Are Tokusatsus Art?

[Abare Black]

I've always considered art to be anything that can inspire emotion in its audience. No matter what the emotion or how big the audience, as long as it makes another person feel something, it's art. So yes, I do see Tokusatsu as a form of art.

 

[KingRanger]

I think that certain Tokusatsu shows ARE art but as you said, must convey something. This automatically disqualifies a lot of shows such as, the majority of sentai which largely only have flashy fight scenes with a team of people who are best friends and a poor story. however the likes of Kamen Rider, Garo, and other tokusatsu which have strong story and character development and communicate some deeper meaning in a truly deep and meaningful way, are most certainly art.
So to answer the question of whether toku is art I'd have to say that like all types of entertainment toku is only art sometimes, after meeting certain requirements.

Correction. It disqualifies those shows as art TO YOU. Please don't make the mistake of dictating what is art in the minds of other people.

 

[Taylo]

Correction. It disqualifies those shows as art TO YOU. Please don't make the mistake of dictating what is art in the minds of other people.

fair enough. just stating an opinion.

 

[MattComix]

I think it may be that they're pulp entertainment that are generally for the young and the young at heart. Yet within creating entertainment there is an artistry so I think as a viewer you can get at least some sense of when the creators give a damn and when they're just kinda going through the motions, or carelessly cashing in on popular elements.

There is an obligation to quality even if nobody is going to be sipping wine with their pinky extended at a gallery debating its merits. At the same time, there's no need for superhero or giant monster stories to apologize for being fantastic, stylized, and colorful. Damn sure no need to apologize for the heroics. Fun is nothing to be ashamed of.

You do have projects that are looking to be high-art. Sometimes this can work to very good or at least interesting results and other times it can just be pretentious and mind-numbingly confusing or boring.

There is a lot that will ultimately be in the eye of the beholder but I also think quality still matters.