Premiere Date
14-06-2025 (Advance Release) 17-06-2025 (Premiere)
It feels like DC has pushedSuicide Squadeven harder than a classic team likeJustice 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 Isekaiis - 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 byJujutsu Kaisenanimator Eri Osada does look like quite a fun blend of both of its rather prolific titular formulas.
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 worldis about as ubiquitous as theSuicide 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 ofBatman’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 Isekaiis 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 writerTappei Nagatsuki, the creator ofRe:Zero, will adapt these characters, is certainly the biggest selling point.
Eri Osada is an experienced animator, animation director, and episode director, for whomSuicide Squad Isekaiis her first major project as a series director. She served as an animation director for six episodes ofJujutsu KaisenSeason 1, including the series premiere. Before that, she worked with its director, Sunghoo Park, on 2017’sGaro: 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 onMushoku Tensei,Blue Lock Season 2, andLog 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-Passdesigner and the creator ofKatekyou Hitman Reborn, Akira Amano, is credited with the original designs. The character art is also credited to Naoto Hosoda, the director ofMirai Nikki,The Devil is a Part-Timer, andJuuni 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 onGolden Kamuy,Fire Force, andRe:Zerocontributed plentifully to these shows' respective storytelling, often being the standout elements.Fire Force, in particular, had an immaculate soundtrackthat 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 shortME!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 -canbe done right under the right circumstances. That isn’t to saySuicide Squad Isekaiwill 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 onRe:Zero, which, considering that show’s popularity, will hopefully bode well for this DC-centric take on a rather exhausted genre.
Suicide Squad Isekaiwill premiere on Hulu and Max on June 01, 2025. Episodes 1-3 will be released early on July 19, 2025.
