Welcome to the Couch Club, our recurring column devoted to all things #DCTV! This week, Joshua Lapin-Bertone looks at the relationship between Harley Quinn and Princess Fione on Suicide Squad ISEKAI.
 

What does a royal princess have in common with a psychiatrist-turned-criminal? It turns out that it’s a lot more than we thought. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

If you haven’t been watching Suicide Squad ISEKAI, then you should know three things.

One, it’s an entertaining anime that stays faithful to the tone and spirit of these characters, while telling a compelling anime story with all the sensibilities that entails. Two, it has what might be my favorite version of Clayface. And three—and this one is pretty important—I’m about to drop spoilers for the first eight episodes of the anime. You’ve been warned.

All throughout Suicide Squad ISEKAI, we’ve seen some weird glances between Princess Fione, the seemingly powerless heir to the fantasy kingdom that Task Force X is sent to infiltrate, and Harley Quinn. The princess is clearly drawn to Harley and there’s some sort of connection between them. To be clear, I’m not talking about a romantic connection. This is something else, and I’m not entirely sure Fione knows what it is either. It’s something that has piqued my curiosity, because I have a feeling there is more going on than meets the eye.

Various reviews have noted that Fione and Harley look alike, which could explain the fascination. However, I think it’s more than that. While they do have a similar design, that isn’t uncommon for female characters in animation. Besides, if Harley was meant to be a dead ringer for the kingdom’s princess, wouldn’t every citizen be pointing it out?

It finally hit me as I was watching episode eight. After Task Force X is exiled from the kingdom, Harley angrily berates Fione for not standing up to the queen. She tells Fione that she’s letting herself be controlled by a monster and it disgusted her.

Once she said that, everything clicked.

It was more than the two characters looking alike—it was the fact that Harley saw herself in Fione, and she didn’t like what she saw. A woman letting herself be controlled by a monster…does that remind you of anyone?

Remember, the version of Harley we see in Suicide Squad ISEKAI is still devoted to the Joker. Unlike other incarnations of the character, this Harleen still longs for her sweet puddin’ and regularly has flashbacks to their time together. Harley is still trapped, but doesn’t want to admit it. Even when she’s trapped in another world, far from the Joker’s reach, his shadow still hangs over her.

That’s why she doesn’t like Fione. The princess is forcing her to take a hard look at herself and Harley isn’t ready to face it.

Deep down, Harley knows this. Don’t forget, before becoming a criminal, she was a licensed psychiatrist. She knows full well how unhealthy her fixation on the Joker is. Just look at Harley’s confrontation with the Thinker in episode seven. As the Thinker enters Harley’s mind, we see a glimpse of the darker side of her relationship with the Joker.

As for Fione’s perspective, I have a theory. Fione has spent her life being forced to fit in with a royal structure she hasn’t always agreed with. She has seen the devastation war has had on her people, and she’s wished she could do more to help. Unfortunately, she’s always deferred to her mother, even when it pains her.

When Fione saw Harley, she recognized something in her. She saw a strong female figure who wasn’t afraid to say and do what she wanted. Harley was able to help people without worrying about breaking royal decorum. The Harleen Fione saw was a free spirit unburdened by the chains the princess saw herself in. That’s why I think she’s so drawn to Harley and she keeps staring at her.

Of course, if you’ve watched until the end of episode eight, then you know that there’s more to Fione’s mother than meets the eye. It turns out that psychopaths exist in every world, no matter how far away you get from Gotham.

Suicide Squad ISEKAI has been deeper than I expected. The complex dynamic between Princess Fione and Harley Quinn illuminate loftier themes of identity, freedom and the struggle against control. The two characters serve as mirrors to one another, reflecting the secret internal battles they both face. Fione yearns to break free from her royal constraints, while Harley grapples with her dependence on the Joker, a relationship that has stunted her growth.

Will Fione find the courage to challenge her mother and embrace her own identity? And will Harley confront her past, gaining the strength to escape the shadow of the Joker? And don’t forget, we still have Amanda Waller to deal with.

In many ways, Harley and Fione understand one another in a way nobody else does. Unfortunately, this understanding is fraught with tension amidst the backdrop of a violent war. This is an isekai after all.
 

Suicide Squad ISEKAI is now streaming on Max.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.