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From Zero to Hero: A Review of Terminator Zero || Chatsu Shorts
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In this episode, Satsu takes a look into the latest entry to Skynet's CV Terminator Zero. But after going through a whole month of Terminator films, how does this anime hold up? Will it be enough to change the dark fate of the franchise? And how many AIs does it take to end the world?! All this and more in the latest episode of Chatsu Shorts!
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Transcript
Introduction to Chad Tsunami Podcast and Terminator Connection
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to Chad Tsunami. For those of you who have been listening to Chad Tsunami for a while, you'll know how important the Terminator franchise has been in shaping the podcast.
Origins of the Podcast
00:00:25
Speaker
Thanks to her fateful encounter in 2015 at Terminator Double Billing, I met my close friend and co-host of the podcast, Adam,
00:00:33
Speaker
In time, we bonded over a shared interest, and eventually when the lockdowns of 2020 arrived, he, along with my other amazing friends, helped to shape Chatsunami in what it is today, all because of one day. It was until September of 2022 that we, along with our very good friend and fellow co-host Andrew, watched all the films back to back in preparation for our themed Terminator Month.
00:00:57
Speaker
which in turn gave us a lot to think about. Despite arriving to the franchise later than most, I cannot stress how much the first two films mean to me. If you would like to hear my full opinions on the series, then by all means feel free to listen to our Terminator Month episodes once this one is over at our website, chatsandami.com, as well as all good podcast providers. But to summarise,
00:01:20
Speaker
To me, Terminator never quite emerged from the shadow of its former glory with the first two entries. Sure, the Wii had its memorable moments, as did Salvation Onwards for all the wrong reasons, but the name Terminator is something that has been tarnished for
00:01:36
Speaker
quite some time. Some attribute this to the lackluster storytelling, while others believe that it's need to be bombastic spectacles that one up their predecessors with wacky gimmicks diluted what made it special in the first place. Terminator is a story of fate and consequence, one of mankind's hubris in believing that the old ways would somehow triumph in the face of a never-evolving world leading to the rise of the sinister Skynet.
Announcement of Netflix's Terminator Zero Series
00:02:02
Speaker
AKA, the reason so many people thank their smart devices, but it wasn't until recently that Netflix announced at the start of August that they would be releasing a new series called Terminator Zero, a Japanese-centric take on the franchise which would debut by the end of the month. But did the series learn from the mistakes of the past entries, or did they only prolong the inevitable of another poor entry into the series?
00:02:26
Speaker
Well, you may be surprised. Without any further ado, welcome to this episode of Chazu Shorts. So what is Terminator Zero? Produced by ProductionIG and Skydance Television, the show takes a rather unique look at the world of Terminator through the eyes of tech extraordinaire Malcolm Lee in hopes of stopping Judgment Day from occurring with the assistance of his virtual AI Kokoro. But things go
00:02:50
Speaker
horribly wrong, as a Terminator is sent back to kill him and capture his three children, while a Resistance fighter from 2022 is sent back to protect him. All I'll say is, if James Cameron couldn't kill Judgment Day off in Dark Fate, then what chance does a killer robot have? Despite my cautious optimism,
00:03:09
Speaker
I still had some doubts lingering in the back of
Analysis of Animation Style and Production Issues
00:03:12
Speaker
my mind. This was compounded by the knowledge that the studio who would be helming the show was Production IG, a company that has an impressive history with anime films and shows such as Ghost in the Shell and Psycho Pass.
00:03:25
Speaker
But unfortunately, as mentioned in my review of Mass Effect's Paragon Lost, their style can be a little inconsistent. Alright, let's rip off the proverbial band aid here. Production hygiene need to stop leading their marketing off with...
00:03:43
Speaker
Because while it may indeed be true, it brings a somewhat level of expectation to what you're about to watch. Now it may be unfair to compare the two since one is one of the most visually stunning anime films of 1995, and many of the same animators most likely won't be working on the same show. Regardless, the animation is one of my greatest bugbears about this show.
00:04:07
Speaker
This is the second time I've seen production IG use a hybrid of 3D models in traditional animation, something that I can only assume has been done because it's easier. Sadly, I'm not an animator myself, so I can't comment on a technical standpoint but visually it can sometimes look rather bad. The 3D models are so jarring at times and it looks really weird watching the main character discuss philosophy with something that looks like it escaped the disc of an early Final Fantasy
Chilling Depiction of Terminators
00:04:36
Speaker
game.
00:04:36
Speaker
There are even moments where, if you pause to look at characters in the background, their eyes are literally just two small dots in a line for a mouth. But on the flip side, there are some moments where the animation was done incredibly well. For once I find myself terrified of the terminators again, something I don't
00:04:54
Speaker
think I've felt since I last played the game Terminator Resistance. Perhaps it's the way it moves, or the vacant expression as it guns down anything in its way, but he captured the terror aspect perfectly of what a hulking metal mass would be like against the unsuspecting populace. Going off on this.
00:05:12
Speaker
The action for the most part doesn't feel to impress, with some genuinely stunning visuals at times. From a homage of the Terminator fighting through a police station, to an action sequence later where the caretaker of Malcolm Lee's children, Misaki, is forced to defend them, there are
00:05:29
Speaker
Definitely some standout moments here. There are even some moments where the live action may have been detrimental, and the medium of animation is e-utilised to its full
Character Study: Malcolm Lee
00:05:38
Speaker
extent. But speaking of the characters, there's certainly a mix here of both strong and unfortunately lacklustre ones. For example, Malcolm for the most part is a stern father towards his three children, Kenta, Rekha and Hiro, who places his work over his parental duties.
00:05:58
Speaker
But at the same time, he makes some questionable choices when we find out why he is that way, with 90% of his time on the show being him talking to 3D projection of his AI system Kokoro. While I've heard some fans of the show complain about the trio of children characters on the show, I have to say I don't necessarily think they were that bad, nor do I think they're the worst I've ever seen. Even still, I can see why sometimes they can fall a little flat.
00:06:27
Speaker
As they struggle with the reality of their mother dying from off-screenitis, perhaps it's because at times they do act like real children. In a life or death situation, I too would be yelling at them for not adhering to the rules of Digital Stranger Danger.
00:06:42
Speaker
The one character that I thought was the most egregious however was the resistant soldier, Iko, who, I'm going to be honest with you, was my least favourite of the group. She felt more like a Cliff Notes version of Kyle Reese, with a foul mouth and disdain for anything robotic.
00:06:59
Speaker
bordering dangerously close to a similar path of characterisation that her predecessor Grace had in Dark Fate. What I also felt was a little odd was her perceived plot armour, which went from something you could suspend your disbelief over to downright silly, even for Terminator.
00:07:17
Speaker
An example of this can be shown at the start of episode 1, where Iko is hanging off a cord in midair, with a terminator hanging onto her leg. At first I thought this would lead to a shocking reveal that she was cybernetically enhanced, but no, sadly she just seems to be very good at taking on terminators face to face. Therein lies the problem, and while I don't wish to be that guy who moans about ruining the immersion,
00:07:41
Speaker
I think, even in anime form, there has to be a base level for the rules of this world. Throughout the show, the Terminator, much like the first two films, are callous machines that will do anything to achieve their mission, and the threat of even one is very real. It's what makes them such a perceived threat.
00:07:59
Speaker
one thing having the main character do flips and whatnot to escape the Terminator, but it's another when they can straight up rugby tackle a 7 foot machine into an elevator shaft. As for the caretaker Mizaki, while I found her character a little mixed,
00:08:14
Speaker
I still thought she was a lot more grounded for the most part. That being said, as the story progresses, she ironically turns more
Role of AI Kokoro and Human Compliance
00:08:22
Speaker
into a character from Ghost in the Shell. What I will admit however, is that I find the whole concept of Kokoro to be a rather interesting one. The name itself, well a little on the nose, refers to the concept of the heart, something that is a vital part to the survival of both oneself and, in this context, Japan.
00:08:41
Speaker
And while it does manage to shield them from Skynet's offensive, it takes matters into its own hands by forcing humanity to obey it through an army of domestic robots, whether they want to or not. It very much reminded me of that old Will Smith film I Robot, albeit with more violence overall.
00:08:59
Speaker
While I do have my issues with the show, I don't want you to go away thinking that this isn't worth checking out.
Nostalgia and Novelty in Terminator Zero
00:09:05
Speaker
If anything, this is probably one of the best Terminator products to have come out in a long time. While that bar hasn't exactly been high since Terminator 2, I've all admit it's been refreshing to see a different spin on the idea. Where it does falter however, is in its execution of some moments.
00:09:21
Speaker
as it can sometimes depend on the nostalgia of the first two Terminator films, from the police station shootout to dialogue heavy references that while initially endearing, can get a little tiresome. And yet, the idea of a second artificial intelligence holding its own against Skynet
00:09:39
Speaker
again, a really cool idea. I also appreciated that they indeed used Skynet as opposed to Legion. It's just a shame that they had to lump it in with the traditional formula of having a Terminator Resistance member travel back in time to fight over something that could win or lose the war. But while the future may not be set for this franchise, we can only hope that Netflix will renew the series so we can see what comes
Call to Action for Listeners
00:10:04
Speaker
next.
00:10:04
Speaker
But what did you think of the latest addition to the Terminator pantheon? Was it everything you hoped for? Or was it the same day? Different Terminator. Whatever your thoughts, don't forget to reach out and let us know. If you would like to listen to more of our episodes then you can always check us out at our website, Chatsanami.com, as well as all good podcast apps. But as always, stay safe, stay awesome and most importantly, stay hydrated.