It feels like DC has pushed Suicide Squad even harder than a classic team like Justice League, and even with critically beloved darlings like James Gunn's 2021 film, they haven't always been successful. While it's too soon to judge its newest iteration, Suicide Squad Isekai is - if nothing else - certainly the most creative idea that could be thrown around to keep the franchise alive.

Of course, many in the anime sphere would question the project's creativity given the infamous ubiquity of isekai, compared to which, the Suicide Squad is just another gimmick in a long line. Cynicism aside, however, this new series directed by Jujutsu Kaisen animator Eri Osada does look like quite a fun blend of both of its rather prolific titular formulas.

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A Peacekeeping Mission in Another World

It's a story as tried and true as any other in the DC universe; the comic world's most iconic toxic couple - Harley Quinn and the Joker - wreak havoc in the streets of (presumably) Gotham City. But when justice catches up to them, it's Harley who ends up behind bars, as per usual, not that she thinks much of it. The only trouble is that she's going somewhere a little further away than Arkham Asylum or Blackgate Prison. She's being sent to another world.

A portal has opened up to a world of swords and sorcery - which turns out to be quite a predicament in need of solving. As it happens, Amanda Waller of A.R.G.U.S. has an idea to fix it. She wants to send a team of expendable soldiers into this world to sort out - of all things - diplomatic relations, something not one member of her team is qualified for. Of course, nothing Waller assigns is ever quite that simple to begin with.

Who Is on the Squad?

Harley Quinn's popularity within the comic world is about as ubiquitous as the Suicide Squad's staying power, so naturally, she's something of a fixture on the team. The rest of the members, on the other hand, tend to be more of a rotating cast, of which this series has drawn upon some of the most notable figures associated with the team.

Harley (CV: Anna Nagase) is joined first by Deadshot (CV: Reigo Yamaguchi), the expert marksman of Batman's rogues' gallery, proficient with just about every firearm in existence. Next is Peacemaker (CV: Takehito Koyasu), the once-obscure, toxically patriotic madman, popularized by John Cena's performance and James Gunn's directing. Speaking of the 2021 film, the vicious yet somehow adorable King Shark (CV: Subaru Kimura) is also on the team.

Capping off the main cast is Clayface (CV: Jun Fukuyama), who might be the most interesting of the bunch, seeing how he's being portrayed. Whereas a lot of stories like to emphasize the monstrous parts of Clayface in his appearance and personality, this anime looks to hone in on his human side and, in particular, his fondness for the theatrical. Few people probably expected Clayface to be the pretty boy of the bunch, but he's serving Michael Jackson levels of swagger.

The supporting characters also include Rick Flag, Katana, Ratcatcher, the Thinker, Killer Croc, and Enchantress - the last of which is likely the villain, judging by the opening title sequence. Suicide Squad Isekai is drawing a lot from the brand recognition of the two live-action films before it, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Seeing how writer Tappei Nagatsuki, the creator of Re:Zero, will adapt these characters, is certainly the biggest selling point.

The Staff Behind Suicide Squad Isekai

Eri Osada is an experienced animator, animation director, and episode director, for whom Suicide Squad Isekai is her first major project as a series director. She served as an animation director for six episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1, including the series premiere. Before that, she worked with its director, Sunghoo Park, on 2017's Garo: Vanishing Line. This is such an exciting IP to get one's name out there as a director, and it will be interesting to see how well she performs.

Per Anime News Network's database, Masakazu Miyake is listed as the art director. He's worked on Mushoku Tensei, Blue Lock Season 2, and Log Horizon, just to name a few. The opening title sequence was directed by Takuji Miyamoto, and it's certainly the most dazzling thing shown yet. Hopefully, the animation across its 10 episodes can get even half as close to the quality on display in the opening.

At the very least, the character designs look nice, especially Harley, whose expressions are frequently the most eye-catching. Psycho-Pass designer and the creator of Katekyou Hitman Reborn, Akira Amano, is credited with the original designs. The character art is also credited to Naoto Hosoda, the director of Mirai Nikki, The Devil is a Part-Timer, and Juuni Taisen.

The Sound of the Suicide Squad

While it might not have come across in the previews thus far, the score might be particularly worth getting excited about. The soundtrack is composed by Kenichiro Suehiro, whose work on Golden Kamuy, Fire Force, and Re:Zero contributed plentifully to these shows' respective storytelling, often being the standout elements. Fire Force, in particular, had an immaculate soundtrack that even detractors of that series can't deny created some heart-pounding moments.

The opening theme, "Another World," is arranged/composed by Tomoyasu Hotei. As for the ending, "Go-Getters" is performed by singer and V-Tuber Mori Calliope, with an arrangement by TeddyLoid, the producer famous for the viral animated short ME!ME!ME! All this is to say that no matter how the animation might hold up to expectations, the music is likely to exceed them considerably.

For as played out as isekai has been, it - like any genre laden with exhaustive tropes - can be done right under the right circumstances. That isn't to say Suicide Squad Isekai will be lucky enough to carve out a niche, but it's not without some promise. It's somewhat amusing how many people on the project have worked on Re:Zero, which, considering that show's popularity, will hopefully bode well for this DC-centric take on a rather exhausted genre.

Suicide Squad Isekai will premiere on Hulu and Max on July 6, 2024. Episodes 1-3 will be released early on June 27, 2024.

Source: Anime News Network

The Suicide Squad