The appeal and reviews of "Panty&Stocking with Garterbelt": A fusion of radical visuals and profound themes

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt: A ghost-hunting world of unusual angels

■Overview of the work

"Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt" is an original anime series produced by GAINAX in 2010 and directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi. The series is set in Daten City and follows the adventures of two ghost-fighting angels, Panty and Stocking. The 13-episode series was a hot topic when it first aired due to its unique style and extreme expressions.

■Broadcast information

"Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt" was broadcast on BS Nippon Television and other UHF stations from October 1 to December 24, 2010. The specific broadcast schedule is as follows:

• BS Nippon Television: October 1, 2010 to December 24, 2010 (Every Friday 27:00-27:30)
• tvk: October 2, 2010 to December 25, 2010 (every Saturday 25:00-25:30)
• TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting: October 3, 2010 to December 26, 2010 (Every Sunday 27:00-27:30)
• Chiba TV: October 4, 2010 to December 27, 2010 (Every Monday 25:30 to 26:00)
• Sun TV: October 4, 2010 to December 27, 2010 (Every Monday 25:40 to 26:10)
• Gifu Broadcasting: October 4, 2010 to December 27, 2010 (Every Monday 25:45-26:15)
• TOKYO MX: October 5, 2010 to December 28, 2010 (Every Tuesday 26:30-27:00)
• Mie Television: October 5, 2010 to December 28, 2010 (every Tuesday 26:50-27:20)
• Teletama: October 7, 2010 to December 30, 2010 (Every Thursday 26:00-26:30)
• AT-X: October 8, 2010 to December 31, 2010 (Every Friday 23:00 to 23:30)

It was also streamed online, and was updated on the Niconico Channel every Saturday at 12:00 from October 9, 2010 to January 1, 2011.

■ Story

Mysterious incidents strike Daten City every day. They are the work of ghosts who exploit people's desires. Two angels, Panty and Stocking, sent from heaven, set out to exterminate the ghosts, but in reality, they are both misbehaving dropouts. In Daten City, where dark clouds are swirling, a ghost hunt begins where disaster brings more disaster.

■Explanation

"Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt" is known for its radical expression and unique style. Although Panty and Stocking are angels, they have very human desires and shortcomings, which is one of the charms of the work. Against the backdrop of the mission to exterminate ghosts, the film depicts the girls' daily lives and relationships, making it a highly entertaining work that combines laughter and action.

■Cast

The main characters are voiced by:

• Panties: Arisa Ogasawara
• Stockings: Mariya Ise
• Brief: Hiroyuki Yoshino
• Garter belt: Yasushi Ishii
• Chuck: Takashi Nakamura
• Scanty: Yuka Komatsu
• Knee socks: Ayumi Fujimura
• Corset: Shigeru Chiba
• Zipper: Miki Makiguchi
• Ghost: Hidekatsu Shibata

■ Main staff

Many people were involved in the production of this work, and the main staff members are listed below:

• Original creator: GAINAX
• Planning: Takeshi Yasuda, Hiroyuki Yamaga
• Produced by: Takeshi Yasuda, Yasuhiro Takeda, Takafumi Ishibashi, Tsuneo Takechi, Yasuhiro Mikami, Shunichi Okabe, Naohiro Oto
• Producers: Hisashi Imamoto, Jun Fukuda, Soichi Tsuji, Satoshi Fujita, Kazuya Masumoto, Natsuki Uetake, Tomoko Suzuki, Katsumi Yasuda
• Assistant Producer: Kenjiro Gomi
• Assistant Director: Masahiko Otsuka
• Series Composition: Geek Fleet
• Main character: Atsushi Nishikori
• Concept art: Yoshinari You
• Coordinator: Shigeto Koyama
• Concept Planner: Hiromi Wakabayashi
• Director of photography: Fumihiko Morohashi
• Chief photographer: Yasuhiro Akamatsu
• Shooting and 3DCG management: Toyonori Yamada
• CG Producer: Hiroaki Matsuura
• Color design: Yukiko Kakita
• Art director: Masanobu Nomura (Mine)
• Assistant Art Director: Aya Kukinuki
• Art setting: Yo Yoshinari
• Edited by: Junichi Uematsu
• Online editing studio: Production IG
• Video editing studio: Sony PCL
• Video editing: Hidenori Takemura, Takahiko Kojima
• Music Producer: ☆Taku Takahashi (m-flo)
• Music: ☆Taku Takahashi (m-flo) & TCY Crew
• Sound Director: Miwa Iwanami
• Sound producer: Hiroki Uragari
• Effects: Eiko Morikawa (Chura Sound), Hiroki Nozaki (Chura Sound)
• Sound Mixer: Naotsugu Uchida
• Sound Editor: Akane Yamago
• Sound production and recording studio: HALF H・P ​​STUDIO
• Sound Production: Akiko Fujita
• Subtitle design: Shigeto Koyama
• Subtitle original illustration: Kayoko Ishikawa
• Public Designer: Yumemi Sono (imagejack)
• Production desk: Naoko Tsutsumi
• Setting production: Hiromi Wakabayashi, Rino Yamazaki
• Production staff: Eri Okuyama
• Video management and production: Daiki Egashira
• Program promotion: Yoshiro Manabe, Kumiko Sano, Yosuke Nishiyama, Rie Ogura, Masao Ito, Kanna Tajiri
• Serialised in Young Ace Manga: TAGRO, Shu Nakazawa, Monthly Newtype/Fumiko Sano, Kadokawa Shoten
• With the cooperation of: Takemasa Okamura (SOTSU), Kazuma Shuto (Gainax), Keiko Tokuda (Gainax), Kazuko Shiraishi (Gainax), Yushiko Seki (Kadokawa Pictures), Akiko Matsutani (Kadokawa Shoten), Kazuko Sasaki (Movic)
• Animation Production: GAINAX
• Produced by: PSG Production Committee
• Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi

■Main Characters

Here's a closer look at the main characters:

• Panty
  She is an angel who descended to Daten City, but was actually cast down from heaven due to bad behavior. She is characterized by her blonde hair and celebrity-like appearance, and is a die-hard ass girl who loves men and sex more than anything. She is supposed to be working day and night to exterminate ghosts in order to return to heaven, but her daily routine is to find a good man rather than exterminating ghosts. There is also a unique setting in which her panties become her favorite gun, "Backlace," when she takes them off.
• Stockings
  She is Panty's younger sister, with long brunette hair and gothic lolita fashion. At first glance she looks like a cute doll, but she spews out insults so terrible that they can make even the strongest men blush. She loves sweets, and is always searching for delicious sweets, eating one every day. When she takes them off, her stockings turn into two swords, "Stripe 1 & 2."
• Garterbelt
  He is a priest at a church on the outskirts of Daten City, and is a large man with a huge afro. He reads revelations from heaven and issues orders to the sisters Panty & Stocking to exterminate ghosts. Although he looks respectable, he has a strangely shady air about him.
• Chuck
  He is a pet kept at the church, a green creature with zippers all over his body. He makes a mocking, laughing sound that often annoys people. He is often treated badly by the sisters Panty and Stocking. Orders from heaven come to him in the form of lightning bolts.
• Brief
  He is a boy who attends a high school in Daten City and is what they call a "geek." Although he is shy, he falls in love at first sight with Panty, who has just transferred to the school, and begins to follow her around.
• See-Through
  Panty and Stocking drive a hot pink SUV that is usually stored in a garage in the catacombs of the church. It may look like a normal car, but it actually has special powers.

■Subtitle

The subtitles of each episode are as follows:

• #1: "Death Race 2010" (2010/10/01)
• #2: "The Buzz of Bees" / "Sex and the Date City" (2010/10/08)
• #3: "Cat Fight Club" / "Pulp Addiction" (10/15/2010)
• #4: "Diet Syndrome" / "High School Nudical" (2010/10/22)
• #5: "Hanamputra" / "Vomiting Point" (2010/10/29)
• #6: "Demonic Women" (2010/11/05)
• #7: "Transhome" / "Sell your body for cash" (2010/11/12)
• #8: "...of the Dead" / "One Angry Ghost" (2010/11/19)
• #9: "When an Angel Wears a Swimsuit" / "Ghost: The Illusion of Daten City" (2010/11/26)
• #10: "Inner Brief" / "Chuck to the Future" / "Chuck to the Future Part 2" / "Chuck to the Future Part 3" / "HELP! Two Angels" (2010/12/03)
• #11: "Once Upon a Time in Garterbelt" / "Nothing to Room" (2010/12/10)
• #12: "DC Confidential" / "Panties + Briefs" (2010/12/17)
• #13: "Bitch Girls" / "Bitch Girls 2 Bitch" (2010/12/24)

■ Related works

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is closely related to the original series, Panty & Stocking in Sanitarybox, which delves even deeper into the world of the original series and is a must-see for fans.

■ Theme songs and music

Here are some of the theme songs and insert songs from the series:

• OP1
  ・Theme for Panties & Stockings
  Lyrics: Hoshina Anniversary
  ・Composer: Hoshina Anniversary
  ・Singer: Hoshina Anniversary
  ・Produced by: ☆Taku Takahashi
• ED1
  ・Fallen Angel
  Lyrics: LISA
  ・Composer: LISA & Mitsunori Ikeda
  ・Singer: Aimee B
  ・Produced by: ☆Taku Takahashi
• IN1
  ・CHOCOLAT
  ・Lyrics: ☆Taku Takahashi & Emyli
  ・Composer: ☆Taku Takahashi & Emyli
  ・Song: TCY FORCE feat. Mariya Ise
  ・Produced by: ☆Taku Takahashi
  ・Special guest: Arisa Ogasawara
• IN2
  ・D City Rock/TeddyLoid feat. Debra Zeer
  Lyrics: Lisa
  ・Composer: TeddyLoid
  ・Arrangement: ☆Taku Takahashi
  ・Singer: Lisa
  ・Produced by: ☆Taku Takahashi

■ Appeal and evaluation of the work

"Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt" has attracted many viewers with its radical expressions and unique style. In particular, the character settings of Panty and Stocking are very unique, and their portrayal of human desires and shortcomings has resonated with viewers. In addition, the depiction of their daily lives and relationships against the backdrop of the mission to exterminate ghosts makes it a highly entertaining work that combines laughter and action.

The visual aspects of the work also highlight the unique direction of director Hiroyuki Imaishi. The visual style, influenced by American comics and animation, is different from traditional anime and has a strong visual impact. In addition, a luxurious staff including ☆Taku Takahashi participated in the music, enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

However, its radical expressions and content have caused controversy among some. In particular, some viewers found it hard to accept the many sexual expressions and vulgar jokes. However, these are also part of the show's charm, and are the reason it is loved by so many fans.

■ Recommendation points

Here are some reasons to recommend Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt:

• Unique visual style Influenced by American comics and animation, the visual style stands out from traditional anime and creates a strong visual impact.
• Unique character settings Panty and Stocking's characters are very unique, and their human desires and shortcomings are portrayed, allowing the audience to sympathize with them.
• Entertainment: The film depicts the girls' daily lives and relationships against the backdrop of their ghost-fighting mission, making it a highly entertaining work that combines laughter and action.
• The film is made with a stellar cast , including director Hiroyuki Imaishi, who has worked with a stellar cast to improve the quality of the film. In addition, the music is also made by a stellar cast, including Taku Takahashi, who has worked with a stellar cast to enhance the film's atmosphere.

■ Summary

"Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt" is a work that has attracted many viewers with its radical expressions and unique style. The unique character settings of Panty and Stocking and the highly entertaining storyline set against the backdrop of a mission to exterminate ghosts have given viewers a lot of laughter and emotion. The quality of the work has also been improved by the unique direction of Director Hiroyuki Imaishi and the participation of a luxurious staff including ☆Taku Takahashi. The radical expressions and content have caused controversy in some circles, but this is also part of the charm of this work and the reason it is loved by so many fans. Please watch it at least once and experience its unique worldview.