YMMV / Batman: The Animated Series E56 "Harley and Ivy"

• Best Known for the Fanservice: Not to suggest this episode is without other enjoyable qualities, but when you have two very attractive female characters featured together in the same story which explores their relationship, with the accompanying implications, this is unavoidable.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Plenty of people are amused by Ivy's declaration that "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship" given how Harley and Ivy end up in a romantic relationship in several different continuities.
• Les Yay: The titular duo are just drenched in this. Ivy's putting pictures of them together on her fridge, and they're walking around Ivy's hideout in shirts and underwear, coupled with Harley in a Sexy Shirt Switch.
• Misaimed Fandom:
  • There are feminist and queer fans of Harley and Ivy who naturally love this episode for being their first appearance as a team (and arguably as a couple). Unlike a lot of their later appearances however (where Harley is a Morality Pet for Ivy and their relationship is fairly healthy) this episode depicts Ivy as being just as manipulative of Harley as the Joker is (albeit with more noble intentions).
  • There are those who see this episode as being feminist, despite the fact that nothing they do is actually adhering to the traditional coda; if anything, they're Straw Feminists, as they take on and steal from several Boys clubs for trivial reasons (I.E not letting ladies in said clubs). Harley and Ivy are as petty, violent, and mentally unstable as they come.

  • Some viewers think that Harley makes Ivy a better person, despite that until this point Harley's motivations for being a villain were more to please the Joker by helping him commit murder and chaos, whereas Ivy at least believes she's protecting nature in a misguided manner. So it's more Ivy's presence making Harley seem less like a crazy fangirl. Ivy's reason for being hard on Harley is mostly out of exasperation that Harley still believes that the Joker loves her, and is blind to their toxic relationship. Whenever Harley isn't thinking about the Joker or defending his actions, the two villainesses get along rather well.
• Squick: Harley and Joker's relationship is clearly spelled out (perhaps to shut up the Misaimed Fandom?) as horribly abusive.
  Harley: You'd think, living with Mr. J, I'd be used to pain...
• What Do You Mean, It's for Kids?: It's a wonder how much of this episode made it past the censors. From Joker's blatant physical abuse of Harley at the beginning of the episode, all the way to Ivy and Harley pulling a Sexy Shirt Switch and walking around in nothing but skivvies and shirts.

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