Is Tokusatsu Silly?

[@Acrimony_Toku]

Yeah, It's pretty silly most of the time, but that's something I love about it

[@Hiro-to6ym]

Tokusatsu is a kinda underrated field of entertainment outside of japan i hope more people get into the Tokusatsu franchises

[@KiryuZwei]

I agree, Tokustatu is so good

[@JurassicDaikaiju]

Tokusatsu is like any other medium, it can be silly or serious depending on the writing.

[@justiceriser8970]

Most became serious in the late 80s 90s 00s 10s was the peak of serious of the genre but then some people complained and it went back to silly tks a lot snowflakes

[@JurassicDaikaiju]

@@justiceriser8970 2 words: ULTRAMAN. BLAZAR.

[@kevinmark6389]

Generally (but not always), Tokusatsu knows when it should be silly and when it should be serious The example that comes into mind is Zenkaiger and the Sushi World episode (5, I believe) in which alongside the silliness of Sushi World and the crazy method in which Kaito and Juran arrive to the battlefield, there's the sad and serious scenes of Kaito and Ya-chan not being able to sleep due to getting their first clue of where Kaito's parents are and the heart to heart Juran has with Kaito over his feelings on rescuing his parents I always remember this episode because of how it showcases the balance between being silly and being serious in a interesting manner

[@tokugeeky2931]

Yes, very. Now let’s watch the next episode! 😆

[@zamu2]

It depends on the setting the tokusatsu show has, who it's targeting, and the overall culture. You have stuff like early Godzilla and Garo that can be dark and taken seriously. But you also have Super Sentai and Kamen Rider that's targeted towards kids and to sell toys. But also, Japanese acting uses a lot of exaggerated movements, as seen in Kabuki theatre, which can come off as goofy to a lot of western audiences. Of course, you also just have people who can't take any suit acting serious. They watch an early Godzilla movie or Ultraman episode and can't remove the idea of people in suits stomping around in miniature sets.

[@allgoodnamestaken6002]

@@zamu2 The craft of suit acting really seems like a lost and forgotten art form among Westerners. So many people, including fans, didn't even know who Darth Vader's suit actor was until his passing.

[@ondururagittandeska2004]

"But then you have Super sentai and Kamen Rider..." King Ohger and Gaim: Allow us to introduce ourselves.

[@allgoodnamestaken6002]

@@ondururagittandeska2004 I don't think you understood what OP was saying. Yes, Gaim and King-Ohger are some of the most well-regarded shows in the Toku community, and King-Ohger in particular is one of the more "serious" entries in the Sentai franchise. However, both of them are still kid's shows; Japan just has different standards for children's entertainment ratings. But we're not talking about people who already fans; we're talking about people who are more or less complete outsiders to Tokusatsu as a medium. It's true, Tokusatsu acting is heavily influenced by the traditions of kabuki theater (what with the exaggerated poses and body movements, bombastic and flamboyant acting, colorful suits, etc.). That doesn't mean it's "bad", just different cultural standards for acting; however, all of what I mentioned can generally come off as "cheesey" or "cringey" to Americans, because American acting is basically the opposite; it focuses a lot more on realism and believability than style or flair (look at American superheroes and how they've been rebranded in the modern day to basically be "serious" and "mature" and an "all ages" thing, rather than something exclusively for children like how they used to be seen). Tokusatsu as a whole just has a lot of cultural differences that can be extremely jarring for a Westerner. (Of course, I could also say how there's also quite a bit of double standards some people have when they just bash the medium as a whole, but that's another story.)

[@zamu2]

@@ondururagittandeska2004 I haven't seen King Ohger and Gaim started out goofy, but yes, I'll admit, it did get pretty dark towards the end.

[@ondururagittandeska2004]

@allgoodnamestaken6002 So tourists who watch Power rangers then. Like I give a shit about them

[@GreekShinobi223]

It can be silly, but that's the fun of it. Because when they get serious it makes those serious moments hit more. I'm watching Kamen Rider Build and Ultraman Arc currently and without getting into spoilers for either, they can get really heavy

[@KiryuZwei]

Build is litterally my fav series in rider

[@DanishHadi-xn6mq]

Just A Little Silly Because To Be Fair Tokusatsu Is A Medium Not A Genre

[@KiryuZwei]

I see thanks for correcting me!

[@astrangerontheinternet5500]

Yes Tokusatsu is silly but it has more heart and style than most things I’ve seen these days

[@justiceriser8970]

No it became serious during 80s to 10s but then some people complained and it went back to silly

[@allgoodnamestaken6002]

Tokusatsu acting and suit acting is heavily influenced by the traditions of kabuki theatre; the bombastic and flamboyant acting, overexaggerated body movements and poses, the colorful suits, etc. That doesn't mean it's inherently "bad" by any means, just simply different cultural standards for acting-though, I do think it can generally come off as "cheesy" or "cringey" to Americans, because American acting is basically the opposite, where most of it focuses on realism and "believability". That being said, I dislike how the medium as a whole seems to be constantly mocked, disregarded, and made fun of among Americans simply because it's "cheesy" or the CGI isn't up to snuff with the latest Hollywood movies. Not only do I think it's frankly unfair and ignorant, I also think it's hypocritical, considering a lot of other stuff that's "mainstream" is ALSO aimed at children and is about equally as "cheesy" or ridiculous. Western superheroes basically used to be seen the same way, until they got rebranded in the modern day to be "serious" and an "all ages" thing rather than something exclusively for children like how they used to be seen. Then all these tourists (who, ironically, were probably bashing the genre themselves) ONLY started liking it when it gained mainstream acceptance. This also happened with a lot of other stuff that's generally "accepted" now, like anime or video games. Tho, I could really care less for Toku gaining "mainstream acceptance" because usually that just means a bunch of tourists will flock to it and make the fandom experience insufferable. I'm fine with it staying "niche" as it is.

[@ondururagittandeska2004]

Yes it can be very silly like the Ex-aid Christmas Episode.

[@DenNormal]

It is silly but when they gets serious.... GODDAMN.

[@justiceriser8970]

The correct answer is tokusatsu started out silly but it became serious from 80s to 10s but then some people complained and it went back to silly

[@gachaerrorinstinct7263]

Well well well, if it isn't the man himself. Hope your doing well through this tuff time with the pandemic. God bless and stay safe

[@weebvsreviewch9484]

You know what is silly? POWER RANGERS take a look when hasbro manage the franchise they ruined it and now PowerRangers are still Hiatus atm

[@Phantom-hopper]

Everything in japan is silly let's be honest and I like that one minute main character has gone through a traumatic event and then then the side characters try to cheer them up using goofy things or the cheerey outro theme plays while the episode ends dramatic like jjk and boonboomgers like let's be honest it is funny and I like that japanese media isn't overly serious like if you watch a horror flim you wouldn't expect a comedy scene meanwhile we have a dark moment in a lighthearted show like yeah

[@The_Eclectic_Skeptic]

yes! 🔥

[@ComicXanz]

Yoooooo!!!

[@hobbythmiki]

for me even stan lee not come help create battle fever j the show can continue like kamen rider, ultraman and japan anime

[@diamondlockproductions64]

Yesn’t

[@theodoredexter6540]

Nuh uh

[@ondururagittandeska2004]

*looks at pfp* Understandable

[@Phantom-hopper]

Everything in japan is silly let's be honest and I like that one minute main character has gone through a traumatic event and then then the side characters try to cheer them up using goofy things or the cheerey outro theme plays while the episode ends dramatic like jjk and boonboomgers like let's be honest it is funny and I like that japanese media isn't overly serious like if you watch a horror flim you wouldn't expect a comedy scene meanwhile we have a dark moment in a lighthearted show like yeah