Stanisland Magazine

The latest chapter of the Terminator franchise gets the anime treatment, complete with an aesthetic from its ‘90s golden age.

In all things anime, there is a gargantuan catalogue to peruse. But excitement often comes with animated interpretations of pre-existing intellectual properties. This time, Terminator gets that treatment.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger winds down his availability, finding a replacement for the franchise will be difficult thanks to his incredible performance.

Subsequent sequels to the first two instalments remain untouchable and finding a proper way to continue the story remains challenging: enter Terminator Zero.

What’s the plot?

Premiering exclusively on Netflix, the anime series follows a soldier sent back in time to 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee whose research pioneered a competing artificial intelligence system made to rival Skynet. However, the robot army has dispatched one of their own to counter Lee’s invention.

Does it look good?

It sure does, and thanks to its animation aesthetic shown through a 90s lens, which, considering the timeline it is set, is an appropriate way to screen the series. It brings in core elements from the first two movies, borrowing mostly from its debut, complete with a thrilling narrative reminiscent of Sarah Connor’s dialogue.