Suicide Squad Isekai Has Its Own Joker Problem That Even Anime Can't Fix

If the premiere didn’t convince fans already, episode #4 of Suicide Squad Isekai has all but confirmed that not even anime can fix DC’s big Joker problem, whereby the Clown Prince of Crime never fails to overshadow every other villain, even when he’s not a major character.

This prevailing issue is most pronounced with every iteration of the Suicide Squad, since they are composed of numerous villains, and always happens whenever Harley Quinn is a member because of her obvious association with her Puddin’. He’s never an actual part of the squad, and yet, he always shows up randomly, and he always steals the show.

In episode #4, the Joker doesn’t even appear in the present day. He’s just part of a flashback, and yet, just the mere memory of him fuels the main driving force of that particular storyline. Harley is able to use this random memory to successfully inform the Suicide Squad’s current predicament with Ratcatcher, who had been controlling beasts to fight against them.

Suicide Squad Isekai Promotes the Mere Memory of the Joker From A Flashback to The Main Event

Neither The Show Nor Harley Need The Joker, And Yet He’s There

Everything about that flashback with the Joker is magnificent. It is not only devious and appalling, but the whole spectacle is augmented by the eerie carnival-like music that plays off-key over the ensuing carnage for additional dramatic effect. Even though this version of the Joker isn’t as unsettling as Mark Hamill’s usual portrayal of him, no other villain in Suicide Squad Isekai has anything so frightfully strewn together to hold up a candle to this scene.

The fact that the episode further embellishes Harley’s flashback by having the scene bookend the whole scenario in the present day further underscores its overall effect. Even though it’s a memory that Harley recalls to help her with a current problem, the episode begins with the scene, transforming it into more than just a memory that is sparked by current events. It becomes a form of foreshadowing that helps enforce its later relevance.

No other villain from the Suicide Squad has received such special treatment in the anime so far, not even Harley, even though she deserves the honor and has proven that she’s more than capable of carrying the full brunt of an entire movie or even a multi-season show.

Ironically, this isn’t the first time that Suicide Squad Isekai has proven that it’s the best and worst thing to happen to the eponymous team because of the Joker. In fact, it happened in the first episode. The entire show begins with the Joker driving a whole new car that easily outshines every other vehicle he’s ever owned.

If the Joker is able to one-up decades of himself in Suicide Squad Isekai, no other villain stands a chance in this anime. The issue is that he is not a main character in Suicide Squad Isekai, while Harley Quinn is, and she could have just as easily come up with the winning strategy against Ratcatcher on her own.

Suicide Squad Isekai

A project direct from WIT Studio in Japan, Suicide Squad ISEKAI is an animated action-adventure series that centers around the titular DC antihero team, with Harley Quinn and Joker being the main leads. Sent to another world, characters like Quinn and the Joker will wreak havoc on a fantasy world where they find themselves inexplicably whisked away.

Release Date

November 30, 2023

Seasons

1

Writers

Tappei Nagatsuki , Eiji Umehara

Directors

Eri Osada