Picking up right where the previous series left off, Panty has been cut down into 666 pieces by Stocking - who has revealed herself a demon! Together Garterbelt, Brief and Chuck, along with the help of Scanty & Kneesocks, are able to restore Panty to her original form, who in turn is able to free Stocking from Corset's control. As they return home, the angels invite the demon sisters to come live with them.
From there it's business as usual, as Panty and Stocking continue to battle Ghosts in order to collect Heaven Coins in order to return home. Only this time they have some competition, as the Demon Sisters are also on the same mission to collect Hell Coins. As a whole new troupe of weird and wonderful ghosts appear in Daten City, the girls also face off against angel brothers Polyester and Polyurethane - the angel's cousins who harbour their own agenda for both the girls and heaven itself.
Right from its very beginning, it feels as though New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt set out to make it feel like these characters never went away. 15 years to us equates to five minutes for them, and the premiere episode doesn't skip a beat in carrying on without a moment's hesitation. Despite this the episode still feels very much like a grand return for the series, kicking things off with the showdown fans have been denied for a decade and a half before returning to business as usual. And ultimately that proves to be one of its biggest strengths - that very little seems to have changed. Following its opening episode New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt follows the original's formula of vignette-style episodes, punctuated by a status quo-shifting midseason episode introducing new characters which then returns to vignettes (now featuring said new characters) before a big two-part finale. And in true Panty & Stocking style, you can bet that the show didn't end without once again teasing fans for a follow-up that may never come. It's actually comforting to see that despite all that time away, Trigger never lost any sense of what made the show so beloved in the first place. There are people out there watching New Panty & Stocking that were toddlers when the first series originally aired, and even if they haven't gone back and watched it beforehand (although they definitely should), there isn't much needed here to bring you up to speed.
If there's anything that has changed in the time between the original series and New Panty & Stocking, it's that somehow the show may have actually gotten brasher. Not that the original series ever held back when it came to its debauchery (which was less innuendo and more just outright overt), but it's almost as though Panty & Stocking had something to prove by coming back. There's more swearing, more sex and A LOT more nudity, with most characters' antics amped up in that typically Trigger way. While there's still very much that element of the series that parodies the excess of "adult" American animation, it's also very clear that its creators simply love pushing the show to its limits. And when the end result is this much fun, who can blame them?
With very little having changed between the two series, what new is there to say about its characters? Panty is still a foul-mouthed nymphomaniac and Stocking a sweets-obsessed goth lolita, with the pair constantly fluctuating between a united front and at each others' throats. In terms of story focus New Panty & Stocking does often seem (somewhat unfairly) weighted toward Panty, whose hogging of the limelight does seem true to her personality. That isn't to say Stocking doesn't get any focus episodes, but the show's focus on sex-based humour does lend itself to Panty-centric stories more. As does developing her relationship with "geek boy" Brief, who continues to follow her around and take all of her abuse like a lovesick puppy. On top of that. Trigger even managed to get voice actress Arisa Ogasawara out of retirement to reprise her role so they had to make the most of that. Make no mistake Panty (and even Stocking to a lesser extent) isn't a particularly good person, but it's her "don't give a crap" attitude that makes her so entertaining to watch. The juxtaposition of a sex-obsessed angel might not be particularly deep or clever, but neither is Panty & Stocking for the most part nor is it trying to be.
The shifting of the status quo to feature Scanty and Kneesocks as not only main characters but also protagonists is an interesting one, particularly as it doesn't have quite as much effect on the overall story as one might expect. Having the demon sisters around as the angels' live-in maids is purely just a way as to not have to work them into the story, as well as further highlight the flipped-around nature of rambunctious angels versus prim-and-proper demons. But despite the general attitude of the show perhaps suggesting otherwise Panty & Stocking still has a heart, and "found family" is big part of what makes New Panty & Stocking stick. Both "Project S: The Worst Ever Dojo" and "Six Hundred and Sixty Six Candles" particularly look at the bonds forming between the two pairs of sisters, with the former pairing Stocking with Scanty whilst the latter sees Kneesocks spend some quality time with Panty. Both stories see the pairs reflect on the relationships with their own sisters, as well as strengthen the camaraderie between demon and angel. Kneesocks especially clearly stands out as favourite among the writers, with focus episodes proving to be among the most heartfelt and memorable.
With Scanty and Kneesocks now firmly established as friendly rivals it's time for some new villains to enter the fray, with Panty & Stocking adding a bit of gender equality to its fan service with twink angel boys Polyester and Polyurethane. They're the angels Panty and Stocking could be if the pair actually took their jobs seriously, racking up Heaven Coins with all the latest Ghost-hunting gadgets. Their introductory episode paints them as great adversaries to our heroes, and you can really feel the show shifting into high-gear the same way "Les Diaboliques" did for the original series when it introduced Scanty and Kneesocks. After that their threat is somewhat diminished, appearing to the girls as a regular annoyance but with the recurring joke that if they aren't on the clock, then they don't have any interest in what's going on. While perhaps not the best use of the characters as the joke itself quickly wears out its welcome, Polyester and Polyurethane slip into the established cast effortlessly and still prove to be a lot of fun - whether its hanging out with Garter, Brief and Chuck in "Independence Dick", or revealing their hand alongside their father Ramie in the show's three-part finale. The other new regular that appears is the wonderfully named Gunsmith Bitch, a celestial arms-dealer from who the girls get a new arsenal of lingerie-themed weapons. The finale also sees the girls briefly return home, giving us a look at the show's skewed version of heaven alongside the sisters' parents.
As previously mentioned most episodes see Panty and Stocking bringing down a ghost or two, but there's another big element to the story-telling that's always fuelled the show's success - parody. Whether it's lampooning a particular genre, specific movie or even a trading card game, there aren't many episodes where New Panty & Stocking isn't lovingly taking a swipe at something. Some are just bizarre references loosely related to the episode's storyline, while others are far more focused in their mocking. Who doesn't love lore drops about Stocking's beloved plush Honekoneko in a Terminator-style time travelling tale that also features Tom Cruise for some reason? Even fans aren't safe from the show's over the top style, as evidenced by new background character Super Guy Jin - a portly nerd who proudly exclaims his love for all things Japanese in broken English. The jokes may be often low-brow and chock-full of swear words, but rarely do they miss when it comes to timing or hitting that right level of excess. Trigger even go so far to parody themselves as the angels meet Impact Cop - a 2D rookie cop with a burning that pays homage to one of their earliest productions, Inferno Cop. But behind all that bluster, once again it is important to note that Panty & Stocking has a heart, and when it feels bold enough to show it it results in some surprisingly heartfelt moments. The aforementioned Kneesocks episode is one such example, as is "Pet Cemetery Hills" - where Panty begins to care for a cat ghost she's initially fattening up for Heaven Coins. Of course she does also name that cat after a vibrator, so don't expect those moments to completely devoid of the show's trademark brashness.
With all the focus on how loud and explicit Panty & Stocking is it would be fair to assume that's where its humour begins and ends, but the level of detail Trigger put into these parodies - from basic visual cues such as the girls' outfits to more specific homages, show just how much love the creators have for the things they appear to be mocking. Take "Shoot For Yesterday!" for example, which is essentially just a massive love letter to the work of comics legend Jack Kirby. The episode's visuals are inspired by 60s Marvel cartoons like Fantastic Four and The Marvel Super Heroes, with character designs and panels that are almost directly lifted from his work for both Marvel and DC's The New Gods. The level of detail the show goes to isn't just impressive, it shows a reverence for its (sometimes niche) subject matter right down to the finest detail. Other examples get a little more experimental - "Lord of the Kokan the Great" is a completely dialogue-less adventure that reimagines Panty as a Conan the Barbarian-like figure, who alongside a dragon (Stocking) and scantily clad elf (Brief) battles against an evil two-headed demon (Scanty and Kneesocks). The vignette is very self-indulgent, complete with crackling VHS-esque visual quality to give it that extra level of era-appropriateness. On the other hand, you could get a story like the one it follows on from, parodying both The Thing and Aliens as it reimagines Panty as an alien parasite that absorbs the life-force of men by having sex with them. Or at the most extreme end of the spectrum, "F*ck & Furious", a worringly-accurate ode to The Fast and The Furious where the cast are sperm about to launch during orgasm. You never know what you're going to get with New Panty & Stocking, but you can guarantee that no matter how ridiculous it is it'll certainly be meticulous.
Of course it just wouldn't be Panty & Stocking either without a blistering soundtrack from Taku Takahashi and Teddyloid, who return once again this season. All of the old favourites from the previous series make their return, sometimes even in new forms - on top of new versions of both "Fly Away Now" and "Theme for Scanty & Kneesocks", the pair are also mashed together in a mix that's just as chaotic as the angel and demon's new partnership. The show's new opening theme however marks a new chapter for the show, a more lyrically-focused track that lays out the show's mantra whilst also lending itself far better to use as an insert track. Ending theme "Reckless" also carries a very different vibe, even if it is still paired with chibi-fied versions of the cast (that have finally been brought to life in 3D via Good Smile's HELLO! GOOD SMILE line). Polyester and Polyurethane are also accompanied by their own theme music, a Backstreet Boys-style beat that perfectly fits the pair's pretty boy personas. But none of this really compares to "The Cursing Song" from episode eight's "Fa Fa F*ck", a musical episode done in true Panty & Stocking style. The song is exactly what its title suggests, and once you hear it has every potential to be the anime ear worm of 2025.
15 years is a hell of a wait, but New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt more than delivers what fans have been waiting for. Sensibilities may have slightly changed during that time, but Panty & Stocking certainly hasn't - offering the same level of irreverence and chaos as ever, but with the filth and debauchery somehow dialled up even more. The new status quo is enough to make this season stand out from the previous even if it's essentially following the same format, and the new characters quickly find their place among the favourites. Love it or hate it, Panty & Stocking is unrelentingly itself from start to finish and we wouldn't want it any other way. With an ending that proves just as painfully tantalising as the first, here's hoping it isn't another 15 years before we find out what those angels get up to next.
No comments:
Post a Comment