English Title: Terminator Zero
Japanese Title: ターミネーター 0
Director(s): Kudo Masashi
Screenwriter(s): Mattson Tomlin
Studio: Production I.G, Skydance
Released: 2024
Runtime: 8 episodes, ~25 min each.
Starring: Yukinari Toa, Uchida Yuuya, Hayami Saori, Satou Miyuki, Ishigami Shizuka, Shimono Hiro, Tanezaki Atsumi
My Verdict: Good production. Mostly well-paced story in the spirit of the first two films even if it has a few problems. Dark and gloomy.
● This is a spin-off set in the timeline as narrated in the first two films The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) when Skynet launched a nuclear attack on 29 August 1997.
● The story is in the spirit of the first two films: dark and gloomy. In 1997, Malcolm Lee works on his AI named Kokoro in Tokyo. He has nightmares of Skynet’s attack, which seems convenient but just go with it. He intends Kokoro to fight Skynet but he is uncertain of how Kokoro will behave and time is running out. In 2022, a lone T-800 is sent back to just before Judgment Day in 1997 to presumably take out Kokoro or to ensure that it allies itself with Skynet. The human resistance follows suit, sending a young woman named Eiko.
● Malcolm is a widower with three children, two boys and a girl, Kenta, Hiro and Reika. Whilst Malcolm is at work, housekeeper Misaki looks after them. Of course, to complicate matters, Reika runs off after arguing with her siblings because Kenta is an annoying jerk even though he is the eldest and should know better. Skynet’s terminator obviously wants to use the children as leverage. The plot follows Skynet’s T-800 and Eiko trying to find Malcolm via the three children, which is interesting because there are three of them who are separated.
● The series aims for the suspense of the first two films which highlights what a threat a terminator can be with great effect. One cannot be far enough away from the thing—if they are, they can find you and chase you down; if they are within arm’s reach, then your chances aren’t good. Thankfully, this series mostly replicates that—unlike the final fight sequence in Terminator Salvation (2009)—whilst providing some cool action. Some of the firefights can be better but, more importantly, there can be a few more close calls given that it is an 8-episode series.
● Kokoro’s intent being questionable is presumably inspired by Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) in which Skynet is brought online to counter a global virus but is the cause of it and ends up taking over. Kokoro is not Skynet, that is clear enough.
● Although it is appreciated the series shows Malcolm dealing with Kokoro at length, these scenes are too long and repetitive. Malcolm needs Kokoro’s help, but he doesn’t want to bring her online and doesn’t want to feed her more data even though time is running out. There aren’t any other options but he just sits there and talks to her, and? These scenes do provide relief from the other threads but they also stagnate the plot. If Malcolm doesn’t trust Kokoro to take out Skynet on her own, then these scenes should show Malcolm not just talking to Kokoro but actively working with her to (semi-manually) take down Skynet. This is an opportunity to show some coding and cyber warfare via some cool graphics, thereby making these scenes more dynamic.
● Visually, it is mostly well-executed. Generally, the linework is clean and the colors are rich, giving a sleek look. The motion at times can be smoother but it is not so bad that it is jarring.
● There are a few minor issues. For example, in some wider shots, helicopters are firing at the ground. This is presumably done just to make the shot look busier. However, these are not seen from street level.
● The score composed by Michelle Birsky and Kevin Henthorn takes the functional approach that the suspense and tension demand. Although in the spirit of the first film, the sound is more updated than 80s synths. It also avoids overusing the original themes by Brad Fiedel, which is appreciated. What is lacking are the percussive metallic sound effects.
● On balance, it is a decent series with good performances from the Japanese cast. The sound effects and editing are good too. Visually, it is dark but mostly has a sleek rather than gritty look. The pacing is steady, the abovementioned problem regarding Malcolm and Kokoro being the major problem. Otherwise, it has many homages and allusions to the films whilst being different enough so that it is not merely a clone of the films.
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