#hetalia has its problems

[starringshots]

people have lost the art of nuance istg

[withnofreetime]

HETALIA ☆ WORLD STARS (515)

America really likes to... to be himself (please, admire the car and a "Thank you very much" to my sister, somehow she did it!)

Translation notes at the end: ‘cuz I took a lot of “creative freedoms(?)” and sometimes I forgot the meaning of words (“kanji”). Warning: I don’t know Italian (thanks Reddit), German (my sister knows), French (a bit) and Chinese (ref. Chinese friend).

T/N:

Page 1.

Italia + Pikachu, Itachu or Pikalia, but the last sounds horrible.

"Il faut que jeunesse se passe", the literal and no literal meaning is: "Youth must have its fling", in other words, "let America be America, let him have fun".

"后生可畏". I wasn't sure whether to add Chinese, but if others can, why not China? I really love this Chinese proverb, and I also like to study Confucius (little story) so it's a double prize! A friend of mine told me that in her school they make them read the teachings of Confucius, so… he's pretty popular!

"The hero always arrives late!", this is pretty obvious and well-know, but to be a little more academic: The Hero's Journey. After overcoming the "abyss/defeat", the hero returns transformed to save the day! At the very last minute! Like… the format that all cliché Hollywood movies use.

Page 3.

"Mitico": "great", "fantastic", "brilliant", etc.

"The specified Cost":

France: 1.94% less, I searched, but I couldn't find how much of France's PIB is spent on tourism.

Page 4.

Italy's PIB, it's in euros, but, as in France's case, it has to be converted into dollars to be considered as approximation.

In 2023, the Italian government spent between 40-60 million dollars on tourism, which coincides a little bit with the "-41 in cost" in the letter, I guess.

Page 5.

"Ungeheuer", "monster". I agreed to translate Hetalia with the condition that I have fun, no matter if the words come out of nowhere.

In tourism: America (3) and Italy (4).

Page 6.

"1st Place, America". So I assume his cards will have something to do with that:

1) Technology. Japan (1) and America (2) are the most technologically advanced countries by far.

2) Wall Street. Who doesn't know the place? It is the economic centre of the world... for now.

3) Film Industry. Hollywood is the largest, richest and most important "corporation".

4) NASA. And the other private American companies. I wouldn't say they are number one, but they are well-known.

5) Army. China (1), India (2) and America (3), by number of soldiers.

Against Germany, Italy and Japan (technology):

1) Cars, but unlikely. In order of revenue: (1) Volkswagen, Germany, (2) Toyota, Japan and (3) Stellantis, Netherlands.

2) Engineering. Most of them are either Japanese or German companies.

3) Germany is good and top 5 in 2.

America is really the number one, although most of them are for not-so-good things. It must be its size and diversity, I think, and the two world wars.

"Non è vero?", "It's not true?" or, in this case, "Isn't it?"

Is there a problem/error? Please say so! And thank you for your support!

[olympeline]

I was thinking about Arthur and Alfred’s relationship and it suddenly hit me: there’s potentially a really good interpretation to be had of the American War for Independence as the end result of the disconnect between a first generation immigrant parent and their second generation child. And how perfect is that with Arthur - literally a personification of the old world - and Alfred - literally the personification of America: the world’s great melting pot. I got excited thinking about it and it turned into an essay so please enjoy my ramblings 🥲

The disconnect I mentioned above is a well known problem between different generations of immigrants. An estrangement which can cause a lot of angst because both sides are trying to understand each other but can’t connect because their lived experiences are so different. The parent remembers the trials of the “old country” and sees their kid as a self-centred brat who wouldn’t know real hardship if it bit them. Meanwhile the child - through no fault of their own - has only ever known the new, better life and resents the guilt tripping over something they had zero control over. You know the classic: “When I was your age/you wouldn’t have lasted a day where I grew up/you’re so spoilt, etc.” from the parent. Answered with: “It’s not my fault I don’t know/how could I feel it like you do when I was never there/you chose to come here and have me here/do you want me to spend my whole life feeling guilty because you sacrificed for me, etc.” from the kid.

In the context of Hetalia it works because by the time Alfred gets to know Arthur he’s become a founder of colonies. But in Arthur’s past he was a colony, several times over in fact. Specifically an exploitation colony under Grandpa Rome (who wanted Britain for its large resources of tin because tin - a rare metal in Europe - is a key ingredient in making bronze), then scattered soft-settler colonies under Denmark (who started by raiding Britain for plunder and slaves but then established settlements later on because the climate was better for farming), then an exploitation colony that gradually morphed into a settler colony, that then merged with the native culture, under the Norman-French William the Conqueror.

Arthur became Alfred’s guardian but first and foremost Alfred was his colony. And Arthur’s experience with colonies was the above. So not a great model for parenting to put it mildly. Particularly the last one, which would have been freshest in Arthur’s memory. Harrying of the North. 😬 Enough said. It probably gave Arthur a very skewed view of what would constitute being a “good” parent to Alfred. Arthur left Alfred alone and expected total obedience from him for the rest of his life but, to Arthur, that was still treating Alfred with kid gloves. Just because he didn’t do things like sweep in and murder Alfred’s citizens en masse when they displeased him. Arthur drew on his own experiences and likely saw Alfred as incredibly spoilt and even outright pampered. Obviously he wasn’t, not at all, but the bar was on the friggin’ floor. It must have come as a big shock when Alfred rebelled because - in Arthur’s mind - he did everything right. More than right: he went above and beyond indulging his young charge. Treating Alfred like a son instead of ordering him around as a minion. I think that’s why Arthur broke down and sobbed on the battlefield. Angry tears of frustration and hopelessness because on top of the pain of Alfred’s “betrayal” there’s something worse: even at that critical point, in his heart of hearts I bet Arthur still didn’t understand why the war happened. Why his beloved, coddled son has turned on him like the viper at the farmer’s breast. It’s one thing to fight with someone you love because you know you’ve wronged them. It’s quite another to think you gave nothing but good only to have them turn on you anyway. Arthur is tough and used to hurt but the hopelessness and despair birthed from that terrible ignorance nearly killed him. It would be a long time before he opened his heart to anyone again.

But Alfred didn’t see it that way. Not at all. He wasn’t around for the colonial period of Arthur’s life and Arthur being…himself, likely never told him. Out of pride, trauma, pain, the shame of being conquered, etc. He kept his days of weakness a secret. So Alfred had no conception that Arthur was genuinely trying (and thought he was succeeding) in being a good and devoted parent. Which wasn’t Alfred’s fault or responsibility at all, by the way. I don’t want anyone to think this post is saying Alfred was wrong to rebel when he did. It was a totally justified reaction considering what Arthur put him through. Arthur hurt Alfred out of ignorance rather than malice but that doesnt erase the hurt. Especially from the point of view of a child. Alfred was just a scared, confused little boy who was left alone over and over again in a big, frightening world. Left to watch the human families around him love and support each other while he pined for Arthur to please, please come back and not leave him alone again. No wonder he grew up resentful at Arthur’s continuing expectations of total obedience. How dare Arthur demand so much when Alfred grew up on so little. Arthur had good intentions but they didn’t always bear fruit, which meant a lot of sadness and fear for little Alfred. At some point all those years of simmering pain and resentment bubbled over and Alfred just snapped. He realised nothing would ever change unless he forced a change and broke away from Arthur before the leaden weight of Arthur’s trauma and expectations drove him mad.

And that’s the root and lynchpin of all their issues right there: both see the other as selfish and entitled. Arthur because Alfred had a youth Arthur’s abused child self could only dream of. And Alfred because Arthur unconsciously expected him to live his whole life in the shadow of that pain.

Which is why it’s so tragic. Both of them have a point, both of them are wrong and right at the same time. No matter what Alfred thought, Arthur did genuinely do his best to give him the best life he could. He just fell short because he didn’t know what he was doing and his basis for comparison was abysmal. And no matter what Arthur thought, Alfred was never a spoilt brat who had everything but didn’t appreciate it because he grew up overindulged. Alfred was right to feel neglected, terribly hurt, and frustrated when Arthur brushed off his pain and expected Alfred to suck it up and be demure and grateful because he (Arthur) had it worse when he was young.

Doubly sad because if they’d just talked about it things could have been different. I’ve always seen Alfred as having a big heart underneath all his flippancy and boasting. Meanwhile Arthur is stubborn and a tsundere but he’s not an idiot and not incapable of change and self-improvement. And, like I said, he did truly want to do well by Alfred. Who truly wanted a good relationship with him in return. If they’d discussed all their issues it would have been a long hard road but, at the end of it, their relationship might have improved and not gone up in flames the way it did. But they didn’t and Arthur’s flat, uncompromising orders about taxation without representation was the straw that finally broke America’s back.

[bellhopmomo]

new hetalia oc, Saxoland, lore rant + some additional images like his flag and map under the cut :3

it's just unorganised rambling proceed at your own risks

disclaimer i guess, all of this is made up and not real and anything that resembles irl stuff is a coincidence

Saxoland is a nation situated between the UK and the rest of Europe. It used to be part of the united kingdoms... used to. Nowadays it's only associated with it in pop culture due to its history, as the country itself isn't and doesn't see itself as part of the uk or britain or anything.

Saxoland is slightly older than England, and during their early years they were very close and did consider themselves brothers, but overtime once the UK became a thing and England became... england, Saxoland started getting used as a meat shield and a convenient country to blame for all the bad things England did. If other countries, mostly european ones, believed England in that, they'd go beat up Saxoland as it was closer than the rest of the UK and the apparent cause of any given troubles. Saxoland was weakened due to the constant attacks, and whenever he'd ask england for help, England would be like ":3 nah". England also used that weakened state to take over any land Saxoland has on the main island, reducing it to the islands between him and europe.

One day the king of Saxoland decided that enough was enough and effectively put the country into lockdown, refusing to allow any ships that weren't local to dock and kicking out anyone without a citizenship, especially english people. The country then stayed isolated for around 100 years give or take, and recently they've been opening their borders again! They're now a tourist hotspot due to the mystique and percieved exoticism of a country that was hard to access not so long ago, so now there is a shitty tourist problem there 😔 The population being generally pretty chill and low crime rates made Saxoland kinda popular as a good country to live in, tho it's really hard to get citizenship there.

Nowadays England is trying to establish a good relationship with Saxoland again and have it join the UK again, but all those attempts are kinda… useless. It's not happening, England. The Saxolandian government ignores any communication coming from the english government and Sigewine, the country person, hates Arthur with a burning passion. If Arthur tries to get close to Sigewine, he will be threatened and attacked if the threats don't scare him off.

Saxolandian flag

the white bunny and the brown rabbit are local deities, the white bunny represents fertility, kindness and protects people from sickness and the brown rabbit that represents luck, courage and it protects you from evil people who mean you harm, specifically english people. Rabbits and bunnies are a really important part of Saxolandian culture due to the many myths involving them.

There are stray bunnies and rabbits just living and chilling in the streets like we'd have stray cats and dogs, those rabbits and bunnies mostly survive cause the people feed them and care for them despite not bringing them home. They arent brought home most of the time cause the popular belief is that stray bunnies and rabbits are servants of the gods and are on a mission so bringing them home would hinder them from accomplishing whatever they're out to do. Nowadays tho there's a local organisation that takes care of chipping and neutering the strays so they don't go out of control like a few times in the past.

There's a popular children's book character called Sige the bun that is TOTALLY NOT a rip off of Winnie the pooh what do you mean? In any case, it acts somewhat as the mascot of the country, it's used in advertising, merch and other similar things. It's the plushie Saxoland is holding in the illustration at the top. In his books/cartoons, Sige has a rabbit sidekick called Wine, who is way less popular than Sige but who gets a lot of love too. They are 100% reference to the bunny and rabbit gods, not sharing their names because at the time the books were written it was considered rude to speak the names of the gods without a reason.

Easter is a major one week long celebration, but instead of egg hunts they do country wide rabbit and bunny statuette hunts, but those fulfill the same role as the eggs do in other countries. In Saxoland, the meaning of easter is also not related to christianity at all, they just borrowed the idea of it because of the bunny theme and now they use it to worship their own deities. Once easter is over, everyone puts the little rabbit and bunny statuettes around their house as decoration and as a way to attract the blessings fo the Bunny and the Rabbit. Once the year is up and easter arrives again, the statuettes are gathered and hidden around Saxoland again. Sadly, lately, the statuettes have started being stolen by the tourists coming over for the holiday to keep as a souvenir or to make a quick buck, which is generally seen as a bad move.

Eating rabbit isnt illegal, but you're probably gonna be judged really hard cause it's disrespectful to eat a messenger of the gods and it attracts bad luck and sickness. You might also get a beating from the gods who knows.

Saxoland keeps a list of micronations they acknowledge as countries, and he has a form online you can fill in if you're the leader of a micronation and you want to appear on this list. However, he makes a point to never include Stomaria because Stomaria wants to be like England and that's a nono in this household

[atom-writings]

The face fam with a partner who has a dangerous job (police officer, journalist, private investigator) which at one point landed them in the hospital, because of either an accident at work or someone tried to get rid of them. Yet despite what happened they openly told them that they plan to immediately go back to work the moment they're. What will they say to that? Like yes it's admirable, but they were just fatally wounded or that someone actively tried to eliminate them.

hetalia face family with a s/o wounded on the job

2.0k words ~ gender neutral mini scenarios

tw: arthur is having a bad time and is gonna make it your problem, swearing, nondetailed hospital settings

a/n: we here at atom-writings (me its just me) say acab. always

America

Your often life-threatening job is part of the reason Alfred was originally so attracted to you. Yes, you're constantly in danger, but that just makes you even more brave

Like a hero!

He usually doesn't stress out about it that much. Even though there's a risk, he trusts you completely. He could never imagine something actually happening to you. That was until he got a call from the hospital.

“Y/N!” Alfred yells from down the hospital hall. In a moment, he slams against the doorway to your hospital room. He's breathing heavily, hair stuck to his pale face.

Before you can even set your book down to greet him, he's rushing to lock the door and close the blinds.

“Alfred?” You ask, trying to get his attention.

He doesn't respond, frantically securing the hospital room so it's impossible for anyone to enter.

”Alfred!“

Your exclamation made him turn his head for a second, “Yeah?”

“What’re you doing?”

“Making sure the room is safe.”

“The room was already safe, honey,” You say as if you were talking to a child.

“You're damn right it is, I got two men outside the room-”

“Wha-”

“That should be more than enough! But- But I gotta be sure, right?“

”Not right. Alfred, slow down, no one is gonna kill me here-“

He pauses his frantic pacing to look at you, his usually playful face turned stony and serious.

”You don't know that-“

”I do know that. It was just one guy, and it might've been an accident anyway,“ You explain calmly, trying to calm his nerves as he nervously cards his fingers through his sweaty hair.

”But what if it isn't?“

”That's the risk I took when I started this job, okay?“

As you sigh at his dramatics, he rushes to your bedside. Gently, he takes your hands in his.

”This shouldn't have happened.“

”It's alright.“

”It's not alright. I don't want you going back to that job. Please,“ He begs, bringing your clasped hands to his forehead as he looks down, ”Please.“

”I can't do that, Alfred.“

”Why not? You- This could happen again! T-Then what? Do I just have to worry about you all day, every day?“

You nod slowly, “You shouldn't worry... but if that's what me continuing this work means, yeah.

He looks away, his eyes becoming shiny.

“Could you ever just abandon your country?” You say softly, and he pauses, closing his eyes finally.

”No.“

”Then you understand what it's like to be as dedicated as I am. I... I have to go back.“

Slowly, he releases his grip on your hands. He sits back in the chair, opening his eyes again while his face contorts in anger.

”Fine.“

”Fine?“

He sighs, rubbing the side of his face, ”I support you.“

”Thank you, Alfred.“

”No... no problem.“

England

Arthur used to be a lot like you, willing to put his life on the line for a greater goal. He was completely comfortable with risking his life over and over again, but not anymore. No, nowadays he doesn't like doing anything too stress-inducing.

Sometimes he wishes you were more like him, but then he sees how much joy it gives you to help others. He couldn't ask you to change that.

But then he doesn't prevent his worries. Humans are so fragile... what if you leave home and never come back? And unfortunately, it wouldn't take too long for his paranoia to be validated.

The only thing good thing that has happened during this entire affair was that the hospital had apparently called Arthur while you were sleeping. However, that small miracle was immediately undone by waking up to him, pacing nervously back and forth in front of your hospital bed.

”Arthur? You're here?” You stutter out, your voice still slurred from the drugs you had been pumped full of.

“My love!“ He rushes to sit next to you, placing a hand over your cheek, ”What happened? What- Who hurt you?“

You couldn't help but flinch away from his sudden touch, ”It was just- just a hazard of the job.“

“You... almost dying... is just a hazard?” He asks in disbelief.

“Yeah, I mean... at least I survived, right?”

You wait for his response, but he just looks down in anger before standing up.

“Not right,” He spits out, walking to the other side of the room, “NOT fucking right! This- You- I can't believe- How could you do this?”

“Excuse me? How could I do this?”

“Yes! Do you know how much- how worried I was?! All night, all week, every day! You only have one life Y/N, and because of your job, some dickhead almost took it away from you! From both of us!” He exclaims, storming closer to the bed in which you lay.

For what feels like minutes, neither of you says anything. You can't do anything but sit there in shock as Arthur stares deep into your eyes, breathing heavily.

“I'm not going to quit.”

”What?“

”I'm not going to quit.“

”You- YOU ALMOST DIED!“ He yells.

”I know,“ You finally look him in the eyes, challenging him to do anything more, “Are you gonna calm down? Because if you don't, I want you to go outside until you do.“

He steps back, burying his face in his hands and exhaling sharply. Without saying a thing, he walks to the door, turning the nob but not leaving.

”I love you. I'm glad you're not dead,“ He spits out. His words are genuine, despite his harsh tone.

”I love you too. Go calm down.“

Without another word, he gives you a thumbs-up and exits the room.

France

Francis is a sissy in many ways. Like, he will barrel into a powerwasher if he's striking, but also he's scared of being on bridges. So, seeing how nerve-wracking your job is really freaks him out. He always asks, why would you do that to yourself?

But whatever your answer is, he still respects you. He couldn't do it, so someone has to, he guesses.

That doesn't stop him from worrying about you though. He trusts you completely, but it's other people he doesn't have any faith in!

You have to constantly reassure him that everything is alright. But, one day, his worst fears came true.

Once you were filled with sleep medication, prescribed by the readily waiting staff, it didn't take long for you to fall asleep. But instead of finally resting, your brain subjected you to horrible, confusing dreams.

At first, there was only a robot. Beeping quietly while eating at a dinner table across from you. But it was quickly joined by a loud, squawking yellow bird on its shoulder. You tried to escape your chair to shut it up, but you only found you couldn't move, even as the bird continued screeching.

Eventually, it became loud enough for you to jolt awake. But the squawking didn't stop, no, it was only clearer now.

Even the beeping of your heart monitor couldn't distract you from the yelling outside your door. Slowly and painfully, you sat up.

Turns out the screeching yellow bird was in reality, the sound of your boyfriend's anguished wailing. You couldn't understand what he was saying through the haze of the drugs, but even without that, his yelling sounded more French than English.

For a second, you caught his eye. He turned back to the doctor, before finally registering that you were looking back at him. In a flash, he ran up to you. He nearly tore out the IV in your arm as he wrapped you in a painful hug.

”Agh- Francis!“ You yelp and he quickly pulls away, looking sheepish.

”I'm sorry- I'm really sorry- Are you ok? Please, tell me you're alright, dearest!“ He sputters out frantically, taking your hands in his.

”I'm ok.”

“Thank GOD! I was so worried, my love,” he presses a soft kiss against the back of your hand, “I heard everything that happened, I can't believe it... what a horrible accident. I'm so sorry that happened.”

You can't help but chuckle at his overly emotional demeanour, “I survived, that's all that matters.”

He smiles, ”Now this... it is not going to happen again, right?“

”Well... I mean- I'm not gonna quit.“

”You're not?“ He looks at you in disbelief.

”No, I still got stuff to do there. Plus, I really... can't imagine my life without that job, Francis.“

He remains quiet for a moment, his face conflicted. Gently, he sets your hands down again and leans closer.

”Well, then let's get you healed up as soon as possible, Dear. We cannot have you missing too much.“

Canada

Oh boy. You're gonna stress out Matthew so much. He's already worried about so much all the time, and now he has to worry about you getting killed on the job too?

It won't take you getting hurt for him to beg for you to not do something so dangerous.

But he'd never push the issue. He knows you're doing something good, and it makes you happy, he just wishes it couldn't take you away from him.

So when it almost does, he doesn't take it very well...

This was perhaps the first time you'd ever woken up before Matthew. Normally, he'd be the one to shake you awake, promising to take care of you that morning. But today, your eyes fluttered open only to see him, his head on your lap, fast asleep.

Slowly and hesitantly, you reached out to pet his soft golden hair... but were interrupted as the motion started him awake. He shot up, hitting his head on your hand and yelping.

”Y/N! You're awake!“ He groggily exclaims, a huge smile plastered onto his face.

”Ye-“ You were promptly cut off by him suddenly rushing forward to hug you, pulling you against his chest tightly, “M-Matthew...”

“Sorry!” He let go, blushing a little, “Oh, uh, and sorry about all... the t-things...“

You were about to ask what he was referring to before you followed his eyes, looking over to your other side to see a pile of stuffed animals, chocolates, and other gift shop items.

Turning back to him, you rhetorically asked, ”You were busy, huh?“

”I'm sorry! I- Well, I couldn't sleep last night... so... that's how I kept myself busy...“

”Wait, when did you fall asleep?“

”I think like... 5?“

”It's 7.“

”Yeah...“ He rubs the back of his neck nervously, looking embarrassed.

”Matthew...“ You coo, but he quickly stops you.

”It's alright. I don't care about that. Are you ok?“

”It... hurts a lot. But, I guess I'm alive... so I'm ok.“

”Oh, you poor thing! I told you you should've quit a long time ago, then this... this nightmare wouldn't have happened!“ He tells you, looking at you comfortingly.

But all you could do was shake your head, ”It was worth it.“

He starts to speak, but you continue, “Yeah, this isn't preferable, but as soon as I'm capable, I'm heading back there.”

“Why... I- Honey, please- Please don't. For your sake...”

”I gotta.“

”You don't have to! I make more than enough to support both of us-“

”I like my job, Matthew.“

He pauses, his eyes becoming glossy. Before he starts to talk again, he wipes his nose, ”Please... I'm so scared...“

”Scared? You're not the one doing the work-”

“I'm scared that next time you won't make it out alive!” He tells you firmly, choking back a sob.

“Matth-”

“I know it makes you happy! But- But is it worth dying for?”

“I won't die. Even if I did... yeah, it was worth it.”

He wipes his eyes, looking up at you with an uncomfortable smile, “I guess... I guess then... then it's fine.”

“I don't want to upset you,” You reach out to intertwine your fingers with his.

“I know. It's... It's gonna be ok.”

“It's gonna be ok.”

[03-17]

something something hetalia dub vs hetalia sub one is better than the other and what not but

i think one of my fav lines from the dub world stars season specifically coming from episode 12 is when we get the clip of the mice in italy and you just hear romano tell veneziano "you of all people should know that acting cute won't solve your problems!"

because yes . i do think its hilarious that it lowkey implies that roma Knows that vene Does use his cuteness and his charm and whatever sort of air of charisma he has to get himself out of these binds and troubles that he gets himself into and that also he maybe sometimes gets away with it or maybe sometimes doesnt

(it also implies that roma does think vene is cute but is he ever going to admit that with his own chest? Hell No)

[nordickies]

I'm interested to hear your view on SuFin. But I am also curious to know what do you think of Finland's characterization in the show? I have heard it's pretty inaccurate.

I don't think he is an inaccurate depiction of Finland - Just different! Stereotypes are not universal, and Hetalia's version of Finland is based on Japanese stereotypes. If you'd ask a Japanese person to describe Finland, they'd probably think about Moomins, Santa Claus, tourist ads for Lapland, and the title of the Happiest Country in the World. No wonder Finland is portrayed as an adorable guy in the show! Meanwhile, in the West, or at least in Europe, Finnish men are seen as quiet but violent alcoholics who wrestle with brown bears in their free time and scare Russians. This, of course, is a very big contrast to the cutesy Fin we know from Hetalia, but I wouldn't say it represents Finnish people/culture more accurately. But can stereotypes even be accurate? Because they're not based on reality anyway...

Come to any rural area in Finland, and you get a very different picture of the "stoic Finnish man". Finland as a country is a bit more complex, with the split into Western and Eastern Finland having their distinct cultures, dialects, and even genetics! In Finland, you might find some people very much identifying with their region, or tribe as they're called in here. And, of course, every tribe has its own set of stereotypes. To me, Hetalia's version of Finland isn't that far off from the stereotypical Northern or Eastern Finn - simple, kind, talkative, and has a sense of humor. But those are just internal Finnish stereotypes about the different regions

The way I see it is that these country personifications don't even necessarily need to be accurate. Culturally yes, I want to see culturally accurate Nations - but not necessarily stereotype-wise. Everyone, of course, has their own view on what Nations in Hetalia exactly are and how they work, but to me, Nations are still individuals. They're humans(?) who have this huge responsibility to represent their people in the best possible light - but how could one person represent potentially millions of people? Would their own personality and life experiences affect their character? And if so, would they be criticized/shamed for it?

I don't know, but those could be interesting points to explore

Actually, I think it's kind of a blessing to have such a different take on Finland through this show! For once, Finland's positive attributes are brought forward instead of negative ones. The only thing that I really have a problem with is his tendency to be fearful - you can keep Finland's personality the same, just make him strong and unnecessarily stubborn, and he's a perfect portrayal of Finland. Other than that, I will very much cling to my adorable Fin-boy.

[cars3s]

do you even understand how bad it is to turn the brutal and violent spanish colonization of south america into a father/child dynamic?

dude, i am half mexican, I know a lot about the history of Spain and Latin America (I am a student of Hispanic Literature/Linguistics) I've been in the Hetalia fandom for 8 years in spanish speaking side of the fandom.

English colonization was brutal as well (i mean, all European colonization in the Global South) however in Hetalia we still have England and several countries that represent its ex-colonies (Australia, the United States, Canada and even India and more) also the same happens with Portugal that has coexisted with Macau and the most recent example was with the introduction of Indonesia, which he had certain vignettes with Netherlands. But why would there be a problem with Spain and showing his relationship with his ex-colonies? I understand that Himaruya has never really been very interested in world history beyond the Western perspective.

I've been in the Hetalia latino fandom for more than 8 years, mainly Spanish speaking, and you should explore the "Latin Hetalia" hashtag here on tumblr or on FanFiction.net/Ao3 and there's so much fan-made material, mainly from people from Latin American countries that wanted representation of their countries in Hetalia, often making amazing OCs (I seriously love the design they did of Argentina, tqm Martín Hernández) and this whole fandom of PEOPLE FROM LATIN AMERICA made their own fanfics, OCs of their own story with representatives of their countries and often within this material they included Antonio/ Spain.

Hetalia has dealt with much more controversial topics in a comical way, I mean the protagonists literally ARE the axis powers in World War II, but we understand that this is A HISTORICAL PARODY, not the reality, so believe me that the Latin American fandom has been creating their fanfics/their videos/fanarts of our countries for years BECAUSE WE WANT REPRESENTATION OF OUR HISTORY and also because we love Hetalia, so believe me, we would not be offended if they mentioned more the historical relationship we had with Spain and all the content we have created in the fandom shows it.

My main point is with England, he can have this "pseudo fraternal/paternal-half awkward-half "affectionate-half son/father/big brother"" relationship with America, Australia, Canada, India, etc. Even France with Canada, Netherlands in some fanarts with Indonesia, China with Japan... Why not Spain? In the end this is what many people from the Latino fandom have done or created AND WANT (the people who mainly "should be offended")

Anyway, this is just a sample of the lack of representation of Latin America in Hetalia and that's it.

[wienertit]

SUPER LONG ITAPAN RAMBLE INCOMING!!!!

OKAY. OKAY. its been a while since ive rambled on this account so today im going to clear up how i see itapan so that no one gets confused when i say “i dont think they would ever date” and then proceed to draw them making out or whatever.

when you hear “one sided itapan” you might think italy has the stronger feelings (because he’s the one approaching and hugging and kissing japan or whatever) but i feel that it’s actually japan with the stronger feelings.

when italy’s affectionate towards japan, its not because he’s necessarily attracted to him, but that’s just how he behaves. i think that he’s kind of trying to lead him on so japan is nicer to him. italy has been coddled his entire life like he’s been taken care of by austria and hungary and spain and france and germany and literally everyone loves him. and he KNOWS that everyone loves him so he purposefully babies himself to others so he can get even more special treatment. hes an annoying little asshole who uses his good looks and weakness to get out of trouble and i love it!!!

throughout the series (both in anime, manga, and a little in hetamyu), japan actually grows a bit of a soft spot for italy because of how weak and pathetic he makes himself seem. at first he’s polite and awkward because he idolized italy to be strong and capable, but once his expectations are SHATTERED he gradually begins to want to take care of him in a way. he doesn’t get mad at him as often and sometimes even defends him when germany is upset or lecturing him (like in hetalia fantasia). he tucks him in bed and lets him sleep on his chest and share a bed and bathe together and do the gayest shit ever. i probably would’ve thought “well thats because he’s too polite to refuse” but he ACTIVELY wants to do this stuff with him. he puts a hand on his back to keep him in place when he rests on his chest. he visits italy often and loves to cook with/for him. he wants to learn how to hug and kiss him back even after italy says its fine. he writes him letters and a SONG where he asks italy to visit him and gives him a pressed flower bookmark. japan goes out of his way to return italy’s affection and spend time with him while italy just does it because he’s italy.

i dont really think it’s a “sad” one-sided crush because in the end they’re still friends! they still both care about each other and confide in one another and hang out. italy isnt just affectionate to japan because he wants to lead him on and get more special treatment, but because they’re friends and he does still like him platonically! they can act like a couple without actually BEING one and thats insane!!! i love that shit!!!!!

ive mentioned how itager/gerita was my first hetalia ship and it still stands as one of my favorites. the problem is that im PICKY with it because i dont like a lot of the fandoms’ interpretations of them. i guess i wasnt as picky with itapan and liked it simultaneously with (although much more than) itager. but when i rewatched all of hetalia over the spring i realized how much MORE i liked itapan in the context of itager, which kind of blew my mind. like i remember mentioning to some itapan friends how i think they would never date and i still stand with that today. like italy and germany are too busy trying to win eachother over and they would just get together instead. japan actually likes his friends though and wants them to be happy so he would just go “ok” and move on while still doing all that gay shit with them. i guess jt makes itapan more of a brotp but it doesnt make it any less enjoyable for me. i LIKE to see them hanging out and being friends and dont really mind fanart where they’re dating or whatever because i can just pretend that they’re not!

anyways sorry for being a little insane i hate itapan but i actually love itapan okay i love them okay yahoo!

[whisperingwisterias]

Hetalia: Axis Powers and Stereotypes

Hetalia: Axis Powers is a well known anime that attempts to explain history in humorous ways using anthropomorphized countries and their relationships with each other. Although it’s quite controversial because of the way it portrays certain countries and toes the line between satire and offense, I think this show also provides a unique perspective on our world that can still be appreciated even if it is not enjoyed.

One of the biggest issues that this show runs into is its use of stereotyping which is often used for humor but can also be interpreted as unfair stigmatization. One of the biggest ways this happens in the show is how Italy is portrayed. In every episode he is shown to be weak, a bit air-headed, a bit stupid, and almost single-mindedly focused on pasta. In the “chibitalia” sections he is often infantilized and treated like he is completely unaware of the world around him. This is showcased particularly in one episode where the Allies attempt various methods to lure Italy to them to capture him, each one of which works easily. Every time they capture him he offers them whatever knowledge they want without hesitation and does not object when they start treating him like a pet. Many other countries also get an unflattering portrayal: Japan’s hobby is said to be reading the room, refraining from speaking, and saying no to everything; austria is portrayed as being uptight, strict, and prone to nag the other countries; England is delusional; France is said to be too flashy and showy and almost as weak as Italy, shown by a montage of France embarrassing themselves in several wars and summed up by the sentence “their killer technique is profiting from the sidelines.”

While definitely mocking and unflattering, I think such portrayals also serve the purpose of seeing how these countries are thought of and seen by the world in general, something I noticed in particular when it came to America’s character. He starts off the show very loud and boisterous, optimistically claiming that all the problems in the world can be solved if they all work together. However he also takes a very clear leadership position, saying that no one is allowed to disagree with him in the meeting. Over the course of the show he is also shown to be very self-centered, insisting that he will be the hero in the war and the other allied countries will only need to back him up. His self-centeredness is also shown when he opens up a map of America and is surprised when he doesn’t find Japan on it, a mockery of how America believes they are at the center of the world. America’s unhealthy consumerism is also shown in the mountain of burgers America is seen to eat and the giant sodas he guzzles down. While all of this is an obvious mockery of America and also obviously not an entirely accurate portrayal of the country, it is an enlightening look at how other countries see and define America.

Overall, while this show has its issues, it’s a very intriguing concept that, while mocking, also challenges our own definition and view of other countries in a way that hopefully inspires its audience to lessen its uninformed stereotyping of other nations.

[i-like-soup-2]

Hetalia

Man do I love this show. I first watched it during the pandemic and have not stopped loving it since. It’s (slightly) educational, witty, full of lovable characters, and overall just an amazing show to watch to put you in a good mood if you’re able to laugh at stereotypes. I’ll admit, the fandom was a bit toxic for a while back in 2012, but most of the group in 2020 just wanted to enjoy the show and its characters. Yes, there were questionable ships that totally would not have made sense in the real world because of historical context, but that’s why it's important to remember that this is just a show and that the boy versions of countries from our world do not actually exist. If you keep that in mind, you’ll get along with (mostly) everyone. And for those who like to engage in whether subbed or dubbed anime is better, you need not worry about that here, because both the subbed and dubbed version of Hetalia are quirky and hilarious. 

Now as much as I adore the show, I am not blind to its flaws. The biggest problem I see people discuss is how every country is portrayed to have only one accent/language, one distinct look, and one distinct trait. Trying to accurately sum up a country with a complicated and rich history into only one look is quite impossible. Every country is unique and has multiple languages, races, ethnicities, cuisines, etc. That’s why it’s important to remember that Hetalia is a work of fiction, designed to bring laughter rather than offense. It’s also important to remember that the web comic was created by a Japanese man, so really, Hetalia is basically the world seen in a satirical light from a Japanese standpoint. Not everything is going to be correct or accurate, but that’s the beauty in it. Every country will have a different point of view, and since we can’t change the past, hopefully programs like this will help unite us and work through our differences.

[olympeline]

And now for a post about the characters who are giving me the most trouble in my National Animals AU. All of the below come with the tag of “umm, maybe?? I don’t know. Please help me decide.”

Japan: ??? → white tiger → ???

I only have one idea for Kiku and it’s that he would have been a tiger during his imperial years. A white one to match his red and white flag. After WW2 ended, he would change (back?) into something else. Japan in its empire days would need a powerful and aggressive apex predator, but what would Kiku be after giving that up? I have no idea. Japan’s national animal is the green pheasant but would a brightly coloured, flashy bird suit the introverted Kiku? Hmm…

China: ??? → giant panda

Remember when I said France was the problem country of this AU? Remember the days my sweet, Summer child self thought Francis was the worst it could get? I was wrong. Oh, dear God, how wrong was I. 🫠 Francis is nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the shrieking hall of nightmares that Yao is. Take that ??? → and multiply it by like, ten, for a start. China is such an ancient country with a rich, complicated history to rival any other. Plus because of my veto on mythical animals I can’t give him a lung dragon like I really want to. He ends up as a panda but I don’t have a clue when that would happen or what his older forms would be. I’m so far out of my depth I’m not even going to try. I’ll leave it to my bros in the Chinese side of the Hetalia fandom and go with whatever they think Yao would be.

Portugal: ???

Google tells me Portugal has the Iberian wolf as their national animal. Which works fine but ehhh, I’m on the fence about another Western European country getting a wolf. We already have Feli, Lovi, and their Grandpa Rome as an Italian wolf pack. Portugal was so influential in starting the Age of Discovery that I’m almost tempted to make him an otter or an albatross or something. Then there’s the Iberian lynx: a roaming hunter that’s also a strong swimmer. Portugal and England have the longest military alliance in the world that’s still going to this day. So some lynx/lion big cat solidarity? Damn, Portugal, calm down! Too many good choices you have.

[unhonestlymirror]

It might be just me but I feel like the nations popping out of the ground or out of nowhere is kinda meh, I prefer that they're born biologically out of humans or other nations. I just, can't see a whole flesh and blood baby popping outta the mud even though its hetalia we're talking about. I don't wanna seem allo but like, yknow.💀

Yeah, I'm also not in awe of such theory. Nothing comes out of nowhere. Popping out of mud like demons in Good Omens... Naaaah...

I like the theory that a nation's personification gets isekaied to a human body. This would explain how nations are able to resurrect, interact with humans, and why they also don't really want to die. It also can be both funny and tragic and bloody af, like in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Although their life cycle is pretty individual and dependents on many factors, there are some basics:

The stronger the national identity, the faster a nation's appearance manifests itself over the natural host.

A nation strongly depends on three main aspects: language, people, and land (LPL).

There is, of course, a spectrum, not an absolutism. For example, the stronger the language aspect, the more likely a micronation can develop into an independent state. It all depends on politics.

A nation manifests in a person who recently died and whose body didn't receive much damage.

A nation doesn't have memories of a previous host of a body. Usually. There is too much to remember already.

If a nation is young enough or in case of some exceptions, it can manifest in a baby's body. Who recently died. Oblivious people call it a miracle.

Usually, a nation starts manifesting (borns) much earlier it actually declares its existence officially. Official declaration for a nation means coming of age.

If a nation is being consumed, it develops the appearance of its consumer.

The stronger national identity, the faster a nation regenerates and resurrects. It still hurts af.

The bigger and the more rapid is the disbalance in LPL, the more likely its physical manifestation can develop insanity.

Insanity manifests in a unique way for anyone. For Belarus, it's a weight loss, for russia, it's obesity. For Liet, it's getting covered in moss and plants, for Latvia, it's turning into sand, for Ukraine, it's turning into stone. It's a serious, uncontrollable state that can easily lead to death.

Basic active ways of fighting insanity are militarization, raise in national identity markers (NIM) level, government change, policy change, decolonisation, land restoration, or partition.

Each nation has their own passive ways of fighting insanity: for Ukraine, it's humour and memory loss, for Poland, it's religion, for Latvia, it's alcoholism, for Belarus, it's talking with plants, etc.

Nations can operate with one or several "superpowers," which depend on one of LPL aspect. It can be changing in size, like for Finland or lightnings/growth and limb length control for Latvia. Lithuania finds its superpower (being able to turn into fire) pretty useless for current times.

The bigger a nation is, the more superpowers it can use. However, the more superpowers it can use, the worse the control and cognitive functions. Like in Naruto.

A dying nation manifestation develops grey hair and severe memory loss.

Nations can easily change their sex, yet they don't have internal reproductive organs. Unless there is a disbalance in the people aspect of LPL. For example, it's hard for China to hold its woman form due to its long sex-based discrimination.

A nation's manifestation can change its appearance based on how many different people live in it. It's not a problem for America, but it's a significant struggle for Lithuania to make its skin black.

Technically, a nation manifestation can't do much without its people. That's why russia whimpers before its "bosses," that's why Ukraine (as well as Poland) immediately tries to get into politics and prove to everyone, especially her government, that she is the real boss here the moment she resurrects.

A nation manifestation is able to passively monitor all of its people desires. Technically, it depends on its people desires the same way a human depends on its organs' desires: If you are holding back instead of going to the toilet - it hurts, and you're not able to hold it for long.

There is no biological kinship for nations manifestations. To be siblings, all nations must actively agree to be siblings every day. No one has the right to declare someone its sibling without active, mutual, honest agreement. No one has the right to claim anything on the basis of kinship because there is no biological kinship.

[atom-writings]

Can you do reader x main 8 with a hyper German shepherd who loves them. Maybe they try to be a lap dog even though they're they're not little anymore.

For context, let's say the dogs name is Lucy.

(Hetalia Main 8 X Reader) S/O with a Big, Hyper Dog!

(Gender Neutral) Headcanons ~ A/N anon this is very specific. Do you have a hyper german shepherd. If so. Please send pics. Also sorry that this is shorter. Its very. Again. Very specific djhksgkjh

Trigger Warning: None, just fluff!

ALFRED WOULD LOVE A SUPER HYPER BIG DOG. He is absolutely the type of guy to prefer huge dogs that could kill him over little yappy ones.

Plus, now he’s not the only high-energy one in the house! He even gets a pal to go on runs with. If anyone can tire out a dog, it’s him.

AND! He’s got a big lap. And no ability to feel uncomfortable. He is not realizing that that dog is too big to sit on him anymore. You’re gonna have to stop the dog yourself.

Arthur, on the other hand, is not a dog person. Much less of a big dog person. His house is small, he’s small, and his patience is too. Sure, he still loves the dog, but… not as much as the dog loves him.

Most of the time that you come home, your German Shepherd is just outside. And has been so for hours. Arthur just can’t stand the barking and the neediness. Even if it’s a little cruel…

That dog is never getting on his lap either. Never. He is way too much of a bony twink for that to happen. But that’s probably the one thing he’ll feel a little bad for.

Francis may not be incredibly excited at first, but he comes around quickly. Sure, they’re loud and a lot to deal with… but if they’re your family, he loves them too.

He’s willing to take them on walks and take care of them. But if they make a mess in their excitement, that’s your problem. God forbid they try to get on his lap too, they may be cute, but they’re also covered in dirt! No amount of cuteness can make up for that! Although… they are very, very cute…

Yao is fine with the dog… as long as he doesn’t have to take care of it. He’s a total “We’re not getting a dog, dad with the dog” kind of guy though. He’ll complain about how hyper the big puppy is while he’s sneaking them bacon from his plate.

That dog is always getting pushed off his lap though. He’s got old man bones! He doesn’t have the energy to deal with some big dopey dog taking over all his personal space!

That and the barking… he doesn’t have a lot of patience for a lot of noise either. Other than that, he adores the dog! He just won’t admit it.

Ivan is very fond of dogs! But… not super hyper ones. Not because he doesn’t like them most of the time, he just gets very overwhelmed by how much energy they have.

The moments when they’re just sitting on his lap are great, he absolutely adores how soft and loveable they are, but any other time? When they’re barking and sprinting through the house? He’s… he’s just too old for that.

Probably the only time Ivan is willing to go on walks with them is when you come along. He gets really irritated having to constantly pull them away from eating things. He’s not cleaning up after them either, can’t you hire someone else to do that?

Feliciano loves animals. Just, in general. No matter how they look or how they are. He’s definitely getting tackled by that dog the first time he meets it. Don’t worry, he won’t even be upset. All that means is that he has a dog on him, which is always good.

There’s no way that dog is getting onto his lap, but he compromised by laying on the floor and hugging it. Plus that makes them less hyper, right? Right?

If not, that’s fine also. Feli isn’t that bothered by excitable dogs. They’re kind of like him in a way, so how could he get mad at their loveable faces?

Oh boy, that’s Ludwig’s favourite kind of dog! He, himself has had probably a hundred dogs over the years, and he just adores the excitable ones. Plus, he’s a great trainer, so he has no problem dealing with misbehaviour.

If you need a calm day off, he’d love to take the dog out for you, tiring it out so it won’t cause you too much trouble. (And then he can have it on his lap all afternoon with no issues, but that’s totally not the real reason he did so.)

Speaking of which, he also loves having it on his lap. He gets stars in his eyes whenever your dog clambers onto him, taking up his whole body and half the couch. It’s adorable.

Oh jeez. Kiku is gonna panic really fast. He wants to give your dog as much attention as it needs… but he doesn’t have the energy! You’re gonna have to assure him constantly that he isn’t neglecting them, they’re just way too hyper.

Half the time he’s home, he’s chasing the dog around the house and desperately trying to get them to calm down. Whenever the dog tries to climb onto his lap, he tries to oblige but… he is just not big enough of a person. That part makes him pretty upset.

Even if he can’t keep up with the dog, he loves it endlessly.

[losnordiquitos]

ty for the post abt slowjamastan, back when i was active in the fandom i saw them in my notifs a lot, and the shinigami eyes extension always flagged them. i checked their posts and saw some transphobic shit so i just blocked em, but i didnt say anything abt it publically bc i didnt want to get hate (the hetalia fandom can be INSANE at times)

nowadays im mostly a lurker but its nice to see theres ppl out there who actually cares abt stuff <3

its no problem ! its really saddning and also kind of speak to the state of the hetalia fandom (i would say fandom spaces in general) that not just one person has told me they've been hesitant/scared to speak out about people in the fandom... this also applies to me in some ways, i actually had that post drafted for some weeks, but i felt like i was to busy to deal with possible harassment of possible transphobes/terfs who might see it or something.... ☹

and also

HELL YES !!!! i love

so sweden swedensday is the most important thing in the world

[unhetalia]

I’m the anon who was ranting about Americas body issues. Hi! Thank you for the go ahead, and sorry that I’m about to use your inbox as my own personal mcdonalds play place for my thoughts! Again content warning for food issue things.

I’ve never done this before actually. I have a 12 page note in my notes app that’s just various ideas, concepts, and headcanons about god knows what. It’s like, a serious problem. Unfortunately I think a lot, and then I write a lot, and that writing is utterly disorganized and lengthy so I figure this is the easiest way to go about this? Blah blah blah whatever basically I’m going to be rewriting my hcs to be more coherent and I’m just gonna… slowly introduce my related thought clumps in their own little asks. Like an endangered fish to a pond. I figure I’ll get some of the facts and things that influenced my opinion about this out of the way first

You wouldn’t know it by looking at modern stats. When people think of the US and weight concerns, obesity is the first thing that comes to mind for most. This is, in the grand scheme of its history, a pretty recent phenomena for the United States. The truth of the matter is the United States has a long history of starvation. Famines happened frequently, from the second settlers made their homes in the 1600s to the beginnings of the 1900s. America was brutal during the industrial rev, and expansion never seemed to cease. Food safety didn’t exist as a federal right to the people until the 1900s. Often you’d find that the food you could get your hands on wasn’t necessarily food you’d want to eat. And of course, constant rationing. An estimated 223 years at war. An actively growing population with not enough decent food to go around. It paints an ugly picture. Because, yeah, it’s ugly. The US is a country built on food insecurity. All this to say, America has been hungry for a very, very long time.

Hello! Once again, I have to apologise for the late reply. Work and also my desire to really give this ask some attention!

I'm with you on having a million headcanons. That's actually how this blog was born! Hetalia just breeds headcanons. I look at a lamp and my brain goes 'I bet Matthew doesn't own any lamps. He doesn't believe in lamp owning. The house comes with lights, there's no need for additional lights'.

I did a little bit of research on hunger in America and found that 1 in 7 households experience food insecurity in the U.S. - which is around 47 million people. In a shocking turn of events, this still has the U.S. as the 13th most 'food secure' nation in the world. I need a lot more time to look up anything historically, but am really interested in your sources and also how America's relationship with food insecurity in the past impacts Alfred in the now.

(I really wanted to talk about fatphobia as well but I didn't want to derail you, so I'll put that in a separate post.)