TERMINATOR: ZERO Anime Series Hits Netflix Amid Highly Positive First Reviews

TERMINATOR: ZERO Anime Series Hits Netflix Amid Highly Positive First Reviews

If you weren't planning to check out Netflix's Terminator: Zero anime series, you may reconsider after having a read through these first reviews...

By MarkCassidy - Aug 29, 2024 09:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Terminator

"Three billion human lives ended on August 29, 1997. The survivors of the nuclear fire called the war Judgment Day..."

Despite decent reviews, the last Terminator movie, Dark Fate, was the latest instalment in the franchise to underperform at the box office, and it will probably be a very long time before we see the war against the machines continue on the big screen (though it's worth noting that James Cameron did recently reveal that he is planning to return to the franchise for a mysterious new project). 

While the saga may be taking a (possibly permanent) break in live-action, a new 8-episode Netflix anime series titled Terminator Zero is now streaming.

The project takes the classic sci-fi franchise in a completely new direction by moving the story to Tokyo, Japan, and, for the first time, shifting away from Sarah and John Connor, who have (together or separately) featured in all previous Terminator movies.

It's unusual for the streamer to debut new content on a Thursday, but August 29 is Judgment Day, after all!

The first reviews are now in, and while a few critics weren't completely won over by the anime, the majority were full of praise for what sounds like an intriguing new take on the story.

No Rotten Tomatoes score yet, but have a read through the initial round of reviews at the links below, and let us know if you plan on watching Terminator: Zero in the comments section.

Showrunner and executive producer Mattson Tomlin (The Batman - Part II) recently explained the decision to switch focus to a whole new set of characters.

“I think that it’s time to go into new characters and not burden myself with another John and Sarah Connor saga. There's been a run at that a couple of different times," Tomlin says. "There are a lot of callbacks to the other films. Fans who really know the movies are going to be doing the Leo meme from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but it's not going to be as direct as John Connor walks in, because John Connor does not walk in."

Tomlin does make it clear that the show will not be a complete reboot, however.“We're not going to pretend that the third movie didn't happen. We're not going to pretend that the sixth movie didn't happen.”

The official synopsis reads:

“2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity. Caught between the future and this past is a soldier sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity. As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he is hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future which forever alters the fate of his three children.”

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HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 8/29/2024, 9:27 AM
Wait for human reviews
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KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 8/29/2024, 9:31 AM
@HashTagSwagg - User Comment Image

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bobevanz
bobevanz - 8/29/2024, 9:46 AM
Use Imdb or Metacritic for actual scores
bobevanz
bobevanz - 8/29/2024, 9:47 AM
RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 8/29/2024, 9:50 AM
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TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/29/2024, 9:53 AM
Cool , been intrigued by this so glad to see the positive reviews (for the most part) thus far!!.

The premise seems decent and I like the cast so I’ll check it as soon as possible.

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DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 8/29/2024, 10:03 AM
Been rewatching the series over the past few weeks. Rewatched Salvation last week. Yeah, sure it’s nowhere near the first two, but at least it put us ion the early years of the war. had a fun time with it. I actually wish they just made the two sequels to that instead of the genesis and dark fate bullshit we got. Always loved the callback of GnR in that movie too.
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HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 8/29/2024, 10:29 AM
@DudeGuy - I don't. The idea for that sequel was to go back to the future and have JC try and warn the world's leaders about Judgement day, the "new thing" was that this time the terminators would also send back those Terminator bikes and that transformer from the last film. I'm serious that was literally McG's big sequel pitch.
Shivermetimbers
Shivermetimbers - 8/29/2024, 10:39 AM
@DudeGuy - I also think Salvation was underrated. I liked it for what it was, which was different from the previous terminator films.
Steel86
Steel86 - 8/29/2024, 10:57 AM
@DudeGuy - I really enjoy Salvation. The director's cut a touch better. One thing I really wish McG did was keep the original color palette. Sidenote- I know he wasn't a name then but Karl Urban would've been a perfect John Connor for T3 and could've continued into Salvation.
MercwithMouth
MercwithMouth - 8/29/2024, 12:06 PM
@DudeGuy - I LOVED Salvation. Sam Worthington's best performance, Anton Yelchin (RIP) was great, and the supporting cast all pulled their weight. I'll never forget the scene where Connor shows him that he's a Terminator. You could almost feel the scream through the screen.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 8/29/2024, 10:05 AM
I'm hyped for this. I love The Terminator franchise good or bad (ok, Genisys was crap).

I'll this up this afternoon. Can't wait.
MisterBones
MisterBones - 8/29/2024, 10:17 AM
Trailers have been pretty good. Hopefully it delivers
grif
grif - 8/29/2024, 10:28 AM
netflix shit

McMurdo
McMurdo - 8/29/2024, 11:13 AM
The trailer looked dope. Fingers crossed.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 8/29/2024, 11:29 AM
Boring fan fiction 🥱
DocSpock
DocSpock - 8/30/2024, 12:42 AM

Japanese anime Terminator?

Double puke.

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