A Japanese superhero series that inspired the hugely popular Power Rangers TV and movie franchise from the 1990s is ending after 50 years, local media report.
Super Sentai will go off air as sales from merchandise and events have not been enough to cover production costs, reports say. Its broadcaster TV Asahi declined to comment on "future programming", according to the Asahi newspaper.
The series premiered in 1975 and its formula - five teens who transform into colourful masked fighters to battle aliens - served as the blueprint for Power Rangers in the US and many other superhero shows that aired in Asia.
It also served as a launchpad for the careers of many Japanese actors.
Super Sentai was much more than a TV series. The show that aired weekly was essentially an advertisement for toys, clothes, costumes and collectibles.
