Day: September 24, 2025

OG Founder: The New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt Review…Sort Of

Aside D&A Anime Blog Uncategorized , , , , , ,

So…how do you wanna do this?

Its over. Its done. Its finally finished.

Episode 12 and 13 of New PSG is officially in the books. There is so much to unpack here in terms of this new season of an old show, so I’ll be doing a speed run ‘spoiled-rotten’ review of the show as a whole, NOT segment by segment (cuz’ that’s too damn long)! Hope you got your runnin’ shoes on, cuz’ HERE WE GO!!

Oh…hello.

[NPSG Episode 1 & 2: SEGMENTS #1, #2, and #3]

We pick up where we left off 15 years ago (5 minutes in PSG time). Brief, Garter, and the Demon Sisters set off to collect Panty’s pieces. We find out that Stocking is NOT a damn demon, she’s just brainwashed by Corset. He tries to control her more, but ends up becoming “Super-Sized Bitch” (Her ghost form). Corset said “Fxck Plan A”, and went with Plan-B; have Stocking open up Hell’s Gate. Brief and the others collect 665 pieces of our bitch angel (as well as a TON of other tomfoolery), only for the last piece to be inside chuck. He spits it out, Brief and the others bring that piece to Panty, the BITCH is back, and she and Stocking have a Godzilla-vs-Kong style battle. Corset dies for good, the angels are back to normal, the Demon Sisters are now part of the main cast. MOVING ON!

Episode 2 is a remix of episode 1 of the original series. The cast is reintroduced, a ghost appears, there’s now Heaven and Hell coins to collect, and we get a remix of “Fly Away” and “I Want You” from TeddyLoid; during the angels and demons transformation. The ghost dies, there’s 420 in the air, and we move onto segment 3! If you like Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh, then you’ll probably like this one. Panty owes the American equivalent of $3 billion, so she shakes up Brief as he tells here there’s a rare card worth that amount. A ghost shows up as a vengeful card player, Panty beats it with “Blue Eyes White Uncle”, end of story! I told you we’re speed running through this, so watch the season for more in depth info.

[NPSG Episode’s 3-5: SEGMENTS #4-#6, #7-#9, #10-#12]

Panty and Stocking have another beef, so Garter send Stocking and Scanty to handle a samurai ghost. They master the ways of the samurai, while having a moment about big sisters, and why they’ll always look out for their younger siblings. Stocking and Scanty lock in, and kill the ghost. (Panty and Stocking make up afterwards.) The next segment is basically what happens when you give an anime/cartoon character a cellphone, and an IG page. The third one of episode 3 is a “Fast & Furious” parody, and they even did THAT scene in the end. (Real ones know.)

Episode 4; Stocking is in the running to become president, so Brief and the others get a campaign going—only to lose to See Through. (Stocking gets a solo trans formation and kills the ghost by the way.) Next segment; Panty destroys a gravestone that belongs to a cat, and Panty bonds with it—only for it to be purified and its soul goes to rest. (This is the most heartwarming side of Panty all season.) Next segment is a tribute to Jack Kirby, so go watch it, I don’t have time to explain it!

Episode 5; straight Scanty and Kneesocks segment, as Scanty gotta take a sh!t, while a ghost is causing a fuss. Her and Kneesocks lock in and kill it, while Scanty finally had a flush. Next segment; Garter protects a ghost that looks like Mikey from TMNT—only to be possessed by it. Panty and Stocking kill the ghost and save Garter…or so we thought. Next segment; a big homage to B-Movie Horror flicks, as well as ‘the-dumb-blondes-always-die’ troupe.

The Cotton Candy Twinks Are Here!

[NPSG Episode 6: SEGMENT #13]

The Poly Boys are HERE!! Polyester and Polyurethane pull up (Gen-Z slang and all), and give their cousins (YES COUSINS) Panty and Stocking a hard time—and NOT in the good way. The cotton candy boys thought sh!t was sweet, but they FORGOT whose name is on the title card! We’re then treated to the most beautifully-executed and sexually-charged transformations, that’ll make any virgin bust a nut. The boys lose, we’re introduced to Ramie (you’ll find out why I hate him later), and we get some plot that will become important to the story later.

[NPSG Episode 7-10: SEGMENTS #14, #15, #16-#18, #19-#21, #22, #23]

Garterbelt, Brief, and Check get sick and tired of the angels and demons bossing them around. They go to Casino City, meet the Poly Boys again, face a ghost—only for the Poly Boys to steal their kill. The end! Next segment; Panty and Stocking do 25 to life, but play some NFL Football to get acquitted. (I’m taking Scanty over Mahomes any day!)

Episode 8; its pretty much “Inferno Cop” but as a parody, and its like this for the next 2 segments. The third one is a musical, where Panty’s tongue gets cut off for saying bad words. That is until ghosts possesses her mouth and gives her the ability to sing. Go watch the episode for more, cuz’ again—I don’t have time to explain it!

Episode 9. WE FINALLY GET A STOCKING SEGMENT!! Stocking gang, RISE UP!! So best girl awaits for a legendary treat at the top of a summit. She has a Rock-Paper-Scissors battle, but loses. Then 100 million Stocking-variant ghosts pull up, and so does Polyurethane—but dips mid flight, leaving Stocking pissed off and calling Gunsmith B!tch for help. Let’s just say Stocking won the battle, but lost the war. Next segment; the Poly Boys try to figure out Panty and Stocking’s weaknesses, so they pull up to the church to do so—and it doesn’t go as planned. (At least to them, anyway.) Next segment; a rather touching episode featuring Kneesocks, as she turns 666 this episode. Panty becomes an adoptive big sister, they fight another ghost who eats the Poly Boys, and Scanty gets her sister new glasses. Episode 10 is pretty much an Alien/Species parody, with the second segment being Conan the Barbarian. MOVING ON!!

[NPSG Episode 11: SEGMENTS #24-#26]

This one’s a Brief and Chuck segment! There’s not much to say about it, so go watch the episode if you wanna know more. Next segment; Indiana Brief, Pangelia Jolie, and Stocking are in an ancient ruins looking for a pen!s rock. They run into the Demon sisters, they have a Season 1 Episode 6 battle, the ghosts appears and absorbs Brief, and the Poly Boys do a cameo. Next segment; another STOCKING SEGMENT!! LET’S GO!! Honekoneko’s torn, Tom Croose Jr. appears from the future 2049 (or something), Stocking fights him, then looks for Gunsmith to travel back in time. They find a younger Garterbelt who was the one who made Honekoneko, and fixes the one that Stocking brought to him. Somehow—Stocking messed up the timeline, and hilarity ensues.

Ramie on that “Uncle Scar” timing…

[NPSG Episode 12 & 13: SEGMENTS #27, #28, #29, and #30]

Episode 12 is a Christmas special centered around Kneesocks, as she and the gang are trying to go to Lingerieland. This segment is pretty much the calm before the storm. Next segment; Panty, Stocking, and the rest of the gang go to Heaven, and meet the Anarchy sister’s parents—who got caught in a scandal. Ramie appears with the Poly Boys, steals the crown to become the King of Heaven, turns Panty and Stocking’s parents to stone—and ‘seemingly’ kills them.

Episode 13 picks up where episode 12 left off. Ramie is in his ‘Uncle Scar’ arc, and plans to overthrow Heaven, and start a war with Hell. Brief and Garterbelt find their way back into Heaven, Panty and Stocking try to stop their uncle and the Poly Boys, but end up getting turned to stone. Final segment—all hell breaks loose in Heaven. Panty and Stocking seemingly ‘died’ at the hands of their uncle and the Polys, and thought sh!t was sweet. Once again, they FORGOT whose name is ON THE TITLE CARD!! Plot armor gets explained by Garterbelt, as the Anarchy and Demon sisters run the fade with Ramie and the Poly Boys. Studio Trigger does Studio Trigger things, Ramie and the boys get a vacation, the king and queen of Heaven are back on the throne, and the gang go to Lingerieland. Brief confesses his love to Panty, so that ship has finally sailed. Happy ending right? Nah. The king of Hell pulls up, drags Panty and Brief down with em’, and we get another cliffhanger of an older Stocking who is now a priestess; with the son of Panty and Brief, and the daughter of…well you’ll have to wait another 15 years.

Ok, I’m done!

…No I’m not!

[Praise and Grievance]

While the second season of New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt didn’t miss a beat when it came to the animation and action, as seen in the original series. It didn’t go without a praise as well as a grievance from the OG fans, and the new fans. So, here it is.

PRAISE: We Got A Second Season!

After the cliffhanger from the original series, fans were begging for a second season. They waited years and years, as the team that worked on the original series, left to form Studio Trigger. With PSG in Gainax limbo, a second season didn’t seem possible—until Studio Trigger got the rights back in 2022. The year after that we got a promo, and the year after that we got a teaser and the main trailer, and this year, we got the second season!

GRIEVANCE: The OG Cast Got Recast!

This one is one of the biggest grievances if you’re an OG fan of the OG season. Jamie Marchi and Monica Rial do NOT return as the beloved title characters from the first season, as they and the rest of the cast got recast. Why? Because Amazon bought the streaming rights, and thus took the dub to L.A. (meaning its dubbed by a different studio, that being Pixelogic Media). Believe me when I say this ruffled the feathers of OG fans, while many newer fans admitted they were going to miss the original cast, but hoped OG fans would at least give Courtney Lin and Cristina Vee a chance. They both know how legendary the OG dub is (thanks to Jamie and Monica), and that they were going to work twice as hard to match their energy. Me personally, they didn’t do too bad, but for many OG fans—they know what’s in their heart; they want a redub/director’s cut with Jamie and Monica! (Also the writing didn’t hit the same since Jamie is not the lead writer.)

In Conclusion…

The 15 year wait was worth it, and we hope we don’t have to wait another 15 years.

As of this post, I’ll be taking a break from reviewing anime and posting about it. Like I said, I post whenever I feel like it.

OG Founder!

Out!

The Straw Hat Pirates Flag Waves Around the World

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

All over the world, people are raising the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat Pirates, and those in power are afraid.

In its nearly three decades of publication by Shonen Jump, One Piece has become an international phenomenon. Eichiro Oda’s legendary manga has become the most successful of all time, making the man himself one of the most successful authors in history. He’s up there with the likes of Shakespeare, and it’s not hard to see why. People from all walks of life love One Piece for its action, sense of adventure, and the beloved characters that make up the heart and soul of the story. And at the heart of the story are the Straw Hat Pirates, known in-universe and without for their Jolly Roger featuring their captain’s iconic straw hat. For Luffy and the crew, it’s a symbol of the fun to be had in their adventures. For their many, many friends, it’s a symbol of joy and hope. But for those who abuse their power, it’s pretty much their worst nightmare.

That last bit is especially important, as lately, that is what the flag of the Straw Hat Pirates has come to represent to those who stand to lose their power.

How this All Started

It started this past summer in Indonesia. People were fed up with the numerous issues facing their country, especially regarding corruption among those in power. People stopped flying the country’s flag. Instead, they started flying the Straw Hat Pirates’ Jolly Roger in protest. Some government officials saw this as acts of treason and sedition and tried to have it banned. But the flag stayed.

Then came the events in Nepal, one of the poorest and demographically youngest nations in the world. In September 2025, the Nepalese tried to ban two dozen social media platforms. They claimed it was due to them failing to meet new rules, but many believed it was because social media was being used to show just how unfair life was for those not born into privilege. In response, people took to the streets, and among them were those waving the Straw Hat Pirates flag. Once again, it became a rallying symbol for those fed up with how things were going for their nations. Look on the protests Wikipedia page at the time of this writing, and you’ll see an image of the Straw Hat Jolly Roger on there.

Since then, the flag has continued to spread. At protests around the world, people are waving the Straw Hats Flag, uniting people under its banner. It’s becoming more than just a symbol of the popular manga and anime. It’s becoming a real life symbol of rebellion, defiance, and freedom.

The Straw Hats have Always been about Freedom

The crazy thing is, all of this is in line with what One Piece is about: freedom.

There are several major themes behind the story of One Piece, but one of the biggest is that of freedom. All Luffy and the Straw Hats want to do is live their lives however they see fit, no matter what the rules may say. Fortunately for the world, the Straw Hat Pirates are naturally friendly and don’t seek to use their freedom to take it away from others. In fact, everywhere the Straw Hats go, they end up changing people’s lives for the better, bringing joy and saving them from oppression. At first, it was assumed that they were doing this simply because they were just that nice. But as One Piece has continued, their actions have take on a more significant light.

As the series has progressed, it’s become increasingly clear that the world they live in is one shrouded in darkness and misery. From other pirates to the government that rules the world under a false guise of benevolence, there are too many people who oppress and hurt others for their own gain. The World Government, in particular, is one of the most corrupt organizations in all of fiction. They’re willing to let most of the world be swallowed by the sea to keep themselves in power, deluding themselves by thinking they’re gods. And their corruption inspires others to follow suit, creating a chain of misery that keeps most of the world enslaved without realizing it. But the Straw Hats keep getting in the way.

It’s eventually revealed late in the manga that there’s a reason why Luffy has his powers and seems to change things for the better wherever he goes. As it turns out, his powers mark him as the incarnation of an ancient sun god, Nika, the Warrior of Liberation. Nika is said to go around playing the fool, using his rubbery body to defy the laws of the world and bring smiles to all those who are oppressed. In other words, Luffy is the second coming of Pirate Jesus. Thus, his flag becomes more than just a pirate flag: it’s the embodiment of freedom itself.

And people in the real world are taking a page from Luffy’s book.

Maybe the World Needs the Straw Hats right Now

There’s no getting around it: the world kind of stinks right now. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for people to stay afloat, while those in power continue to accumulate wealth and gain more influence. Many people likely wish for the chance to change things for the better, but either don’t know how or are scared to try. That is why Luffy and the Straw Hats have become so popular amongst younger generations. Luffy may not care about changing the world for the better, his willingness to call everyone he meets a friend means that he and his crew will inevitably get involved in fighting whatever tyrant is making people miserable. People see Luffy as an inspiration, and the growing popularity of One Piece proves how much of an impression the series is leaving on the younger generation. Thus, it’s inevitable that when fans take to streets to fight oppression in real life, they use the flag of the Straw Hat Pirates as a rallying cry. More than any one nation or ideology, One Piece is uniting the world. And the world is starting to notice.

There’s no telling where things will go from here, but the more people use the Straw Hats Flag, the more it gets attention. It’s doubtful that Oda intended for the protagonists he created to become political symbols, but the fact that their flag is unifying people across the world is a testament to how much he’s changed it for the better. Who knows? Perhaps by the time One Piece concludes, it will have brought about world peace. At this point, not even that sounds impossible!