Superbook (スーパーブック), also known as Animated Parent and Child Theatre (アニメ 親子劇場),[1] is a Japanese Christian anime television series from 1981, initially produced by Tatsunoko Productions for TV Tokyo in Japan in conjunction with the Christian Broadcasting Network in the United States. The Japanese opening song is "The TimeBook Song" (タイムブークの歌, Taimu Būku no Uta) by Ryō Miyauchi and the Japanese ending song is "My Fun Friends" (ゆかいな仲間たち, Yukai na Nakama tachi) by Fusako Fujimoto. The English opening song of the first season of the 1981 edition of Superbook is "Oh Superbook" by Stephan Peppos and the English ending song is "Su-su-super" by Stephan Peppos.
The series chronicles the events of the Bible's Old and New Testaments in its 52-episode run. The first 26 episodes aired from October 9, 1981, to March 29, 1982 in Japan, followed by a second season called Superbook II: In Search for Ruffles and Return to the 20th Century (パソコントラベル探偵団) with 26 episodes from April 4 to September 26, 1983. The Japanese opening song is "Personal Computer Travel Detective Team (パソコントラベル探偵団, Pasokon Toraberu Tanteidan) by Ritsuko Ōwada. The Japanese ending song is "Lyndon Bell: Song of the Wind" (リンドンベル・風の唄, Rindon Beru ･ Fū no Uta) by Yumi Okuhata, and the English opening song of "Superbook II: In Search For Ruffles And Return To The 20th Century" is "Superbook II" by Stephan Peppos. Its instrumental version serves the ending theme. Between both series in the first run was the companion series The Flying House.
Overview
The 1981 edition of Superbook (Anime Oyako Gekijo) begins at the home of a young boy named Christopher "Chris" Peeper, who discovers the ancient Bible named Superbook that can speak and send him, his friend Joy and his clockwork toy figure named Gizmo the Crusader Robot back in time during the events of the Old and New Testaments. The second season, Superbook II: In Search for Ruffles and Return to the 20th Century (Pasokon Travel Tanteidan), takes place two years after the first season, where Superbook falls onto a computer, giving anybody the ability to see into the past from Christopher's home via the monitor. Ruffles, his poodle, has managed to get lost in time, prompting Gizmo and Christopher's little brother (re-written as his cousin in the English dub), Uriah "Uri" Peeper, to search for Ruffles. While Chris and Joy keep watch and control of the computer from the present, Gizmo and Uri experience the stories from the Old Testament solely, later in episode 25, Gizmo and Uri have found Ruffles at last. In episodes 25 and 26, Ken keeps watch and fixes the problem on the computer and fixes the problem for Gizmo from the present. Chris and Joy experience the two stories from the Old Testament with Gizmo and Uri.
Cast and characters
- Christopher "Chris" Peeper (飛鳥翔) (voiced by Masako Sugaya in Japanese during Season 1, and Asami Mukaidono in Japanese during Season 2, Billie Lou Watt in English): The main hero of the series, who is Professor Peeper's son and Gizmo's former owner.
- Joy (大和あずさ) (voiced by Katsue Miwa in Japanese during Season 1, and Takako Tsutsui in Japanese during Season 2, Sonia Owens in English): Chris's next-door neighbor and best friend.
- Gizmo the Crusading Robot (ゼンマイジカケ) (voiced by Hiroshi Masuoka in Japanese, Helena van Koert and Billie Lou Watt in English): The name of two characters, depending on the season. In the 1st season, he is Chris's advanced wind-up toy robot figure who can become a real-life robot. In the second season, Gizmo becomes a real-life sized robot built by Uri's father.
- Uriah "Uri" Peeper (飛鳥悠) (voiced by Runa Akiyama in Japanese, Helena van Koert in English): Chris's little brother (cousin in the English dub) and Gizmo's current owner.
- Professor Frederick "Fred" Peeper (あすかはかせ) (voiced by Fumio Matsuoka in Japanese, Ray Owens in English): An archaeologist and Chris's father.
- Phoebe Peeper (飛鳥さつき) (voiced by Kumiko Takizawa in Japanese, Sonia Owens in English): Chris's mother.
- Ken Peeper (飛鳥研): who works the computer and later he fixes the problem.
- Ruffles (キッチョム) in Japanese: Chris and Uri's pet Yorkshire Terrier.
- Superbook (タイムブック) (voiced by Koji Totani in Japanese, Ray Owens in English): An ancient Bible that takes Chris, Joy, Gizmo and Uri back to the Old and New Testament periods or eras.
- Narrator (ナレーション) (voiced by Mahito Tsujimura in Japanese, Ray Owens in English): who narrates the title card, and the story.
Episodes
Season 1 (1981–82)
Season 2 (1983)
VHS/DVD releases
Superbook Season I and Season II were released on various VHS volumes by Tyndale Entertainment. The entire series was available over 26 VHS volumes. Superbook was released for the first time on DVD late 2005 to early 2006. The three DVD volumes features 4 episodes each from Season I.
As in July 2025, the 1981 edition of Superbook is featured on the Yippee TV streaming service.[5]
Multilanguage list
- Arabic: الكتاب الفائق
- Bulgarian: Книга на книгите
- Chinese :親子劇場/PC 旅行侦探
- Filipino: Superbook
- Finnish: Superkirja
- French: SuperLivre
- Korean: 성경만화 슈퍼북
- German: Superbuch
- Hungarian: Könyvek könyve
- Indonesian: Superbook
- Italian: Superbook
- Polish: Superksięga
- Portuguese: Superbook
- Romanian: Cartea Cărților
- Russian: Суперкнига
- Spanish: Superlibro
- Ukrainian: Суперкнига
See also
External links
References
- 每日新聞社. 東京本社. 每日新聞 每日新聞社, 1984, retrieved March 7, 2023^
- in Google translation, it was misspelled in Japanese as 大炎上！悪の町 ソドム on the episode title card, and it was misspelled in English as Burning! Town with Evil, Sodom^
- in Google translation, it was misspelled in Japanese as おじぎをする麦たば on the episode title card^
- in Google translation, it was misspelled in Japanese as 巨人・ゴリヤテとの対決 on the next episode preview card and on the episode title card, which translate this misspelled romaji words as Kyojin ･ Goriyate tono Taiketsu^
- Classic Superbook Yippee TV, retrieved 2025-07-08^