When the Suicide Squad Isekai trailer dropped, I have to admit I was skeptical to say the least. My eyes have started to equate "isekai" with boilerplate fantasy garbage in the anime world and I usually skip any seasonal release that has that word in the title. When you're proud of being an isekai in such an oversaturated time for the genre, I raise an eyebrow. However, much to my own surprise I've really enjoyed watching Suicide Squad Isekai so far.
The first three episodes were released in a batch and left a strong first impression. For one thing the three segments contained a ton of action. And I'm talking about real action with heavy amounts of choreography. Not only is it flashy, but each character moves and fights in distinct ways that match their personality. Honestly action fans have been eating so well lately I believe I'm due for a separate article entirely, but more on that later. Apart from the animation, the production has adopted a very self-aware approach to the isekai genre. Harley Quinn and the gang are quick to call out tropes and references while exploring this new world and the foreign people and creatures in it. On top of the self-aware perspective that the group brings to the table, it's a slap in the face when they start murdering every living creature in a five mile radius during combat. So often in isekai the hero is transported to another world to save everyone, and that includes him or her ending up saving the enemy. Not in this one baby, the squad is a bunch of ruthless killers and the writers didn't forget that fact. Overall it just brings a lot more fresh elements to the table in terms of the overall atmosphere than I anticipated.
My face when I see bloodshed in an isekai.
Lord only knows if the plot and character development will be strong enough to keep the narrative alive for the entire runtime, but for now I'm content with sitting back and relaxing while Deadshot hits a 360 noscope on pig brutes. Are you watching Suicide Squad Isekai? Is it better or worse than you expected? Swing your mallet, mold some clay, and feed your shark stomach some fresh blood in the comments below!
