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tiredspacedragon · 3 years

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BIONICLE Retrospective

2001: Quest for the Masks

Part 6.11: 8549 Tarakava

The Tarakava are by far the strangest of the 2001 Rahi sets. And this is Bionicle, so that’s saying something. The Tarakava are the only Rahi whose real-world counterpart is not immediately obvious. The Nui-Rama are mosquitoes, the Nui-Jaga scorpions, etc. Even the Manas convey the crab look well enough. But what are these things? What animal lives in the ocean, has treads for feet, and has giant arms ending in boxing gloves? They’re described as being lizard-like, and their heads are fairly reptilian, so that works. But, uhhh…yeah. Not much else screams aquatic reptile here. Over time, I've realized supposed to be crocodiles, and that does make sense, but it still doesn’t explain the treads or punching. I think the designers really just came up with the punching gimmick and wanted to include it in something, so they came up with something and threw it on. Which is fine, honestly. The Tarakava are unique, and Bionicle thrives on uniqueness.

The Tarakava dwell in the shallows of Ga-Wahi, where they sometimes compete with the Ga-Matoran or their natural enemy, Takea Sharks, for fish. Tarakava infected by Makuta become even more aggressive, and are known to attack Ga-Koro and sink entire huts. Once their infected mask is removed, however, they become docile and can be tamed.

The two Tarakava featured in the set feature the same core build, but customize it with different armour to appear unique. One is teal in colour with a more boxy build and a Kakama on its snout, while the other is blue with a sleeker design and a Pakari. Of the two, I prefer the blue one for its appearance in MNOG and its sleeker look.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much to the Tarakava that conveys an aquatic theme, apart from the colours. Their bodies end in large treads, great for moving about on land, but not ideal for the water. Several 2001 Rahi have treads, and it does convey the mechanical side of things well, though I think it undermines the animalistic-ness of the designs. They’re fine, I suppose, but I wish we had actual rear limbs instead. Then again, maybe the treads are supposed to be a tail, and the Tarakava have skipped out on rear limbs entirely in favour of more well-developed tails and forelimbs. Regardless, it is pretty fun to roll the Tarakava around. They can bend over to make pushing them along easier and it makes them look like they’re raring to go, and they also have a convenient little kickstand, which eliminates what could have been a major balance issue.

The tread assembly is connected to a large System beam that serves as the Rahi’s handle, and unfortunately, the treads cannot be moved in relation to this beam at all. I have disassembled and reassembled them on occasion to reposition the treads into a pose that makes the Rahi look like it’s swimming, and I find it makes the creature more believable overall, so I wish that was easier to do and didn’t require partsforming.

(Fun fact: the MNOG design of the Tarakava is actually a Sand Tarakava recoloured blue)

The handle assembly is sparse, but effective. It’s comfortable and provides easy access to the function. Similarly, the arms are quite basic and gappy, but they need to be to pull off their motion. The armour covers them decently, and I commend the use of missiles as fists. Shame they can’t move apart from the function, though.

The heads are very well designed and are the most coherent parts of the figures. The blue one’s head, in particular, I find to be very reptilian. I enjoy the layering of the Technic panels over the masks, and the teal one’s nose is a cool little assembly. The eye connection is quite innovative as well. Their snouts can be knocked down by a blow to the right spot, exposing their masks and making them more easily beaten. Not quite sure if there's a biological purpose there, though.

Of course, the main draw of the Tarakava is their function. Rock’em Sock’em Rahi, I’ve heard these guys called, and it’s a fitting title. By pulling down levers on the creatures’ backs, highlighted in yellow, you can send one or both of their arms shooting forward in a powerful punching action. While not quite as powerful as the Nui-Jaga’s sting, the Tarakava’s punch is still very strong, and masks will be sent flying in only a couple of hits or with one well placed strike. Honestly, this feature makes the wonky design worth it. It’s a lot of fun to roll the Tarakava around, throwing haymakers and knocking off masks everywhere you go. Crocodiles with boxing gloves. Sounds like a Pokémon design. No wonder it’s awesome :P

The Tarakava are really fun and are some of my favourite 2001 Rahi, even more so after watching Peri's Water Pressure and falling in love with Kotu and Kiriri. Who knew Tarakava could be so stinkin' cute? I just wish I had the parts to build the full Tarakava set instead of the blue and teal franken-mix I have now, pictured above. Alas, someday.

Next up: 8538 Muaka & Kane-Ra

#bionicle #bionicle retrospective #bionicle setrospective #tarakava #kiriri is best boy

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