Mashin Hero Wataru (Japanese: 魔神英雄伝ワタル, Hepburn: Mashin Eiyū Den Wataru, lit. 'Magic God Hero Legend Wataru') is a mecha multimedia franchise originally created by Sunrise and Red Company. The first series aired on April 15, 1988, replacing the 17:00–17:30 timeslot used for Transformers: The Headmasters. Sunrise credited "Hajime Yatate" for the storyline and Shūji Iuchi directed the series. The series uses elements from both Chinese and Japanese mythology, in terms of themes and settings.