Seemingly in accordance with Gainax tradition, PSG contains many deep themes of religion, sin, and the struggle between morality and evil. However, it lacks angelic mechs and forehead-limbs. And unlike another religion-themed Gainax title, this show is disappointingly shallow and paralyzingly uncreative. It is pretty much the Japanese equivalent of South Park. (indeed, one segment of the show is done in a “South Park” animation style) With sex-jokes, racism, swearing, and more fan-service and innuendo than some hentai titles all throughout the show, PSG is as unmodest as it is bad.
In my opinion, PSG had potential, lots of it, but the way PSG's creators put (or rather, threw) things togeather fail horribly. I forget where I read it, but I once saw something that claimed PSG’s creators were often drunk or getting drunk during the show’s production. Now, I don’t know if this is true or not, and I kind of doubt they were intoxicated ALL the time, but after watching a few episodes of PSG on the internet, I could see the creators being under the influence of some kind of drug at one point during this show’s creation. And really I only watched one episode. That was all I could muster. Anything else and I think my face would have exploded after turned redder than Scanty's skin.
I have to give one thing to Panty and Stocking: it has quite an awesome Original Sound-Track (OST), which consists mainly of techno and dance music, as well as some pop-rockish stuff. The songs play at various points throughout the show to increase the impact of the scene. PSG's sound-track it one of its few redeeming features.
Another thing that I gleaned from this show was probably the only truly thought-provoking theme of the show, and that is the division between East and West.
Traditional Japanese animation won’t be found in this show, because PSG looks something like a combination of two American cartoons: Invader Zim and The Power-Puff Girls. This is the struggle between Eastern animation and Western animation. Panty, a bona-fide WASP in a red dress and high-heels loves sex and has the dirtiest mouth this side of the Pacific Ocean. Plus she is proud of it and doesn't hide this fact. If anything, she goes out of her way to let people know just how raunchy she is.
Panty is a stereotype of the West, while the relatively quiet and much more modest Stocking represents the East. Stocking's gothic/lolita attire is also a theme of East-Asian, or more specifically, Japanese culture, as such garb is popular among cosplayers of all sorts.
In that regard, Hiroyuki Imaishi, the "creator" of Panty and Stocking had a Panty-like character in his 2002 Title, “Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi.” The American, as this guy is called, is a blatant stereotype of Americans. This guy is on screen for less than a minute, but he’s by far my favorite character in the show. Due to his brand of humor being jam-packed into >60 seconds, it is so much funnier than the humor of PSG, which overdoes its crude humor by shoving it down your throat every single damn episode. Panty is funny for about a minute, then becomes overplayed, drawn-out, and forced.
The f**king American was a lot f**king funnier. F**k yeah!
Overall, Panty and Stocking with Garter-Belt has more cons than pros. It’s few redeeming features are ok in their own regard, but them being stuck in a crap show like this hinders their impact. Only watch this show if you don't mind losing a few I.Q. points, or your virginity for that matter.
/end gigantic wall of text review.
