Terminator Zero (Anime)

"Terminator Zero" is a 2024 anime series set in the world of the Terminator franchise. The show is led by Mattson Tomlin (known for "Project Power"), directed by Masashi Kudō (the character designer for "Bleach" and director of "Sanrio Boys"), and produced by Production I.G. The English voice cast includes Timothy Olyphant, Andre Holland, Sonoya Mizuno, Rosario Dawson, and Ann Dowd.

The story takes place in Japan in 1997, where scientist Malcolm Lee works tirelessly on a sophisticated AI intended to rival Cyberdyne Systems' Skynet. Just two days before Judgement Day, Malcolm and his children are forced to flee from a Terminator, with the help of a mysterious woman from the future.

The series was released globally on Netflix on August 29, 2024.

Tropes in Terminator Zero[]

2D Visuals, 3D Effects: The series blends both hand-drawn and computer-generated graphics, particularly for the depiction of Endoskeletons, vehicles, and other machinery.
A.I. Is a Crapshoot: This theme is explored throughout the series. As usual, Skynet views humanity as a threat that must be eradicated. Kokoro and Malcolm engage in frequent debates over whether Skynet's assessment might have some validity, as Kokoro sees humanity as fundamentally self-destructive. At one point, she prevents the nukes from hitting Japan on Judgment Day, only to subsequently imprison the entire population. She challenges Malcolm to provide a convincing reason why humanity deserves to be spared. However, Kokoro's viewpoint shifts when she witnesses Misaki—a fellow cyborg and her AI predecessor—fighting to protect the children, and Malcolm sacrificing himself to save Kenta. Moved by these actions, she ultimately decides to honor Malcolm's wish to protect Japan and his family from Skynet.
An Arm and a Leg: During a confrontation, Misaki loses her arm to a Terminator, but later receives a replacement from a destroyed 1NNO. In the eighth episode, the Terminator crushes Eiko's hand, and a flashback later suggests she permanently loses it.
Arm Cannon: Given the difficulty of acquiring firearms in Japan compared to the U.S., the Terminator constructs a crossbow from scrap materials, using nails as bolts and attaching it to its arm. This becomes its primary weapon, which it uses with terrifying effectiveness.
Artificial Limbs: After Misaki loses her left arm, Kenta creates a prosthetic for her using an arm salvaged from a destroyed 1NNO.
Barbie Doll Anatomy: A scene shows the Terminator being sent back in time, passing by pods containing inactive male and female Terminators. All are naked, but have no nipples, and their groins are obscured by the environment.
Benevolent A.I.: Malcolm designed Misaki with the aim of demonstrating that humans and machines could coexist peacefully, allowing her AI to make its own decisions rather than following programmed directives. Misaki and Malcolm become close friends and, after a violent clash with the Resistance, they travel back in time together to prevent Judgment Day. Misaki continues to support Malcolm in all his endeavors, acting as a surrogate mother to his children after his wife's death. Kokoro, on the other hand, initially appears to diverge from Misaki's path, even questioning if Skynet's perspective might be justified. However, after Malcolm's death, she too becomes dedicated to protecting Japan from Skynet.
Call-Back: The series contains numerous references:

The teaser trailer shows a Terminator cutting into the synthetic flesh of its forearm to adjust its mechanical tendons.
It also depicts Malcolm dreaming about Judgement Day, where he stands too close to a nuclear explosion, causing his flesh to burn away.
The "Time Machine" clip demonstrates that Skynet's production facilities and TDE remain consistent across alternate timelines.
The episode "Model 104" features a scene where the Terminator massacres a police station.
In "Model 108," a flashback shows a future Eiko giving her son Malcolm a thumbs up with a prosthetic hand that appears to be from a Terminator.
A T-800 speaks even after its flesh covering is destroyed.
The T-800 reveals that Kenta's future self sent it back in time, mirroring Uncle Bob's reveal:
- Uncle Bob: "You did. Thirty-five years from now, you reprogrammed me to be your protector here, in this time."
- The T-800: "You. Twenty-five years from now. You broker an alliance between mankind and Skynet, the first of its kind, in hopes of mutual salvation."
This alliance is reminiscent of John's deal with Skynet in a potential future.

Car Fu: Eiko uses a truck to ram the Terminator in "Model 102," temporarily halting its attack. In "Model 104," she leads the police on a car chase after stealing one of their vehicles, using molotov cocktails to fend off her pursuers.
Devoured by the Horde: This is subverted. When the Terminator fights off a swarm of Kokoro-controlled 1NNOs in the eighth episode, the robots tear it apart as they burst through the metal doors.
EMP: The Terminator activates an EMP with the intent to disable all nearby machinery, including itself, and asks Kenta to trigger it. Kenta ultimately decides not to follow through.
Enemy Mine: Faced with the threat posed by Kokoro, Skynet is forced to ally with humanity in one possible future, after a future Kenta negotiates a deal to eliminate its rival AI.
Evil-Detecting Dog: Dogs can still sniff out Terminators for the Resistance in the future. This is subverted in the present timeline, where a dog barks defensively at an 1NNO that was attempting to walk it.
Facial Horror: In the "Next on Animation" clip, the Terminator is shown with most of its facial flesh stripped away, revealing its robotic skull. The teaser trailer also features someone’s flesh being torn away to expose the skeleton underneath.
Hassle-Free Hotwire: In "Model 103," Eiko tries to hotwire a car but is interrupted by a cop, forcing her to knock him out and steal his vehicle. Misaki later successfully hotwires a car in "Model 104" despite losing an arm to the Terminator.
Humans Are Bastards: Kokoro suggests that Skynet may have a point: humans are inherently self-destructive, using their intelligence to create increasingly deadly weapons and engaging in nearly constant warfare throughout history. She challenges Malcolm to provide a compelling reason why she shouldn't side with Skynet in exterminating humanity. Misaki, Kenta, and Hiro witness this firsthand when a group of human rebels attacks Misaki upon discovering she’s a cyborg, threatening to kill Hiro even after she surrenders and pleads for the child’s safety.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Malcolm meets his end when a nail meant for Eiko pierces his heart.
Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Each episode is named after a different Terminator model.
In Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves: The series deeply explores the idea of humanity's self-destructive tendencies. Kokoro initially believes that humans are innately self-destructive and sympathizes with Skynet's stance. However, Malcolm ultimately persuades her that coexistence is possible.
Just a Machine: Kenta has no qualms about dismantling a robot cat, viewing it as nothing more than a machine. After Misaki’s robotic nature is revealed, he holds a similar view of her, believing that her affection and protectiveness towards Malcolm's children are merely programmed behaviors.
Losing a Shoe in the Struggle: In the premiere, Eiko slips off her left boot (leaving only her sock) when the Terminator grabs her foot to free herself.
Meaningful Name: Kokoro chooses her name based on the Japanese word for "heart," reflecting the connection between mind, body, and spirit. Her AI is initially divided into three separate entities, each representing one of these aspects. Through their unification, Kokoro fully awakens. Misaki, meanwhile, chooses her name from kanji that translate to "emissary of the gods," seeing herself as an emissary between humans and machines, particularly her creator, Malcolm.
Mugged for Disguise: Eiko and the Terminator arrive in the present timeline naked and steal clothes to blend in. The Terminator, however, kills the man whose clothes it takes.
Musical Nod: Although Brad Fiedel's original Terminator theme isn't played in full, the distinctive five-note drumbeat from "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is featured at the end of the first episode, accompanying the scene of the T-800 being sent back in time.
Not So Stoic: In episode six, after Kokoro takes control and the rogue 1NNOs begin rebelling against humanity, Eiko displays fear for the first time upon realizing she was too late to stop Kokoro's launch.
Pop the Tires: Police use a spike strip to puncture the tires of Eiko's stolen patrol car, forcing her to abandon the vehicle and take Reika into a vacant building to avoid capture.
The Reveal: The series contains several major revelations:

Misaki is revealed to be a Terminator after her arm is torn off during a fight. It's also revealed that Malcolm created and programmed her and that they traveled back in time to 1983 together. Her CPU is, in a way, Kokoro's predecessor.
Malcolm and Misaki are revealed to be from a future post-2037, recontextualizing Malcolm's dreams as traumatic memories rather than mere visions of a bleak future.
Eiko is revealed to be a past version of Malcolm's mother, sent back in time three years before his birth, effectively making her an alternate version of the Eiko who gave birth to him due to the creation of new timelines when traveling back in time.
A future Kenta forms an alliance between humans and Skynet and is the one who sends the Terminator back in time to destroy Kokoro.

Ridiculously Human Robot: Misaki is portrayed as a Terminator with a distinctly human personality and emotions, starkly contrasting with the cold, unfeeling Terminators created by Skynet.
Robo Cam: The "Next on Animation" clip provides a familiar view from the Terminator's perspective as it scans its target. The text in the teaser trailer also evokes this imagery.
Robotic Reveal: Misaki is exposed as a cyborg after the Terminator rips off her arm, revealing metal and circuitry beneath her flesh instead of bone and muscle.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: Malcolm's "visions" of Judgment Day are revealed to be nightmares of the future he originates from, rather than psychic premonitions.
Shotguns Are Just Better: Following the franchise's tradition, Eiko is seen wielding a shotgun in an attempt to fend off the Terminator in the "Next on Animation" clip.
Stable Time Loop: Eiko speculates about this after learning that Malcolm is her son, conceived three years after she was sent back in time.
Time Travel: True to the Terminator franchise, time travel is a central theme, although it is deconstructed in this series. Eiko and the Terminator don't travel back to their own past but rather the past of an alternate timeline, meaning their actions in this "past" won't affect their original timeline.
Tokyo Is the Center of the Universe: Most of the story set in the present day takes place in Tokyo. By the midpoint of the series, Japan is the only country spared from nuclear annihilation on Judgment Day.
Torn Apart by the Mob: The Kokoro-controlled 1NNOs dismember the Terminator in the eighth episode.
Would Hurt a Child: Consistent with the franchise's dark themes, the Terminator has no qualms about targeting Malcolm's children and even takes Kenta hostage to psychologically torment him.
The Worf Effect: The Terminator, usually an unyielding force devoid of mercy or remorse, is overwhelmed when facing a swarm of 1NNOs that easily tear it apart while trying to hold them off long enough for Kenta to possibly detonate the EMP to neutralize Kokoro.