Harley Quinn Gets An Anime Makeover In The Suicide Squad Isekai Trailer
Anime has catapulted in popularity the past couple of decades, with movies big and small all adding Easter eggs and references to the biggest animated shows out of Japan. We've also seen streamers like Netflix invest heavily in anime, collaborating with anime studios to produce animated adaptations of known franchises like "The Witcher" and "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World." Even "Star Wars" has gotten into the anime game with "Star Wars: Visions."
The rise in popularity of anime in the West has also happened current with the rise of the "isekai" genre. This has become one of the biggest and most prominent genres within anime in the last 10 years. The isekai genre (literally "another world") involves a protagonist getting transported to a fantasy world where they gain big magical powers and face dangerous creatures. Think "Alice in Wonderland" or "The Chronicles of Narnia."
Now comes "Suicide Squad Isekai," a new show by Studio WIT ("Ranking of Kings," "Vinland Saga") that follows — you guessed it — DC's best villains getting trapped in a fantasy world. The show is directed by "Jujutsu Kaisen" chief animation director Eri Osada, while Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara ("Re:Zero — Starting Life in Another World") handled the writing. You can watch the trailer above, but you'll need to turn CC on for the english subtitles.
Harley Quinn vs orcs
Though the trailer reveals little about the story of "Suicide Squad Isekai," it does reveal which members of the titular team will get trapped in another world — namely, Harley Quinn, Joker, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. If you ever wanted to see John Cena's Peacemaker in anime form, this is the show for you
At Anime Expo earlier this year, director Osada made it a point to highlight that the show's version of Joker will be different. "Everybody has their favorite version of Joker," said Osada (via IGN). "We ultimately decided to not copy any particular iteration and have something completely unique." Osada also talked about making The Joker hot ... and judging from the trailer, he is.
Whether we'll see Harley and the other villains get magical powers or whether any of DC's biggest superheroes will make an appearance, remains to be seen. "Suicide Squad Isekai" will be released sometime next year. Here's the synopsis:
In the crime-ridden city of Gotham, Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S., has assembled a group of notorious criminals for a mission: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. These Super-Villains are sent into an otherworldly realm that's connected to this world through a gate. It's a world of swords and magic where orcs rampage and dragons rule the skies — an "ISEKAI"!
With lethal explosives planted in their necks, there's no running or hiding, and failing the mission means a one-way ticket to the afterlife! Can Harley Quinn and her crew conquer this perilous ISEKAI realm?! Brace yourselves for the pulse-pounding saga of the elite task force known as the "Suicide Squad" as they embark on a jaw-dropping adventure!