Since becoming an anime fan back in the late 90’s (early 2000’s), I’ve gone through somewhat of a cycle; it usually starts from curiosity, and ends with ‘please let there be a season 2 of this show’. Over the last decade-and-a-half or so, I’ve heard this term for anime titles that don’t fully commit to its source material that its trying to adapt from; or even completely go in a whole different direction. Anybody that’s an FMA fan already knows what this term means, and if they’re an FMAB fan, then they already know a handful of anime titles (both old and new) that could use this sort of treatment in terms of plot, and character development. This treatment is known as “The Brotherhood Treatment”. 

Anybody that’s seen Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood knows that this title is…a perfect anime. I say this because it is a perfect anime to start with if you’re looking to get into the anime fandom. If you’re gonna watch this series, then go for the 2009 version that is ‘Brotherhood’. The 2003 original was good…until it ‘Game of Thrones Season 6’d’ us near the end and STOPPED FOLLOWING THE DAMN LORE!! So yeah, watch 09′ if you’re gonna watch Fullmetal. Just putting it out there.

Now this series gave birth to the term ‘The Brotherhood Treatment’ around the 2010’s when the manga and anime ended, to signify how anime should be adapted 100% faithfully to its manga. If you ask any anime fan on the street if there should be an anime title out there that could use this treatment, 9 times out of 10 they’re probably going to say Rosario + Vampire – and I agree with them! I saw both seasons of the show, looked at the manga and thought that exact same thing the majority of fans were thinking:

It’s NOTHING like the manga! T.T

No, it isn’t. As much as I like goofy, ecchi stuff from time to time, I actually think that if the artists were given enough time (and the production budget was bigger), that they could’ve made the series true to its manga counterpart. Instead it became an ecchi/harem title from the 2000’s that half of the fandom loved, and the other half hated. The ‘Brotherhood Treatment’ wasn’t just about an anime adaptation being faithful to its manga source material, but not falling into the common traps that you see in modern anime today. FMA Brotherhood didn’t have ‘background’ or ‘one-note’ characters that only appeared for a short time and then never seen again. It also didn’t have any characters that ‘had’ to fit any kind of trope or plot device; and found a way to be more than just another Shonen through themes like Militarism, Religion, Faith vs. Fact, Race, and Science. Its no wonder fans call this one of the greatest anime of all time.

(I am NOT gonna talk about the “Dog” scene, okay? Do. Not. Ask!)

So for me, the ‘Brotherhood Treatment’ is ideal for titles that the original fandom felt like its original version lacked in certain critical areas; which is usually story and character development. Any title that is going to take a world-building approach to their story if it calls for it, should try looking into how FMA Brotherhood approached it – actually…how Hiromu Arakawa approached it. The icing on the cake for this series, and why it is a perfect anime to start with on your anime journey, is the fact that it’s done!

Yeah, its done. It will not be added upon; as all loose ends have been tied up, and all characters’ missions and purposes have been fulfilled. It’s one of those anime titles where you actually leave 100% satisfied; no questions asked. What anime title out there can do that in this day and age? Not a single one! One Piece is great (do not get mad at me for this), but I do NOT have the time to sit through 1000+ episodes that will take me two or three years to get through; when I can knock FMA Brotherhood out in one week at 64 episodes. You can get through a modern anime season or series in just six hours because most of them don’t go past 11 or 12 episodes. (MHA took the seasonal route and manages to keep the quality fresh every season, so when I say you can get through a series in six hours, I mean the ‘B-E tier’ ones.)

Okay, so that will do it for me and my thoughts, but what do you guys think? Are there any titles out there that could use the ‘Brotherhood Treatment’? Let us know in the comments below!

Until next post, stay nerdy! 😉

In the time I’ve spent watching anime, I’ve come across the various types of villains that you would see in specific types of anime within the medium; your action-fantasies, your isekais, your rom-coms, your mechas, and your psychological thrillers. In the spectrum of villainhood there are three types that can range from intellectually challenged, to god-tier terrifying. The first of which is your Simple Villains; your Saturday Morning Cartoon troupe kind of villains (Ginyu Force and King Dedede types). The second is your God Complex Villains; where mortal rules don’t apply and they can pass judgement on whomever they want (Goku Black and Light types). The third and perhaps most dangerous one of them all, is your Sympathetic Villains. How are they the worst? We can see a part of our selves in their actions, ideologies, and personalities.

One sympathetic villain in particular caused the whole world to fall into world-ending despair. Many are still in disbelief that this ‘Early 2000’s High School Cheerleader Valley Girl’ type of girl with a ‘Harley Quinn’ complex, is the reason the world went bat-crap crazy. Its also the reason why Danganronpa fans simp over her. She’s the Queen of Despair, Junko Enoshima.

Some time in 2018 I stumbled upon this series through Youtube, which is where I spend most of my time watching anime these days. I watched all of Danganronpa: The Animation and came to the conclusion of…why I don’t like Junko Enoshima that much. Its like you wanna punch her in the face the moment she opens her mouth; which is what my initial first impression of her was after watching the show. As the years went by this toe fungus of a woman started growing on me, which might explain why I’m even doing a One-2-One on her to begin with. The creator even stated that Junko doesn’t even have a reason to do what she does; she had no trauma-filled childhood, no abusive parents, and no negative experiences to shape who she became around her. She’s just bad because she is – and there’s not much else to it! Yeah, I know! (It’s even more crazy because of the fact that she was born on Christmas Eve.)

Junko Enoshima represents the worst of humanity, while Makoto Naegi represents the best of humanity. Its a Ying-Yang situation as the two of them clashed at the end of the series; with Junko losing, but not before committing suicide instead of surrendering to hope. I know many don’t like to think of this as a deep series, but with the psychological themes of hope and despair behind it, it’s hard not to.

Part 1: Who is The Ultimate Despair?

Okay, so I know that there are certain differences between Game Junko and Anime Junko, but for this One-2-One I’ll be focusing more on Anime Junko (but add a few elements from Game Junko). So Junko’s childhood (along with her sister) was abject to say the least, and was even homeless at one point. Her taste for despair may have started in elementary school with her friend Yasuke Matsuda; where she built a sandcastle as people watched her work, played in the school playground for a bit, then came back to find out that the sandcastle was destroyed. Upon hearing her cries Yasuke looked around for the person responsible and found no one, then while he was sitting on the bench Junko ran up to him and told him that she was the one who did it by accident (though we know that ain’t true).

As the years went by Junko was planning on something big; something that would change the whole world, and NOT for the better. She got a modeling career and was featured in all of the latest magazines and became an idol due to her extravagant tastes. Eventually she got accepted into Hope’s Peak Academy as a part of the 78th Class, and the rest was history.

Part 2: Junko Enoshima: The Ultimate Despair!

Junko Enoshima during her first appearance is pretty much like Aqua; only with a successful modeling career and NOT a useless goddess. However…her true personality is far more cryptic and unpleasant. She’s apathetic and easily bored to an unhealthy degree, and somehow got Multiple Personality Disorder in the process. Junko’s not one to keep just one ‘appearance’ for long; which makes her mentally and emotionally unpredictable, and anxiety-inducing when having a conversation with her. She values despair above anything else and wishes to ‘paint the whole world’ in it, as she believes its the great unknown, and unpredictable. As mentioned before; she has no reason to do the things she does, but she does them because that’s who she is.

Although she doesn’t look it, Junko is rather highly intelligent. (Yeah, we can’t believe it either.) She’s also cunning, violent, manipulative, impulsive, toxic as hell, and cruel. She’s also mentally and emotionally abusive to her sister and anyone associated with her. Junko even manipulates people into committing crimes and then turns around and blames them for even doing it in the first place – even though SHE’S THE REASON WHY THEY DID IT IN THE FIRST PLACE! (Yeah, I really didn’t like her when I first saw her.) Basically when it comes to despair; even if she loses, she wins. Her skills on the other hand are exactly what I aforementioned before; her analytical talent in predicting the latest fashion trends, mathematical problems, subliminal messaging, and more. Because she’s able to predict what a person will do before they do it, it lead to her boredom and why she chose despair because of its unpredictability. Also due to the fact that she’s the Ultimate Despair, she uses her talent to exploit their weaknesses and manipulate them to do whatever she commands.

I’m also gonna point out she has no physical fighting capabilities whatsoever, but if she had Goku Black’s fighting prowess she would’ve been even MORE dangerous than she is now. (*laughs*)    

Part 3: The Legacy of Despair!

Junko Enoshima is the embodiment and amalgamation of despair, and what it can do to people’s lives and how they feel. She’s everything you may despise about others and even yourself, and the corruption and sorrow that takes place in our world (even today); all wrapped up in the form of a ditzy high school cheerleader-looking anime antichrist. She may not have Goku Black’s power level or ‘god ki’, or even share the same philosophy that Light has (but then again, it might be on a more ‘complex’ level only she understands), but as a sympathetic villain she has the power to turn people against one another and bring out their absolute worst. Junko has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and doesn’t believe she is even at fault for how The Tragedy turned out – because it went just the way she wanted it to go.

While I may have a love/hate relationship with this character, I kinda feel bad for her. She could’ve been anything, but she was made to be the embodiment of despair. It’s all she knows and its her destiny. Junko will probably never be anything more than what she is because that’s all she is; a person who manipulates people to do her bidding, causing people to fall in love with despair (and her), and falling deeper and deeper into the abyss of despair with no hope of returning. She’s a character that you both want to feel sorry for, but glad she ‘punished’ herself in the name of despair.

May you rot in hell you disgustingly loveable THOT! (I really don’t like this girl very much, do I? XP)

After hearing the news from this year’s Anime Expo, I like many others who are a part from the PSG fanbase, was floored. I don’t know why it took them this long to do this; though there hasn’t been much new information since the announcement, but at long last Panty & Stocking is getting a second season. While its been 12 years since the first season came out, a LOT has changed in the atmosphere – mainly among the ranks of social justice and political correctness. In the beginning of the year I made an article about PSG, and wondered if the show would still hold up in 2022, and depending on who you ask, many would say we’d need it now more than ever. One character in particular doesn’t give a f@#k about political correctness, and thumbs her nose at the law on a regular basis. She also apparently gets more screen time than her fan-favorite sister, and takes the ‘brawn-over-brain’ approach when it comes to hunting ghosts. She’s Panty f@#$%&g Anarchy!

Siblings in anime have always been interesting to me; from your caring ones like Mirajane and Lisanna (from Fairy Tail), to your estranged ones like Sasuke and Itachi (Naruto). Panty and her sister Stocking kinda have a ‘Cain and Abel’ relationship in certain situations, but at the same time they also kick ass together when needed. Also much like gothic best girl, Panty is able to transform her namesake into her primary weapon of choice; the pistol. Her goal while in Daten City is to pretty much screw 1,000 men before going back to Heaven, and I’m not even going into the repercussions one will receive if they decide to go this route. Besides being the popular one among large crowds of people, and being an ass to her sister, Panty has a rebellious streak towards authority – particularly the Demon Sisters. She’s not afraid to speak her mind or gives a damn about political correctness, so basically Panty is the Revy of the series. (There is GOING to be a character comparison post on Panty and Revy, I am NOT sorry!)

Part 1 – So, who the hell is Panty Anarchy?

Okay, so there’s really not a lot you can say about Panty’s origins, because much like Stocking, no ones knows how she became an angel (or fallen angel) in the first place. Many have speculated that during the end credits of every episode, Panty and her sister are human and seen in the various ways that the two of them could’ve died; by train, by car accident, by being stranded in the desert, shot to death, or being decapitated by Chuck. While there’s no real origin story from the creator himself, Panty and Stocking are just angels who ended up in Daten City after being kicked out of Heaven for being too raunchy. I will say that the 13th episode might hold a clue to who Panty was in her former life, but I’d also take that with a grain of salt because the whole thing was staged in order to get Panty to return to Daten City to save Brief during the Hellsgate chaos.    

Part 2 – Panty’s Personality and Skill Set

It should be obvious but Panty has been portrayed as the ‘Hollywood Celebrity’ character of the series. She’s always on the hunt for new men to sleep with in just about every episode (even robot men). She has a spiteful attitude towards her sister, Brief, and of course Garterbelt, and doesn’t actually take her job at hunting ghosts seriously. Panty is also shameless with no moral compass, and has on various occasions danced half-naked on a stripper pole (or full nude in pornos) in front of live audiences. She’s also kinda envious of her sister when it comes to maintaining her figure; as Stocking can eat a truckload of sweets without gaining a single pound. Panty also has no strategy when fighting ghosts, as she believes pure power gets the job done. However, this also causes her to be the most vulnerable when it battle – especially during the heat of the moment when she has to improvise using actual guns compared to her angelic weapon.

While she may be reckless in the way she fights, Panty does have a serviceable amount of skill. She can transform her panties into Backlace; her weapon of choice. If she also has two pairs of panties, she can also create a second gun (or Backlace II) or combine them into a sniper rifle or sub-machine gun. Panty’s weapons have the power to hurt demons, ghosts, and other angels (going by what Stocking’s weapon did), and it also appears that she has enhanced vision; where she can see Brief and the Demon Sisters over 10 miles away. When Panty lost her virginity to Brief in the last episode, she stated that after getting her powers back she felt 100 times stronger than before. (Don’t know how true that is though…)

Part 3 – Legacy of Panty Anarchy

Panty Anarchy is the embodiment of the almighty stereotypical ‘rebellious teenager’ and ‘high school celebrity’ troupe that you’ve seen in any of those high school/college movies of the 2000’s. She thumbs her nose at authority, isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and is shameless in more ways than one. While she may be raunchy and in some cases ‘too raw’ for conservative types, there are guys who are kinda into girls who take charge and don’t back down to societies rules; like Brief. The concept of true love is something Panty has no interest in; as Stocking confronted her about it in the second half of episode 9, but deep down inside she really cares for Brief and possibly might even see a future with him…possibly.

With a second season announced there could be some speculation on what happens with Panty and Brief’s relationship, but then again, it could be just a one-off deal. So in review; Panty is the older sister of Stocking, loves sex more than anything, doesn’t take her job of hunting ghosts as seriously as she should, is a shameless plug, and has more screen time than Stocking. (Maybe that’s why she cut her up into 666 pieces, but I guess we can now deem the end credits of season one as a joke.)

And that’s it, that’s all I gotta say about Panty Anarchy.

Until next post, stay nerdy! 😉