Random set of the day: Roodaka
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 8761 Roodaka, released in 2005. It's one of 46 Bionicle sets produced that year. It contains 233 pieces, and its retail price was US$20/£14.99.
It's owned by 1285 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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Here we go! See what allowing BIONICLE to be considered in this series caused? ;-)
A cool set that I unfortunately never had the chance to own.
Finally, a Bionicle set!
I think I remember coming across this set at a Half Price Books store, but I didn't buy it because I couldn't be positive that there weren't pieces missing.
Hey, a Bionicle set! It didn't take long for a Bionicle set to show up as the random set. I distinctly recall seeing this in the store shelves once.
In terms of the larger Bionicle figures, I only ever picked up Makuta or the Krekka, IIRC? Never got this guy.
I got this figure under slightly strange circumstances; I believe it was 2008 or 2009, and I found her at a Buehler's where my Grandfather used to work. I convinced my Grandma to buy it for me, I think, and now it's parted out in my collection all these years later.
About time a Bionicle set showed on the RSOTD list ;-)
Roodaka, along with the other titans this year were interesting. It was the last year that the Bionicle Titians universally had an action feature that was more than just a launcher (which, even then, was not guaranteed). However, for some reason, this meant that many of them really didn't have "hands" (or in Sidorak's case, a hand but only one).
While Roodaka's catcher claw is a neat little gimmick, overall Keetongu's whirling shield which used the same gimmick but with different tools I prefer, as it's use is still very apparent even without the spinners to defend against. The other hand is just replaced with a Rhotuka Launcher. Not bad, as all the sets that year had them, but would have preferred either a better way to integrate it into the body, or a staff the launch it from, with a hand holding it. Also, unlike all other sets that had a Rhotuka Launcher, the rip cord was the part that stayed on to the build, while the launcher itself was pulled to fire the spinner.
Not a bad set, and it is the the only set (outside of Voporak, which was a combiner with Roodaka later sold as a set) to contain silver rahkshi head. This was also the only humanoid Bionicle titan set that was female. (The Bahrag and Pewku were also female, but being dinosaur bugs and a crab don't make this obvious).
Roodaka, at the time of release, was a revolutionary set. In a toy line predominantly marketed to boys, with a minimized female presence (of the sets, only Nokama, Gali, Hahli, Macku, and Vhisola existed up to that point), having the main villain of that year's story not only female, but OBVIOUSLY female in form, was quite a statement. On BZPower, there was quite a fuss over the anatomical accuracy of the set, with some praising it for the sheer genius of the parts used and others decrying it as an affront to BIONICLE's gender-neutral design ethos up that point (a debatable subject, and it reeked of the younger fans' "eww icky girls" mentality). I thought the set was brilliantly designed, and the black and silver color scheme was amazing to behold. I bought Roodaka first of the boxed sets and was very pleased. The rotating catcher claws looked cool and moved smoothly. I was never too enthralled by Rhotuka spinners, and this set did little to change that perception. However, the design features so many cool parts choices. Bohrok "eyes" for the high heels. A Visorak foot to stand in for some drawn-back hair. A single glow-in-the-dark stud for teeth! The set was fun to pose and play with, and I treasure it to this day.
The storyline gave Roodaka a deliciously evil role. Though Sidorak was the lord of the Visorak horde, Roodaka had entered his life to make a play for control of them. Sidorak was an egotistical buffoon who she easily manipulated. And it was she who nearly splintered the Toa Hordika for good by seducing Vakama temporarily to her side. Of course, the twist was that she served a greater master, and her plans for Sidorak, the Visorak, and the Toa were all to appease her beloved idol and master, the Makuta Teridax. That fanaticism did her in in the end, though. But at least we still have this great set to remember her by!
A ponytail, a bikini top, high heels...I do wonder if roodaka’s designer was perhaps having a little to much fun designing her as female =P
How rood!
Wow! I was only 1 year when this released. I didn't get Bionicle until 2007, still just seing these sets makes me feel like a 3 year old kid crying to my mum so she will buy a Bionicle set in the big grocery store (ICA MAXI). Thank you Huwbot for picking a Bionicle set! ;)
Am I the only one who doesn't see the Bionicles as either male or female?
For me, this looks like the same gender as all the other 'male' Bionicles.
@legoverslinder At least for me, I consider Roodaka to be female not because of how the set looks, but rather because that's how she is depicted in the story/cannon.
Yay, some love for the Bonkles!
This was a fun set with really sleek curves, and I won’t lie, probably informed some of my MOCing sensibilities. While her “femme fatale” design and characterization were kind of unfortunate for a character who was one of the series’ only female villains, they certainly did help her stand out. The idea that a Bionicle figure even COULD be designed with a more feminine appearance was novel at that time.
I would never have looked at that figure and thought, "female". I mean, those are just shoulder/chest armour pieces, right?
@Zordboy: They’re actually Rahkshi heads/faceplates. The intention behind the design may be more apparent from other angles: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=419153
Roodaka hardly had realistic human proportions (few Bionicle sets do), but her color blocking and shaping rather consciously suggested a bikini, ponytail, and high heels, with pronounced rounded shapes for her breasts, butt, and thighs.
My mom said while looking through the Lego Catalog I got back in 2005: "Why does this Bionicle have boobs?!"
One of 46 sets released that year! That's an astonishingly high number and must have been at the pinnacle of the theme's popularity.
@Huw: In fairness, a lot of those were either value/combo packs of other sets or buckets of loose parts from previous years' sets. According to "Brick by Brick" the Bionicle theme's peak sales were actually way back in 2002, but it was still a pretty big deal by 2005. It definitely helped that from 2003–2005 each year of sets was supported by a new direct-to-DVD movie. 2005 was also the year LEGO first began experimenting with System playsets to depict larger Bionicle battle scenes.
Hands down one of my all-time favorite sets!
Not gonna lie, the first thought to pop into my head upon seeing this was "oh god there's gonna be tons of rule 34 for her isn't there"
Sometimes I really dislike being overly familiar with the internet, y'know
@Aanchir ... yeah, definitely more apparent from the side angle than front-on. The ponytail is more of a giveaway than anything else.
It's still throwing me. I mean, minifigs are either boys or girls. But the Bionicle characters? That's not a connection I would've made on my own.