First Impressions / Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Episode 7

「ダイエット・シンドローム」 (Daietto Shindorōmu)
“The Diet Syndrome”

Perhaps the one and only foreshadowing this show will ever create and deliver, Stocking finally finds herself getting fat, and no matter how hard she tries, it only results in gaining even more weight. But as it turns out, this is all the cause of a ghoul made of breasts, releasing yeast cells and selling them as toppings on cakes to make every other woman fat as well. A consequence of pure jealousy? Yeah. A mocking physical form of resistance to society’s pressure on feminine beauty? Definitely. A poke at Kuragehime? Probably not.

I laughed, I cried, and hurriedly told a friend to watch PSG episode 4 as soon as possible. This episode was just too funny. I think they tried to stick in some kind of message to people who are dieting, and I’m not so sure it’s a positive one. All in regulation is probably the thing to learn from this episode (wow, we’re learning from this show now?). The best thing about this half was Fat Stocking. Her mild expression had me laughing along with Panty, likely extending my life just a little longer. Oddly enough, I found Fat Stocking to be within the boundaries of those particular things that people find “fat and cute.” Like you know, how Totoro is cute, but fat. Hell, he’s so cute you don’t even think he’s fat. Anyway, the ghoul this time around was incredibly disgusting in concept. Think about it, she squirts mammary fluid… onto cakes as icing… and people eat it. In Stocking’s case, she practically vacuumed it all up at one point, accompanied with some rather nasty sound effects. Also for the first time, we get some “development” on their weapons, as when Stocking’s stockings are stretched, they apparently become limp. Oh, and the transformations continue to degrade in our minds since episode one.

 

Episode 8

「ハイスクール・ヌーディカル」 (Hai Sukūru Nūdikaru)
“High School Nudical”

Disregarding the fact that seeing High School Musical get parodied as a title made me cringe (the title was spot on too, with the lights on the text and everything), the latter half of the episode just wasn’t as funny as the first. I think it needs more Fat Stocking.

If anyone’s still blissfully unaware, Garterbelt is a gay pedophile, which is exactly the reason why he set up this “Lingerie Race”. This is a tidbit you might know already, but Garterbelt’s a playoff of the stereotypical “priests who like to touch boys” that appears every so often in the media. Anyway, the interesting twist this time around is that Panty and Stocking’s weapons have broken against the Ghoul. It’s never explained why, but Panty goes around finding a substitute gun by stealing everyone’s underwear. While Panty’s own gun doesn’t really represent the size of her privates (or does it?), it appears male underwear does, leading as a convenience for a rapid succession of shameless penis mockery. Given last episode’s development of Stocking’s katanas, I’ve gathered that the weapon health/appearance depends on the gun/stocking’s origin/condition, because this is obviously useful information. And did anyone not see Brief’s underwear turning out to be amazing a mile away? The choice of weapon had me laughing though, a damn shotgun.

A Deviant Analysis:
So, it’s been four episodes, and we’ve all seen what PSG is like. Some herald it as the “anti-moe” anime, a piece of work that declares absolute war on what some perceive to be what’s hampering the anime industry. Because these moe/ecchi shows sell well and are relatively easy to create, it’s flooding every season, and poorer studios don’t dare to create an original show for being scared of an early retirement. Given how tight budgets are and how business just works, it’s easy to see why studios would opt for the “sure-fire” way to earn money. Hell, Hollywood has the same damn problem. But this isn’t the point or the argument I’m bringing up, because most of this argument is an exaggeration, and I see enough original series to not really complain.

The main question is PSG’s underlying reason for its existence. Was PSG created solely as a middle finger to those aforementioned shows? Is Imaishi Hiroyuki trying to express his hate for these shows, or is he truly just parodying American culture? A show that seems like a deviant project on the surface, but in reality might contain a message to the entire industry at its core. It’s definitely something interesting to ponder about, but don’t take it too seriously. It’s like.. brain food. 😛

 

53 Comments

      4. @pent:
        This is flash and substance, only neither is in any form we’ve come to expect. Any complaints of how “ugly” this is completely ignore the levels of homage and parody, or the intricately planned out CG, consistently used art shifts, and other animation tricks that clearly show the effort put into it. And while the humor is so overt as to have its overtness become part of the humor, there are still levels of subtlety and detail that catch you on repeat viewings. While it still has plenty of time to screw it up, PSG is well on its way to joining other classics of Gainax animation like TTGL and FLCL.

        quigonkenny
        Reply

    3. Agreed. I’m dropping this anime right now and will proceed to read summaries on RC until I deem this anime worth watching again.

      I’ve seen over 200 series and this is the second anime I’ve ever dropped (first was Bobobo). No generic moe rubbish has ever given me a headache like this one.

      ImperialX
      Reply

  5. Fat Stocking = Eric Cartmen’s lost half sister, i’d declare this another genre, “alternative superfluous satire” ASS for short lol, it’s supporters will appreciate the acronym anyhow! to me it’s just like ren and stimpy and beavis and butthead and that meat and whatever it was, these kind of shows are for balls out having a blast, comparing it to moe anime is pointless, i don’t think it’s shootin at traditional anime it’s just being it’s own thing in my opinion like those other shows. like, no one ever wrote hey that ren and stimpy is hating on smurfs!!! lol

    Breedo
    Reply

  6. That’s a real intriguing analysis, Kiiragi. At first glance anyone would think PSG was just complete overly-over-the-top randomness… but you can see Gainax trying and succeeding to be the anime industry’s biggest troll. Haters gonna hate? Haters already hating. “Gawdawful art!” “Worst main characters ever!” “Totally stupid and pointless.”
    This ain’t no pervy daydream of virgin moeblobs.

    1-31
    Reply

  8. Works for me… I am not locking myself into moe-filled fantasy room. Not that I dont like cutesy characters, just as with sweets a balanced diet must be observed (pun intended!). Plus stabs at real life and popculture are really good.

    ewok40k
    Reply

  16. for some reason this scene made me laugh the hardest. i think it must be panty’s awesomeface. also, do want to see stocking in a ponytail more often.

    i started out loving this show for the stripper henshin, but since that’s clearly not coming back, i’ve learned to love this show just for what it is – really hilarious, pervy fun in an interesting art style. i think it’s a little sad that so many hate on it just because it’s not traditional anime style (though that leaves me wondering why one piece is so popular), but i do hope gainax won’t “pull a gainax” and turn the last few episodes into characters sitting in a dark room talking to themselves or crayon drawings on popsicle sticks and “conversation. conversation. conversation.”

    diet otaku
    Reply

  17. The transformation scene of Fat Stocking (you GOT to bring back ‘Fly Away Now’) was the funniest! I could stop laughing!

    “Some herald it as the “anti-moe” anime, a piece of work that declares absolute war on what some perceive to be what’s hampering the anime industry.”

    I thought it declares war on OUR WESTERN cartoon shows more than the other. He’s probably commenting on all cartoons these days.

    starss
    Reply

  20. “The main question is PSG’s underlying reason for its existence. Was PSG created solely as a middle finger to those aforementioned shows? Is Imaishi Hiroyuki trying to express his hate for these shows, or is he truly just parodying American culture? A show that seems like a deviant project on the surface, but in reality might contain a message to the entire industry at its core. It’s definitely something interesting to ponder about, but don’t take it too seriously. It’s like.. brain food. :P”

    Stop making me think about this show. I’m having quite enough fun watching it without wondering about it’s existence 😛

    garfield15
    Reply

  22. The episodes definitely makes fun of Western shows. I think the creator has fondness over western shows.I wonder what other shows they will have references to? Dr. House? PrisonBreak? hannah montana? guesses any1?

    Jack Vojack
    Reply

    3. Spot On!

      @The haters: Can you just not to see the show? There others show you can watch. Save your (hate) opinions for yourself, like you can change it? Or you just being tsundere?

      Oslos
      Reply

  28. On the deviant analysis: personally, I think this series is a big hammering of the cesspool called Cartoon Network in the US The ceaseless race to the bottom in terms of quality, plots, and false “hipness” on CN is wonderful source material.

    Vexx
    Reply

  29. @Kiragi

    Waging war on the moe? WTF are you talking about? The Gainax people, being the pedophiles that they are, have always fapped to the powerpuff girls. They’re hoping that their fellow pedos would whack to the same crap that they’re on, only this time on jap.

    LOL to all the pedos who love this crap. Same goes to all the pedos who think that borderline smut is “mature” or “adult” should shove their heads up their assholes for disrespecting what “mature” titles mean.

    Meh
    Reply

    1. You just threw the word “pedo” in everything and hope it sounded smart enough for someone to agree with huh? Why are you even here anyway? Just to insult the commenters and viewers?

      garfield15
      Reply

  32. I liked both first and second part, yet im expecting rule 34 on fat stocking, but im disapointed since there isn’t a single pic

    anyway im expecting to see more.

    idk if you dislike the humor or the substance
    but i really hate when they say that the art is shit (i found the art refreshing).

    assholemon
    Reply

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