The Gameoverse Guide To The Galaxy

 

Terminator Zero: An Unfinished Future

Since it looks like Disney will never release that Aliens Vs. Predator anime series (Yes, it’s real! Look it up!) it’s up to the Terminator franchise to break in the nostalgia vault of 80s sci-fi movies and have it redone as an anime titled Terminator Zero. Mattson Tomlin who did uncredited writing on The Batman movie and worked on Netflix Animation’s The Sea Beast developed the series also for Netflix, and it was directed by Masashi Kudo who was an animation director on Bleach. This was animated by Studio IG that most Americans would be familiar with from its various incarnations of Ghost In The Shell, which is convenient as similar to the original movie version of that cyberpunk classic took the premise of a high-tech action tale and turned it into a cerebral exploration of humanity’s relationship with machines, the same is done here where normally huge cyborgs mowing people down with machine guns is replaced with slow-paced tone that brings a deeper philosophical approach to it. A total of 8 episodes were released in late 2024 completing the intended first season, however a year later Netflix announced it was cancelling the series leaving any fans of it hanging waiting for a resolution.

The story for this is completely free from the original Terminators movies showing how other parts of the world dealt with the rise of Skynet after it ends up nuking most of the world, so for once we’re not roaming around California. Starting out in Tokyo just before the prophesized Judgement Day in 1997, the brilliant Malcom Lee has spent the last few years developing a revolutionary AI named Kokoro with the hidden intent of competing with Skynet. Malcom is really from one of the numerous post-apocalyptic futures that travelled back in time to 1983 with his cybernetic partner Misaki, although his plan for creating a rival for Skynet instead of just plain trying to destroy it altogether is a little more convoluted. During his stay, Malcom fell in love and had three children, the eldest one Kenta is a prodigy sharing his father’s genius, and Misaki has been reprogrammed into being the children’s nanny. A Terminator from the future has been sent back to prevent Malcom’s efforts, but a female member of the remaining human resistance named Eiko is also sent to stop the Terminator plus her own mission involving Malcom. Kokoro stops Skynet from bombing Tokyo, even though the rest of the planet is decimated, plus she uses an army of early robots to take control of the panicked population while deciding to help the remaining humans with revelations of the Terminator and Eiko’s pasts from the future coming into focus. The series ends with Malcom getting killed from the Terminator with Eiko and Misaki along with all three kids exiting what’s left of Tokyo. How the story was to continue from here is up in the air, although the idea is that Kenta has a large part yet to played in a possible future.

Time travel takes a hard turn in this from most of the other Terminator outlets when here it gives its own explanation as to how the concept works, which ironically helps tie all the other movies together into a single universe, although broken off into multiple realities. There’s a scene where a prophet who leads the future human resistance explains to Eiko just before she goes back in time that whenever a Terminator or someone is sent into the past that they’re going into a completely different timeline, meaning for every time trip results in the birth of a whole different history being established, so the future the traveler originally came from is now inaccessible since their now in a totally separate history. This gives a lot of leeway to free itself from the Terminator movies to become its own story, plus it means that each of the sequel movies takes place in their own timeline like it’s a parallel universe, so you don’t have to worry about any continuity inconsistencies.

Terminator Zero borrows more from the first two Terminator flicks more than the other sequels or the cancelled Sarah Conner Chronicles. The anime doesn’t give into repeating the same lines that most Terminator tales have like “I’ll be back,” although there is the standard high-speed chase, slaughtering of a police station, and creepy moments where the victim is hiding from the mechanical murder machine. There’s also a decent amount of time spent in the dystopian future, especially in the very beginning when Eiko single handedly takes down a Terminator to get its CPU chip for her time trip. Unlike other Terminator sequels, this one does contain some serious plot twists involving time travel which haven’t really been used since the first movie. Its main advantage is having no strings attached to anything involving John Conner and the average American characters.

There is enough action in this, although there is a lot more philosophy added to the fire. A good portion of the 8-episodes has Malcom stuck in a Terminator-proof room conversing with his AI Kokoro who is split into three different goddess forms and spends most of the series listening to her creator monologuing about why Kokoro should help protect humanity and help them defeat Skynet. For all the good this is supposed to do, it doesn’t stop Skynet from bombing all but Tokyo around the globe, so the protagonist’s efforts don’t amount too much to protect the rest of the world as he was more concerned with the safety of his family.

Anime has adapted numerous other American properties like The Matrix, Highlander, Batman, Witchblade, Halo, and various Marvel Comics. Terminator Zero bucks the trend by setting its own course not tying itself too much to the original source material. Production IG did a fantastic job providing top notch animation and not resorting to having their secondary department handling the quality 2D production, even though there is impressive CGI incorporated into it. Viewing the entire series is like watching an entire 4-hour long movie as each episode leads right into the other and the main course of it takes place over the course of a few days just before and after the upcoming Judgement Day.

There is a lack of cohesion in the narrative, specifically during the first half of the series, like whenever they go to Malcom’s children walking around the mostly abandoned Tokyo trying to avoid killer robots. It’s possible that the first season of Terminator Zero was intended to be only 6-7 episodes, but having it stretched out to 8 meant a great deal of filler material had to be thrown in. This might have added to the show’s premiere not receiving the sort of ratings that would have prompted Netflix to do a second series. Even though the single season does reach an ending point, there was clearly room for more stories to tell and tighten up the uneven pace of the original.

ANI-MOVIES, *Swapped

From Nathan Greno, the director of Tangled, is this new feature Swapped, which despite what a ton of critics thought isn't trying to hitch a ride on to the same bandwagon as Disney with their recent release of Hoppers. Not to belittle the title, but this movie isn't about body-swapping, as it is more about getting changed into a totally different animal. This is the third full-length movie by Skydance Animation, and the second one to premiere directly on Netflix, plus written by John Whittington from some of the Lego and Sonic movies. This is an original story taking place in a fantasy world with imaginative creatures that look like they're out of Pokemon with some of them being part plant or mineral. There is some seriously decent world building in this and character growth which help separate it from the usual Pixar wannabe movies.

Set in a lush valley, a small island in a river is inhabited by small furry mammals called Pookoo, and the story starts off with the young Ollie starts with a tale about how the current predicament of having their harvest raided by birds called Javan is all his fault as he introduced their food to a Javan when he was younger. Once they finish up the flashback, Ollie falls down a hole and finds a magic pod left behind by a herd of colossal mammoth-like plant-hybrids known as Dzo who would use their magic to maintain harmony in the valley, although the Dzo were casted out when a deadly predator called a Firewolf set the whole place ablaze. Ollie touches the pod and is transformed into Javan, so he runs off and is found by a trio of Javan sisters one named Ivy who helped saved him from drowning. After losing the other Javans, Ollie gets some information from a large fish called Boogle that there are other body-changing pods throughout the valley. Ollie finds one but Ivy gets to it first and is accidently turned into a Pookoo, so now both of them are stuck in the form of the other with the cure being more pods which Boogle happens to know about. The nearest pods are miles away, so Ivy has to teach Olllie how to fly to get there, and this begins an amazing aerial scene. Along the way, Ollie discovers that Ivy was the Javan he met as a child which caused the birds to take over the Pookoo's rations, however they put aside their differences to avoid some hungry Treewolves which are not on fire like the Firewolf. The two of them finally find the magic pods and change back to their original forms, but its at the beginning of the third act where a twist villain shows up like Hans from Frozen which causes all the animals of the valley to come together in order to survive and defeat this new menace. It might seem a cliche, but this does actually add a daring climax to the movie.

Swapped does deliver in the way a number of other talking animal cartoon films failed to do. It isn't just a Freaky Friday clone starring some of Disney's Wuzzles, but an original concept set in a fascinating backdrop. The casting is somewhat odd with Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple as the two main characters having to walk a mile in the other's shoes, even though it does ultimately work out in the end. It is a shame that this went straight to Netflix instead of getting a theatrical release, despite the fact that this did help K-Pop Demon Hunters into becoming a blockbuster, however Skydance Animation created a truly cinematic experience with an engaging all-ages fantasy.

MISC. MANGA, *A Centaur's Life

Kei Murayama's first big break as a manga creator was A Centaur's Life which is a slice-of-life that just happens to take place in a world of half-human creatures. Murayama's other works include a yuri sci-fi one-shot, but an entire society of demihumans in a modern day humanless Japan is also a fresh idea. If you've read Beastars or were marveled by the mixed species concept of Zootopia, then this should be of great interest.

Himeno is a shy centaur going to high school along with other fantasy beings. Her two best friends are the draconid Nozomi, plus Kyoko of the goatfolk who are in fact not satyrs. She has to deal with the advances of some of her hornier schoolmates who find her attractive because of her being slightly top heavy, although she's fairly modest compared to most fan service norms. There is no major direction for the characters to pursue as their stories are aimed at how a society of different breeds get along. The opening Chapter 0 is somewhat off kilter as it has Himeno asking Kyoko and Nozomi to check a certain part of her body which is normally impossible for a centaur to see, but she is relieved when she appears to be normal, at least compared to other centaurs. There is a strong hint of shojo-ai in this, as well as some definitive sapphic representation in further chapters, but will probably be a big draw for any lesbian fangirls. The commonplace setting of an early 21st Century metropolis is a keen idea for a manga where the entire cast is made of people you would see in an RPG monster manual.

A Centaur's Life is not for younger readers as it does involve some mature situations, although this is not an adult title either. The manga is still running in Japan and Seven Seas Entertainment is doing a fine job releasing it into English in their larger-sized graphic novels. Imagine a toned-down version of Lucky Star inhabited by Dungeons And Dragons characters, and you're set for a fun read.

ANI-MOVIES, *Brother Bear

As the 44th theatrically released Disney animated movie, Brother Bear was one of the last non-CGI films the Mouse Mansion put out in cinemas. Being an original screenplay not based on any existing material like most Disney flicks, this was inspired by Inuit folklore. The story starts out fairly strong, but it really seems to go downhill once it becomes a talking animal movie. It did pull in several times its production cost back at the box office, but the film never seemed to gain any sort of lasting love even if it did get a direct-to-video sequel three years later. Phil Collins returned from Tarzan to do most of the soundtrack much the disdain of the haters, although Tina Turner adds a smashing song to it. For a 2D animated film, this was one of Disney's best since their renaissance with amazing backgrounds and underrated character movements that can flawlessly go from realistic to cartoonish at the drop of a hat.

Set sometime after the Ice Age in what would be called Alaska, a native tribe believes that divine spirits maintain order and live in the aurora borealis. Kenai is the youngest of three brothers who is finally receiving his totem which is like a rite of passage into manhood, but he is given the totem of love which his older brother Denahai gives him a hard time over it. The eldest sibling Sitka tried to maintain peace in his family, but Kenai's negligence leads to a bear stealing their food causing it to get into a fight with him which results in Sitka sacrificing himself becoming one with the spirits. Kenai goes after the bear and during the fight the bear falls on his spear, which technically means that the bear's death was theriocide and not Kenai's fault, although the great spirits have a crooked legislative system and put all the blame on Kenai by turning him into a bear. Denahai thinks that the transformed bear has killed Kenai and sets out to avenge his younger brother's demise, so Kenai now in the body of a bear runs into his tribe's shaman woman who tells him he has to go the top of a mountain miles away that reaches up to the aurora. On his way to the mountain, Kenai comes across a lone talkative bear cub named Koda who has been separated from his mother on their way to the same location, so Kenai teams up with Koda since he knows how to get to his destination. Along the way, they run into a pair of hoser moose based on SCTV's old McKenzie Bros. sketches who tag along their journey and manage to hitch a ride on some migrating woolly mammoths. Kenai and Koda run across some other bears who also travelled to see the aurora which Kenai begins to bond with the other bears and considers Koda as a little brother. Koda tells why he was on his own and Kenai realizes that the mother bear was the one he accidentally killed, so he confesses the entire truth to Kona in a scene that was entirely drowned out by Phil Collins' insistent lyrics, and Koda runs away just as Denahai finally catches up with them. The concludion has Sitka's spirit finally showing up as an eagle who transforms Kenai back into a human letting him know his bear curse has passed, but Kenai takes back his old bear totem so he can remain as an older brother for Koda. Whether or not Kenai can decide to change back into a man at will is up in the air, even though it's implied all he needs to do is take off his totem necklace.

Brother Bear was the first to start Disney's strange habit of making films where people get magically changed into animals and quite of few have noted that Pixar took this idea for their movie Brave. For a story that is supposed to take place after the Ice Age, the Inuit seem to have very up to date clothing and equipment, plus the animals use modern day concepts like pinkie swears and playing I Spy. Most of the casting is decent, although being a sucker for Strange Brew I actually appreciated Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas reprising their roles as Bob and Doug McKenzie but with antlers. One thing that is lacking in this movie is the actual "brotherhood" aspect which the film is titled after as we don't see any real bonding between Kenai and Koda until near the final act. It does dwell on some standard cartoon tomfoolery a bit too much, but it doesn't descend into immature fart jokes that most early 2000's animation seemed to be obsessed with. You will probably have an enjoyable time watching this, although whether it validates repeat viewings is up to the audience.

MISC. MANGA, *I'm In Love With The Villainess

Isekai has become the new standard for otaku, but regularly the protagonist ends up going to a world of high fantasy. I'm In Love With The Villainess does take place in a fantasy world but is slightly more up to date instead of taking place during the Middle Ages. Starting out as a light novel written by Inori and drawn by Hanagata, it was later developed into a manga in the pages of Comic Yuri Hime, a shojo-ai themed anthology mainly targeting older female readers, a market usually referred to as josei. There isn't a lot of isekai focused on sapphic relationships, so this was a refreshing change of pace, so much so that it even got an anime TV series that lasted for a single season.

Rei is an office drone whose only salvation from her dreary life is playing a dating video game for girls known as an otome game titled Revolution. After working to the point of lethal physical exhaustion, Rei is reborn in the magical world of Revolution as the 15-year-old main character, but instead of setting her sights on one of the male leads she targets the token villainess Claire, a stuck-up royal who constantly berates her for being a commoner. Despite the social abuse she receives, Rei continues to publicly make it clear that she flat out loves Claire much the hair drill schoolgirl's chagrin. The academy they both attend is a training ground for citizens to learn elemental magic in defense of their country, and Rei has proved that her MP is so immeasurable that she excels over the all the other students as far a potential is concerned, most of this was thanks to Rei playing the game this world takes place in countless times. Rei even gets a job working as Claire's maid just to be close to her which she managed by knowing her rich father's true backstory. From here Rei eventually begins to break down Claire's spoiled nature and even ends up marrying her and the two of them adopt two daughters which is pretty much the perfect outcome for a sapphic romance.

I'm In Love With The Villainess is a lesbian fangirl's dream come true, and writer Inori intended for this to represent the older shojo-ai audience, although this is still a teen-rated manga that doesn't give into fan service. The manga is very sweet and sincere in its commentary on societal issues not only for LGTBQ readers but also classism with how the elite treat the ordinary working population. The light novel story has concluded including a spinoff set in the same world, plus the anime seems to have wrapped up for now, but the manga is still ongoing, so seeing how a lesbian couple will thrive in a game-based fantasy world after they've already tied the knot should be incentive enough for any yuri fans.

MISC. MANGA, *Kaiju Kamui

Shintaro Arima created this new ongoing manga inspired by Toho monster movies and various mecha shows like Evangelion. Kaiju Kamui is almost like Kaiju No. 8 except with less humor and its more about someone actually piloting a giant monster instead of turning into one. You can see the look of recent kaiju designs in this from sources like Pacific Rim, Godzilla Minus One, and the Monsterverse franchise.

Large creatures labeled Mega-Organisms are ravaging Japan and the only main defense against them are special pilots called Link Operators who have a neural connection to their fighter jets. This new tech is called the Neural Connection Operating System and allows the user full mental control of their aircraft. After an attack by a Mega-Organism, all of the Link Operators are wiped out except for their leader, Yamato Shidou, and he is chosen by a kaiju countermeasures team to pilot their new weapon branded Kamui. The Kamui is the offspring of a former defeated kaiju that scientists had altered to be controlled by an operator placed inside a special cockpit from within the titanic body. It's now up to Yamato to use this prototype to prevent any upcoming monster attacks, even though he is still feeling the emotional loss of his squadron.

Kaiju Kamui is a refreshing idea in the kaiju genre where someone is given total control of a living monster instead of a giant mecha to fight other giants. Amira does a fine job with the mostly original creature designs so they don't just look like your average monster-of-the-week, although the author does need to work on the pacing of his story because a lot of first few chapters has an ace pilot living through one huge loss to becoming the chosen one destined to protect mankind withing in the first volume. If this ever gets adapted, it will hopefully be done in live action since tokusatsu has made some serious progress in the last few Godzilla productions.