In the Beginning: The Bible Stories - S01

Tezuka Osamu received a passionate request from the Vatican, sent through the Italian National Broadcasting Network, to turn the Bible into animation. The request was likely made to see how the Bible would be portrayed by Tezuka Osamu, who was not Christian. Tezuka Osamu accepted and spent two full years completing a pilot film. It was based on the myth of Noah's ark, and the enthusiastic Tezuka Osamu not only wrote the script but also drew the pictures himself. During production, however, he sadly passed away, so Director Dezaki took over and finished the film.