Suicide Squad Isekai: Season 1 – Review
While “Suicide Squad: Isekai” may give a new look and storyline for Batman’s rogue gallery, it lacks needed substance.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Plot Summary
Like most versions of “The Suicide Squad,” things begin with Amanda Waller kidnapping or procuring Batman’s rogue gallery members. This iteration includes Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Clayface, Peacemaker, and King Shark. But, their suicide mission is unlike any other. While it has the same danger as any other version, they go to a fantasy world with dragons, orcs, and elves this time.
But, to put icing on the cake, each seemingly develops powers and are tasked with allying with a nation at war. Which, between their crash landing, personalities, and impetuous actions, make this task far from easy.
Review
Our Rating: Mixed (Stick Around)
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Highlights
The Isekai Concept Is Cool For An Established Property
With multiple movies and spin-offs released in the last few years and a handful of animated productions, “The Suicide Squad” are by no means a fresh property regarding adaptations. However, what helps this iteration stand out is the animation style and the story.
With tapping into anime as a style and dropping the iconic characters into an isekai story of which Clayface is familiar with, we get something fresh from a property that may not be as overtly exploited as Its foundation franchise in Batman, which has also seen itself adopting an anime style, but certainly not at the level of suicide squad.
Harley Quinn
Like with the live-action version of the “Suicide Squad,” either the James Gunn or the David Ayer version, Harley Quinn is the memorable character who makes the series worth seeing. She has the familiarity, humor, personality, and action scenes. This isn’t to downplay the characters she plays off of, but they all seem like supporting roles in comparison.
Low Points
The Undead King
One of the end-season villains, The Undead King, epitomizes how the first season of “Suicide Squad: Isekai” went wrong: It focused more on style than story and substance. While the look of the Undead King is notable, and what they do before becoming the end-game villain, they fall flat once it is their moment to shine.
I’d even say, despite DC being known for its villains, there isn’t anything said or done by the Undead King on screen that makes them seem worthy of being seen again, animated or in live-action.
On The Fence
It Lacks A Strong Hook
The main hook of “Suicide Squad: Isekai” is the names and personalities of the characters, but there isn’t much beyond that. The story of them fighting in a fantasy world, in concept, seems cool, but the issue is that you are in a constant state of waiting. Whether it is for their next fight or why Queen Aldora is so Gung ho on violence and war, you are given so many things that have potential, but it is never realized to the point of you sticking around due to anything beyond hope it could get better.
Lack Of Notable World-Building
The world the suicide squad drops in has history from the kingdom that the suicide squad ally with to their adversaries, there are so many questions left Unanswered. Heck, even in terms of who or what allowed the suicide squad to get onto this world, there are no answers.
It all becomes frustrating because you can see how heavily this show relies on name recognition to bypass it, sidestepping everything else it should offer.
General Information
Network
Genre(s)
Animation, Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Renewal Status
To Be Determined
Start and End Date
June 27, 2024 to August 15, 2024
Number of Episodes
10
