James Gunn should watch his back as a Japanese animation is coming for his beloved Suicide Squad. Warner Bros. Japan, along with WIT Studios is releasing an animation using the famed DC characters in their own Isekai anime series, aptly titled Suicide Squad Isekai. Having just heard the word about this, fans are jumping on board as American supervillains get a Japanese anime makeover.
With Warner Bros. and WIT animation both working together, the collaboration is allowing one of the hottest DC properties right now to jump into a fantastical world based in what appears to be a feudal time period. Isekai, which literally translates to “otherworld” or “anotherworld,” is a popular anime genre, where the protagonist finds themselves somehow pulled from their own mundane world into one of fantasy.
Notable anime in the genre classic Inuyasha, last decade’s popular Sword Art Online, as well as other notable mentions such as That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime, Overlord, and Re: Zero – Starting Life In Another World. Now DC is about to throw their characters into the same odd situation with Harley and her villainous pals being dragged from their own crazy world into an even crazier one.
The news was released by Warner Bros. Japan and WIT Studios at this year’s Anime Expo, describing the upcoming series as follows:
“DC’s Harley Quinn, the Joker, and The Suicide Squad rampage onto the stage of ISEKAI* in the new original anime series from Warner Bros. Japan and Wit Studio, Suicide Squad ISEKAI. The most maddening worlds collide in an epic and violent fantasy with the strongest line-up of anime creators!”
This production will be completely separate from Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC reboot, and sees Harley and Joker entering a world filled with mythical creatures and fantastical landscapes. According to IGN, it was said at the Expo that “DC has given special permission for the characters to use magic.”
WIT Studio has an impressive resume of anime under its belt already, having produced Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga, and the current family favorite anime Spy x Family. This is not the only thing that excites fans, as Jujitsu Kaisen and Gintama director Eri Osada is on board too. In fact, this series features a veritable buffet of talent from Japan, with writers who are well acquainted with the Isekai genre, Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara (Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World) working on the script.
All we have at the moment is the above trailer, with no release date yet offered, so we’ll probably be waiting a while.