Welcome to Waifu Wednesday, Nicchiban’s column where we talk about anime characters, their appeal, and a little on their history.

Today on Waifu Wednesday we’re revisiting Gainax again but not Neon Genesis Evangelion. This week’s Waifu Wednesday is Panty Anarchy from Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt.

Beginning as an original TV anime in 2010, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is Gainax’s attempt and perhaps even a parody of the sort of toilet-humor late night cartoons popular in the west like South Park, Drawn Together, and others. Reaffirming this is the fact that most of the series uses an art style similar to western cartoons, with only some scenes switching to a more conventional anime art style.

The series follows two angel sisters Panty and Stocking who have been sent to Earth as punishment and will only be allowed back into Heaven after collecting a requisite amount of Heaven Coins. These coins can only be earned by defeating Ghosts; in this instance ghosts are generally the spirits of humans endowed with power from negative emotions and perhaps the influence of demons.

Panty is the more outgoing and libidinous of the two sisters, acting as a contrast to her more introverted sister. Also contrasting are their styles, with Panty being more of a “Gyaru” (Gal) and Stocking wearing more goth style clothing. Despite Panty’s loose attitude towards relationships, she’s infrequently shown expressing reservation and shyness.

Ultimately Panty is a nuanced character that values “freedom” more than anything, which appears to be the greatest virtue to angels in the series in the first place; their counterpart demons are inversely obsessed with rules and order. Panty is able to stick to her values while still being capable of showing sincere love and affection.