In the Beginning: The Bible Stories

In the Beginning: Stories from the Bible
手塚治虫の旧約聖書物語
(Tezuka Osamu no Kyūyaku Seisho Monogatari)
Created byOsamu Tezuka
Anime television series
Directed byOsamu Dezaki
Produced byMasami Takagishi
Hime Miura
Hidehiko Takei
Masao Nakamura
Yoshihiro Iwasa
Minoru Kubota
Written byTezuka Productions
Music byKatsuhisa Hattori
Reimy
StudioTezuka Productions
Original networkRai 1
English networkEternal Word Television Network
Australian Christian Channel
Shine TV
Original run November 30, 1992 – May 31, 1993
Episodes26

In the Beginning: Stories from the Bible (手塚治虫の旧約聖書物語, Tezuka Osamu no Kyūyaku Seisho Monogatari; lit. Osamu Tezuka's Bible Stories) is a Japanese-Italian anime television series. The series was a coproduction between Japan's Nippon TV and Italy's government-owned broadcaster, Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI) and animated by Tezuka Productions. Although the series was in production during a period of several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was not aired in Japan until April 1, 1997, on the satellite channel Wowow, while it premiered in Italy on November 30, 1992 on Rai 1.[1] The series has also been aired on TV in the United States (on the Catholic-oriented Eternal Word Television Network), Spain, Germany, and Australia (on Australian Christian Channel).

In the Beginning: Stories from the Bible marked the fourth time Bible stories formed the basis of a Japanese-animated television series, following the two Superbook series and The Flying House, which were made for Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network by Tatsunoko Production in the early 1980s.

In the Beginning: Stories from the Bible features episodes devoted to most of the major stories of the Bible, including the stories of the Creation, Cain and Abel, Noah's Ark, Abraham and Isaac, Joseph, Moses, David, and Solomon, with the final episode featuring the Nativity of Jesus. As with the second Superbook series, some stories were stretched out over several episodes. Unlike Superbook and The Flying House, however, no contemporary characters from modern times were inserted into the stories, save for the series mascots and viewpoint characters, Roco the fox and Mimi the vixen.

Tezuka's manga work frequently included religious themes, and because of his long-running manga Buddha, he is sometimes perceived as having been a devout Buddhist, but in fact, Tezuka was largely agnostic.[2]

The theme music (for the English version), an ending theme called "Rainbow Blue", is written and performed by Reimy, and is the only ending theme that has English lyrics both in the Japanese version, the English version, and in the Spanish version. In the Italian version, an ending theme called "He Comes, He Saves You", is written by Paolo Zavallone and performed by Cristina Zavallone, and is the only ending theme that has English lyrics in the Italian version.

Background

In the Beginning: Stories from the Bible grew out of a request that Osamu Tezuka received from the Vatican by way of RAI in 1984, requesting that Tezuka produce an animated version of the Bible. Tezuka spent two years working on a pilot series for the project based on the story of Noah's Ark and other stories from the Bible, both writing the scenario and doing the photography for the series and working in the production of the animation itself, but Tezuka died on February 9, 1989 before the series was finished. The remainder of the production for the pilot series and the subsequent 26-episode television series was supervised by director Osamu Dezaki.

Episodes

Number English title Japanese title Italian title Spanish title Book of the Bible
1The Creation (Adam & Eve, Part 1)天地創造I signori della TerraLa Creación (Adán y Eva, Parte 1)Genesis
2Cain and Abel (Adam & Eve, Part 2)カインとアベルI figli di AdamoCaín y Abel (Adán y Eva, Parte 2)Genesis
3The Story of Noah (Noah's Ark)ノアの箱舟L' avventura di NoèLa Historia de Noé (El Arca de Noé)Genesis
4The Tower of Babelバベルの塔Una torre fino al cieloLa Torre de BabelGenesis
5Abraham, the Forefather父アブラハムAbramo il patriarcaEl Padre AbrahámGenesis
6Sodom and GomorrahソドムとゴモラSodoma e GomorraSodoma y GomorraGenesis
7Isaac and IshmaelイサクとイシュマエルIsmaeleIsaac e IshmaelGenesis
8Isacc's destiny (Abraham's Sacrifice)アブラハム、イサクを捧げるIl destino di IsaccoEl destino de Isaac (La Prueba de Abrahám, translated as El sacrificio de Abrahám)Genesis
9Jacob's children (Joseph in Bondage)ヨセフの夢占いVenduto dai fratelliJosé en Esclavitud (Vendido por sus hermandos)Genesis
10Joseph's triumphヤコブ一族の再会Il trionfo di GiuseppeEl Trinfo de JoséGenesis
11Moses, The Egyptianモーセの誕生Mosè l'egizianoMoisés el EqipcioExodus
12The Fire in the Desert (The Burning Bush)砂漠の火Il fuoco nel desertoEl Fuego en el Fesierto (La Zarza en Llamas)Exodus
13Moses and the Pharaoh (Moses & Pharaoh)モーセとファラMosè e il faraoneMoisés y Faraon (Moisés y el Faraon)Exodus
14The Exodusエジプト脱出L'EsodoEl ExodoExodus
15Laws carved in stone (The Ten Commandments)十戒La legge scolpita sulla pietraLeyes grabadas en piedra (Los Diez Madamientos)Exodus
16Israel's Treachery (The Golden Calf)イスラエルの裏切りIl vitello d'oroLa traición de Israel (El Becerro de Oro)Exodus
17New Alliance (Journey to the Promised Land)約束の地La Terra PromessaNueva Alianza (La tierra prometida)Deuteronomy
18Jericho (The Fall of Jericho)エリコGericoJericó (La Caida de Jericó)Joshua
19One king for Israel初めての王サウルUn re per IsraeleUn rey para IsraelJudges and Samuel
20King Saul (David and Goliath)サウルの敗北La sconfitta di SaulDavid y Goliat (La derrota de Saul)Samuel
21King Davidダビデ王Il seme di DavideEl rey DavidSamuel
22King Solomon (The Wisdom of Solomon)ソロモンの王国Il regno di SalomoneLa Sabiduría de Salomón (El rey Salomón)Kings
23The Exile of Israelバビロン捕囚L'esilio di IsraeleEl destierro de IsraelKings and Ezekiel
24Release from Bondage奴隷からの解放Gerusalemme, GerusalemmeLiberación de la Esclavitud (Libertad en Babilonia)Ezra
25Prophets in the desert砂漠の預言者たちProfeti del desertoProfetas en el desiertoLuke and Matthew
26The birth of Jesusイエスの誕生Una stella brilla ad OrienteEl nacimento de JesúsLuke and Matthew

Staff

  • Animation created by: Osamu Tezuka
  • Produced by: RAI-Radiotelevisione Italiana, NTV-Nippon Television Network Corp.
  • Executive production: Tezuka Productions
  • Executive producers: Shinichi Okada (Chukyo TV Broadcasting), Masahiro Kurata (Nippon Television Network), Takayuki Matsutani (Tezuka Productions), Luciano Scaffa (Radiotelevisione Italiana)
  • Scenario: Tezuka Productions
  • Producers: Masami Takagishi, Hime Miura, Hidehiko Takei, Masao Nakamura
  • Music composed by: Katsuhisa Hattori
  • Character design: Osamu Tezuka, Shinji Seya
  • Animation directors: Masaki Yoshimura, Akio Sugino, Shinji Seya, Junji Kobayashi, Hideaki Shimada
  • Art directors: Kazuo Okada, Masami Saito
  • Directed by: Osamu Dezaki
  • Biblical advisors: Emilio Gandolfo, Pietro Bovati S.J.
  • Supervised and coordinated by: Marco Pagot, Luca Lamonaca
  • Scenario: Luciano Scaffa, Guerrino Gentilni, Luca Lamonaca
  • Assistant directors: Takashi Ui, Yusaku Saotome, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Shinichi Matsumi
  • Assistant producer: Sumio Udagawa
  • Production managers: Satoshi Kuwabara, Mitsuaki Ōishi, Takeshi Yoshimoto
  • Photography: Studio Wood, Takahashi Production, Tezuka Productions, T. Nishimura, Mushi Production, Madhouse, Studio Cosmos
  • Editors: Masahiro Matsumura, Harutoshi Ogata
  • Color direction: Satomi Murai
  • Finishing animation: Beijing Xie Le Art Co., Ltd.
  • Animation check: Tomoko Kawaguchi, Kaoru Kanō
  • Animation production in cooperation with: J.C. Staff, Mushi Production, Madhouse, Shaft, Tama Production, Asatsu-DK (D.K. 1)
  • Music selection: Katsuhisa Yoshino, Yutaka Goda
  • Sound effects: Shizuo Kurahashi
  • Mixer: Nobuyoshi Kamibayashi (Aoi Studio)
  • Music in cooperation with: Nippon Television Music Corporation
  • Coordination: Imago Inc., Tokyo
  • Production managers: Masami Takagishi, Koji Shibata, Hime Miura, Hidehiko Takei, Masao Nakamura, Kuniaki Nagayama, Enrica Benni

Japanese broadcast production

  • Recording production: Audio Planning U Co., Ltd., APU Studio
  • Sound director: Katsuyoshi Kobayashi
  • Supervisor: Yoko Imamichi (Saint Paulo Monastic Order for Women)
  • Producers: Yoshihiro Iwasa, Minoru Kubota
  • Production coordination: Satoshi Kuwabara

Voice cast

References

  1. ↑ "AntonioGenna.net presenta: IL MONDO DEI DOPPIATORI – ZONA ANIMAZIONE: "In principio – Storie dalla Bibbia"". www.antoniogenna.net. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  2. ↑ Schodt, Frederik L. The Astro Boy Essays. Stone Bridge Press, 2007.
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