Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
Title screen of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt anime series
パンティ＆ストッキングwithガーターベルト (Panti & Sutokkingu with Gātāberuto)
Genre	Comedy, Action
Manga
Written by	Tagro
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Young Ace
Original run	August 4, 2010 – ongoing
TV anime
Directed by	Hiroyuki Imaishi
Music by	Taku Takahashi
Studio	Gainax
Licensed by	Funimation Entertainment
Network	Terrestrial: syndicated (8 markets) Nationwide: BS NTV, AT-X
Original run	October 1, 2010 – December 25, 2010
Episodes	13 + 1 special (List of episodes)
Anime and Manga Portal

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (パンティ＆ストッキングwithガーターベルト, Panti ando Sutokkingu wizu Gātāberuto^?) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Gainax. It aired nationwide between October 1, 2010 and December 24, 2010 on BS NTV (a free-to-air satellite service of Nippon Television) and was also simulcast on Nico Nico Douga and Crunchyroll.^[1][2] It is also syndicated terrestrially in 8 markets, including a few JAITS members like Tokyo MX, and TVQ, a TXN affiliate.

Contents 1 Story 2 Characters 2.1 Protagonists 2.2 Antagonists 3 Media 3.1 Anime 3.2 Manga 3.3 Music 4 References 5 External links

Story

The Anarchy sisters, Panty and Stocking, are angels who were kicked out of Heaven due to their bad behavior. They are sent to Daten City (a pun on the Japanese word datenshi (堕天使^?, lit. "Fallen Angel")), a place located on the edge of Heaven and Hell. Strange monsters called "Ghosts" besiege the city, but the Anarchy sisters wield a variety of mysterious powers, most notably their ability to transform their underwear and stockings into weapons.

Under the watchful eye of Reverend Garterbelt, and with their pet zipper-dog Chuck, it's up to Panty and Stocking to destroy these Ghosts, in order to collect enough Heaven Coins to return to Heaven.

Characters

Protagonists

Panty Anarchy (パンティ・アナーキー, Panti Anākī^?)

Voiced by: Arisa Ogasawara

The older of the Anarchy sisters, Panty is portrayed as a sexy celebrity blonde. She is always looking for men to sleep with, although her low standards and impulsive choices can lead to her dissatisfaction after the act. Panty does not take her Ghost-hunting duties as seriously as Stocking, instead preferring to fulfill her personal goal of having sex with one thousand men on Earth before she returns to Heaven. She is rude and aggressive, and shows fondness for living a celebrity lifestyle, especially when it gets her closer to the men she craves. Among the cast, she is most prone to swearing-frequently in English. She likes spicy food and hates sugar, which can lead to arguments with Stocking.

Panty has the ability to turn her panties into a semi-automatic pistol called "Backlace" (バックレース, Bakkurēsu^?). With a second pair of panties (usually Stocking's), she can wield two Backlaces, doubling her firepower and allowing her to combine them into advanced firearms (such as a machine gun or a sniper rifle). It is revealed that she can weaponize any sort of underwear (male or female), though this tends to be somewhat unreliable and prone to giving her completely useless weapons. Garterbelt describes her as being the more powerful of the two angels.

Stocking Anarchy (ストッキング・アナーキー, Sutokkingu Anākī^?)

Voiced by: Mariya Ise

The younger of the Anarchy sisters, Stocking is a pink and violet-haired goth girl. She is generally more level-headed and intelligent than Panty, although she can be just as rude as her sister when provoked. Stocking has a gluttonous appetite for sweets and doesn't gain weight from consuming "normal" sugary foods, allowing her to eat them to her heart's content-on the other hand, she despises spicy food. She becomes enraged whenever someone tampers with her sweets or calls her overweight. She also does not share her sister's interest in sex, though she occasionally displays masochistic tendencies such as bondage and electrocution. She is almost always seen carrying around a plush cat, Honekoneko (ホネコネコ^?, lit. "Bone Kitten"), whose expressions often match Stocking's mood. At the end of the series, in a twist it is revealed that Stocking is actually a demon, and after cutting Panty into 666 pieces, she reveals her desire to open the Hellgate. It's unexplained whether she is half-demon half-angel, all-demon in disguise, or any other explanation, likely intentional on the creators' parts.

Her stockings transform into a pair of katanas, called "Stripes I & II" (ストライプI&II, Sutoraipu I & II^?). She generally wields one at a time, but is more than willing to use both at once in more difficult situations. Garterbelt describes her as the more skillful of the two angels.

Garterbelt (ガーターベルト, Gātāberuto^?)

Voiced by: Kōji Ishii

The reverend of Daten City and the mentor of the Anarchy sisters, Garterbelt (or "Garter", for short) is a large black man with a massive afro. He gives Panty and Stocking their missions, and is constantly annoyed and bewildered by their erratic behavior and lack of commitment to the task at hand. He practices bondage and displays homosexual tendencies, with a particular interest in young males — much to the chagrin of Brief, who is a constant target for his sexual advances. However, the last episode reveals the actual reason why he is interested in Brief. Although he is rather vocal about keeping order in Daten City, he has a masked alias known as "Master G", which he uses to disguise his identity while pursuing riskier hobbies. Despite being clear to the audience, everyone in the show seems to be oblivious to Master G's true identity.

Garterbelt also has a very checkered past; he used to be a gangster who performed all crimes imaginable. He eventually became the greatest crime lord in his town, but was gunned down in his own office. Soon after, he ended up in Heaven, where he was given a mission from God to find "Hellsmonkey" — a key which can unlock the seal of a tremendously powerful Ghost — and protect it from those who would seek to use it. When Garterbelt refused, he was cursed with immortality and was sent to the beginning of time, forced to live through the creation of the world as it is today. He retains his immortality in order to continue supervising Panty and Stocking, exploding in a manner similar to Ghosts whenever he is killed, only to reassemble himself moments later in a rewinding sequence.

Chuck (チャック, Chakku^?)

Voiced by: Takashi Nakamura

Panty and Stocking's pet sidekick, a green dog with zippers for ears and a tail who closely resembles GIR, a character from Nickelodeon's cult-classic toon show Invader Zim. In this sense, he is most likely given this appearance as a reference to the show's unique visual style which diverts from classical anime norm and looks more akin to that of american cartoons. He is actually later shown to be based off a bull ghost, with proof in the music video "We Are Angels", where he is antagonized using a red cape. He is generally subjected to various mortal injuries throughout the course of the series, but recovers extremely quickly, which leads the audience to believe that he may possess some form of immortality akin to that of Garterbelt. He is often used as a sort of mailbox by Heaven, getting struck by lightning and spitting out a clue to a Ghost's whereabouts. He is only able to say his own name, and has been shown to be capable of driving the Anarchy sisters' car, a roofless pink Hummer H1 called See-Through (シースルー, Shī Surū^?). His brain is operated by a small red devil in a black suit who can exit through the zippers on Chuck's head. By turning himself inside-out with his zippers, Chuck has the ability to transform into a colossal, bull-horned hellhound.

Briefers "Brief" Rock (ブリーファース "ブリーフ"・ロック , Burīfāsu "Burīfu" Rokku^?)

Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino

The son of the head of the Rock Foundation, a large corporation in Daten City. He's normally called "Geek Boy" by Panty and Stocking (due to his interest in the supernatural and science fiction). As a (self-proclaimed) "ghost hunter", he carries a backpack-like device capable of detecting Ghosts and blowing out a smokescreen. Despite being the voice of reason to Panty and Stocking, Brief tends to be the butt of a lot of jokes as he is constantly knocked around and subjected to various forms of abuse, particularly by the Anarchy sisters themselves. A running gag in the series sees Brief falling headfirst into a pile of garbage. His orange hair constantly obscures his eyes, but it doesn't appear to impair his vision, and when pulled back reveals an incredibly handsome face.

Brief has a big crush on Panty, who is frequently impassive towards his advances; she does, however, develop some feelings for him upon seeing his face (episode 12), and later stops calling him Geek Boy altogether. Following episode 13, Brief has sex with Panty, though he continues to be treated similarly and it appears the relationship has reverted back to normal.

Antagonists

Scanty Demon (スキャンティ・デーモン, Sukyanti Dēmon^?)

Voiced by: Yuka Komatsu

The daughter of the mayor of Daten City and one of the demon sisters, Panty and Stocking's archrivals. She appears in episode 6 with her sister. Despite being a demon, she is well-mannered and speaks very formally. As Panty's counterpart, she wears two pairs of panties that transform into revolvers called "Double Gold Lacytanga" (ダブル・ゴールド・レーシータンガ, Daburu Gōrudo Rēshītanga^?), which can also combine into a shotgun. She is obsessed with rules, regulations, and conformity, as opposed to Panty and Stocking's more erratic and unruly behavior. She is, however, somewhat excitable, and becomes extremely frustrated when things don't go her way. Along with her sister, Scanty comes up with various schemes to kill or otherwise humiliate Panty and Stocking, though her excitability during such situations often unintentionally leads to their own downfall.

Kneesocks Demon (ニーソックス・デーモン, Nīsokkusu Dēmon^?)

Voiced by: Ayumi Fujimura

The other daughter of the mayor of Daten City and Scanty's younger sister. She wears angular glasses and has her hair in a ponytail. She uses a large amount of English in her speech, even by the standards of the show. As Stocking's counterpart, she wears two kneesocks (actually mid-thigh stockings) that transform into a pair of scythes called "Double Gold Spandex" (ダブル・ゴールド・スパンデックス, Daburu Gōrudo Supandekkusu^?). Just like her sister, she is obsessed with rules, claiming that they will solve the chaos of freedom. Compared to her sister, Kneesocks is calmer and more reserved, but she tends to fly off the handle when the rules are being disparaged. Oddly, she blushes quite easily, causing her face to become a lighter shade of red. It is implied that she and Scanty have an incestuous relationship.

Fastener (ファスナー, Fasunā^?)

Voiced by: Miki Makiguchi

The demon sisters' pet sidekick, and the evil counterpart of Chuck. Unlike Chuck, Fastener is more competent in his work with the demon sisters, although he is still subject to various injuries. Like Chuck, he also only says his name and also drives the demon sister's transport, a Limo G-Wagen SUV called G-String (ジーストリング, Jī Sutoringu^?). Fastener apparently has a history of rivalry with Chuck, dating back to their college days. There is a small red female devil in a black suit living in Fastener's head, who is romantically interested in Chuck's devil. Like Chuck, Fastener can also transform by zipping himself inside-out, but appears as a two-headed dragon.

Corset (コルセット, Korusetto^?)

Voiced by: Shigeru Chiba

The mayor of Daten City and the father of Scanty and Kneesocks. Corset is a demon with pale blue eyes, bony features, and a conical hairstyle. Like Garterbelt, he also has a fetish for bondage, but in a much more extreme way; he wears buckles on most of his body, mouth stretching hooks, and his namesake, a corset (he is often seen tightening them). Corset is Garterbelt's counterpart and the two seem to have known each other prior to the story, referring to an "incident" as the last time they met. Both he and Garterbelt have a large X-shaped scar over their hearts. He seeks to obtain Hell's Monkey, a mystical key that has the power to unlock Hell's Gate and unleash the ultimate Ghost, as a part of his plan to take over Heaven and Earth.

Ghosts (ゴースト, Gōsuto^?)

The "monsters of the week", Ghosts are twisted aberrations born from the regrets or suffering of people, or in some cases objects, who had died and got lost in limbo. Panty and Stocking are tasked with their destruction, which allows them to pass on to Heaven, leaving behind Heaven Coins. Although most Ghosts are savage or destructive, some are relatively harmless annoyances or even oppose their true nature and try to live peacefully. Additionally, it is possible to create artificial Ghosts with a complex machine and a Ghoststone, an artifact that absorbs human evil. The resulting replicas are extremely weak, but can be mass-produced at a frightening rate. The mass produced ghosts also produce no Heaven Coins.

Ghosts are usually slain with angelic weapons, but there are other means of destroying them, such as Ghosts killing each other or accomplishing what they wanted to achieve peacefully. Demons appear capable of powering up Ghosts into larger forms, but it is unknown if they can also kill them. As a recurring joke, whenever Panty and Stocking defeat a Ghost with their angelic weapons, a paper-mache model of the Ghost is filmed being blown-up.

Media

Anime

The anime series is animated by Gainax and directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, aired in Japan between October 1, 2010 and December 24, 2010, and is also streamed on Crunchyroll. The series is expected to be released in six DVD/BD volumes over the course of six months, with the first DVD/BD volume released on December 24, 2010,^[3] followed by succeeding volumes near the end of each following month.

In a live commentary held on December 21, 2010, Gainax announced that the final volume, released on May 27, 2011, would include an original video animation episode. This special episode compiles 8 short stories, some of which are sequels/conclusions to earlier episodes of the show.

On April 14, 2011, North American anime distributor Funimation Entertainment announced their license to the series, which is planned for DVD release in 2012.^[4]

The series' animation is done in a distinct style resembling and homaging North American cartoons, much different than Gainax's previous works, along with the Yoshinori Kanada techniques normally associated with Hiroyuki Imaishi's work. The series also has many sexual themes in every episode. Following the broadcast of Imaishi's previous project, Gurren Lagann, the show's staff went on a trip for rest and relaxation. At that time, they aired their opinions to each other under drunken and humorous circumstances, saying such things as "Next time, I want to try this" in regards to approaches to animation. Almost all of the concept for the anime was made during the initial trip; the names of main characters, 'Panty' and 'Stocking' were coined at the very first meeting. The theme of the anime is 'vulgar and indecent jokes', with Imaishi saying, "If we are going to do this, we will try it thoroughly."^[5] Hiromi Wakabayashi, who provided the initial idea for the series, cited American "adult animation" as an inspiration for the show's crudeness.^[6]

Manga

A manga adaptation of the series by Tagro began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace magazine from August 4, 2010.^[7]

Music

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt The Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by TCY FORCE produced by ☆Taku Takahashi
Released	December 29, 2010 (2010-12-29)
Genre	Electronic, dance
Length	78:43
Label	flying DOG
Producer	☆Taku Takahashi

The series' musical score is by TCY Force produced by Taku Takahashi (of M-Flo). The opening theme is "Theme for Panty & Stocking", performed by Hoshina Anniversary, and the ending theme is "Fallen Angel", performed by Mitsunori Ikeda featuring Aimee B. The original soundtrack was released on December 29, 2010.^[8][9] A hidden track is also present on the CD.

The special edition of the volume 4 BD/DVD includes a bonus CD containing television edits of certain songs from the official soundtrack, as well as previously unreleased songs.

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt THE WORST ALBUM
Studio album by TCY FORCE presents TeddyLoid
Released	July 20, 2011 (2011-07-20)
Genre	Electronic, dance
Length	1:12:43.347
Label	flying DOG
Producer	☆Taku Takahashi

A second album titled Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt THE WORST ALBUM was released on 20 July 2011, and features 24 tracks, including remixes of previous songs from the original anime soundtrack, some new songs, as well as "Cherry Corrida" drama tracks.

References

External links

• Official Site - Gainax (Japanese)
• Official Site - Newtype (Japanese)
• Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia