Television series

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Name: Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
Genre: Comedy, Action, Anime, Fantasy
Released: 2010
Cast: Mariya Ise, Arisa Ogasawara, Christopher Sabat, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Jamie Marchi

A gleefully filthy comedy anime about two expelled angels who fight ghosts in a seedy otherworldly city. Panty & Stocking is pure cartoon anarchy—rapid-fire gags, absurdist plots, and a tonal chaos that swings from slapstick to deadpan to crude without apology. It's for people who love comedies that refuse to play it safe and aren't offended by their own entertainment.

If you liked this

Kill la Kill2013

Same studio (Trigger), same gleeful disregard for conventional taste. Outrageous action, visual gags that land like sucker punches, and a complete commitment to the bit. Genuinely hilarious and genuinely thrilling.

But The fanservice is relentless and deliberate—it's the joke, but the joke is also the fanservice. That won't change your mind if it bothers you.

Mob Psycho 1002016

Rapid-fire comedy wrapped around genuine emotional stakes and visual invention that makes every episode feel like an event. Funny without ever punching down, propulsive without ever feeling mean.

But The comedy is more clever than crude, the heart more prominent than the chaos. If you're specifically after anarchic shock humor, this tilts gentler.

Aggretsuko2018

Another Trigger-adjacent comedy that swings from cute to vicious in single scenes. Short, punchy episodes with genuine character development underneath the absurdism. Rage-scream metal karaoke as coping mechanism.

But It pivots toward sincere workplace drama by season two. The early seasons are the sweet spot if you're here for pure mayhem.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Michiko e Hatchin2008

Both deploy extreme tonal whiplash as their primary storytelling tool—one to make you laugh at the shock of it, one to make you feel the weight. Same engine, entirely different destination.

Looks like a sweet kids' show about a girl and an escaped convict. Becomes a devastating meditation on poverty, family, and survival. The animation transforms with the mood—cute when it can afford to be, raw when it can't. A tonal daredevil.

But It's bleak in ways that ambush you. The craft is extraordinary but the heartbreak is not optional. If you're looking for consistent escapism, this will find you.

Heaven Official's Blessing2020

Anime about celestial bureaucracy and divine misfits navigating heaven's red tape while solving supernatural cases. Gorgeous animation, sharp writing, and the kind of worldbuilding that makes absurdity feel lived-in.

But It's earnest in ways Panty & Stocking never is. The tone is closer to whimsy than provocation, and the pacing is leisurely.

Daria1997

Deadpan comedy about smart people surrounded by idiots, delivered with impeccable comedic timing and zero wasted dialogue. Influences a generation of comedy writing. Holds up because the jokes are actually funny, not just shocking.

But It's American TV from the late 90s—animated on the cheap, and the visual style hasn't aged like anime has. Comedy-focused rather than action-focused.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners2022

Studio Trigger again, but playing it almost straight. Cyberpunk action with surprisingly genuine emotional weight, crackling with style and energy. Proof that Trigger can make you care even while everything's exploding.

But It's genuinely dark and melancholic underneath the neon. If you're after pure laughs, this swings too far toward heartbreak by the end.

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun2020

Outrageously stylish supernatural comedy with baroque visuals and a refusal to explain itself fully. Gothic aesthetics meet silly plots meet genuine character depth. Visual storytelling that rewards close watching.

But The whimsy can feel precious. It's weird for weird's sake sometimes, and that's either entirely your thing or it isn't.

Carole & Tuesday2019

Set on Mars, about two girls who want to be musicians in a world where AI makes music. Oddly sincere underneath the bonkers premise, with a jazz-inflected soundtrack and real heart.

But It's earnest where Panty & Stocking is cynical. Long and thoughtful rather than quick and crude. A very different energy.

Chainsaw Man2022

Same delight in taboo-breaking as primary language, same studio-level craft in service of transgression. But Chainsaw Man is edgelord humor with a sheen of prestige. It asks 'how far can we go?' where Panty & Stocking asks 'who cares?'—a crucial difference.

A boy whose heart is a chainsaw fights demons in an absurdist plot that treats gore, sex, and violence as comedy beats. Studio MAPPA makes it beautiful. The casual cruelty of the humor is part of the point.

But The violence is graphic and played for laughs in ways that can feel hollow. The shallowness isn't accidental, but it's intentional in a way that some people will find hollow rather than freeing.