First Impressions on 'Terminator Zero': Production I.G still has it

Production I.G has been a fairly household name for many animation fans for decades at this point. A company that has managed to create and produce some of the most groundbreaking creations in Japanese animation. For me, one of the first to come to mind is none other than the cyberpunk greatness Ghost in the Shell. The company has managed to stick around throughout the years and dabble into various genres and styles, pursuing interests both in the creative field while also handling the production side behind-the-scenes. There's no particular style that this production company actually holds, and it doesn't feel like there's a particular genre that they won't end up working on somehow. It came to no surprise to see their name pop up in the opening credits of Netflix's recent Terminator: Zero though. If anything, it felt like it made perfect sense; the company still showing it has that attention to detail in the realm of cyberpunk themes and deep science fiction. Though, that isn't to say that the world of Japanese animation hasn't shifted over the decades. It's a completely different realm now, to which I found it odd to even make assumptions of quality by comparing the company and this production. First off, Netflix is pretty bad when it comes to the animation side of things. They're often cheapening out and killing much enjoyed franchises in some capacity.

Secondly, Production I.G may be a household name that we have all found some enjoyment in over the years, but that isn't to deny that much of the talent that created those favourites of ours have not grown up and pursued other directions in life. Let's be real: the animators and writers of Ghost in the Shell have probably reached into their 50s and 60s, likely beyond at this point. Leaving Production I.G as a mere brand rather than a house still holding the same level of attention and quality. So, I went into Terminator: Zero still having some curiosities. A few red flags appearing with the fact that the aforementioned Netflix branding was present. And the realisation of time's passing leading to the changing of names that we'd otherwise assume quality from. This isn't even yet to take into consideration the fact that the Terminator franchise has been beaten to death over the years with endless soulless attempts to revive it. Constant prequels and sequels that are worse with each iteration, constantly ruining the original title's magic by trying to explain everything while also changing the narrative while just pursuing the same structure over and over again.

The thing is, I love The Terminator so much. I'm not so much of a fan of the more blockbuster feeling of the second title that everyone else seems to love more. The Terminator is a beautiful mix of mystery, synth-y futuristic concepts, and the 80s use of practical effects. There's very little quite like it, and that spark can't seem to be replicated due to it being from the right time and the right place. Something the sequels and prequels can't seem to get. I was curious as to how a Japanese made Terminator animation would turn out, and having heard plenty of good things, I decided to finally check it out.

First Impressions

As is usual with my love and hate look at the modern anime world, I suspected a strong reliance on 3D effects for Terminator: Zero. This was primarily due to the fact that Netflix was associated with the production, and they seem to love the pursuit of 3D generated animation. Although, this was also met with the idea that Production I.G would also follow in that direction for the more intense action moments, especially in the idea of futuristic settings and robots with plenty of moving parts. I liked that the show still had a bit of an older look to it without relying too much on the 3D side of things. It was used sparingly and rarely for the regular moments. In terms of the animation style itself, it's very much modern. It looks as if it's hand-drawn, but still holds that more modern look; that means things like the facial features, their shapes and structure. Wider eyes and generally rounder shaped faces. I mention this because it certainly would've had a different look had it been made back in the 80s or 90s, but this is a modern production that has to adhere to the interests of modern audiences. Especially when we consider that those audiences are Netflix subscribers.

To no surprise, the anime also contains its usual anime tropes. IT's showcasing an environment within Japan that doesn't seem too distant into the future in terms of pop culture and the interactions people have. It paints a regular world for the most part and I quite enjoyed it for that. There are characters seen within the backgrounds, locations with shops and cars driving around. It gives a lot of the outer world more depth and believability and that's something the original titles did quite well. We see how the characters are stuck within a space where there are others living in that same space, yet they're the ones being hunted and ultimately are alone in this pursuit. It gives more isolation to the characters when we see that they're faced with a situation that shows true vulnerability. I think it's the first time in the franchise's existence though that something different is actually being done without it being too farfetched. A look at the world as technology progresses, the technological and environmental problems that come with it. Again, the world building is strong.

The first episode starts off with the action, it's quite fast and showcases an interaction with a Terminator. Though the rest of the episode sets up a few characters without revealing all that much about them. Two sides of the spectrum as one takes place in the chaotic world of the robots hunting people down in a post-apocalyptic setting, the other takes place in a more present day timeline. I have no idea where things are heading from this point on, but it's certainly interesting. Very unique to the films and that's an incredible praise to be able to give with how utterly boring those are. Oh, and to no surprise, there's a somewhat similar scene of a Terminator being made, much like the scene from Ghost in the Shell, though without too many similarities. Noticing that was a great joy. I do think the show could've been a bit darker though, sometimes the more cartoonish animation doesn't quite let through the seriousness of the events and characters. Not as threatening as they could be without so much detail in them. But like I mentioned before: that's normal for this era of anime. Much cleaner, more glossy. Less detail when there really should be some more.

I can't wait to keep watching though. Really digging this one so far.