Super Hero Time

Super Hero Time (スーパーヒーロータイム) 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 Mirai Sentai Timeranger, though at the time they were not acknowledged together. Super Hero Time airs every Sunday morning, from 7:30 to 8:30 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).

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 the 2005 broadcast season). 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 universes, 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 early September), 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) block, which begins at 7:00 JST with a shōnen anime (beginning with Crush Gear Turbo, then Dinosaur King, and currently Battle Spirits: Brave) and ends at 9:00 JST after the airing of a shōjo anime (beginning with Ojamajo Doremi, then Ashita no Nadja, and currently Suite PreCure♪). All shows are properties of Bandai Entertainment.