This Week in Anime - Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt - 09

As a former animation major, I've studied and learned many of the little tricks of the animation industry. Particularly, the methods used to cut animation costs.

One of the more blatant in anime is simplifying the keyframes in order to make animation as fast as possible.

This title is notorious for it, and it kind of makes the whole thing look like it was made in Flash.

That said, this episode's first half was much of the same, a simple volleyball match between the angels and demons that ends with much in the way of property damage.

Pretty standard.

The second half, well, it struck an odd chord with me.

The premise is simple. For some reason or another (she says his farts smell sweet) Stocking falls in innocent virginal love with a womanizing douchebag of a Ghost.

This, of course, doesn't sit well with Panty, who is as much looking out for her sister as she is defending her duty as an angel to kill Ghosts.

Stocking doesn't care, and through several musical montagues, it becomes clear that she is willing to go to great extents for her love, even going as far as to plan to elope.

Panty of course, catches wind of this, and moves to intercept their meeting by arriving early, disguised as Panty, and kill the Ghost that had stolen her heart.

But Stocking is soon to arrive, and after a heated argument, the Ghost proposes to Stocking with a turd shaped ring.

Then it all comes together.

The Ghost is the manifestation of all the feelings of men who never found love, and died carrying that sorrow with them. All he wanted was to fall in love, and having done that, was able to pass on.

That struck a personal chord. As even an attic dweller such as myself with more 2D love than I know what to do with, occasionally finds himself wondering what it would be like to have a shared moment of happiness with a young, honest girl.

Of course, I know that'll never happen, but it's still nice to dream, haha.

-Kageryu