25 Days of Anime - #16: Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt

Let's get something straight - Panty and Stocking is, without question, one of the dirtiest, low-brow comedic works I have ever viewed. It is downright stupid at times, there's a near overload of vulgarities and sexual content, and it's all wrapped up in a strangely cartoonish presentation. Even so, I have found few shows (anime or otherwise) that have made me laugh as hard as Panty and Stocking does. It's so raunchy and inappropriate, yet the dialogue is so perfectly scripted and the jokes perfect in timing and execution.

Panty and Stocking presents a curious scenario where I actually enjoy the subtitled and dubbed versions equally. Much like Sgt. Frog and Axis Powers: Hetalia, both takes are funny, but have different approaches to how they deliver the comedy. In the case of Panty and Stocking, the jokes are rewritten slightly, so that they more or less carry the same implications, but use slang terms and swear words familiar to western audiences. Thus, I found it was very easy to transition into the dub of the anime after having already viewed the original Japanese version.

Each of the characters borders on caricature, with enough time and development allowing them to flesh out a bit more than other similar comedies. The bickering that Panty and Stocking do with Garterbelt is only half as fun as their death battles with resident demons Scanty and Kneesocks. Throw in innocent and genuine modern gentleman Brief and spastic pet Chuck, and you have yourself a recipe for success.

Aside from the highly original art style, the soundtrack is absolutely killer. There are few soundtracks so deeply rooted in a single genre that I find I can immediately learn to love as I did with songs like "Fly Away", "Corset's Theme", and even "D Rock City". Presentation is a huge part of why Panty and Stocking works in the first place, and despite my frustrations with the final episode, I really wouldn't change anything about the series. It's balls-to-the-wall action combined with a take-no-prisoners sense of comedy, and I wouldn't change it for anything.

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt dub trailer released

Funimation has released their trailer for the English dub of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. The cast includes Jamie Marchi as Panty, Monica Rial as Stocking, Christopher Sabat as Garterbelt, and Joel McDonald as Brief. The dialogue highlighted in the trailer seems pretty good, though I think the dub will have a difficult time holding up to the hilarity of the original Japanese pronunciations and inflections on particular words/phrases. Though I have to say, Chris Sabat as Garterbelt may have been the best decision Funimation could have made with this dub.

2011 Year in Review: Anime

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: A step up from its predecessor, SEED Destiny spotlights a new lead character, Shinn Asuka, who alongside Athrun Zala, delivers a far more interesting narrative than Kira Yamato ever did in Gundam SEED. SEED Destiny evokes a more genuine sense of the difficulties in alliance and war, by painting the picture with the ambitions of all the major players, and spinning a much more intricate web of politics and deceit. The later episodes get bogged down by the same clichés that burdened Gundam SEED, but as a whole this sequel is a significant improvement. My rating: 8.25

Full Metal Alchemist (season two): Building upon the revelations from season one, this second half takes a darker path, exploring the origins of each Homunculus and the trials the Elric brothers face from the many factions they cross paths with. Although the series deviates from the manga at points - some ways more distinctly so than others - the story remains focused on the aspects of growing up and familial responsibility conveyed through Edward and Alphonse. The added backstories of Lust and Greed provide extra fuel to the emotional drive. Despite a few episodes that feel out of place, season two of FMA provides a fitting second half to the contemporary classic that is the story of the brothers Elric. My rating: 9.5

Rating for series as a whole: 10

Azumanga Daioh: Part slice-of-life, part comedy, Azumanga Daioh follows a group of awkward and zany girls through their high school years. Whether it's over-analyzing social customs, obsessions with cats, or avoiding one particularly weird teacher, the girls always have an opinion to share. The art style and soundtrack take a minimalist approach, which is appropriate given the nature of this hybrid series. My rating: 8.75

Mushi-Shi: A string of largely unrelated tales fuels work for Ginko, a Mushi Master - one of a rare few who can see and interact with semi-sentient entities that influence the unseen world around humans. The series blends fantasy and ancient Japanese folklore to deliver both a fantastic narrative and genuine sense of wonder. Though many characters only appear for single episodes, they are so memorable and well-developed that it is of no consequence if Ginko decides to take on a secondary role for an episode or two. My rating: 9.5

Eden of the East: A man without any idea of who he is or was, Akira Takizawa returns to Japan to find he is a contender in a national game of sorts, with a vast amount of money and seemingly limitless resources at his disposal. Along with his newfound friend Saki Morimi and faceless voice receiving his calls known as Juiz, Takizawa must figure out who the other contenders are and use the means he has been allotted to 'save Japan', whatever that might mean. The story is told in chunks that reveal enough information to keep the story interesting, but also perpetuate the suspenseful and action-driven parts. My rating: 8.5

Summer Wars: A bit of an awkward high schooler, Kenji jumps at the opportunity of spending time with Natsuki at her grandmother's 90th birthday celebration. Once he gets there, though, Natsuki reveals that she wants Kenji to play the part of her boyfriend to impress the family. Though he is uneasy about it, Kenji decides to stay. One night, he receives a text on his phone containing a complex math equation, which he solves, not knowing it is part of the security code to the digital realm of Oz. A virus known as Love Machine then makes its way into Oz, and Kenji recruits the help of Natsuki's cousin Kazuma in hopes of stopping Love Machine from unleashing all forms of chaos on the real world. The focus on family helps push the film along at a steady pace, though the shift in who assumes the role of the main character late in the film leads to a somewhat awkward conclusion. My rating: 8.5

Full Metal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa: A follow-up to the wildly popular series, Conqueror of Shamballa displays the most creative liberties taken with the series (which is to say, the film is not grounded in the manga in any way, save for characters and locations). While Al regained his body, Ed was sent to the other side of the gate, to our world, just prior to the Nazi regime's rise. The few Homunculi are dealt with in a fitting manner, while Eckhart fills the role of a relatively appropriate yet typical villain. The story is in keeping with the darker tone of the second season, though bits of humor retain the FMA charm. My rating: 9.25

Devil May Cry: Unlike the games, this series focuses on Dante's smaller missions as he faces demons that are generally on a smaller-scale. His life among everyday humans is explored, and his relationship with young Patty provides both comedic moments and a more genuine human element. The art design and soundtrack are both killer, all of which makes the licensed anime series a standout for its kind. My rating: 8.75

Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt: A very raunchy comedy from Gainax, the series takes a while to define itself. It delivers crude sex and bathroom humor in a style not unlike the earliest episodes of South Park, but sneaks in a number of pop-culture references and parodies of shows like Transformers, which may fly over the heads of viewers not so familiar with these other works. Save for the last episode's uncalled-for curveball, the series does a good job of sticking to what it does best - delivering laughs. My rating: 7.25

Halo Legends: A series of shorts set in the Halo universe, Legends covers not only the famed SPARTANs, but the Covenant, Forerunners, and ODSTs as well. A few of the tales come across as a bit too forced, most notably a feudal Japanese duel between two Elites. While anyone familiar with the main Halo trilogy will understand each story well enough, those familiar with the novels and side games will get the most out of this anime collection. My rating: 8

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children: Two years after the conclusion of the classic PS1 game, Cloud Strife finds himself lost in this new peaceful world - that is, until a trio of Sephiroth-lookalikes show up, informing him of their intent to find "mother". Sensing trouble, Cloud and company join forces once more to stop the trio from bringing about a return of Sephiroth and subsequent destruction of their world. This is one beautifully animated film (no surprise, since it is a work by Square Enix). But only a handful of characters deliver any genuine emotions or feel necessary to the plot. My rating: 7.75

Darker Than Black: A reality where superhumans known as contractors live among regular people, hidden in the shadows, Darker Than Black places emphasis on the different organizations invested in the powers the Contractors wield as well as Heaven's Gate, the origin of all Contractors. The bulk of the story is told through Hei, a Contractor known by many as the infamous Black Reaper. On the other side of things is Misaki Kirihara, a security officer who knows each contractor not by name, but rather by their messier codes that are associated with each star in a new night sky. Stellar soundtrack and curious art style aside, Darker Than Black brings into question the concept of what it means to be human, and if Contractors are capable of such emotions. My rating: 9.5

Gundam 00: Awakening of the Trailblazer: Following the success of the series, this film explores a world headed toward absolute peace, and the uncertainties that come along with the revelations of the recently-discovered Innovators and Innovades. However, everything is turned on its head when the ELS, metallic shapeshifting extraterrestrials, make their way to Earth, drawn by the quantum brainwaves of the Innovators. While the same characters return and the story's pacing is managed well, the story is a bit off-key when compared to the constant human-centric story maintained through the two seasons of the 00 series. My rating: 8.25

Anime review: Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Panty & Stocking is a comedy that is no-holds barred. It doesn't shy away from vulgar and offensive humor; rather it embraces it, relying on it as a heavy fuel for each episode. It's downright rotten in a lot of cases, but can - at the same time - be absolutely hilarious to those not so easily offended. With only thirteen episodes, the series has only so much time to nail down its formula, and though it does its fair share of experimenting, the final product is a nice balance of comedy and action.

The story begins by explaining that Panty and Stocking are two angels who have fallen out of Heaven's graces and must defeat ghosts on Earth to earn enough coins to return. And that's honestly all that needs to be said for any given episode. It certainly helps to watch the introductory episode first, but there's not a whole lot of consistency between episodes, so watching them out of order won't make a huge difference (save for the very last few). Panty is obsessed with sex, while Stocking loves sweets, and their being angels is more of a title than a reflection of their actual behavior. They frequently swear, kill ghosts, and take out their anger on their pet Chuck.

Most episodes follow a two-part format, with each containing a separate and unrelated narrative. There are only a couple of exceptions, once when the demon sisters Scanty and Kneesocks are introduced, and a second time when three smaller stories are thrown into the mix. The first half of the series follows a pattern of the angels fighting one ghost after another, while the second half opts for a greater emphasis on the characters, pitting the angel sisters against the demon sisters time and time again, and even exploring the sibling rivalry Panty and Stocking have.

With regards to the angels, their differing personalities play off each other quite nicely. As mentioned above, this can sometimes lead to them butting heads, but often it leads to cooperation like Stocking helping Panty in combat by offering up a strategy she hadn't previously thought of (or vice-versa). Personally I found Panty to be the more enjoyable of the two lead characters throughout the series. However, I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that more is revealed about her early on due to how outspoken of an individual she is, whereas Stocking tends to remained more reserved, save for when in the company of Panty and Garterbelt. As for the rest of the major characters, they are all rather one-dimensional, but because there are so few of them, it works to the story's advantage. Scanty and Kneesocks will always put their full faith in whatever latest scheme they've cooked up, while Garterbelt will yell at the angels to get their act together, and Brief will provide many a chuckle through his awkward and unfortunate timing (despite his purest intentions and role as the voice of reason).


Some of the early episodes suffer from the fact that the series can't seem to decide if it wants to be more ironic and full of pop culture references in the style of FLCL (another Gainax work), or if it wants to aim for something more akin to the early seasons of South Park, aiming for crass and offensive. Thankfully, most of this identity crisis is dealt with by the time episode five rolls around, and from there the series does its best to find a balance between those two comedic stylings. Some of the jokes, such as the Transformers parody, are meant for a specific crowd, and those who are not as familiar with the material being parodied probably won't find it to be even half as funny as those who do.

The last two episodes are much more action-heavy than most, and while they are also very story-driven, they don't sacrifice the comedic value. It's a fitting string of events to end on as the series reaches its climax; that is, until the very end of the final episode. I won't spoil what specifically happens, but I will say that Gainax attempts to throw a curveball in the last minute of the show that is neither logical nor amusing. If Panty & Stocking were a more serious anime that aimed to mess with viewers' heads in the vein of Evangelion, such a twist would have been acceptable. But what's really the most frustrating about it is the fact that there is little consistency throughout the entirety of the series that would point to such events happening, especially considering how well the characters involved know each other by the time the story comes to a close. It doesn't completely ruin the final episodes, but it does leave an ugly mark on an otherwise perfect stream of events. If Gainax has no plans to make a second season, it was a really low blow to the viewers. If they do have plans to continue the story, however, their first move should be fixing this error.

The animation style is unique for an anime, and though Gainax has been known to produce some very visually appealing visuals, as was the case with Gurren Lagann, Panty & Stocking's artistic direction is more along the lines of American animated series like Dexter's Laboratory or The Powerpuff Girls. There are, however, a handful of scenes drawn in a more current anime style, most notably when the angels or demons power up their weapons for battle. The defeat of each ghost is shown with an intentionally cheesy live-action prop explosion. The soundtrack is comprised of a number of original compositions by various artists, and maintains a club techno feel throughout which is not only very catchy but also incredibly befitting of the series.


Funimation has announced plans to release the series stateside in 2012, and they will have work cut out for them in dubbing Panty & Stocking. On many occasions, what makes Panty and Stocking's lines or even banter with Scanty and Kneesocks so humorous in the way in which the voice actors pronounce them. Key words are exaggerated (and in some cases become catchphrases for characters), while many English words stick out because of their lack of a Japanese equivalent. There is some Engrish here and there, but for the most part the pronunciations seem deliberate, as a way to set the series' characters apart from the crowd.

Though it has a bumpy start, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt does well to identify itself as a blend of pop culture references and dirty humor in the end. It's not as brilliantly scripted as some of Gainax's other works, though this is one of the few straightforward comedy series they've done. So with that in mind, the fact that this series realizes and embraces its offensive humor puts it above others in the same subgenre. At thirteen episodes, the series feels neither too long nor too short. It has its shortcomings, but the cast is really what makes Panty & Stocking so enjoyable. And if Gainax plans to make a second season, it will probably flow much more smoothly and consistently, as they can hopefully gather from the first season which elements work and which ones don't.

My rating: 7.25 (out of 10)

Anime update #5: Fly Away, Now

I'm placing FMA: Brotherhood at the front of the pack with regards to which anime I most want to watch and finish. I'm a fanboy of the both Brotherhood and the 2003 series, and even if I tried to cut myself off for a while to put greater emphasis on other series, I know it wouldn't last long. That said, I will still be viewing Darker Than Black, season two of Sgt. Frog, and Panty & Stocking at a more casual rate. And since Panty & Stocking only lasts thirteen episodes, it's quite likely that I will actually finish it before I finish FMA: Brotherhood.

There are a number of other episodes that I am in some stage or another of watching. I'm five episodes into The Count of Monte Cristo: Gankutsuou, while I've only completed the first couple of episodes of Hero Tales, Eureka Seven, Nabari No Ou, Samurai 7, and Beck. I don't usually feel that the first episode of any given series is enough to give me a strong feel for what te series as a whole is about, so I will certainly be watching more of each to determine which ones I want to stick with and which are simply not my cup of tea.

Which brings me to another point - series that I have dropped. I really tried to like Lucky Star, but I feel like it sells itself as a comedy when, in reality, it is more of a slice-of-life series. And since there are only a handful of slice-of-life series that I actually enjoy, I find it unlikely that I will continue with Lucky Star. If however, I do choose to pick it back up at some later date, I will of courseprovide a review. I also tried watching and sbsequently dropped Rainbow (which proved far too slow-paced for my tastes), Sengoku Basara (which proved far too ridiculous for my tastes), and Moribito (which suffered from both pacing and vagueness, though that series stands a better chance of being picked back up by me than Lucky Star does).

As far as Gundam is concerned, I'll get back to it when I feel like it. It's not that I've completely abandoned Zeta Gundam or my plans to complete every Gundam series in existence. Rather, I just feel like I need a break for a bit to explore other series and genres; mix things up a bit for both myself as a viewer and you as a reader. I am also considering a rewatch of the first anime series I ever watched, way back in 1999: Ronin Warriors. I will probably do 'In Progress' posts if I choose to go through with that.

On a side note, the trailer for the upcoming Gundam AGE leads me to believe this could be the single worst Gundam series ever. But I will still give it a try when the time comes. Gundam: The Origin, however, sounds far more promising (I am somewhat partial to Universal Century over alternate universe series, generally speaking).

So there you have it. Certainly some ambiguity in this posting, but at least you all know what I am prioritizing for viewing and reviews.