Through the Italian National Broadcasting Network, Tezuka Osamu received a fervent request from the Vatican to animate the Bible. The request likely aimed to see how a non‑Christian artist would depict the scripture. Tezuka accepted, spending two years creating a pilot film focused on Noah’s Ark. He not only wrote the scenario but also drew all the pictures himself. Unfortunately, he passed away during production, and Director Dezaki stepped in to complete the film.