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{{nihongo|'''''Hetalia: Axis Powers'''''|Axis Powers ヘタリア|Akushisu Pawāzu Hetaria}} is a Japanese [[webcomic]], later adapted as a [[manga]] and an [[anime]] series, by {{nihongo|<!--So far there is no need to link, as the author name redirects here!-->Hidekaz Himaruya|[[:ja:日丸屋秀和|日丸屋秀和]]|Himaruya Hidekazu}}. The series' main presentation is as an often over-the-top [[allegory]] of political and historic events as well as more general cultural comparisons. Characters are [[Moe anthropomorphism|personifications of countries]], regions such as [[Hong Kong]], and [[micronations]] such as the [[Principality of Sealand]], with little reference to other [[national personifications]] such as [[Uncle Sam]] or [[John Bull]]. Both positive and negative cultural stereotypes form part of each character's personality, since the series is based in Japanese cultural views of the world.
{{nihongo|'''''Hetalia: Axis Powers'''''|Axis Powers ヘタリア|Akushisu Pawāzu Hetaria}} is a Japanese [[webcomic]], later adapted as a [[manga]] and an [[anime]] series, by {{nihongo|<!--So far there is no need to link, as the author name redirects here!-->Hidekaz Himaruya|[[:ja:日丸屋秀和|日丸屋秀和]]|Himaruya Hidekazu}}. The series' main presentation is as an often over-the-top [[allegory]] of political and historic events as well as more general cultural comparisons. Characters are [[Moe anthropomorphism|personifications of countries]], regions such as [[Hong Kong]], and [[micronations]] such as the [[Principality of Sealand]], with little reference to other [[national personifications]] such as [[Uncle Sam]] or [[John Bull]]. Both positive and negative cultural stereotypes form part of each character's personality, since the series is based in Japanese cultural views of the world. It is very racist and all the characters are gayed up, which is very offensive.


The character roster is large and far from complete, but the main cast could be said to be the countries which made up the [[Axis powers]] and [[Allies of World War II]] - namely [[Italy]] (North Italy in particular), [[Germany]], [[Japan]], [[United States]], [[United Kingdom|England]], [[France]], [[Russia]], [[Canada]], and [[China]]. {{nihongo|''Hetalia''|ヘタリア}} is a [[portmanteau]] combining {{nihongo|''hetare''|へたれ||Japanese for "useless" or "pathetic" in a cute or endearing way}} and the Italian word for Italy.<ref name="mstar1">{{cite web | url = http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/1/tvnradio/3106251&sec=tvnradio | title = Cute But Dangerous? | publisher = The Malaysia Star | date = February 1, 2009 | accessdate = February 1, 2009}}</ref>
The character roster is large and far from complete, but the main cast could be said to be the countries which made up the [[Axis powers]] and [[Allies of World War II]] - namely [[Italy]] (North Italy in particular), [[Germany]], [[Japan]], [[United States]], [[United Kingdom|England]], [[France]], [[Russia]], [[Canada]], and [[China]]. {{nihongo|''Hetalia''|ヘタリア}} is a [[portmanteau]] combining {{nihongo|''hetare''|へたれ||Japanese for "useless" or "pathetic" in a cute or endearing way}} and the Italian word for Italy.<ref name="mstar1">{{cite web | url = http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/1/tvnradio/3106251&sec=tvnradio | title = Cute But Dangerous? | publisher = The Malaysia Star | date = February 1, 2009 | accessdate = February 1, 2009}}</ref>

Revision as of 01:48, 25 March 2013

Hetalia: Axis Powers
Cover of Hetalia: Axis Powers volume 1. Characters featured (from foreground to background): North Italy, Germany and Japan.
ヘタリア Axis Powers
(Akushisu Pawāzu Hetaria)
GenreComedy History
Manga
Written byHidekazu Himaruya
Published byGentosha
English publisher
MagazineComic Birz
DemographicSeinen
Original run2006 – present
Volumes5
Original net animation
Directed byBob Shirohata
StudioStudio Deen
Licensed by
Released January 24, 2009 March 13, 2010
Runtime5 minutes
Episodes52
Original net animation
Hetalia: World Series
Directed byBob Shirohata
StudioStudio Deen
Licensed by
Released March 26, 2010 February 14, 2011
Runtime5 minutes
Episodes48 (plus 4 OVAs)
Original net animation
Hetalia: The Beautiful World
Directed byHiroshi Watanabe
StudioStudio Deen
Licensed by
Released January 25, 2013 – present
Runtime5 minutes
Anime film
Hetalia: Axis Powers: Paint it, White
Directed byBob Shirohata
StudioStudio Deen
Licensed by
ReleasedJune 5, 2010
Runtime70 minutes
Video game
Gakuen Hetalia Portable
DeveloperOtomate
PublisherIdea Factory
GenreAdventure game, Slice-of-life
PlatformNintendo DS
ReleasedMarch 24, 2011

Hetalia: Axis Powers (Axis Powers ヘタリア, Akushisu Pawāzu Hetaria) is a Japanese webcomic, later adapted as a manga and an anime series, by Hidekaz Himaruya (日丸屋秀和, Himaruya Hidekazu). The series' main presentation is as an often over-the-top allegory of political and historic events as well as more general cultural comparisons. Characters are personifications of countries, regions such as Hong Kong, and micronations such as the Principality of Sealand, with little reference to other national personifications such as Uncle Sam or John Bull. Both positive and negative cultural stereotypes form part of each character's personality, since the series is based in Japanese cultural views of the world. It is very racist and all the characters are gayed up, which is very offensive.

The character roster is large and far from complete, but the main cast could be said to be the countries which made up the Axis powers and Allies of World War II - namely Italy (North Italy in particular), Germany, Japan, United States, England, France, Russia, Canada, and China. Hetalia (ヘタリア) is a portmanteau combining hetare (へたれ, Japanese for "useless" or "pathetic" in a cute or endearing way) and the Italian word for Italy.[1]

The main storyline's events occur during World War II, but the vast majority of the comics take place during other historical events, modern holidays, or at no specific time whatsoever. The series often uses satire and light-hearted comedy to reinterpret well-known events as well as less common historical and cultural trivia. Historical, political, economic, and military interaction between countries is generally represented in Hetalia as social and romantic interactions and misunderstandings between the characters.

Himaruya originally created Hetalia as an online webcomic, and so far five tankōbon have been published by Gentosha Comics, the first on March 28, 2008, the second on December 10, 2008, the third on May 20, 2010, the fourth on June 30, 2011, and the fifth on July 31, 2012. English translations of the first two volumes have been published by Tokyopop in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Both printed volumes published so far have topped The New York Times manga best seller list.[2][3] As of May 2012 the English language version of the manga was published by Right Stuf.[4] The series was later adapted into drama CDs, and an anime series created by Studio Deen has also begun streaming online. As of January 8, 2010, the anime series' international distribution is being handled by Funimation Entertainment. A fifth season of the anime has been announced on the cover of Comic Birz. The October 2012 issue called it The Beautiful World and released its first episode with new Studio Deen designs on January 25, 2013.

Main characters

So far, over 42 countries and territories have been depicted.[5]

Axis Powers

The Axis Powers group of characters consists primarily of Germany, Italy, and Japan, who are also the protagonists of the series. The representations of countries also part of the historical Axis powers, such as Hungary, make additional appearances.

Italy Italy error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)
Italy, the primary protagonist and the title character, is a bright, energetic and sweet young man. He is depicted at various points as the grandson and successor of the powerful but deceased Roman Empire (known as Grandpa Rome), and is recognized as the weakest character in the series who is a carefree and cowardly soldier that relies on Germany to resolve issues. His artistry and extreme love of pasta and pizza are references to Italian culture. He uses his adorable ways and cute face to charm any girl he meets and is intended to be a "lovable loser".[6] This Italy represents the northern half of the country of Italy, while his older brother represents the southern half. Hence, their full character names are Italy Veneziano but some say it's Feliciano Vargas. (North), and Italy Romano (South). The brothers and other normal Italians seen in the series have a strange hair curl sticking out, which Himaruya says represents the "sexual something" of Italians. When pulled, both Italian brothers turn red and are rendered speechless for once. Compared to his older brother, North Italy has lighter auburn hair and amber eyes, possibly because of the fact that he has some Germanic blood in him, referring to the Kingdom of the Lombards. Both Italies are voiced by Daisuke Namikawa in Japanese. North Italy also stars in the Chibitalia sub-story, about his childhood as part of the Holy Roman Empire, run by Austria. In English, he is voiced by Todd Haberkorn[7] and Romano is voiced by Ian Sinclair. Young Italy, known as Chibitalia is voiced by Aki Kanada in Japanese and Brina Palencia in English.
Germany Germany error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)
Or to the fandom, Lord Doitsu, is hard-working, efficient, bureaucratic, and the designated "serious" character of the series. In the series, Germany is primus inter pares among the Axis Powers, and takes responsibility for the training of Italy and Japan. Due to his hard training and regulated life, he is depicted as an extremely muscular character, who was initially supposed to be "ugly" (as Himaruya jokingly reflects in the additional sketches of the Volume Five Special), but instead turned out handsome "in a different way" to other characters. He considers the deceased Roman Empire as his hero, and so is understandably shocked when he discovers what a wimp his grandson is. Another aspect of his character is his relative inexperience with relationships, leading him to be a very literally by-the-book person with the belief that things will go wrong if people do not follow instructions to the letter. His human name is Ludwig. His extreme devotion to the military lifestyle would make him an effective leader, if not for the fact that he is constantly baby-sitting Italy. Despite this, as the series progresses he forms a close relationship with Italy. Germany has no memories from before the formation of the German nation in the 1800s, while a child resembling Germany personified the Holy Roman Empire and co-starred in the Chibitalia storyline. The personification of Prussia, meanwhile, (somehow) still exists even in modern settings as Germany's older brother, and seems to represent East Germany during the days of the Cold War as he calls Germany "West". Both siblings enjoy beer, potatoes, and wursts immensely, and although Germany is laden with his responsibilities concerning Italy, he admires the culture and scenery of Italy very much, to the point that he goes sightseeing regularly (which frightens the Italians). In stories with modern settings, Germany is shown to be a hard worker concerning economy and environmentally-friendly schemes, the latter to the point where he is obsessed with recycling. In the anime series, he is voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto in Japanese and Patrick Seitz in English.[7]
Japan Japan error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)
Japan is a reclusive, painfully polite, and hard-working character. When he introduces himself to Italy, he says that his hobby "is to read the atmosphere of a conversation and answer in the least offensive way possible." He has a habit of answering difficult demands with vague replies, such as "Perhaps next time", "I'll think about it", and "I will try my best". The answer for all of these means "No". He seems to have a problem with others being in his personal space, for he gets uncomfortable if anyone touches him or gets too close. In the series, he is shown to be inexperienced with the Western world, and prone to culture shock. Having stayed in isolation for almost 300 years, he is also depicted as a "hikikomori", and is shown to have holed himself in his room, under blankets for so long, that when Holland comes to warn him of America's Perry coming, he states that he will "melt in the sunlight". He looks young, but claims he is very old, and his character design features dark brown eyes and black hair. He often tries to adopt the cultures of other countries he meets such as France, but ends up secretly shocked or awkwardly confused in the end. Although Japan has trouble understanding "western culture", and the things he believe is "normal" generally isn't, he is very good with technology, and is especially proficient in making things smaller and compact. He enjoys watching the seasons change and has many occasions for almost every month, which keeps him busy the whole year. Generally quiet, he is often depicted with the attitude of a businesslike old man. Japan also has an Otaku side to his usually quiet character. He loves cute things, and is shown to have had a guinea pig and a dog at one point (when he came out of isolation/hikikimori), and is the owner of Japancat, which he calls Tama. In the anime series, he is voiced by Hiroki Takahashi in Japanese and Christopher Bevins in English.[7]

Allied Forces

File:Five Allied Powers of Hetalia.png
The Allied Powers, primary characters within the series. From left to right: Russia, England, America, China, France.

The Allied Forces group consists primarily of the characters America, Britain (also known as England), France, China and Russia. These characters are often depicted as comically failing to reach consensus in their war meetings. The representations of countries also part of the historical Allies of World War II, such as Canada, make additional appearances.

United States (United States of) America error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)
America is an energetic and headstrong, but well-meaning (and as he says, 'hero') character. In the series, he was raised by England and later fought for his independence. The self-proclaimed 'leader' of the Allied Forces, his catchphrase is "I'm the hero!" His ideas for solving international problems are often absurd, and he is usually oblivious to the opinions of others. America's ideas and inventions are grand, but rarely go anywhere. His crippling fear of the supernatural is at odds with his friendly acquaintance with a grey alien named Tony, who lives in his house. America is frequently seen clutching a hamburger, or eating while speaking. Despite his unhealthy habits, he has incredible superhuman strength as seen in one episode when his younger self swinging an adult buffalo around in the air (episode 40) and in another episode where he picks up England's car and drags it across the forest where England was training, just to ask permission to borrow it (episode 7 world series). He is often portrayed as a rude fellow and one who has disregard for whom his actions affect or just what the consequences might be. Despite his faults, he has a sweet side and is a good-hearted, cheerful person that is always willing to help his friends and try to do the right thing. He has dark blonde hair, vivid blue eyes, and he wears glasses (which was informed to represent the state of Texas). He also wears a US Army Air Force officer's uniform and a leather flight jacket that has the number fifty at the back which represents the states in the United states of America. His human name is Alfred F. Jones. He is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi in Japanese and Eric Vale in English.[7] As a child, America is voiced by Ai Iwamura in Japanese and Luci Christian in English.
United Kingdom United Kingdom error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)
England, also known as the United Kingdom, UK, or Britain, is depicted as an irritable young man with big, bushy eyebrows. A former pirate, he is now a cynical and sharp-tongued gentleman. Some of his notable character traits include his terrible cooking skills, inability to hold his liquor, foul mouth, ability to see supernatural creatures ("imaginary friends"), and ability to perform magic curses on his enemies. Britain is most antagonistic towards France, with whom he shares a long rivalry, and has mixed feelings towards America, his former charge. He's usually recognized for his rather large eyebrows, blond hair (more in a punk-like style), green eyes, and his green RAF uniform. People say that his human name is Arthur Kirkland. In the English release of the anime, when asked why they opted to choose the name "Britain" over "England", Funimation explained that it was a request from the Japanese studio.[8] Tokyopop, the English publisher of the manga, refers to him as "England."
In one strip he notes that he has an older brother named Scotland.[9] Himaruya has confirmed that England represents both the UK and England, while Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales are his siblings.[10] Among England's other 'relations' are Sealand, a micronation whom England considers to be an annoying little brother due to his continued attempts to get other countries to recognise him as an independent country. England's voice actor is Noriaki Sugiyama, and his English voice actor is Scott Freeman.[7]
France France error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)
France is a romantic and carefree character. In the series, he is shown to have a long-held rivalry with Britain. Parodying the cliché of the romantic French, France makes sometimes romantic passes at many characters. France explains away his military defeats by attributing them to a joke from God. He regards himself as the eldest brother among the European nations and is actually referred to as such by some of them, though he calls Spain his elder brother in turn.However, he gets very upset when another nation refers to him as an 'old man', as he claims he's still young. He wears a long blue coat with a capelet over his coat and a red pants, brown boots and a belt worn over his coat. When he is happy, the way he laughs is intended to be a stereotype of him being French (in english dub only). His human name is Francis Bonnefoy. He is voiced by Masaya Onosaka in Japanese and J. Michael Tatum in English.[7]
Russia Russia error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)
Russia is a large nation who at first appears to be innocent and sweet, but is mentally cracked from the strain of his bloody history. He adores vodka and sunflowers. His primary target of resentment is General Winter, because despite using the cold to his advantage in war, he is also attacked by him every year. Despite his brutalities towards others, he truly means well and wants to live with everyone in a warm place surrounded by sunflowers. The other nations are terrified of him, especially the Baltic Trio (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia). He also has two sisters: his older sister is Ukraine who is kind but easily upset, while his younger sister Belarus absolutely terrifies him. He becomes gloomy and depressed when either of them is on his mind because Ukraine left him to try to make friends in the European Union and Belarus is obsessed with the idea of forcing him to marry her. Russia happily promises that eventually "all will become one with Russia". Another favorite phrase is "kolkolkolkol", used when he is angered. Russia is often seen carrying a water faucet pipe (may be a gas pipe, as a reference to Russia's monopoly on energy exports to European nations, including Poland). For unknown reasons Poland is not afraid of him. He is voiced by Yasuhiro Takato in Japanese and Jerry Jewell in English.[7]
China China error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)
China is one of the oldest nations, depicted as nigh-immortal and over four thousand years old (which makes him the oldest living character in the series). He is disturbed and distrustful of Russia, reflecting the Sino-Soviet split that actually occurred after the war. He is a big fan of Hello Kitty (which Japan gave him) and tends to end his sentences with the suffix -aru, a Japanese stereotype of how Chinese people speak. However, he replaces the customary -aru with the suffix -ahen, which means opium, when speaking to England, as a reference to the Opium Wars. After China's defeat in the Opium War, he became the cook for England and France. During the fight between the Axis and Allies, China fights Germany and Japan with a Wok (round cooking pan) and ladle, which became his weapon of choice that also serves the stereotype that China serves good food. China's boss was introduced as a green Chinese dragon with an intimidating appearance, but in reality, he is quite relaxed and moderate as well as shown to be bullied by China in a comedic way. China is often depicted speaking with pandas. He is voiced by Yuki Kaida in Japanese and Clarine Harp in English.[7]

Media

Manga

The original Hetalia: Axis Powers web comic was adapted into five tankōbon and published by Gentosha Comics. The first volume was released on March 28, 2008, the second on December 10, 2008, the third on May 20, 2010,the fourth on June 30, 2011, and the fifth on July 31, 2012. Every tankōbon except the first were released as a standard edition and a special edition that included an extra small booklet.[11]

In January 2009 Anime News Network reported that the series would also begin serialization in Gentosha's seinen manga magazine Comic Birz starting in the April issue,[12] but this was later announced to be a publishing error. The Gentosha press release on which ANN had based their article actually referred a new series by Himaruya, Chibisan Date.[13] Amazon.com has listed Hetalia: Axis Powers as being licensed by Tokyopop for a North American release, with the first volume released on September 21, 2010.[14] After Tokyopop withdrew from the English language market in 2011,[15] Right Stuf has been publishing the Hetalia manga in English since May 2012.[4]

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
01 March 28, 2008[16]978-4-3448-1275-8September 21, 2010 (NA)[17]
October 12, 2010 (UK)[18]
978-1-4278-1876-8
02 December 10, 2008[19][[Special:BookSources/978-4-3448-1514-8+%28regular+edition%29%3Cbr+%2F%3EISBN+978-4-344-81535-3+%28special+edition%29 |978-4-3448-1514-8 (regular edition)
ISBN 978-4-344-81535-3 (special edition)]] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
December 28, 2010 (NA)[20]
January 11, 2011 (UK)[21]
978-1-4278-1887-4
03 May 20, 2010[22][[Special:BookSources/978-4-3448-1938-2+%28regular+edition%29%3Cbr+%2F%3EISBN+978-4-344-81939-9+%28special+edition%29 |978-4-3448-1938-2 (regular edition)
ISBN 978-4-344-81939-9 (special edition)]] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
June 26, 2012[23]978-1-4278-5649-4
04 June 30, 2011[24][[Special:BookSources/978-4-3448-2233-7+%28regular+edition%29%3Cbr+%2F%3EISBN+978-4-344-82234-4+%28special+edition%29 |978-4-3448-2233-7 (regular edition)
ISBN 978-4-344-82234-4 (special edition)]] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
05 July 30, 2012[25][[Special:BookSources/978-4-344-82563-5+%28regular+edition%29%3Cbr+%2F%3EISBN+978-4-344-82564-2+%28special+edition%29 |978-4-344-82563-5 (regular edition)
ISBN 978-4-344-82564-2 (special edition)]] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character

Drama CDs

Hetalia: Axis Powers has been adapted into a series of drama CDs, and so far nine have been released. An independently produced CD that was recorded prior to voice casting of the anime (Axis Powers Hetalia: The CD) was released on September 14, 2008. The first official CD (Hetalia Drama CD: Prologue) was released on August 29, 2008, the second (Hetalia Drama CD: Volume 1) on October 24, 2008, the third (Hetalia Drama CD: Prologue 2) on December 29, 2008, the fourth (Hetalia Drama CD: Volume 2) on June 3, 2009, the fifth (Hetalia Drama CD Interval Vol.1: The CD Of The Awesome Me) on August 15, 2009, the sixth (Hetalia Fantasia) on August 27, 2009, the seventh (Hetalia Drama CD Interval Vol.2: Boss CD) on December 8, 2010, and the eighth (Hetalia Fantasia 2) on December 10, 2010. A ninth official Drama CD based on the Gakuen Hetalia PSP game was released in 2011.[26]

Anime

An anime adaptation of Hetalia: Axis Powers was announced on July 24, 2008.[27] It is directed by Bob Shirohata (Gravitation, Diamond Daydreams) and is animated by Studio Deen. It was originally scheduled for broadcast on Kids Station on January 24, 2009 but was later canceled. The cancellation only affected the Kids Stations broadcasts; plans to make the series available through mobile phone and Internet streaming were not affected. The controversies arose when numerous Korean protesters called for the cancellation of the series, claiming that the personified character of Korea was an insulting representation of Koreans. Kids Station claimed that the Korea character does not appear in the anime and that it was "unaware of the criticism in Korea,"[28] and cited "various circumstances" as being behind the decision to cancel its airing of the anime, but they did not provide further information as to the nature of these circumstances.[1][29] A second 26-episode season of Hetalia: Axis Powers was announced on April 16, 2009, and a third was announced on December 10, 2009.[30][31][32] As of March 7, 2010, the title of the anime has been changed to Hetalia: World Series.[33] A fourth season had been announced for Hetalia and premiered on September 10, 2010. This season featured the new characters Denmark and Norway.[34][35]

On January 8, 2010, Funimation announced it had acquired the rights to release the first and second seasons of Hetalia in the United States and Canada.[36] Funimation later began streaming Hetalia on their website, Hulu, and YouTube with Japanese audio and English subtitles and announced that characters would have accents in the English dub.[37] Via Twitter, Funimation clarified that the series was rated TV-MA due to "some instances of profanity, crude humor and adult situations", and that they base ratings on entire series rather than individual episodes.[38] The first DVD was released on September 14, 2010.[39] Funimation have announced at Otakon 2010, that they have the license the Hetalia World Series and will simulcast the episodes and release them on DVD in 2011.[40] In the UK, the series will be distributed by Manga Entertainment.[41]

Certain Animate stores will carry Hetalia-themed Purikura booths for a limited time, with a total of 10 anime sticker options.[42]

The series has made its North American television debut on December 23, 2010 on the Funimation Channel.[43]

On December 28 2012, the official trailer for Hetalia: The Beautiful World was posted on NicoNico Douga, announcing that it will premiere on January 25, 2013. It was said that Romania will appear as a new character. [citation needed] It will be later released in English.

Movie

A feature-length animated film adaptation was announced on September 23, 2009,[44] and was released on June 5, 2010. The film is entitled Paint it, White! and the eight main characters as well as supporting characters such as Liechtenstein, Sealand, Prussia, Finland, Cuba, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Romano, Belarus, Ukraine, Greece, Poland, Canada, Iceland and Baltics are set to appear in the film - the main plot of the movie involves a vast majority of characters being transformed into grey-white faceless aliens called Pictonians. At Otakon 2010, Funimation Entertainment announced the license of the film.[45] The English dubbed version made its premiere at the Anime Weekend Atlanta convention, taking place from September 30 to October 2, 2011. It was released on November 22, 2011, and each DVD came with a green bandana as a bonus.[46]

Video game

A single-player video game based on the anime titled Gakuen Hetalia Portable (学園ヘタリア Portable, lit. Academy Hetalia Portable) of the action/adventure-comic genre was released on March 24, 2011 on the PlayStation Portable in Japan. It was developed by Otomate and published by Idea Factory.

There are also seven fan-made games, most of which have not yet been translated into English. The most well known is perhaps HetaOni, a surprisingly emotional game based on the Japanese game Ao Oni. Although the game itself is not yet completed, an English version of most of the existing chapters is available for download online.

A few other mentions include RomaHeta,HetaQuest,and HetaHazard, which are in the style of RPGs.

Reception

Both volumes of the printed manga version of Hetalia: Axis Powers have topped The New York Times manga best seller list. Volume 1 topped the list on October 10, 2010,[2] and Volume 2 topped the list on January 16, 2011.[3] Volume 1 has been in the top ten for twenty-one weeks and Volume 2 for fourteen weeks.[47]

Readers reviews of the British magazine NEO gave positive to mixed reviews for the anime version. One reviewer, Ellis Wylam, said that: "The animation is very colourful and cheery, and makes you astonished how they managed to create something so hilarious, fun, light-hearted and enjoyable out of a World War." However, Wylam also said that: "Unfortunately, some jokes (particularly in the first episodes) didn't make me laugh hysterically 'laugh out loud', as much as was expecting when I bought the DVD. However, the humour seemed to develop in later episodes, making you give out giggles that translate as "did he actually just say that?!"[48]

The second reviewer, Lara Garnermann, said that: "Hetalia is an extremely intelligently written anime, suited to anyone with an interest in world history or international politics, and of course anyone who wants to laugh for 26 episodes straight."[48] However, the third reviewer, Rohan 'Amuro' Hine, was more critical saying: "It is a very funny series, but a lot of jokes will go over your head, due to Japan having different stereotypes than us. For example, while we think the French are white flag waving cowards, in this, it's Italy who is the coward, and hides behind Germany for protection. And some jokes can go over your head if you don't have a PHD in history as well."[48]

A review for the second season of Hetalia, also in NEO by Matt Kamen gave the DVD of the season four stars, each for the program and the DVD extras. Kamen wrote that: "Despite its risqué jokes and abundance of national stereotypes, Hetalia thankfully manages to stay on just the right side of casual comedy racism - maybe that's why we don't feel too bad laughing uproariously at the dub, particularly Japan's heavy "Engrish" accent! It's best not to ask too many questions of this show - instead, just sit back and enjoy while Hetalia conquers your world."[49]

Hetalia won the 2011 NEO Award for "Best Manga" in a public vote.[50]

Hetalia Day

Fans of the series have spawned a yearly meetup titled "Hetalia Day" (October 20) where fans gather at various locations to celebrate the series.[51] The meetup started in 2009 and every year since then, coinciding with United Nations Day (October 24) or the weekend closest to it if UN Day falls on a weekday.[52][53]

See also

  • National personification
  • Anti-Italianism
  • Afghanis-tan - a manga with a similar premise, but with girls personification instead of men, it focuses on Afghanistan and its neighboring countries.
  • Chibisan Date - the second published manga by Hidekaz Himaruya often advertised alongside Hetalia in Comic Birz.
  • Strike Witches, a manga and anime series also set during World War II and featuring more anthropomorphism, with female characters being personifications of their male counterparts.

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b "Cute But Dangerous?". The Malaysia Star. February 1, 2009. Retrieved February 1, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Best Sellers - Manga: October 10, 2010". The New York Times. October 10, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Best Sellers - Manga: January 16, 2011". The New York Times. January 16, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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