REVIEW: ‘Suicide Squad ISEKAI’ Episodes 1-3 Start With A Bang

Isekai anime series are a dime a dozen these days. There are so many new series with absurd premises that it can be overwhelming when you hear that a new one is about to drop. So when it was announced that Wit Studios and Warner Bros. Japan were releasing Suicide Squad ISEKAI, it was met with raised eyebrows. Suicide Squad ISEKAI Episodes 1-3, however, highlight that this series is going to be a unique look at a popular genre.

The series starts with Harley Quinn (Anna Nagase) and The Joker (Yūichirō Umehara) up to their usual hijinks, committing crimes and being sickeningly in love with each other. There are some cool action moments as they race through the city after a rampage together before Harley is ultimately captured by Amanda Waller and A.R.G.U.S. and sent to Belle Reve prison.

Here is where things take a turn from what viewers might expect. Usually in an isekai, the main character either dies and is transported into a different world or just happens to accidentally end up there with no clue how it happened. In Suicide Squad ISEKAI, Amanda Waller and her team have found a way to travel to new worlds and have tasked the newly-formed Suicide Squad with entering it and completing A.R.G.U.S.’s objectives.

It is a combination of the typical Suicide Squad “do what we tell you and you’re free, disobey and we blow you up,” with the fantasy elements of entering a new world. Except here, these characters are not out of their depth. Sure they don’t know where they are or how the world there works, but they are still fully equipped and powerful villains ready to wreak havoc. This combination works surprisingly well as a way to keep the approach fresh while still hitting some expected tropes from both a Suicide Squad story and an isekai.

The characters themselves are great. This iteration of the Suicide Squad consists of Harley Quinn, Peacemaker, Deadshot, Clayface, and King Shark. Their designs are familiar, but they also have that “anime protagonist” sheen to them that gives unique flairs to characters many viewers will already know. It is another good way to keep Suicide Squad ISEKAI fresh without truly reinventing the wheel.

Once they are in the new world full of swords and sorcery, the gang gets right into the action. The end of the first episode is full of some really fun and electric fight sequences that allow the characters to showcase their primary moves and abilities. Each has a cool intro title card moment that allows them to be fully introduced to viewers as well.

Their meddling, however, does not exactly go over well with the residents of this new world. In fact, the rulers are torn over whether or not to utilize their help. It adds dramatic flair to their mission, where these surly villains now have to try to win over some hearts and minds in order to complete the missions and stay alive.

The mission may be serious, but Suicide Squad ISEKAI teeters the line between serious and absurd. These characters, especially Harley, are meant to be funny. Even when things get dark and tense, there is consistent levity thrown in that never feels out of place. Over-the-top anime moments that have the potential to feel a bit too much work well with these characters, keeping the balance and making it entertaining throughout.

It helps that this is not a group that gets along. They are not meant to, either. None of them chose to join the Suicide Squad, so they have to find a way to complete their mission while figuring out how to exist in a world they don’t understand. All of this while at each other’s throats and not being able to trust the people around them. They are forced to be together in an environment they know nothing about, but seeing the team and characters evolve and adapt is very entertaining.

Visually, Suicide Squad ISEKAI has some really great moments. The action scenes are a little hit or miss, some of them feel too slow and lacking much movement, but others are really fluid and exciting. The settings and character designs, however, are all very enjoyable to look at. There is plenty of attention to detail that helps make the episodes pop as the adventure continues.

Suicide Squad ISEKAI starts off with quite a bang and is a refreshing take on the isekai genre. It is funny, exciting, and intriguing right from the beginning. It is a surprisingly good combination that will hopefully only get better from here.

Suicide Squad ISEKAI Episodes 1-3 are streaming now on Max and Hulu