On paper, Suicide Squad Isekai makes a lot of sense. If any characters from the DC Comics universe feel like a perfect fit for anime, it’s the members of Task Force X, the motley crew of incarcerated supervillains-turned-government operatives employed by ruthless ARGUS leader Amanda Waller.
The first three episodes of the series, which premiered on Max and Hulu on June 27, do an excellent job of leaning into the intrinsic chaotic fun of the show’s premise: taking a group of unruly, uncivilized anti-heroes and plopping then smack-dab in a fantastical world of orcs, knights, swords, and sorcery. Of all the stars in Suicide Squad Isekai, though, none shine quite as bright and wild as Harley Quinn — and that’s because her manic pixie nightmare girl energy perfectly aligns with the limitless possibilities of anime.
Image: Wit Studio/Warner Bros. Animation
The anarchic jester-themed super criminal has undergone quite the transformation over the past decade, both within the DC universe and in popular culture at large. From her earliest introduction as the Joker’s doting girlfriend in Batman: The Animated Series to her more assertive incarnations in films like Birds of Prey and her own animated spin-off series, Harley Quinn has become an iconic DC character in her own right thanks to her bubbly personality, colorful costume, and bottomless appetite for destruction and mischief.
Of all the members of the Suicide Squad, none of them acclimates to the reality of being thrust into another world utterly divorced from their own quite as quickly and enthusiastically as she does. When an army of orcs amass around the crash site of the group’s downed helicopter in episode 1, Harley leaps into battle without missing a beat: “I have no clue where this is or who you freaks are, but you’re not on my side.”
The fight is well-done, emphasizing the unique abilities and strengths of each member of the Squad, but Harley in particular stands out, using a pipe from the helicopter as an improvised bo staff to deliver a devastating swing kick against her opponents before throwing it like a spear and leaping into the air to deliver a flurry of punishing blows in highly balletic fashion.
Image: Wit Studio/Warner Bros. Animation
But even without her fighting style and costume design (which is heavily indebted both to Margot Robbie’s live-action portrayal and her appearance in the animated series, Harley Quinn), Harley is the perfect DC character to adapt into an anime for her indefatigably mischievous personality alone. In Suicide Squad Isekai, Harley feels like the epitome of a feral anime girl like Delicious in Dungeon’s Izutsumi, Chainsaw Man’s Power, or Black Lagoon’s Revy; a hyper violent, fiercely outspoken woman with a candid disregard for authority and a penchant for striking exaggerated poses after bludgeoning anyone unfortunate enough to land on her bad side.
It’s too soon to say whether Suicide Squad Isekai will live up to the promise of its premise and stick the landing, but at the very least, it’s an excellent star vehicle for one of DC’s most malleable and intriguing characters. Here’s hoping Harley Quinn can make the leap into even more genres of anime. Personally, I’d love to see her in a high school rom-com.
Suicide Squad Isekai is available to stream on Max and Hulu. New episodes premiere every Wednesday.