With the premiere of first 3 episodes of “Suicide Squad ISEKAI” on June 27, the episodes have turned out really good and has kept the fans at the edge of their seats for the next one.

The anime presents an intriguing blend of Western comic book lore and Eastern anime aesthetics. The premise of transposing the notorious antiheroes of the DC Universe into a medieval fantasy world is both audacious and refreshing. Here’s a critical look at the first three episodes of this ambitious crossover.

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Episode 1 Recap

The premiere episode of Suicide Squad ISEKAI kicks off with Amanda Waller harnessing energy from a concealed metahuman to open a portal to an alternate dimension. The green sparks and a brief glimpse of a green heart in the opening credits suggest that the metahuman might be Enchantress.

Meanwhile, Harley Quinn and the Joker are in the midst of a heist. This Joker has a unique look, with a smile and teeth drawn over his lips. His car features a piano steering wheel, where the car moves based on the notes he plays which, honestly speaking, is wierd. As the chase intensifies, Joker and Harley are separated, and Harley ends up cornered and captured by Katana.

The story then jumps ahead six months to the A.R.G.U.S. (Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans) institute. Amanda Waller selects Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Clayface, Peacemaker, and King Shark for a mission, sending them through a portal into an unknown dimension. She explains the bombs implanted in them will detonate if they lose contact with her radio signal for over 72 hours, and promises a reduced sentence as a reward.

Waller vaguely mentions establishing and protecting bridgeheads to aid A.R.G.U.S. in their research and resource acquisition from this alternate dimension, but omits crucial details about the realm being inhabited by magical beings, dragons, superpowered knights, anthropomorphic creatures, and orcs.

The Suicide Squad quickly learns about these dangers firsthand. They initially believe they’ll be rewarded for assisting knights in defeating a group of gigantic pig-warriors, but instead, they find themselves imprisoned in a magical jail.

The episode concludes with a mysterious creature enveloped in a stream of water addressing Katana, Ratcatcher, Thinker, Killer Croc, and Enchantress by a giant tree.

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Episode 2 Recap

The second episode of Suicide Squad ISEKAI reveals a kingdom in crisis. The citizens are starving, and the monarchy’s outposts are being overrun by beastly creatures led by an individual known as the Emperor. Knight Cecil brings the Suicide Squad’s role in the war against the pig-warriors to Queen Aldora’s attention, but she dismisses them, focusing instead on the next battle.

Aldora’s daughter, Fione, also attempts to highlight the Suicide Squad’s connection to the metahumans working for the Empire, but Aldora ignores her as well. Consequently, Fione secretly tasks Cecil with investigating the team of anti-heroes.

Meanwhile, the Suicide Squad members are bickering about their predicament. Peacemaker reminds them they have only 60 hours left before their heads explode if they don’t reconnect with Waller’s radio signal. When Clayface tries to escape, Peacemaker and the prison guards apprehend him. During lunch, the team gets into a brutal fight with other inmates, resulting in their confinement in a holding cell, where they meet Rick Flag.

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Flag reveals that Harley, Deadshot, King Shark, Clayface, and Peacemaker are not the first Suicide Squad to enter this realm. Amanda Waller had previously sent a team led by Flag to establish a connection between this realm and Earth to steal its water and natural resources. After reaching the realm, Flag was arrested, and his team joined the Empire.

The key difference between the two Suicide Squads is that the bombs in the necks of the first team are inactive due to their distance from Waller. Learning from this, Waller placed a timer on the bombs of the second team. Flag theorizes that the signal comes from the Gate, the portal through which they entered the realm, and offers to guide the current Suicide Squad to it in exchange for their help in his escape.

However, getting too close to the Gate might risk Flag’s head being blown off by Waller. For now, their focus is on taking over the prison. The episode ends with King Shark initiating a riot, and by the time Cecil arrives on Fione’s orders, he finds the prison completely taken over by the Suicide Squad, who are celebrating their victory with the inmates.

Episode 3 Recap

In the third episode, Cecil confronts the Suicide Squad, trying to understand how they took over the entire prison. It turns out the people of this realm and the humans (and metahumans) from Earth speak different languages. Flag claims to have learned some of the Kingdom’s language from an orc, which ends up irritating Cecil.

The team is then tied up and taken to Queen Aldora for judgment. Upon entering the royal hall, Aldora casts a spell that allows the Suicide Squad to understand the Kingdom’s language fluently. Rick Flag informs Aldora that the Empire’s aggressive expansion is due to its senior officers being replaced by Thinker, Killer Croc, Enchantress, Ratcatcher, and Katana, who are using their powers and strategies to take over the Kingdom.

Lacking such advantages, Aldora orders the current Suicide Squad to reclaim the places captured by the Empire and the members of the first Suicide Squad. Rick Flag is held hostage as collateral; if the mission fails, he will be beheaded, and the team will be stuck in the realm until their heads explode.

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Peacemaker, Harley, Deadshot, King Shark, and Clayface head to a castle infested with gigantic wolves controlled by Ratcatcher. While Ratcatcher is traditionally known for controlling rats, the Kingdom’s atmosphere has enhanced the abilities of both humans and metahumans.

Clayface can manipulate almost any solid material, Harley Quinn has superhuman strength when wielding a bat-like weapon, and King Shark has rapid healing abilities. Armed with this knowledge, they enter the castle, eliminating every giant wolf-warrior in their path, and confront Ratcatcher on the roof.

Deadshot believes Ratcatcher considers him a friend, but a flashback shows Deadshot tormenting Ratcatcher at Belle Reve Penitentiary. He forced a projector guy to play a rat “adult film” for Ratcatcher and took away his food, thinking he only ate cheese. These memories make Ratcatcher lash out, unleashing his wolves on the Suicide Squad.

Clayface asks Deadshot to destroy the water tankers atop the castle, making the roof moist enough for Clayface to manipulate. He creates a hole in the floor, causing the wolves to fall to their deaths. Peacemaker tries to shoot Ratcatcher, but Katana rescues him and takes him away from the team, causing the entire castle to collapse.

At the end of the episode, Queen Aldora is congratulated by her subjects for her strategic success. A reaction shot of Fione suggests she might be romantically obsessed with Harley Quinn.

Katana warns Ratcatcher that the Emperor won’t be happy with his failure, but Ratcatcher, revealing an army of dogs, promises not to repeat his mistake. It remains unclear if Queen Aldora will allow the Suicide Squad to reach the Gate before helping clean up the Kingdom. As tensions rise, it looks like the team’s attempt to reconnect with Waller’s signal will become increasingly difficult due to the actions of the first Suicide Squad.

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Conclusion

From the initial chaos of being transported to an alternate dimension to the political turmoil and battles within the Kingdom, the storyline has kept viewers on the edge of their seats. The series promises more thrilling episodes ahead, with the potential for alliances, betrayals, and intense battles.

The journey to reconnect with Waller’s signal and escape this perilous realm will undoubtedly lead to even more dramatic and exhilarating moments. Stay tuned to get more on Suicide Squad ISEKAI anime!