Finally, one of the most-anticipated Netflix anime series, Terminator Zero, hit the screens on 29th August 2024. Since its very announcement, the series has created quite a hype amongst its viewers, while keeping the fans on the edge of their seats.

Eiko from Terminator Zero | Credits: Netflix & Production IG

Set in 1997 Tokyo, this plot offers a fresh and unique take on the Terminator franchise. But shockingly, the showrunners had to cut a historically inaccurate scene, set in 1997 Tokyo. If it got released with the initial script, it could’ve ruined its total reputation in Japan!

Mattson Tomlin, The Author of Terminator Zero, Gave Guns To Normal Citizens of 1997 Tokyo!

A still from Terminator Zero | Credits: Netflix & Production IG

Mattson Tomlin, the screenwriter for Terminator Zero, obviously made a huge mistake when he set up one particular scene in 1997 Tokyo. He had armed ordinary citizens with guns, which was the biggest mistake possible for the Japanese audience.

In a recent interview, Tomlin confessed, that this was because of a shallow version of knowledge he developed regarding Japan, which was fabricated through media and literature knowledge alone. He wrote this series even before actually having been to the country!

When I started working on the show, I hadn’t been to Japan. I went, “Okay, I have an idea of what Tokyo is because of media, but what’s real? Like, what’s actually going on there?” 

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However, the Japanese staff was quick to point out Tomlin’s mistake, that guns are highly controlled in Japan and not available to anyone outside of the police. They underlined that scene, where Eiko searches for a gun in the glove box of a truck, and told Tomlin such a scene would never happen in real Japan.

I started writing a scene where Eiko is looking for a gun and smashes open a cab of a truck to get a gun from the glove box, and that got flagged instantly. The Japanese staff said, “No, that would never happen here because there would be no gun there [in the first place]. The Japanese military and the police would have the guns, but otherwise, it’s not a thing [for civilians].”

That gun scene was really one of those very important corrections that allowed Terminator Zero to be a proper representative of 1997 Tokyo. Indeed, this showed that, upon realizing his mistake, Tomlin was also willing to listen to the Japanese staff in the creation of an authentic and respectful narrative.

Production I.G Was Given a Lot Of Freedom To Pull Several Strings For The Story

A still from Terminator Zero trailer | Credits: Netflix & Production IG

Production I.G is a very reputed anime studio, and with Terminator Zero, they were given liberty to shape and mold the story. The writer, Mattson Tomlin, accepts his shortcomings in portraying 1997 Tokyo since he was only seven years old during that era.

I really leaned on my partners at Production I.G because I wouldn’t be in Tokyo in 1997 — I would’ve been seven years old.

He provided a sufficient allowance to the team at Production I.G, bringing their expertise to the project and making sure that this setting was true to its salt.

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Tomlin balanced the need for creative control and collaboration, giving Production I.G the freedom to focus on world-building while he kept his focus on character development and emotional storytelling. This fits much better into a unique and immersive style of narrative, honoring the spirit of Tokyo in 1997.

Terminator Zero is now available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
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