Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt: The Complete Series

After two crass angels—Panty and Stocking (also known as the Anarchy Sisters)—are kicked out of Heaven because of their less-than-divine behavior, they wind up in a limbo realm where evil spirits known as Ghosts are wreaking havoc. To redeem their angelic stature, the fallen siblings must earn a large number of “Heaven Coins” by destroying Ghosts, an effort supervised by their guardian, Garterbelt, whose massive afro and thuggish demeanor make him look like a pimp from a 1970s blaxploitation film (note the tagline: “drop those britches, bitches!”). However, bad habits die hard: Panty is a nymphomaniac, Stocking has a sugar addiction, and Garterbelt has a pedophilia fetish. Doing its best to be rude and shocking, this anime series' efforts to provoke overwhelm its ability to entertain, tiresomely serving up attempts at outrageous humor and taboo-pushing situations, while also inserting endless nose-picking, flatulence, and genital-centered jokes, among other puerile examples. Compiling all 13 episodes originally aired in 2010 in a dual-language set, rated TV-MA, extras include the OVA mini-episodes compilation Panty & Stocking in Sanitary Box, behind-the-scenes featurettes (including one with interviews of Japanese cast and crew members), and outtakes. Not recommended. (P. Hall)