The 50-year journey of the Super Sentai action series — the inspiration behind the popular Power Rangers — may have come to a historic end, but the tokusatsu (a Japanese term for live-action and television dramas that make heavy use of practical special effects) spirit continues in the form of Project R.E.D., which will take over the show’s previous timeslot of Sunday, 9.30am, on TV Asahi, starting 2026.
Kicking off the project is Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity, serving as a homage to the beloved 1982 franchise, Space Sheriff Gavan, the first in the Metal Hero series. While the new red-chromed battle suit in the teaser poster takes its aesthetic cues from its progenitor, the show is set to follow an entirely new story.
Further details about the production, including cast, staff, and an exact release window, were not announced. As for the multimedia project itself, the R.E.D. stands for “Record of the Extraordinary Dimensions”, and will feature red-themed heroes in various stories, with the possibility of crossover appearances in each other’s shows.
Starring actor/stuntman Kenji Ohba, who had roles in other genre titles like Battle Fever J and Denshi Sentai Denjiman, Space Sheriff Gavan centred on the titular agent of the Galaxy Federal Police, as he defended Earth from invasion by the sinister intergalactic mobster Don Horror. A revival attempt was made in 2012 with an anniversary film that spawned a handful of spin-offs in the mid-2010s, but Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity will mark the first official TV entry in the franchise in nearly 20 years.
Previously, news outlets Kyodo and The Sankei Shimbun reported that the reason behind Super Sentai‘s termination was attributed to a financial loss, as the income earned from events, merchandise, and film adaptations proved insufficient to cover production costs. No. 1 Sentai Gozyuger was the 49th and latest instalment in the franchise created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori, who developed the first two Super Sentai series with Toei.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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Edwin Teo
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