Range and agility can be forms of survivability

Would Japanese fighters have been better designed for survivability instead of emphasizing range and agility?

Range and agility improve survival by moving combat away from the fleet and helping a fighter kill first. Armor adds weight, larger guns can defeat it, and situational awareness remains essential against surprise.

Survivability includes more than armor. Greater range keeps interceptions farther from the carrier force, while agility can let a pilot destroy an opponent before being hit. Armor against machine-gun fire adds weight, yet an enemy can answer with a 20 or 30 mm cannon, whose own recoil, ammunition, and structural demands impose penalties. The Hellcat was tough rather than invulnerable, and situational awareness remained vital because no protection scheme could compensate for every surprise attack.