There have been six feature films in the franchise that started with James Cameron's The Terminator (1984). The franchise also spawned a live-action television series, as well as books, comics and video games. This is the first animated series to be developed by Mattson Tomlin (The Batman and Project Power). Blue Eye Samurai (2023) recently won Outstanding Animated Program at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, which is an animated program about feudal Japan. I'm not sure if it's classified as a Japanese anime. The last anime to be nominated, if not only one, was Afro Samurai: Resurrection (2009). I've never had an interest in anime, but there seems to be a surge of either Japanese culture or its art-forms here in the United States. Like Afro Samurai (1998) or The Boondocks (2005), Tomlin's series is one of the few anime that focuses on a Black character. That fact makes this series intriguing. It's also curious as to how the premise that Cameron created would be interpreted in a different country. Most of the franchise takes place in the USA, but it's curious to see how things would play out in Japan.
André Holland (Moonlight and Selma) voices Malcolm Lee, a computer scientist developing an artificial intelligence or A.I. in Japan in the year 1997. Based on the franchise, that year is significant because it's the year that Skynet, an artificial intelligence, is activated in the United States and decides to eliminate all of humanity through nuclear annihilation. Malcolm is somehow aware that Skynet will do that, so his solution is to create an A.I. that can fight back against Skynet. He calls it Kokoro, voiced by Rosario Dawson (Wonder Woman: Bloodlines and Justice League Dark) and the majority, if not almost all of his story is Malcolm talking in a sealed-off room to Kokoro about why humanity should be saved. It's a lot of philosophy and Tomlin writes it effectively.
That's where this series differs from the variety of action flicks in this franchise. Like with every entry, it also focuses on a robot that is sent back in time to kill a specific person. However, this series has a twist, which makes this series a bit more intriguing. What we learn is that the robot isn't trying to kill a specific person. Yes, the robot kills anyone who gets in its way, but we learn is that its goal actually isn't to kill one specific person. Its actual goal is one that is somewhat telegraphed but felt enough of a surprise to set this show apart and distinguish it more.
What also sets this series apart is the amount of blood and gore depicted. Cameron didn't have the amount of blood and gore that this animated series does. It's likely to make the terror or threat of the robot feel more visceral or scary. It's also meant to make its pursuit of Malcolm's children even more terrifying. The series establishes each of his three children and we learn their personalities. The series makes them distinct individuals. When their lives are put in danger, it is more terrifying. I did not put it past this series to kill a child, which may or may not be a good feeling to have about an animated series.
Rated TV-MA.
Running Time: 30 mins. / 8 eps.
Available on Netflix.