Anime original by Studio Trigger
Streaming on Prime Video
Premise
After 15 years, the fallen angel sisters are back once again to defend Daten City from the forces of Hell. It’s going to get messy.
Gee’s verdict: Don’t Call it a Comeback
Trigger’s detractors often say the studio only has one trick in its playbook. Ignoring the falsehood of that statement in the wake of their work on Gridman, Little Witch Academia, and Dungeon Meshi, I would actually retort “so what?” Yes, Trigger (especially the works led by Hiryouki Imaishi) is known for its crass humor and penchant for bombastic spectacle, but literally nobody can do it better than them. That feels all the more apparent with New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt.
The return of Panty & Stocking almost feels like a victory lap. Trigger showcasing to the world they haven’t lost a step in over a decade, casually slipping right back into the same outfit they wore in another life. The premier episode is rude, it’s crude, it’s got attitude in all the ways you remember. The absurdist sex comedy makes the truly insane decision to simply pick up right where we left off on the Christmas of 2011. Panty has been split into 666 pieces by the mind controlled Stocking and its up to Brief & Chuck with Garterbelt featuring The Demon Sisters to put her back together and stop demon kaiju Stocking from destroying Daten City. It’s a truly ridiculous premier and words could never do it justice. While I’ve loved how much Trigger has grown as a studio, it’s simply fun to watch them perform the same tricks that put them on the map. It’s like watching Tony Hawk do the 900 after 20 years. It’s just awesome to know the Trigger boys still got it.
I think you’ll know pretty quickly if New PSG’s sense of humor is for you. It definitely won’t be for everyone, its form of comedy rare to anime, taking more inspiration from the slapstick and adult comedy of Western media. But in there is the undeniable anime flair and Trigger style. And damn it feels good to hear Teddyloid again. New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt probably won’t set the world on fire, but it’s an unequivocal win for the fans who’ve followed this collective of creatives since their days at Gainax. The final shot of the premier calls it a homecoming, I’d say they never left.
