Today (29th) at 4:00 PM, the first animated series in the iconic sci-fi action Terminator franchise, Terminator Zero, exclusively premieres on the streaming service Netflix. The opening six minutes of the main episode have been released on YouTube.

The Terminator franchise, which began in 1984 with the original Terminator directed and written by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, established itself as a landmark in sci-fi action cinema. Terminator Zero, the first animated installment of the series, is set in 1997, on the fateful day known as "Judgment Day" (August 29), when the self-aware AI Skynet launches a nuclear war against humanity, marking the beginning of a gripping sci-fi action story.

The year is 2022—25 years after "Judgment Day," and the war between the surviving humans and AI continues. In the newly released footage, viewers are thrust into an intense battle between a relentless Terminator, who will stop at nothing to exterminate humanity, and a lone warrior named Eiko (voiced by Toa Yukinari), who finds herself in a desperate situation after all her comrades are killed.

Eiko's mission is to steal information about Skynet's secret plan from this Terminator, and she bravely takes on the challenge despite the danger. However, her bullets are useless, and even explosions barely scratch the surface. During her escape, she reaches a place so deep that the bottom is out of sight. In this precarious environment, Eiko engages in an unpredictable aerial battle using a rope, ultimately succeeding in knocking the Terminator down and obtaining the crucial information. Eiko discovers that Skynet plans to send a Terminator back to 1997 to assassinate scientist Malcolm Lee (voiced by Yuya Uchida) and, determined to save humanity, decides to time travel herself. But the Terminator, who was thought to have fallen into the abyss, reactivates once more.

The story then shifts to 1997. After experiencing a nightmare about the war between humanity and AI, Malcolm begins researching a new AI named "Kokoro" (voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki) that could potentially oppose Skynet. However, the Terminator (voiced by Yasuhiro Mamiya) appears, aiming to prevent its completion by assassinating Malcolm. Can Eiko confront the Terminator's threat and change the course of destiny? Witness Eiko's brave and resourceful combat as she devises creative strategies to defeat the "ultimate enemy" with a body of steel.

The showrunner and executive producer is Mattson Tomlin (Project Power, The Batman), the director is Masashi Kudo (known for the Bleach and Hayate the Combat Butler series), and the animation is produced by Production I.G, known for titles like PSYCHO-PASS and Ghost in the Shell, crafting a story unique to an animated series.

Source : ORICON NEWS