straight up doesn't exist, because he doesn't want anyone to feel the suffering he's had to endure. Maruki wants the Phantom Thieves and Akechi to never feel suffering anymore, regardless of their stance on the matter. He is "saving" them regardless of their wishes, and will fight them to keep the reality he wants. He thinks the world is unfair, so his "justice" is to make a perfect world for everyone - and that's what makes it worth fighting for, because that's what he believes.
Maruki's rationale to fight against the Phantom Thieves and Akechi is (partly) the same reasoning that the Phantom Thieves use to regain their motivation to fight the Holy Grail/Yaldabaoth.
So, narratively, Maruki serves as a mirror that's telling things not to be told for the Phantom Thieves to look into and to see the ugly parts of their own way of acting. Can they really fight Maruki, knowing that he is just acting how they did?
I see people sometimes refusing Maruki's reality because it "wouldn't actually work" or "it's imperfect". But as far as I'm aware, it's imperfect because it hasn't been completed yet - I think the game is a lot more interesting under the pretense that Maruki truly has the power to erase all suffering, once his reality is complete, past the deadline. I also see the argument, and even the game uses it, that Maruki's world "isn't reality". But did we listen well to Morgana's speech before he disappeared in the Yaldabaoth arc? The world itself is made up of cognition, reality is born from the points of view of everyone. Maruki *can* change reality, and the real question of the game is not about the logistics or "ontological dignity" of his reality, but rather - Do you want a world where all your wishes are granted and no suffering exists?
In the end, the game shows the Phantom Thieves that "sticking to their justice" will make them fight against people with similar ideals as theirs. It's funny, in a way, how Akechi was the one fully willing to fight Maruki from the start. His rebellion has always been more individualistic in nature than the Phantom Thieves' - he wanted revenge for himself, then redemption for himself and now he wants a reality where he isn't under anyone's control anymore. To him, Shido's country, Yaldabaoth's ruin and Maruki's world are all the same - Maruki just has a nicer, more therapy-speaky way of presenting his proposal, and sees people as his equals rather than as insolent masses, but his goal is the same. They're all worlds that shackle you for the "greater good". And in the end, Maruki, and Royal, force the P5 gang to become more like Akechi - to value their individuality in the face of the public's "justice".
To fight for what you believe in you will face people with the same determination as you. They will be your equals in many, many ways. In the end, you can only stick to your guns and hope that what you believe in is worth more than what they believe in.
I have a lot more to write about these topics but I'll leave it there. Maybe about the relationship between Maruki's reality and individuality next? That could be fun ^^
Btw - Special thanks to @thedaythatwas for inspiring me to write up stuff about Persona 5 Royal!
SIX WEEKS LEFT until tazgn6 is out (7/16/24)! I wanted to share a writeup about the process of making the cover for this one, which was a really fun challenge. Apologies and thank you to Nozaki-kun.
There's still time to submit your preorder receipt here and get a free acrylic keychain from :01 (US/Can)! I think it runs until they run out of keychains? It's cute, I had fun designing it, go snag one!
Author's note: Tbh, before Cyran and Morgan were introduced, I loved Valen first when AFK J first came out. I always had a Merlin x Valen ship, so I'm happy I finally get to write a piece about him. This won't be a ship writing, but I will of course leave it up to your beautiful imaginations to take whatever it is you want from this ;)
Includes spoilers from Crown of Ashes - Twilight Accord side quest.
Setting: After Merlin invited Valen to go with them to Savannah prior to Crown of Ashes main quest events.
Characters: Merlin, Valen
That was the excuse Valen had given Merlin. The great Magister who saved their world years ago from being swallowed by hypogeans. And he thought he could trick them somehow.
Merlin being Merlin, nothing got past them, and in their usual cut-throat certainty, told him he had an excuse for everything.
All he could do was muster his usual smile. He would leave it up to Merlin to decode that themself.
But days after they departed for Savannah, the fishes weren't Valen’s only company. Regret lingered long after he denied their invitation.
He could see Merlin's face painted in his mind. There was a glimmer in the Magister's eyes, far brighter than the stars that lit Ryeham’s skies. When their eyes locked on him, focused and sincere, the lapping of the water, the warm breeze, brushing grass all melted away. His heart started. A childish excitement rattled his chest, ready and yearning to run wild again freely.
Yet, he raised his hand to reject their invitation. The match lit within him was snuffed out quickly with the breath of adult reality. His heart deflated, so low it could have sunken into his stomach. He ignored it. He was a knight now, not a galavanting young’n.
Not to mention, the destination was Savannah. A hard pass. Yes, that place built him into who he was, but it also was a place he left behind and should be kept behind. If the great Merlin couldn't remember their past, and ventured forward with their future, why couldn't he do the same?
"And now I'm spending time with the fishes," he jerked his fishing pole. Resting his chin in his hand, he leaned on his propped elbow and waited…and waited…
Some vacation this was. Nothing but him and the flies sharing the waters' beauty.
Merlin was right. He always had excuses. They were easy to fetch, easy to twist, mendable like hot metal ready to be hammered into any weapon. Still, a part of him, the boy he was in Savannah, was once again rattling inside him.
Why did you reject their invitation? Wasn't it you who wrote Merlin jabbing them for always going on marvelous adventures? Griping they never thought about inviting you? "Their loyal knight"?
Valen swatted a fly buzzing near his ear.
Excuses were not the only abundant supplies he had, but hypocrises too.
Yes, he was jealous. He wanted to be with Merlin on their adventures. Ever since he got to know Merlin beyond the myth and legend, he wanted to join them in being Esperia’s torch. But he had a duty here in Holistone. His life was here.
A bubble surfaced and popped on the water. Valen watched the bubble’s aftershock ripple in rings.
Every time Merlin left, he hid his worries behind pints and forced smiles in front of others. His mind ran nonstop wondering if they were safe or in trouble. Should he have gone or it’s best to stay out of their way? Relief only came when he saw their bright face returning, their whole self in one piece. Then he would unleash an onslaught of jests and jabs to release all the tension he stored.
Courage. That’s what he was lacking, he realized. And that’s what he admired about Merlin the most.They never hesitated to face danger head-on, knowing full well the consequences if they didn’t act.
Although Hogan had seen courage in Valen too, telling him he had what it took to be a knight of the order, he didn’t feel it to be the same one Merlin carried.
The magister was starbright and shining. And Valen was…well. What was he? True to his own principles and values, doing what he thought was right and serving those who were helpless.
When did he become so lame? Valen laughed. What would his younger self think of him now? Stars above, even the hamsters were putting in their hard earned time at the Lyceum!
Stooping over the water, he caught his reflection waving. His face distorted, wobbling in the deep blue. Valen blinked back at himself. What was he doing? He was a knight. If anything, their loyal knight.
Valen straightened his back.
"Holly!" He scrambled from his spot, leaving his fishing pole behind. He rushed into Merlin's mystical home, finding Holly busy with some stack of books. In a hurried breath, he asked if she could fetch him some paper and ink.
“You sure it’s not a pint?” Holly’s red head tilted.
“Later, but first—I need to write to Merlin!”
Holly’s gentle smile was enough to let him know she understood. She disappeared up the stairs and Valen was left on his own.
What about his duties? Who would take care of them?
Ah, but that didn’t matter anyways—he was still on vacation. He could afford to go meet up with the oh-so-mighty mage.
Now all he needed was a perfect excuse ready for Merlin as to how he ended up in Savannah…
For some context, I'm attaching some screenshots from the game that helped inspire me to write this piece! I had to dig through some past letters and scenes, but hope it adds a little bit of extra flavour to the story.
India, where the form of success looks like who can leave the country behind. India, which, despite having the youngest and most talented minds in the world, does not know what to do with them. India, where the competitive exams are more exclusionary than inclusive. India, where everyone tries to reach the 1% to top the exams. India, where parents and students believe that they can reach that 1% if they work hard enough and failure is individual failure; they weren't working hard enough. India, where the children lost their lives chasing a dream they were denied. India, where it took so many deaths to even raise a finger at the failed system. India, where accountability is never taken. India, where the political theater of a hunger strike couldn't work because the other side lacks basic empathy. India, where the ones who question the system are forcefully silenced. The one fasting is forcefully detained. India, where children are getting their future stolen.
