Terminator 0

As a longtime fan of the terminator series I would say this anime is the best thing to happen to the franchise after Terminator judgement day. Not exaggerating.


The plot and story is very good. Most of the main characters and the terminator are likeable . They almost never make any dumb decisions. The music is the perfect blend of something new and a bit of judegment day's theme. The gore is alright but ive seen better, There's a handful of nostalgic callback scenes from the original first 2 movies . the terminator felt almost like arnold's terminator from the first movie, like an ... unstoppable killing machine that almost no one can help u escape , hes also very mysterious, reminds me of a homeless toji zenin . I love that this anime cleared up a lot about the effects of time traveling and changing the past and how it effects the future with the war and skynet . Although its only 8 episodes i appreciate that there's almost never a dull moment . Seeing a T-800 dual wielding M82 50.cal sniper rifles is prob the most badass thing ive seen in anything terminator related, like it honestly tops Arnold's shotgun on a motorcycle flip reload and minigun scene.

I have a few complains
The CGI for the terminator's skeleton and the AIs holograms were a complete eye soar, they stood out pretty badly since everything else looks really good but ive seen way worse cgi to be fair .
I hated the plot armor on a certain character is absolutely annoying, like she straights up fist fights and shoves T-800s around as if they dont weight a couple hundred kilos more than an adult human and as if they're not made of titanium .
The kids were very annoying , they were straight up war of the world kids level of annoying .
It felt as if the creator was a hardcore fanboy of spy family and just wanted a Yor forger in the series in the form of Misaki with how she fights and same voice actor.

"Terminator 0" is an anime TV series available on Netflix that attempts to bring the iconic franchise into the world of animation.

Story/Plot: 6/10
The plot follows the familiar Terminator formula, which is enjoyable at first but becomes predictable about halfway through. The minimal payoff is disappointing, as key questions are left unanswered for a sequel. Character development feels inorganic, and the plot relies too heavily on creating shock value instead of building a cohesive narrative. One of the biggest issues is the inconsistent portrayal of the Terminator. It feels artificially weak to serve the plot, which ruins any stakes the story tries to create. There’s ... a scene where a human tank blows from the Terminator, even though it had been established as far stronger than humans. This lack of consistency damages the believability of the plot.

Animation/Design: 7/10
Production I.G.’s animation is as good as expected, but the unnatural highlights on characters in situations where there shouldn’t be a light source are distracting. The action scenes are visually solid, but the way the Terminator’s skin deflects bullets without damage takes away from the immersion.

Characters: 5/10
The characters were not likable, and their development was shallow. Many decisions they made felt like plot devices rather than reflections of genuine personality. The relationship dynamics had potential but were underdeveloped. The father and eldest son were particularly disappointing, with the father speaking in riddles and avoiding crucial answers. The world felt empty, as if the main cast were the only characters with any importance, and the Terminator itself was weakened to the point of losing its menacing presence.

Audio/Soundtrack: 6/10
The voice acting in the English dub was good, but the soundtrack didn’t leave an impression. The lack of iconic music or sound from previous Terminator entries was a missed opportunity, which might have helped elevate the experience. Nothing about the audio stood out as memorable or unique.

Enjoyment: 5/10
While some elements were enjoyable, the show ultimately fell flat. Poor character development, a predictable plot, and a Terminator that felt inconsistent and weak made the overall experience lackluster. The stakes never felt real, given how poorly the Terminator was handled in terms of power and danger. The weak portrayal of the Terminator, like being pushed back by a regular human and failing to land a finishing blow, undermined the excitement of the action sequences.

Overall: 6/10
"Terminator 0" introduces some interesting ideas but falls short due to its weak portrayal of the Terminator and an incoherent plot. The Terminator’s inconsistencies significantly hurt the tension, making the human vs. machine dynamic feel unbelievable. While the sequel may resolve some of these issues, it’s not a series that leaves you eagerly anticipating the next installment. Rewatching it after the sequel might make for a better experience, but at this point, it’s lacking in too many areas to fully enjoy.

This show starts off with a lot of promise but quickly spirals into a mess, becoming almost unwatchable with each episode. The director and writer seem lost, unable to decide if they want to recreate the cat-and-mouse chase and time travel elements from *The Terminator* or put their own spin on it with a new AI concept. In the end, they fail at both, creating a chaotic disaster. The community has already pointed out issues like incorrect subtitles for the Japanese version and how the Terminator moves awkwardly like a drunk zombie, so I won’t dive into that. However, one thing that's not often discussed ... is the ridiculous plot armor.

The resistance hero, Eiko, somehow gets to bring her gun back in time, but for some reason, Skynet sends a lone T-800 model without any equipment, forcing him to make a generic bow from scratch. Even after the massacre at the police station, the Terminator stubbornly sticks to this bow and fistfights, refusing to pick up any weapons. The kid characters also benefit from ridiculous plot armor. Each one is forgettable, bratty, and annoying. Kenta, who is supposed to be interested in robotics, acts xenophobic and racist every time he sees a machine. The twist with him undermines Skynet’s calculations, making no sense at all. Hiro is a chubby kid whose only personality trait is constantly eating. Reika’s actions are baffling; she forms an attachment to a cat robot that’s quickly discarded after a few episodes, then becomes obsessed with going to an amusement park for no logical reason. Misaki is the only somewhat decent character, but her identity reveal is too predictable.

The worst character by far is Malcolm Lee. It feels like the writer tried to copy Grisha Yeager’s personality and made it worse. Malcolm talks big about understanding AI but ends up just wanting to sleep with a robot. He’s so foolish that he even travels back in time, marries a new wife, and the show conveniently kills her off in a traffic accident to avoid dealing with any potential conflict. His rise to power and creation of his company are never explained, showing how little the show cares about addressing its plot holes.

The dialogue between Malcolm and Kokoro is the worst part of the show. Before Skynet’s launch, Kokoro raises valid questions that Skynet would have considered before deciding to destroy humanity, but instead of giving meaningful answers, Malcolm just clings to the AI and ignores the looming threat of the Terminator hunting his children. His big reveal is nonsensical too. If he was waiting for Skynet to awaken before telling his story, why did he waste so much time with Kokoro, hiding in a room like a creep? Kokoro’s decision to side with humans comes after seeing Malcolm’s family protect one another, but then Malcolm completely neglects his own children, despite claiming he wants to show Kokoro he cares about them.

This show is a lazy cash grab, leaving multiple unfinished plotlines to milk another season. The writing is disrespectful to its audience, and I hope it gets canceled because it truly deserves it.