Set Review Rebuttal: 8973 Raanu
Thursday, April 16th, 2009 at 8:27pm by Andrew, BZPower News Manager [Source: Gatanui]
Just because we've reviewed all of the winter 2009 sets doesn't mean we're done with them. Recall, if you will, a certain Raanu Set Review by a certain Roa McToa. Have that in your mind? Good. Now read on to see what BZPower Forum Mentor Gatanui thinks of the set!
A couple things about Rebuttals and how they work:
- Rebuttals will be posted within one month of the original review's posting date.
- The rebuttal format will have the same sections as the normal review.
- If the person doing the rebuttal has no disagreements on a particular section of the review, that section will be excluded.
- The final section, instead of having 'Pros' and 'Cons' will be called 'Why I Agree' and 'Why I Disagree,' directed at the original review.
- Pictures are not required, but can be used if desired.
- Only one rebuttal will be done per set.
A final note, taken from the Talkback of our first Rebuttal:
The point of a BZPower Set Review (I'm not talking about any other type of review anywhere else) is this: The review is designed to inform members about the set, what it does, how it's made, what it looks like, how many new parts there are, and other facts about the set. In addition, it is a space for the reviewer to share their thoughts and opinions on the set, what parts they liked about it, what parts they didn't like about it, and their overall feeling as to whether or not it is a good set to buy. This last part is JUST AN OPINION and is not a fact, nor does it mean everyone else on BZPower should agree with them. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to share their own opinions about a set in the review Talkback and also in the member set reviews in the Sets forum.
A BZPower Set Review Rebuttal looks at just the opinion part of that review and notes where the second reviewer's thoughts differ. It is not meant to be a full-fledged set review. The goal of a rebuttal is to give a second and separate review from a different perspective.
And here goes our rebuttal review of Raanu! Don't forget to check Roa's original review before reading this.
Presentation
From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.
I agree with most of Roa's statements here. Binky's idea of taking leet for the B.I.O. Code is great. It is strange that the My LEGO Network sticker you get for the code is a Tajun flag though. The only more thing I have to note is that, funnily enough, while the back of the US boxes show the Agori with the Glatorian of the same colour, the European versions show the Agori only. I guess there was just not enough space for both.
Set Design
Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.
I agree on the versatility of the pieces. I think the so-called Blazer Claw is pretty neat (especially because I didn't have it before), and I have noticed it has a slightly different shade of red than the rest of Raanu's dark red pieces. It also makes Raanu look more like an elder and a leader (reminding me of Vakama). The colour combination is very nice too, although the grey torso is a bit out of place and just grey to make him fit more with Malum. The red shield parts are neat and make a nice shield when put together.
The mask/helmet has a really great design, both in colour and in shape. It fits so well on the head (a very nice piece, too) that it makes me think that Raanu's helmet was the first designed to check if it fits on the heads (think of the Vahi). The only thing bugging me about the head and the mask is their small size. The fists are nice too, although too large for the Agori in my opinion. Also, I think the legs are okay and not too small, contrary to Roa's opinion.
Playability
The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with?
I have tried out the BIONICLE Action Figure Game with Raanu and Tarduk, and it is quite fun, at least more than without him, so if you like the game I would recommend playing it with Agori, but like Roa also said it is more fun to play it with your own rules.
Final Thoughts
Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?
Why I Agree
What aspects of the original review did you agree with?
- The mask is a great piece.
- The fists are neat as well.
- Shield parts are nice to have.
- New colour for Solek leg/arm is good.
Why I Disagree
What aspects of the original review did you disagree with?
- The fire sword is not boring at all.
- I don't think swapping the arms and the legs makes the set look better.
Overall, there are more things I like on Raanu than things I do not like. He has not disappointed me at all, and if you are planning to get an Agori, he is worth consideration.
Now that was fun, wasn't it? Hopefully you enjoyed Gatanui's take on the set, and the differences he had with the previous review. As always, keep checking back for all the latest Bionicle news!
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