What Can Terminator Zero Teach Us about the Art of the Tease?

Terminator Zero teleported in naked, with all its episodes dangling out. Let’s get to the naked… cough… truth about this animated prequel from the Terminator franchise. Let’s see if we can get through this without mentioning AI world domination, generative robot porn, or not-anime anime.

It’s 1997, and the PlayStation 1 still smells fresh. Overworked single dad Malcolm Lee (Yuuya Uchida, André Holland) is preparing for Skynet’s launch. His AI defense system, Kokoro (Atsumi Tanezaki, Rosario Dawson), is the last hope for ending Judgment Day before it begins. If he can get it to agree with him. Things turn ugly when a grim-faced terminator (Yasuhiro Mamiya, Timothy Olyphant) and hot-in-combat-boots Eiko (Toa Yukinari, Sonoya Mizuno) appear from 2022 to hunt down his kids.

Terminator Zero and the Art of the Tease

Terminator Zero teleported in last week. The series’ August 29th launch coincided with the in-universe date of Judgment Day. That’s canny marketing, but Netflix didn’t cover up and left all eight episodes dangling out. Naked Arnie at least had his bits hidden with clever cropping. Put some clothes on, Netflix! Don’t you realize lingerie is sexier than full-frontal nudity? We like the art of the tease!

A three-week-early leak didn’t help. Did the leak force Netflix’s hand? It’s unlikely. Pirates will be pirates, and Netflix has its legions of paying subscribers. It doesn’t need to fear the skull-and-crossbones.

I figure Netflix is pandering to binge-watchers. I’ll fly my Luddite flag and accuse Netflix of creating a false economy to drive media consumption. Fear of losing out gets power if you give it power. Wake up! And yes, I’m quoting Rage Against the Machine while vaguely referencing Luddites. This is an article about Robo-Armageddon, after all (ding, that’s one). I’ll touch some grass while I mutter about AI haters and their historical forerunners.

Of course, this train of thought applies to many Netflix offerings. Not only not-anime anime (ding, that’s two). Essentially, I want shows that sell themselves, not overmarketed adaptations. Would Terminator Zero beat out a rescreening of Terminator 2 in theaters? Nope. Terminator 2’s legacy is as indestructible as its lead antagonist. Terminator 2 was on the cutting edge, with the first fully CG protagonist in a movie. Can Terminator Zero blow our minds with new animation techniques? Or with a new story? Not if they play their whole hand all at once.

The Robot Cat Will End Us All

Terminator Zero must keep us guessing. That’s the only option left. Keep us teetering on the edges of our seats, and we’ll keep watching.

It’s trendy for studios to go back to the beginning of a story and fill in the blanks. Marvel origin stories created the trend, and the cool kids now add “Zero” to the title. But, since we know how the story ends with a prequel show, we (the audience) need clever twists to keep us watching. Watch that cute robot kitten and expect the unexpected.

And the nanny. Why can’t a robot store clerk see her, but the robo-kitty can? My money is on Misaki being a cyborg. I have “Kokoro X Misaki Tag Team” on my bingo card.

“I’ll Be Back, Again!”

Watch Terminator Zero if you’re a fan of Terminator 2 and the many additions to this dystopian cyberpunk horror franchise. For everyone else, Terminator Zero has enough to be entertaining. Does it have enough to be memorable? Will you be back? You’ll have to watch the series and decide for yourself.

Terminator Zero was produced by animation studio Production I.G., Skydance Television, and No Brakes for Netflix. Mattson Tomlin wrote the script, which was then translated into Japanese. Tomlin then rewrote the script for the English dub. Masashi Kudō directed the series.

Watch Terminator Zero on Netflix with English and Japanese subs and dubs. Unlike Shoshimin: How to Be Ordinary, Terminator Zero gained nothing by being set in Japan. However, I’m still watching and waiting to shout, “Bingo!” That fact earns Terminator Zero its three Chibi Megumis.

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Are you watching Terminator Zero? Be honest. How many times did you say “I’ll be back” with an Austrian accent? Would terminators be more successful if they were modeled after kawaii anime characters? VTubers proved it works for getting hits. The social media kind, I mean. But also the assassination kind. Tell us in the comments or on social media.

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