Super Hero Time
Japanese television programming block
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Super Hero Time (スーパーヒーロータイム, Sūpā Hīrō Taimu) is a programming block on the Japanese television network ABC TV and TV Asahi featuring new episodes of tokusatsu television series from Toei Company the block aired episodes from Super Sentai and Kamen Rider by Shotaro Ishinomori. Both were produced by the same production company, Toei Company; however, they did not air together until 2000 with Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive (which was quickly replaced by Mirai Sentai Timeranger two weeks later), though at the time they were not acknowledged together.
| |
| Launched | September 28, 2003 |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Owner | TV Asahi Toei Company |
| Running time | Sunday mornings 7:30 to 8:30 JST (2003–2017) 9:00 to 10:00 JST (2017–present) |
On November 2025, it was announced that the Super Sentai series would go on hiatus and lending its initial timeslot in the block to another new IP from Toei called Project R.E.D., incorporating elements from Super Sentai and the Metal Hero series, among other shows from Toei.[1]
Super Hero Time airs every Sunday morning, from 9:00 to 10:00 JST. The block is shown all over Japan via the All-Nippon News Network. Though, in other prefectures, one or both shows can be seen on other stations which are not affiliated with ANN.
History
Starting in the late 1960s, the hour was originally meant for educational children's programs. Over the years the hour began including henshin (transforming) hero programs, one of the first being Warrior of Love, Rainbowman (愛の戦士レインボーマン, Ai no Senshi Reinbōman).
On October 4, 1987, Toei's Choujinki Metalder was moved from a Monday evening 19:00 JST time slot to a Sunday morning 10:00 JST time slot, followed by a move of Kidou Keiji Jiban to 8:00 JST Sunday morning on April 2, 1989, Denji Sentai Megaranger was moved from a Friday evening 17:00 JST time slot to the Sunday morning 7:30 JST time slot, pairing it up with B-Robo Kabutack. Super Sentai would continue to air at 7:30 JST after the Metal Hero series ended and Moero!! Robocon aired in its slot on January 31, 1999, and was followed by the premiere of Kamen Rider Kuuga and on January 30, 2000, joining Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive and later, Mirai Sentai Timeranger.
Although the Super Sentai and Kamen Rider shows aired side-by-side since 2000, the Super Hero Time branding did not begin until the Autumn 2003 broadcast season (known as SUPER Hero Time (SUPERヒーロータイム) until the 2005 broadcast season). As part of the block, actors from the programs often interact with each other to promote each other's shows, films, and perform skits. Satoru Akashi (Mitsuomi Takahashi) and Souji Tendou (Hiro Mizushima) talked about each other's universes, and Master Xia Fu (voiced by Ichirō Nagai) often showed up on the Den-Liner to talk with the Imagin and Ryotaro Nogami (Takeru Satoh) in cartoonish caricatures. The 2008 broadcast introduced new changes to the block, including scenes from the show's episode.
For the 2009 television season, Kamen Rider Decade only aired for 31 episodes, allowing for the broadcast of Kamen Rider W for a full 49-episode run. This has introduced an offset of five months between the series premieres of the yearly Super Sentai Series (which premieres in mid-February) and Kamen Rider Series (which premiered in early September since then), instead of an approximate month-long offset that had existed before (Kamen Rider Series premiered in mid-January). This offset was shortened to four months after the finale of the 53 episode-long Kamen Rider Wizard, delaying the premiere of subsequent Kamen Rider Series to early October until the debut of Kamen Rider Build in early September, resulting in the increase of the offset to seven months. In 2019, this offset was reduced to six months with the premiere of Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger in March after its time slot was occupied by the four-week-long miniseries Super Sentai Strongest Battle.
The Super Hero Time block is part of the larger Nichi Asa Kids Time (ニチアサキッズタイム, Nichi Asa Kizzu Taimu; "Sunday Morning Kids Time") block, which begins at 8:30 JST with the airing of an ABC Television-produced shōjo anime animated by Toei Animation (currently the Pretty Cure series) and ends at 10:00 JST after the airing of the Super Sentai series. All of the shows are properties of Bandai, who also sponsors the block. While Super Hero Time began airing with such anime in its inception, the "Nichi Asa Kids Time" branding did not begin until March 4, 2007.
On Sunday, October 1, 2017, the block was moved to 9:00 JST, with the Kamen Rider series airing before the Super Sentai series. In 2020, production of new episodes for both Kamen Rider Zero-One and Mashin Sentai Kiramager was temporarily halted due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, including one of the Kiramager cast members being infected, with special episodes containing old, unreleased footage being aired in the block until June, when production resumed, following a series of health and safety compliances. The block's scheduling would be maintained until the finale of No.1 Sentai Gozyuger, bringing the Super Sentai franchise on a hiatus, after which Project R.E.D., a new tokusatsu series that doubles as the return of the Metal Hero franchise, would take over the 9:30 JST timeslot.
Line-ups
Japan
2003–2017
| Premiere date | 7:30 JST Super Sentai | 8:00 JST Kamen Rider | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Month | ||
| 2003 | September | Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger | Kamen Rider 555 |
| 2004 | January | Kamen Rider Blade | |
| February | Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger | ||
| 2005 | January | Kamen Rider Hibiki | |
| February | Mahō Sentai Magiranger | ||
| 2006 | January | Kamen Rider Kabuto | |
| February | GoGo Sentai Boukenger | ||
| 2007 | January | Kamen Rider Den-O | |
| February | Juken Sentai Gekiranger | ||
| 2008 | January | Kamen Rider Kiva | |
| February | Engine Sentai Go-onger | ||
| 2009 | January | Kamen Rider Decade | |
| February | Samurai Sentai Shinkenger | ||
| September | Kamen Rider W | ||
| 2010 | February | Tensou Sentai Goseiger | |
| September | Kamen Rider OOO | ||
| 2011 | February | Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger | |
| September | Kamen Rider Fourze | ||
| 2012 | February | Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters | |
| September | Kamen Rider Wizard | ||
| 2013 | February | Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger | |
| October | Kamen Rider Gaim | ||
| 2014 | February | Ressha Sentai ToQger | |
| October | Kamen Rider Drive | ||
| 2015 | February | Shuriken Sentai Ninninger | |
| October | Kamen Rider Ghost | ||
| 2016 | February | Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger | |
| October | Kamen Rider Ex-Aid | ||
| 2017 | February | Uchu Sentai Kyuranger | |
2017–2025
| Premiere date | 9:00 JST Kamen Rider | 9:30 JST Super Sentai | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Month | ||
| 2017 | October | Kamen Rider Build | Uchu Sentai Kyuranger |
| 2018 | February | Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger | |
| September | Kamen Rider Zi-O | ||
| 2019 | February | Super Sentai Strongest Battle | |
| March | Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger | ||
| September | Kamen Rider Zero-One | ||
| 2020 | March | Mashin Sentai Kiramager | |
| September | Kamen Rider Saber | ||
| 2021 | March | Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger | |
| September | Kamen Rider Revice | ||
| 2022 | March | Avataro Sentai Donbrothers | |
| September | Kamen Rider Geats | ||
| 2023 | March | Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger | |
| September | Kamen Rider Gotchard | ||
| 2024 | March | Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger | |
| September | Kamen Rider Gavv | ||
| 2025 | February | No.1 Sentai Gozyuger | |
| September | Kamen Rider ZEZTZ | ||
2026–onwards
| Premiere date | 9:00 JST Kamen Rider | 9:30 JST Project R.E.D. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Month | ||
| 2026 | February | Kamen Rider ZEZTZ | Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity |
Coverage area
This block has been shown on TV Asahi (Tokyo), Mētele (Nagoya), ABC (Osaka) and all other stations of the All-Nippon News Network (Nationwide) via satellite. In other parts of the country, some stations not affiliated with ANN are showing either one or both shows.
- Yamanashi Broadcasting System (YBS) (affiliated with the Nippon News Network, owned by Nippon TV) - Super Sentai/Project R.E.D.
- UHF Television Yamanashi (UTY) (affiliated with the Japan News Network, owned by TBS) - Kamen Rider
- Kitanihon Broadcasting (KNB) (affiliated with the Nippon News Network, owned by Nippon TV) - Super Sentai/Project R.E.D. and Kamen Rider (formerly)
- Tulip Television (TUT) (affiliated with the Japan News Network, owned by TBS) - Kamen Rider (until Blade)
- Fukui Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) (affiliated with both NNN and ANN) - Kamen Rider
- Fukui Television Broadcasting (FTB) (affiliated with the Fuji News Network, owned by Fuji Television) - Super Sentai/Project R.E.D.
- Broadcasting System of San-in (BSS) (affiliated with the Japan News Network, owned by TBS) - Kamen Rider
- San-in Chūō Television Broadcasting (TSK) (affiliated with the Fuji News Network, owned by Fuji Television) - Super Sentai/Project R.E.D.
- Shikoku Broadcasting (JRT) (affiliated with the Nippon News Network, owned by Nippon TV) - Super Sentai/Project R.E.D. and Kamen Rider
- TV Kochi (KUTV) (affiliated with the Japan News Network, owned by TBS) - Super Sentai/Project R.E.D. and Kamen Rider (formerly)
- Miyazaki Broadcasting (MRT) (affiliated with the Japan News Network, owned by TBS) - Super Sentai/Project R.E.D. and Kamen Rider