Ask John: What’s the Deal with White Panties?

Question:
What’s the Deal with white panties. And what about Aika?

Answer:
(Since the original article on this subject unfortunately vanished as the result of a site crash, this new replacement should take its place adequately.)

The infamous “white panties” question seems to be the eternal anime quandary that just won’t die. As far as I’m aware, though, there really is no tremendous hidden significance or symbolism to the frequent panty shots that creep into many anime series. Anime is, after all, largely intended for teen and young adult male viewers, and any anime fan, male or female, will tell you that it’s not uncommon for fans to idolize and fetishize anime characters. Panty shots in anime are little more than the simple mildly exploitive titillation that they seem to be. Anime is fantasy and often intended to appeal to male primal instincts and attractions, so panty shots are a little innocent sexy “fan service” that creators insert into anime shows as a “service” for fans. Particularly white underwear are used for a number of reasons. First and foremost, white is the most common and popular color for male and female undergarments worldwide. White also underscores the “innocent” titillation aspect of these gratuitous camera angles with a subtle degree of characterization. White is almost universally associated with purity and innocence. Girls that wear white panties are often pure-hearted and innocent, either children or child-like. Blue Seed’s Momiji, with her childish white animal printed panties, is a particularly good example of panty shots being used to emphasize a girl’s innocence. Aika is another excellent example. There is probably no other anime series in existence that includes more gratuitous, exploitive panty shots than Aika. In the animation, the heroic Aika Sumeragi and her partner Rion Aida both wear white panties while the villainous Nena Hargen wears a dark colored bra and panties. The distinction between good and evil here is literally as clear as black and white.