Posted by Part 1
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「ワンス・アポン・ア・タイム・イン・ガーターベルト」 (Wansu Apon a Taimu in Gātāberuto)
“Once Upon a Time in Garterbelt”
I’ve never liked Garterbelt. I’m glad he never had a huge role, because I have to say, he doesn’t exactly “grace” the screens. Now we’re getting a biographical episode about Garterbelt, filled with a surprisingly epic journey, and yet, I still don’t like him. But hey, I can’t say it wasn’t an interesting episode.
Before Garterbelt was a priest, before he liked young boys in the wrong way, and before he had an afro, he was a badass. He was pretty much your average hoodlum, but soon rose the ranks and obtained riches, women, and power. Then he got sick of it all, and gave it all up. For some reason, God wanted him to be his messenger, but he was like, “screw that.” So as punishment to make him see the light, he sent him back to the age of the dinosaurs to live throughout the ages, enabling him to observe the good and evil of man, ultimately becoming a sage of all wisdom. A rather interesting past, but in a show like this, who really cares about Garterbelt’s past? Panty and Stocking sure as hell didn’t. But questioning triviality is also moot in a show like PSG. At the very least, the episode explains halfway why Garterbelt is in charge of the two angels, and reveals that he is immortal, something which he describes as a curse. It’s almost a tragic story, almost, but his current self doesn’t show any result of any of this, making it seem like Gainax wrote out his backstory over some rounds of sake. But hold on, they did come up with the idea of PSG over a vacation and large sums of alcohol. My god, it all makes perfect sense now.
Besides, where’s the explanation for the hobbies he carries now? Perhaps the countless years of living through the ages has made him a masochist. However, his sexual preference still needs an answer. Maybe in part 2 of “Garter’s Duty.” Actually, please don’t use another episode on that.
Part 2
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「ナッシング・トゥ・ルーム」 (Nasshingu tu Rūmu)
“Nothing to Room”
I have never heard Panty and Stocking talk this much. Actually let me rephrase that, I have never heard them talk this much continuously for more than a couple seconds. In fact, the entire episode took place in one room, driven almost purely by conversation. Some might call this boring, but having had experience with shows that have much longer and denser dialogues than this (Nisio Sin), this wasn’t bad at all. I’m pretty sure an episode like this would be commercial suicide, but I think it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Imaishi doesn’t really give a flying pig what viewers think. The man has got some sort of vision, however flawed and alien it may be for audiences, but it’s apparent that he’s out to deliver it. Maybe PSG really was for shits and giggles.
You may all “know” Panty and Stocking, but they’ve never really been developed outside of what you might read of their character summary. Their conversation may not further any development, but it does make them feel more like real people, a subtle immersion helped with the candid camera viewpoint. Panty is usually never one for much words, let alone appear to have any sort of imagination, but she did just that by showing Stocking a plan to get back up to Heaven. Hell, the fact that she even cares for something other than sex, fame, and cash, gives her just a little more depth than usual. Whatever the case, it was nice to hear them just talk normally to each other, as the norm was usually just shouting random crap at whatever the context deemed.
In the end, it appears they really do want to get back to Heaven, possibly foreshadowing what might happen at the end of the series. It would make a nice ending, leading back to the first episode, where we were introduced to them as Angels stranded on Earth, trying to get back to Heaven by killing Ghouls. Perhaps not coincidentally, the two episodes this time were both developmental, making a nice final outlook on our characters before heading into the big battle. So don’t troll me now Gainax!
Great episodes, especially the second one was like a theatre performance.
the way they switched “scenes” in the second half was brilliant…(fast forwarding)
and that … mouthpiece, never suspected it’s true use when I first saw it.
(man, what a contraption that Garter was using in the end of the first half…)
I’ll be totally honest: when I first saw the mouthpiece I thought it was a watch.
Then I guess you win at Dirty Minds game then?
I’d say that both were good for another reason. They avoid being formulaic.
They avoid being formulaic?
Was that a shot at Star Driver? lol.
It’s a shot at every anime. Getting into a predictable formula is a SERIOUS minus in my book. Whether it’s harem anime where the male lead spends every episode bemoaning his life, post-Eva mecha that pretend to be deep by quoting the bible or action/adventure with the (inevitably) male lead facing a new enemy and requiring new powers (repeated ad nauseam) I don’t want to see it. I want to see series that buck trends, do something different for an episode and don’t ‘follow the leader’.
I notice that they hint that Garterbelt’s time may be up, and Brief may be his replacement at the end of the first half. Notice the Message from Heaven, and the initial’s underneath them at the end of the first half.
The second part felt like they were showing us what a Podcast would look like if Panty and Stocking were to give us one. Haha
Yeah, while watching I actually felt it was similar to listening to the special audio commentary tracks that some shows come with on DVD. Obviously, the dialogue actually matched up, but the characterization and randomness really gave it that feel.
You DIDN’T become a fan of Garter after this? Woah, i, like many others, were compeltely blown by the first episode.
And his sexual preferences can be easily explained
there are two possible reasons
1. He is a stereotype priest, in other words, not allowed to get married with a woman, so he seeks pleasure elsewhere(since this is the most common reason why reallife pedo priest want young boys penises)
2. His long long long live made him pansexuel, he lived so long he doesn’t care anymore what or who he is doing.
I actually enjoyed both episodes. Compared to the lame three-part Chuck episode, Garterbelt episode was much more interesting. Gainax sure likes to mix things up with PSG. It doesn’t always work but it keeps it fresh.
i agree, that chuck thingy was kinda Wack, but at least it served as a Depth of character enhancer for him,but still lame. THIS ep was great though! VARiety truly is the Spice of Life, and Gainax ain’t scared to fail………BUT what the hell did the arrows “G” & “B” mean in his diary????? it makes no sense to just be his initials..
“G” & “B” : Garter Belt
🙁
It’s Nisio Isin
I’m pretty sure an episode like this would be commercial suicide
They’re done all the time, if you assume he’s drawing inspiration from the Bottle Show concept of season production.
Actually, his sexual preference WAS explained – in episode 13, or 12, depending on how you think aboout it. God gave him a mission to look for a penis.
No, really– That explains his initial reaction perfectly, moreso than just oh look he’s a brute. Not to mention well… it IS shaped like a dong.
As for the bondage thing, I’d say that might have something to do with religion and crucifiction? Or it could just be how he and Corset fight, who knows.