Action vs. Storyline

In my opinion, the story's more important then the action. Awesome action without a story just seems like a waste of time to me. A show or a movie without a good plot would make me drop it.

From the suits to the direction, camera-work, choreography and stunt-work, there is something there that can be appreciated by itself. I think the approach to action in HK films and tokusatsu is just so much more of a kinetic thing than what we typically see in American stuff. It really puts you in the moment and you're almost feeling it as much as watching it. Even with all of that however, having the emotional investment just gives so much more to it. It's the underpinning. The foundation.

I just think that if you have something where action is part of the point and the show is heavily skimping on it in favor of angst or comedy or over extended dialog scenes or whatever, then I think the creators simply are not playing fair with the genre they are writing for. There are other genres where that would be better served.

I mean lets just be real for a second. If you want to write stories about people having long meaningful conversations about their feelings or enveloped in their personal angst or having a wacky comedic cook-off, maybe a henshin hero show or a superhero story just isn't your best vehicle.

But at the same time you can't just show off shinny merchandise and blow **** up either. Or maybe you can, but it's not something thats going to make the kind of lasting impression on audiences that a more balanced show will.

Both. You can always have one or the other, but getting both and getting them done right is so much better.

I like a good story told through lots of action where interesting plot development comes as quickly as kicks to the face.

Fayt Leingod said:

Both. You can always have one or the other, but getting both and getting them done right is so much better.

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I agree with Fayt. While it's good to have good storylines and good action, I'd rather have both action and storylines done well. Because if one of them is good, and the other isn't as good, what's the point of watching the show?

Lots of action with a hint of drama

It is important to have both, action is aesthetics, but it needs more than aesthetics to turn out good. Storyline is good as well, yet it would still lack the action to grab attention at times. So that is why, there must be a combination, with different ratios, to see what is good, not only to be enjoyable, but to satisfy anything or anyone would say to make it "better", when they don't know or understand why it can't just be one to work as well to peoples' ever changing expectations.

wow..revival of old thread XD

but i like story better XDDD ... i've actually seen movies that i got bored cuz it was all action and nothing else XD

I think of tokusatsus in the same vein as musicals and HK kung fu movies.
if I see a musical with fantastic song and dance sequences yet a crappy plotline, I still enjoy it because the reason why I'm watching it isn't for the storyline per se, but for the song and dance scenes. now if the movie had a fantastic plotline but crappy musical numbers, then I'd be dissapointed. I'd still like it but I'd have fealt cheated. same thing with kung fu movies.

action is the top priority of a tokusatsu. really, that's the main reason it's there in a sence. a great storyline is needed but not absolutely needed if you have fantastic action scenes. case in point, I can watch a raw show and enjoy it just as easily with subtitles. a great storyline is extremely important and should be the first thing thought of when writing a toku show down but is a close second in what is important for a tokusatsu. a list of five most important things are

1 Great action
2 Great storyline
3 Great characters
4 Great designs
5 cute chicks

Like the majority have said, a balance of both would be the best possible answer. If I was going to pick between one or the other though, story is far more important to me.