The title card for Super Hero Time.
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, TV Asahi, featuring new episodes of tokusatsu television series from the Super Sentai
and Kamen Rider series. Both series have decades of history and have been intertwined in the public imagination for some time, not least of all because the driving creative force behind both was manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori and they were both produced by the same production company, Toei Company; however, they did not air together until 2000 with Kamen Rider Kuuga and Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive, though at the time they were not acknowledged together. Super Hero Time airs every Sunday morning, from 9:00 to 10:00 JST.
History
Starting in the late 1960s, the hour was originally meant for educational children's programs. Over the years the hour began including henshin 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).
In 1987, Toei's Choujinki Metalder was moved from a Monday evening 19:00 JST time slot to a Sunday morning 9:00 JST time slot, followed by a move of Kidou Keiji Jiban to 8:00 JST Sunday morning in 1989. Similarly, in 1997, Denji Sentai Megaranger was moved from a Wednesday evening 17:00 JST time slot to the Sunday morning 7:30 JST time slot, pairing it up with B-Robo Kabutack. The Super Sentai Series programs would continue to air at 7:30 JST after the Metal Hero Series ended and Moero!! Robocon aired in its slot in 1999 and was followed by the premiere of Kamen Rider Kuuga in 2000.
Although a Super Sentai Series and a Kamen Rider Series aired side-by-side, the Super Hero Time branding of the shows did not begin until the 2003 broadcast season (known as SUPER Hero Time (SUPERヒーロータイム) until 2005). As a part of the Super Hero Time 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 franchises, and Master Sha-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.
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 5 months between the series premieres of the yearly Super Sentai Series (which premieres in mid February) and Kamen Rider Series (now premiering in late September or early October), instead of an approximate month long offset that had existed before (Kamen Rider Series premiered in mid-January).
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 a shōjo anime (beginning with Ojamajo Doremi, then Ashita no Nadja, and, since 2004, the Pretty Cure franchise (Currently airing KiraKira☆Precure A La Mode), all of which are produced by ABC Osaka), and ends with Super Hero Time at 10:00 JST. All shows are properties of Bandai.
In October 2017, the Super Hero Time lineup moved to 9:00 to 10:00 JST, and the two shows swapped blocks, with Kamen Rider on at 9:00 and Super Sentai at 9:30. The former broadcast slot was be taken by a news program titled Sunday Live, featuring Noriyuki Higashiyama of the Johnny’s Entertainment idol group, Shonentai.[1]
Line-ups
Pre-Super Hero Time Line-ups
Showa
| Premiere date | 19:30 JST Kamen Rider ► Super Sentai ► Other series
| |
|---|---|---|
| Year | Month | |
| 1971 | April | Kamen Rider
|
| 1973 | February | Kamen Rider V3
|
| 1974 | February | Kamen Rider X
|
| 1974 | October | Kamen Rider Amazon
|
| 1975 | April | Himitsu Sentai Gorenger
|
| 1977 | April | J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai
|
| 1978 | January | Tomei Dori-chan |
| 1978 | July | Message from Space: Galactic Wars |
Heisei
| Premiere date | 7:30 JST Super Sentai
|
8:00 JST Other series ► Kamen Rider
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Month | ||
| 1997 | February | Denji Sentai Megaranger |
B-Robo Kabutack
|
| 1998 | March | Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack
| |
| February | Seijuu Sentai Gingaman
| ||
| 1999 | January | Moero!! Robocon | |
| February | Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive
| ||
| 2000 | January | Kamen Rider Kuuga
| |
| February | Mirai Sentai Timeranger
| ||
| 2001 | January | Kamen Rider Agito
| |
| February | Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger
| ||
| 2002 | January | Kamen Rider Ryuki
| |
| February | Ninpu Sentai Hurricaneger
| ||
Super Hero Time Line-ups
September 2003 - October 2017
October 2017 -
| 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 Patoranger
| |
Gallery
(9/28/03-1/18/04)
(2/15/04-1/23/05)
(2/13/05-1/22/06)
(2/19/06-1/21/07)
(2/18/07-1/20/08)
(2/17/08-1/18/09)
(2/15/09-8/30/09)
(9/6/09-2/7/10)
(2/14/10-8/29/10)
(9/5/10-2/6/11)
(2/13/11-8/28/11)
(9/4/11-2/19/12)
(2/26/12-8/26/12)
(9/2/12-2/10/13)
(2/17/13-9/29/13)
(10/6/13-2/9/14)
(2/16/14-9/28/14)
(10/5/14-2/15/15)
(2/22/15-9/27/15)
(10/4/15-2/7/16)
(2/14/16-9/25/16)
(10/2/16-2/5/17)
(2/12/17-8/27/17)
(9/3/17-2/4/18)
Other Openings
(First Opening)
(First Opening)
(First Opening)
(First Opening)
(First Opening)
(First Opening)