The iconic Japanese superhero series Super Sentai, which inspired the globally popular 1990s Power Rangers TV and movie franchise, is coming to an end after 50 years, local media report.
According to reports, TV Asahi will take the series off the air due to declining merchandise and event sales, which no longer cover production costs. The broadcaster declined to comment on “future programming,” the Asahi newspaper said.
Super Sentai first premiered in 1975, featuring a team of five teenagers who transform into colorful, masked heroes to fight aliens—a formula later adapted into Power Rangers in the US and other superhero shows across Asia. The series also helped launch the careers of many Japanese actors.
Beyond television, the series was a marketing powerhouse, promoting toys, clothing, costumes, and collectibles. For international fans of animation and toys, it served as an entry point into Japan’s vibrant superhero and comic book culture. Other similar shows, including Choudenshi Bioman and Hikari Sentai Maskman, were dubbed in English and developed cult followings in countries such as the Philippines.
In the series, the hero team typically consists of three men and two women, led by the Red Ranger. The other members are color-coded as Green or Black (second-in-command), Blue, Yellow, and Pink. Episodes follow a familiar structure: martial arts and sword fights, culminating in a battle between the team’s robot and a giant alien. Its live-action sequences, especially in the 1980s and 1990s, were a key part of its charm, even when production was visibly crude.
The original Power Rangers series aired in the US from 1993 to 1996, spawning multiple spin-offs and now available to stream on YouTube. Producer Haim Saban, who adapted the concept, said in a 2017 interview that pitching the show was initially a challenge. “Every selling season, I would go out and offer it to the networks—and would get kicked out of the room… They told me how crazy I was,” he recalled.
News of Super Sentai’s cancellation drew reactions of sadness from fans and celebrities. Actress Keiko Kitagawa reposted a news article with the caption “despair,” which received 15 million views on X. Actor Yasuhisa Furuhara, who played one of the heroes, reflected on the show’s 50-year run, saying, “I’m proud to be a part of history.”
Fans expressed their nostalgia online, noting how the series connected generations. One commented that their parents watched Super Sentai as children, and now they are watching the current series. Another fan lamented, “Super Sentai is coming to an end, so what should boys watch from now on?”
