This was the show that started me on the road to becoming the otaku I am today. The Japanese anime artwork style of "Superbook" and its companion series, "The Flying House," immediately grabbed me because it was so different from the American animation I was used to watching. I wasn't aware until years after I first watched it that the show was Japanese in origin, or that it was created by one of Japan's most famous animation studios: Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd., also known for "Speed Racer," "Samurai Pizza Cats" and "The Littl' Bits," among others.
The show is about two young children named Christopher (a.k.a. Sho in Japanese, Luis in Spanish) and Joy (Azusa in Japanese, Anita in Spanish) who are transported back in time by a magical talking Bible (the titular "Superbook") to witness the stories of Adam and Eve, Jonah, Noah's Ark, and other Biblical legends. Accompanying them is Chris's wind-up toy robot, Gizmo (Zenmaijikake), who is brought to life by Superbook. The Bible stories featured in this series were mostly from the Old Testament; "The Flying House," another series created by Tatsunoko, dubbed by CBN and featuring different lead characters but the same premise, handled the New Testament, including the life and teachings of Jesus. The animation style is extremely primitive by today's standards (it's 20+ years old, remember), and if you hate anime it won't convert you into an otaku. Nevertheless, the show has a cuteness and charm that is impossible to deny. Christian conservatives hated the show, claiming it would confuse and disappoint children who were disappointed not to find time-traveling children in the *real* Bible, but I found it very entertaining and educational and watched it regularly. Remember that the show was made in Japan, where there are few Christians, and was intended as an adaptation of stories from the best-selling book in the history of the world, not to proselytize or preach. It would be the same if Disney were to do an adaptation of a piece of Japanese literature such as the Tale of Genji - chances are they wouldn't get everything 100% accurate, but you'd be able to get the gist of the story, and that's what "Superbook" is all about. It's also worth noting that the series has a huge following among missionaries who have used it to help introduce the Christian faith to newcomers.
In the U.S. this series was aired on CBN's cable network (which later became The Family Channel and is now ABC Family, with almost entirely sectarian programming), which is where I watched it faithfully through the '80s. Nowadays it can be seen early Saturday mornings, along with "Flying House," on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network), and episodes are also available on video.
