The Trigger “Secret” You MUST Know Before New Panty & Stocking
Panty and Stocking with Garabel might go down
as one of the most iconic animes from the 2010s. Still beloved, cosplayed, and talked about to
this very day. It’s undoubtedly an era definfining anime and arguably one of the last truly great
shows from Gynax. And now with Studio Trigger officially announcing the new Panty and Stocking
with God, the internet has exploded. And it got me thinking, why is this show still relevant after
all this time? And after a 15-year cliffhanger, does it truly deserve a sequel? Panty and
Stocking with God belt was the final standout anime from the now defunct but still undoubtedly
legendary studio Gynax. Most fans recognize Gynax as the studio behind Evangelion. But their legacy
extends far beyond that. After exploding into the scene with Evangelion, Gyax continued to push
boundaries with bold experimental hits like Fuyikuri and Tangan Topper Gun Lagan. Of course,
not everything they produced was a gamecher. They had their share of misses, but Gynax constantly
delivered beloved cult classics such as Gunbuster, Nardia, The Secret of Blue Water, and even Moka
Box. Pantion Stocking, however, marked the end to an incredible era. Around the mid 2000s, Gynax
were experiencing an identity crisis. Hideki Ano Evangelion’s creator officially left to form
Studio K in 2006 so he could work on the rebuild of Evangelon films and a bunch of veteran staff
followed him. This sparked considerable concern within the anime community. Was Gynax done for?
Were the glory days over? Then 2007 hit and Guran Lagun exploded. Directed by Hiroyuki Imayishi, it
became a breakout success, giving Gynax a second wind that paved the way for Panty and Stocking
with Garter Belt. So after Grunlen wrapped, the staff went on a celebratory trip. Picture this,
a bunch of animators, probably a few drinks in, yelling, “What if angels fought devils and turned
into weapons?” Hiomi Wakabayashi recalls visiting Pixstar and chatting with Grant Alexander and he
said, “A few years ago, I along with other Ginax staff at an American convention were watching
an American TV animation drawn together. We couldn’t believe they were showing such explicit
things on TV.” I thought, why don’t we do that? Panty and Stalking with Guardell dropped during
a wild transition era for animation. In the West, animation was getting bolder, and in Japan,
studios were still split on how to move forward with the digital tools. Take 2009’s Redline as
an example. It took 7 years and over 100,000 handdrawn frames. That film was a love letter
to the analog craft just as the industry was shifting fully towards digital productions. Styles
varied like crazy. From the early 2000s to 2010s, you had shows with wild approaches in aesthetics.
Eureka 7, Mui, Erggo, Proxy, Black Lagoon, and Welcome to the NHK. Patty and Stocking slid right
into the end of that experimental wave. But that’s all great, Alex. What is the actual show all
about? The Anarchy sisters, Hanty and Stocking, have been kicked out of heaven for, let’s say,
serious behavioral issues. Under the guidance of their not very holy priest, Garter belt, they’re
tasked with earning their way back by defeating ghosts in Bizaarre in this hyper stylized Dayton
city. Their weapons of choice, well, of course, it’s their own underwear. Panty turns hers into a
gun. Stocking transforms hers into jewel katanas. They’re joined by Chuck, a bizarre doglike
sidekick portraying chaotic cartoon mascots from the classic American animation. Think Gur
from Invader Zim. Then there’s Brief, the awkward but earnest human who often serves as the straight
man amidst this chaotic, slowly becoming someone the sisters sort of rely upon. Though there’s
an overarching goal of getting back to heaven, most of the episodes are far more about the sinful
hy [ __ ] sex sweet slapstick and stylish ghost slaying. Each episode feels more like a chaotic
short with bold animation shifts and parodies a glor. The final episode, which spoiler warnings
for a 15-year-old show, Stocking is suddenly revealed to be a demon all along. She slices Panty
into cubes with the only way to save Panty is for Brief and Chuck to go into the demon base. No
buildup, barely an explanation, just pure absurd cliffhanger energy. Portraying those American
cartoons that will have random endings that will get you to come back to the same time, to the same
place. The second season never came. For years, fans were left hanging in some ironic way. That’s
almost a parody in and of itself. But frankly, my favorite part about Pante and Stocking with
Guyabel is that the show itself oozes personality unapologetically itself. Sometimes it looks cheap,
leaning into lowbudget gags and jittery movements and then suddenly gorgeous fluid animation or then
liveaction actual model explosions showcasing that there really is a method to the madness. The sheer
reach of visual references could be a video in and of itself of western cartoons, anime tropes,
pop culture. Truly, nothing is off the table. The character designs as well in and of themselves
are not only iconic but a striking distinction from much of anime. Due to their simplicity
and boldness of their silhouettes, they’re adaptable across countless art styles and yet
remain instantly recognizable with their visual identity. Even 15 years later, when people cosplay
these characters, they’re instantly recognizable. But if the visuals are captivating, the soundtrack
is legendary. Panty and Stocking might go down as having one of the best anime soundtracks
of all time. Teddy Lloyd takes the lead with pulse pounding tracks and an unforgettable theme.
Ty Force and other contributors keep the vibes tight and the chaos flowing. It’s runchy, hype,
sleek, and occasionally surprisingly emotional. Tracks like D City Rock and Fly Away just hit so
different and are timeless. But it’s songs like Tangga Step that I’ve had playing throughout this
whole section showing that the show has room to breathe. It’s not all sex jokes and explosions.
There’s a rhythm, a mood, and even a stillness beneath the madness. After Panty and Stocking,
another wave of talent walked out from Gynax. This time they formed Studio Trigger, which leads
us into that question. Does Panty and Stocking deserve to have a follow-up? The answer lies
in who is making it. What was a young bunch of animators and creatives using Panty and Stocking
with a garter belt for? After years of working on a franchise, Panty and Stocking was the creative
pressure valve release. The only studio in the world that would have the right, no, the claim to
perform a sequel, a reboot, whatever we’re calling this, would be Studio Trigger right off the backs
of winning the Crunch Anime Awards in 2023 with Cyberpunk Edge Runners and the beloved Delicious
in Dungeon, but also made the standout Kill the Kill, which used learnings of the American
animation from Panty and Stocking to innovate But along with countless more of which I all
adore and in some respects most of Studio Triggger’s backlog probably deserve videos in and
of themselves at some point. Trigger’s return to Panty and Stocking with God almost feels like a
homecoming. This was that safe territory where they could honestly throw all sorts of wacky,
wild, and unhinged ideas at the wall. See what they and the audience liked. Break it. try it
again and from there they could innovate into future projects. So does it deserve a follow-up?
Well, we the audience were never the ones to make the call. It was always Trigger and the talent
that left Gynax if they wanted to return to their original story and to give it a follow-up. And for
this, I can’t wait to see what they’ve cooked up. But are you a longtime Panty and Stocking fan?
Are you going to watch it despite maybe if you didn’t watch it before? Or has any of this video
even enticed you to go watch it? Cuz by the way, you absolutely should. But my core advice for all
of you is just don’t take this show too seriously. It’s a parody of the genre of anime and western
cartoons and the absurdity of it all cranked up to a thousand. But with that all said, thank you so
much for watching and I’ll see you all very, very
With the NEW Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt almost upon us, it felt fitting to reflect back on the anime that came out 15 years ago and understand what made it so iconic. While I also wanted to ask the question:
Does it deserve to have a sequel after all this time?
#anime
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