Panties are one of the oldest staples of anime fanservice and seem hold a particular fascination for the Japanese. It’s a fascination I share!
Being just a light bit of cloth covering a girls’ most private places, panties hold a realm of lust and excitement within them that can stimulate the male imagination with a mere glance. Girls are aware of this and generally protect their undergarments from unwanted gazes, with their innocent embarrassment when they’re seeing being a great from of femininity.
How to see them
Fortunately, there are many ways that their panties can reveal themselves!
Upskirt camera angles
Sometimes the camera-man nails a generous shot which reveals that which would normally be concealed by skirts.
Careless ladies
Sometimes girls let down their guard for whatever reason, leaving their panties in full view when they lean over or crouch!
Clumsiness
If you’re lucky you might walk by just as a girl is caught off balance, tripping or falling over into an unrefined pose – panties clear to behold. Usually these are a crotch shots after they fall back, but there are many variations like falling head-first, bum-in-the-air.
Battle damage
When girls are drawn into battle they naturally risk taking damage to their outfits which can result in uninterrupted views of their underwear! Even the act of fighting itself carries extra risks for those in skirts, every kick and blow can give us a nice shot.
Flashing
Whether it’s to troll or entice, precocious girls may even gift you the precious sight of what’s under their skirt with a willing flash, holding their own skirts up.
Skirt Flipping
Occasionally girls will need a helping hand to get their panties on film, and there are many a naughty young boy or teasing friend willing to help get the skirts up! This usually results in adorable reaction as the girls try to recover their dignity.
Divine Wind
Sometimes heaven smiles and bestows us a gift as a divine wind sweeps through and blows up skirts; panty-shots courtesy of nature itself (although sometimes there’s a magical cause behind it).
Short shorts
Short shorts or bloomers are intended to protect panties from view, but they are not infallible – given the right angle the keen observer may see the alluring cotton beneath!
Types of Panties
Panties come in all shapes and sizes.. and colours..and styles. Let’s take a look at some of the staples!
Classic White
The quintessential default for any self-respecting anime girl should be plain white panties. White creates a cute contrast to their clothes for a striking panty-shot. For the optimal effect a touch of cute should be included, in the form of a little ribbon on the front!
Coloured
To make a bit more of a statement, some girls will opt for a different colour of underwear and anime has given us the full spectrum. Some of the most common ones are yellow, pink and blue. Coloured panties are great because they can really compliment the style and look of a character,
Print Panties
Definitely one of the best kind of panties you can get is print panties. Generally the classic white colour, they feature a cute cartoonish image on the rear – the most common one being a teddy bear face, but there are many other types as well. These convey a childish innocence that play into the lolicon desires and can be very erotic!
String Panties
String panties generally cover a very light area and are held together by tied string on both hips. The fact that they are always just a string’s pull away from coming off gives them sexy connotations!
Bloomers
Bloomers, or puffy pants are an old style of women’s underwear that are more like cute shorts than modern underwear. They have innocent and feminine connotations as they hearken back to the ladylike maidens of yore. They’re a personal favourite of mine!
Shimapan
A more modern flavour, shimapan are panties with a horizontal stripe pattern across them – usually a strong colour! The most common variety of shimapan is the blue strips, but pink is also frequently seen.
Checkered Panties
Checkered patterns are less common which makes them all the more enticing when they do make an appearance. I think it’s more modern style that we’ll see more of in the coming years! (Traditionally these patterns would have been hard to animate).
Tennis Panties
When girls in Japan play tennis the underwear routine changes up to include a more frilly variety of panties. Tennis matches are a common scenario to encourage panty-shots so the extra cute is quite appreciated!
Loli Panties
Panties worn by lolis often have a thicker-looking fabric and a higher top which doesn’t account for any curves. They really accentuate loli bodies and their cute butts!
Patterned Panties
Another one that’s associated more with loli age brackets is the patterned panties. These have a repeated image over them, such as a cute animal!
Strawberry Panties
The foremost variety of patterned panties is the strawberry panty (or ichigo pan). Again, these carry a certain innocence with them. They were all the rage for a while but seem to be going out of fashion nowadays.
With Garters
A more mature and sexual style is with garters and stockings which amplify the the shapely legs and add an extra dimension to the panty-shot.
Loincloth
For the true traditionalist, loincloths (or fundoshi) are a more native Japanese look and feel, pre-European engagement. Made with white, thicker fabric, tied into shape, they have a natural g-string shape and a natural appeal.
Pantyhose
Usually things that get in the way of panties should be considered the enemy, but pantyhose can be the perfect compliment. They have a schoolgirl flavour with a light sense of modesty yet still showing the panties beneath.
Thongs and G-Strings
For something more explicitly sexual, thongs and g-strings are the perfect choice. With as little fabric around the sides and rear they draw attention to the crotch and show off the girl’s bare ass!
Bandaid
For minimal possible coverage, the bandaid is a choice for the panty-averse. Of course, this is only possible for lolis or well-shaven girls and is certainly not practical, it has made at least a couple of appearances in anime! One downside (upside?) is that it leaves the anus totally exposed!
Nopan
To remind us why panties are important there are some cases where girls have to do without while still wearing a skirt or dress. Knowing this, that their naked below is fully exposed to the elements, makes these scenes really erotic! They often end up with a lot more revealed than the girl hoped!
Escapades sans panties are sometimes used as the premise for a whole episode!
Other Uses
Cameltoe
When panty-shots get close enough to the camera and the directors/animators are feeling inspired, they can reach a whole extra level by hinting at the subtle curves and crevasse that lay just beneath them! Done right, these are top-tier fanservice moments!
Pull them down
As great as panties are, sometimes they look best half-way down a girls legs, spurring the imagination even further. Anime knows this well and shots of girls pulling their panties down while undressing or even seducing are common!
Take someone else’s
If a girl isn’t going to take the initiative and lower her own underwear sometimes assistance is needed. Whether it’s a teasing friend or a sexual fiend, a girl’s panties being pulled off is always a sight to behold!
Put them in video games
Showing just how universally popular the panty-shot is, the anime New Game, about girls who make video games, shows how important it is to include them in any good game!
