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ヘタリア Axis Powers #1
ヘタリア 1 —Axis Powers
イタリアは砂漠でパスタを茹でていた!? 戦車部隊で小銃＆槍に負けちゃったり、逃げ足だけは早かったり。遊び好きで女好きでヘタレだけど愛すべきイタリア！ 読むと世界中が好きになる。イタリア・ドイツ・日本の同盟国と、世界の愉快な仲間達を描くゆるキャラ系コメディ!!
134 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2008
118 people are currently reading
6449 people want to read
About the author
Hidekaz Himaruya
47 books330 followersHidekaz Himaruya (日丸屋 秀和 Himaruya Hidekaz, born May 8th, 1985, in Koriyama, Fukushima) is the creator of the series Hetalia: Axis Powers (originally titled Axis Powers Hetalia in the webcomic run). He is sometimes affectionately called Papa Hima, by Hetalia fans.
Himaruya started the original Hetalia webcomic while he was attending Parsons School Of Design in New York City and continues the series in the present. He is currently an art design major and makes posts about his day-to-day life on his blog the Bamboo Thicket, along with the latest character designs and sketches.
Besides Hetalia, his website Kitayume (which started on June 19th, 2003) showcases his other manga projects and artwork. His latest series, Chibi-san Date, currently runs in the magazine Comic Birz by Gentosha Comics (which also published the printed versions of the Hetalia manga).
Himaruya lived in New York from late 2006 until some point in early 2009, when he moved back to Japan following the release of the Hetalia anime and his contract with Comic Birz.
In the earlier days of the Kitayume site (2003-2007), he used the name Kazuyoshi Himaruya (日丸屋 和良 Himaruya Kazuyoshi), which most notably appears in the credits of the Gakuen Hetalia demo.
Estonia's character design is based on his appearance, although his hair and eye color is different.
On his blog and update logs from the archived versions of Kitayume, Himaruya mentions that he is a fan of South Park and Happy Tree Friends. In some instances, he has referenced the song Let's Fighting Love (from the South Park episode Good Times With Weapons) by using the phrase and replacing "Fighting" with another word of his choice, such as: "Let's Flying Pan-ing Love" and "Let's Englanding Love".
He is also a fan of the horror visual novels Higurashi When They Cry and Umineko no Naku Koro ni by Ryukishi07, which coincidentally, both received animated adaptations by Studio DEEN.
Himaruya's hobbies (mentioned on the bio page at Kitayume) include photography, architecture, and collecting postcards.
The programs he uses to color and ink his artwork are: SAI Painter and Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.
He allows the usage of images from his site, show, and blog as long as no profit is involved, and encourages fans to create their own original characters, fan videos (MADs), or cosplay inspired by his works, though he actively discourages fans from copying CDs. Selling any of the downloadable site games for profit is also prohibited.
He's admitted to having a rather questionable naming sense, and encouraged the fans to call the gender flipped nations by whichever names they chose to.
Himaruya started the original Hetalia webcomic while he was attending Parsons School Of Design in New York City and continues the series in the present. He is currently an art design major and makes posts about his day-to-day life on his blog the Bamboo Thicket, along with the latest character designs and sketches.
Besides Hetalia, his website Kitayume (which started on June 19th, 2003) showcases his other manga projects and artwork. His latest series, Chibi-san Date, currently runs in the magazine Comic Birz by Gentosha Comics (which also published the printed versions of the Hetalia manga).
Himaruya lived in New York from late 2006 until some point in early 2009, when he moved back to Japan following the release of the Hetalia anime and his contract with Comic Birz.
In the earlier days of the Kitayume site (2003-2007), he used the name Kazuyoshi Himaruya (日丸屋 和良 Himaruya Kazuyoshi), which most notably appears in the credits of the Gakuen Hetalia demo.
Estonia's character design is based on his appearance, although his hair and eye color is different.
On his blog and update logs from the archived versions of Kitayume, Himaruya mentions that he is a fan of South Park and Happy Tree Friends. In some instances, he has referenced the song Let's Fighting Love (from the South Park episode Good Times With Weapons) by using the phrase and replacing "Fighting" with another word of his choice, such as: "Let's Flying Pan-ing Love" and "Let's Englanding Love".
He is also a fan of the horror visual novels Higurashi When They Cry and Umineko no Naku Koro ni by Ryukishi07, which coincidentally, both received animated adaptations by Studio DEEN.
Himaruya's hobbies (mentioned on the bio page at Kitayume) include photography, architecture, and collecting postcards.
The programs he uses to color and ink his artwork are: SAI Painter and Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.
He allows the usage of images from his site, show, and blog as long as no profit is involved, and encourages fans to create their own original characters, fan videos (MADs), or cosplay inspired by his works, though he actively discourages fans from copying CDs. Selling any of the downloadable site games for profit is also prohibited.
He's admitted to having a rather questionable naming sense, and encouraged the fans to call the gender flipped nations by whichever names they chose to.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
April 3, 2009
It's a cute manga that's set in World War 2 through present day that actually manages to amuse and both educate at the same time. The manga is about anthropomorphic personifications of some of the countries during World War 2, with adorable comic strips about certain events. The personifications of the countries somewhat poke fun at national stereotypes, such as America being loud, brash yet good natured and friendly, or Japan being the quiet but secretly-an-otaku, etc, without being super offensive. A great read if you want to both laugh all while learning about WW2. :]
<3
<3
March 1, 2011
This was hilarious! It took me a while to read though, I kept forgetting which countries had which face/clothes. The book reads like a series of short stories.
I was surprised to read that personifying countries was a foriegn conceipt to the Japanese audience. If you look at Western art, all sorts of things are represented by other things. But it's even more surprising in regards to Japanese History. When WWII ended, America had issues determining who was to be held "responsible" for their continued, er conquest. Even the emperor answered to a "higher" entity (Japan in and of itself). Maybe what the editors were refering to was the notion that other countries could also have "entities."
I chuckled to myself when I read Japan's description of itself. "Unique" and "small" appeared, and I can't say that was unexpected. Japan is as unique as any other country. On a side note, there is a reason why there is so much focus on the Shinto religion (even though very few actually practice it), Mt. Fuji, and Samurai. Japan actually has very few completely original ideas culturally as much of it comes from other places, whether or not that is ever ever admitted. (For those who want to know-
Alphabet: Chinese influence
Buddhism: Indian -lots practice this-
Government: modeled after the English, past Japanese governments, and with an American flare
Industrial Model: German
Educational Model: German
there are lots, but my brain is getting tired.) As for the "small" part, there are over 6,000 islands that belong to Japan. Japan is not small. There are plenty of other countries that are much smaller.
Now onto my favorite part, history!
The history presented in this was so boiled down that it would be difficult to say that this was completely accurate. You would only be able to catch the inaccuracies if you were not only well versed in the era that was being covered in that scene, but also that country's own history. Needless to say, it was interesting reading a Japanese presceptive on world history.
examples!
The American Revolution
As cool as it would have been for England and America to have a touching scene and end the war with a change of heart, that simply did not happen. America won because other countries found it to be an opportune time to attack other parts of English territory for their own gain. Spain had a hard time focuses on anything but attacking the Straight of Gibraltar and taking away control of the area away from England. England gave up to divert forces to protect more valuable rescources.
But an interesting nuance that was "accurate" was the clothing. America played up the "simple folk" look to other nations to feed into an image that Americans were hard working and straightforward. I guess you could thank Ben Franklin for perpetuating that myth to European audiences as he would not dress up to go to political meetings or parties. (It should also be noted that he did spend a lot of time partying, and not always alone.)
The Holy Roman Empire
This topic was presented in an unusual way when you consider other empires were not mentioned in this volume. Also, part of the time it was represented as a person, the other part, it was represented as a house. The Ottoman Empire would have been interesting seeing as both empires not only existed at the same time, but border each other. Oh, and the name did not come about because part of the Roman Empire desired a name change. The Roman Empire had an extremely long collapse, seeing as it split as it collapsed and part of it lasted longer than the other part. Also, the Roman Empire did not unite all of it's territories into one big massive country, nor did it unify Italy in the same sense it is today. Rome itself was basically always just the city. To be a true Roman, you had to be born in the city, not just in a Roman territory. When Rome conquered a place, it basically drew up a contract saying that Rome controls it, it pays taxes to Rome and is subject to Rome's laws, it does not get to participate in creating those laws, and Rome will protect it. Basically. Each place had a different agreement, so what I just said isn't 100% true, but it's generalized just fine. haha
Japanese Industry
Japan wasn't actually known for it's quality in WWII. It industrialized very quickly following the German model (which was also building very quickly, as it had a lot to recover from). So, the statement about mass producing things smaller, and also building robots is a nod to the present. You might be wondering who was the industrial leader, the English. America was close behind, but let's face it, was going slow and seems to have qualms when it comes to change. Other countries industrialized at an alarming rate such as Russia, Germany, and Japan.
I could talk about others, but this is why it took me a couple of days to finish this thing. I would read a cell or two, then talk it over with myself in my head, discussing the history I remembered, chuckled at the reference, and debated just how accurate it was. I wish I knew my world history better, I mean, it's been over 4 years since I've had a class that covered something outside of America. But this book was seriously fun and I look forward to reading book 2. It's so refreshing seeing someone present history as something fun and palatable to the masses.
I was surprised to read that personifying countries was a foriegn conceipt to the Japanese audience. If you look at Western art, all sorts of things are represented by other things. But it's even more surprising in regards to Japanese History. When WWII ended, America had issues determining who was to be held "responsible" for their continued, er conquest. Even the emperor answered to a "higher" entity (Japan in and of itself). Maybe what the editors were refering to was the notion that other countries could also have "entities."
I chuckled to myself when I read Japan's description of itself. "Unique" and "small" appeared, and I can't say that was unexpected. Japan is as unique as any other country. On a side note, there is a reason why there is so much focus on the Shinto religion (even though very few actually practice it), Mt. Fuji, and Samurai. Japan actually has very few completely original ideas culturally as much of it comes from other places, whether or not that is ever ever admitted. (For those who want to know-
Alphabet: Chinese influence
Buddhism: Indian -lots practice this-
Government: modeled after the English, past Japanese governments, and with an American flare
Industrial Model: German
Educational Model: German
there are lots, but my brain is getting tired.) As for the "small" part, there are over 6,000 islands that belong to Japan. Japan is not small. There are plenty of other countries that are much smaller.
Now onto my favorite part, history!
The history presented in this was so boiled down that it would be difficult to say that this was completely accurate. You would only be able to catch the inaccuracies if you were not only well versed in the era that was being covered in that scene, but also that country's own history. Needless to say, it was interesting reading a Japanese presceptive on world history.
examples!
The American Revolution
As cool as it would have been for England and America to have a touching scene and end the war with a change of heart, that simply did not happen. America won because other countries found it to be an opportune time to attack other parts of English territory for their own gain. Spain had a hard time focuses on anything but attacking the Straight of Gibraltar and taking away control of the area away from England. England gave up to divert forces to protect more valuable rescources.
But an interesting nuance that was "accurate" was the clothing. America played up the "simple folk" look to other nations to feed into an image that Americans were hard working and straightforward. I guess you could thank Ben Franklin for perpetuating that myth to European audiences as he would not dress up to go to political meetings or parties. (It should also be noted that he did spend a lot of time partying, and not always alone.)
The Holy Roman Empire
This topic was presented in an unusual way when you consider other empires were not mentioned in this volume. Also, part of the time it was represented as a person, the other part, it was represented as a house. The Ottoman Empire would have been interesting seeing as both empires not only existed at the same time, but border each other. Oh, and the name did not come about because part of the Roman Empire desired a name change. The Roman Empire had an extremely long collapse, seeing as it split as it collapsed and part of it lasted longer than the other part. Also, the Roman Empire did not unite all of it's territories into one big massive country, nor did it unify Italy in the same sense it is today. Rome itself was basically always just the city. To be a true Roman, you had to be born in the city, not just in a Roman territory. When Rome conquered a place, it basically drew up a contract saying that Rome controls it, it pays taxes to Rome and is subject to Rome's laws, it does not get to participate in creating those laws, and Rome will protect it. Basically. Each place had a different agreement, so what I just said isn't 100% true, but it's generalized just fine. haha
Japanese Industry
Japan wasn't actually known for it's quality in WWII. It industrialized very quickly following the German model (which was also building very quickly, as it had a lot to recover from). So, the statement about mass producing things smaller, and also building robots is a nod to the present. You might be wondering who was the industrial leader, the English. America was close behind, but let's face it, was going slow and seems to have qualms when it comes to change. Other countries industrialized at an alarming rate such as Russia, Germany, and Japan.
I could talk about others, but this is why it took me a couple of days to finish this thing. I would read a cell or two, then talk it over with myself in my head, discussing the history I remembered, chuckled at the reference, and debated just how accurate it was. I wish I knew my world history better, I mean, it's been over 4 years since I've had a class that covered something outside of America. But this book was seriously fun and I look forward to reading book 2. It's so refreshing seeing someone present history as something fun and palatable to the masses.
May 13, 2011
Axis Powers Hetalia Vol. 1. What did I expect? I'd heard alot about this before and at first I was quite indifferent about it but once it actually hit me, it REALLY hit. You know, like a bowling ball or something similar. Hetalia is impossibly hilarious and has the power to make you want to go and research history. It may not be something you can study from but it's something that will motivate you unwillingly. It's a deviation from classic mainstream manga and has it's own style that is evident in the art as well as the way it is written. It wasn't too shocking when I found out that it was originally a web comic. It was impressive though, to find how quickly Hetalia had spread all over the world in about three years. Fans in Italy, Denmark, UK, Canada, etc. have already earnestly expressed their love for it. It's kind of amazing to see what other people do in other places. On the downside, it has created some disputes over nationality and pride but that is something that differs from person to person. It has its various faults, just like any other book or manga. Though Hetalia has taken a risky path, I beleive that it has done very well. I may never know the author's true intent but with the things that it has done, more world knowledge, the motivation to learn about other nations, I think that it's exceeded expectations.
February 5, 2015
A hilarious look at history that's neither politically nor historically "correct", but it's adorable and the personalities are scarily accurate.
December 15, 2013
Ooooh I do love me some historical satire!
So this series primarily just follows historical events, but much of it is centered around the Axis Powers and Allies during WWII. But here's the twist... all the countries are living, breathing, human personifications. Each and every character is grossly stereotyped to fit their country and I couldn't be happier for it.
No, seriously. I love satire and parodies because I have this terrible guilty pleasure for the bittersweet candies of offensive humor. Hetalia stereotypes really aren't too insulting but you never know. Some readers actually are offended by how their country is represented while others are all too ready to laugh about it. I, as an American, think it's hilarious I'm represented by a loud, obnoxious young man who's always culturally ignorant, always bossing around the other nations, always trying to claim the "hero" title, and always shoving cheeseburgers down his throat. Kind of reminds me of the boys in my American History class who amuse themselves by generating their most red-neckish voices and yelling:
"THE ONLY LETTERS I NEED TO KNOW ARE THE U S OF A!"
AMEN MY BRUTHAS!
I would not recommend this if you're a serious historical buff. If you had to choose between watching Hetalia or skimming over a history book, you might get more accurate information from the later. That's not to say none of the history is correct or that this series doesn't contain interesting trivia. This is just a case of entertainment winning over accuracy. Like with Hollywood or Disney.
All friendships and rivalries are just sappier versions of the nations' history. For example: America and England were once as close as family, but their bond soured after America demanded independence. Austria-Hungary was a thing because the two countries used to be married, but divorced. I've heard criticism for lack of originality but I actually found it to be an entertaining and educational experience. I discovered both fallen and existing nations I've never even heard of but am now eager to learn more about. Also between Hetalia and Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy, I've learned more about the world wars and foreign cultures than an entire year of high school World History.
True Story
Many also have a problem that the entire WWII plotline is totally silent on its infamous horrors. I think many people don't consider it's a historical comedy. It's purpose is to pretty much be a cute romp around history and crack jokes along the way. Bringing up the worst of true events doesn't really fit. Also, the countries are not their own bosses. They have regular humans making most decisions for them, just like how it is in real life. They're always involved in carrying things out - and that includes fighting in the wars - but they're more like citizens of themselves, if that makes sense. For instance, Germany had to answer to Hitler for awhile, but he was not Hitler. He was his own person, with his own personality and his own way of thinking. It's never even mentioned that he agreed with Hitler, and I think he even referred to him once as his "crazy boss."
I actually think Himaruya made a lot of neat choices with how he characters as personifications. One of the reasons I and many others love Hetalia is because it's really creative on top of being so enjoyable.
By the way, I see this series get tossed under the "shounen-ai" category a lot. Let me just get something straight... That is not accurate labeling, nor is it just BL fans getting ahead of themselves. Himaruya's cast predominantly consist of cute boys and he relentlessly teases his fans with heavily implied homo-romanticism/eroticism. I mean sure, there are special cases like Sweden being confirmed gay and France being confirmed as "anything goes," but mostly really questionable things happen between characters that amount to nothing. It's like Himaruya knows he has a massive shounen-ai fandom and is just feeding the flames. It's disgustingly genius. So if you're a BL fan, you can read this series and pick from a nearly endless list of possible couples. If you're not a BL fan, weird stuff might happen and you can just ignore it or interpret it differently from the BL fans. That's actually part of the fun of Hetalia.
Overall this series is very cute, very funny, and very historically educational. I watched the anime first and I have to admit I prefer it. In fact I recommend people watch the English dub. It's one of the only anime I've found where the dub is better than the original. The dialog is changed pretty dramatically from the sub but it's actuallymore inappropriate a heck of a lot more amusing! The best part is that English speakers can catch the native accents the voice actors imitate. The original Japanese does accents too but it's not as easy to pick up if you don't speak the language. Overall it just makes it so much more entertaining. Whether it's accurate or not it just adds that extra kick.
Anyway, it's a a great series but I do think you should take what I've said about the stereotyping and watered down history because it really might not be your thing. Despite any controversy, I remain to be a huge fan. I give the first installment four stars but for me this is an overall shining 5 star series.
Ciao, ya'll!
So this series primarily just follows historical events, but much of it is centered around the Axis Powers and Allies during WWII. But here's the twist... all the countries are living, breathing, human personifications. Each and every character is grossly stereotyped to fit their country and I couldn't be happier for it.
No, seriously. I love satire and parodies because I have this terrible guilty pleasure for the bittersweet candies of offensive humor. Hetalia stereotypes really aren't too insulting but you never know. Some readers actually are offended by how their country is represented while others are all too ready to laugh about it. I, as an American, think it's hilarious I'm represented by a loud, obnoxious young man who's always culturally ignorant, always bossing around the other nations, always trying to claim the "hero" title, and always shoving cheeseburgers down his throat. Kind of reminds me of the boys in my American History class who amuse themselves by generating their most red-neckish voices and yelling:
"THE ONLY LETTERS I NEED TO KNOW ARE THE U S OF A!"
AMEN MY BRUTHAS!
I would not recommend this if you're a serious historical buff. If you had to choose between watching Hetalia or skimming over a history book, you might get more accurate information from the later. That's not to say none of the history is correct or that this series doesn't contain interesting trivia. This is just a case of entertainment winning over accuracy. Like with Hollywood or Disney.
All friendships and rivalries are just sappier versions of the nations' history. For example: America and England were once as close as family, but their bond soured after America demanded independence. Austria-Hungary was a thing because the two countries used to be married, but divorced. I've heard criticism for lack of originality but I actually found it to be an entertaining and educational experience. I discovered both fallen and existing nations I've never even heard of but am now eager to learn more about. Also between Hetalia and Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy, I've learned more about the world wars and foreign cultures than an entire year of high school World History.
True Story
Many also have a problem that the entire WWII plotline is totally silent on its infamous horrors. I think many people don't consider it's a historical comedy. It's purpose is to pretty much be a cute romp around history and crack jokes along the way. Bringing up the worst of true events doesn't really fit. Also, the countries are not their own bosses. They have regular humans making most decisions for them, just like how it is in real life. They're always involved in carrying things out - and that includes fighting in the wars - but they're more like citizens of themselves, if that makes sense. For instance, Germany had to answer to Hitler for awhile, but he was not Hitler. He was his own person, with his own personality and his own way of thinking. It's never even mentioned that he agreed with Hitler, and I think he even referred to him once as his "crazy boss."
I actually think Himaruya made a lot of neat choices with how he characters as personifications. One of the reasons I and many others love Hetalia is because it's really creative on top of being so enjoyable.
By the way, I see this series get tossed under the "shounen-ai" category a lot. Let me just get something straight... That is not accurate labeling, nor is it just BL fans getting ahead of themselves. Himaruya's cast predominantly consist of cute boys and he relentlessly teases his fans with heavily implied homo-romanticism/eroticism. I mean sure, there are special cases like Sweden being confirmed gay and France being confirmed as "anything goes," but mostly really questionable things happen between characters that amount to nothing. It's like Himaruya knows he has a massive shounen-ai fandom and is just feeding the flames. It's disgustingly genius. So if you're a BL fan, you can read this series and pick from a nearly endless list of possible couples. If you're not a BL fan, weird stuff might happen and you can just ignore it or interpret it differently from the BL fans. That's actually part of the fun of Hetalia.
Overall this series is very cute, very funny, and very historically educational. I watched the anime first and I have to admit I prefer it. In fact I recommend people watch the English dub. It's one of the only anime I've found where the dub is better than the original. The dialog is changed pretty dramatically from the sub but it's actually
Anyway, it's a a great series but I do think you should take what I've said about the stereotyping and watered down history because it really might not be your thing. Despite any controversy, I remain to be a huge fan. I give the first installment four stars but for me this is an overall shining 5 star series.
Ciao, ya'll!
August 31, 2019
I am so happy I spent all day reading my favorite manga book. Of course reading in Russian was very very hard. It took me a long time. I cannot wait to start reading a second book and I cannot wait when I will get a third book in English. I really loved this book, made me laugh many times. I loved not only this manga, but anime cartoons too. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT HETALIA. And my favorite character will always be FRANCE. I just love France. I would do anything to kiss and marry him.
October 20, 2010
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but after hearing how funny and un-PC this was I thought I'd be rotfl. Unfortunately, it was not so for me.
Several teen girls expressed their utter love for this title saying that it also makes the reader want to learn more about the countries and wars/battles mentioned in the book. However, not one of them Googled anything themselves so the whole "educational" slant was a sham. To me, the fem-boy personifications of countries fail overall because world conflict cannot truly be translated into interpersonal relationships. However, the artwork is good and the characters are all very cute.
The ethnic stereotypes as viewed from a Japanese pov are at most un-PC but I found nothing offensive or too funny. Some comments and notes did make me smile.
"[American ice cream] In America, there are ice cream trucks patrolling neighborhoods all the time. Even without going to the store, customers can score a variety of flavors in bright reds, blues and beyond. As if that's not enough, the calorie-starved consumer can even buy massive buckets of ice cream. These legendary super-sized portions are NOT urban legends."
"Bastards! How dare they underestimate the all mighty France! I may be a lover, but I'm a fighter, too! The only reason Paris was taken over by Germany was because God had hemorrhoids that day!"
"China, you run in there and bust out some crazy Shaolin kung-fu, then I'll easily capture them when they're all tired and beat up. It will mean a fight to the death. . . _for you_!
I'm hoping the anime (on order) will add some energy and spark to the characters.
Several teen girls expressed their utter love for this title saying that it also makes the reader want to learn more about the countries and wars/battles mentioned in the book. However, not one of them Googled anything themselves so the whole "educational" slant was a sham. To me, the fem-boy personifications of countries fail overall because world conflict cannot truly be translated into interpersonal relationships. However, the artwork is good and the characters are all very cute.
The ethnic stereotypes as viewed from a Japanese pov are at most un-PC but I found nothing offensive or too funny. Some comments and notes did make me smile.
"[American ice cream] In America, there are ice cream trucks patrolling neighborhoods all the time. Even without going to the store, customers can score a variety of flavors in bright reds, blues and beyond. As if that's not enough, the calorie-starved consumer can even buy massive buckets of ice cream. These legendary super-sized portions are NOT urban legends."
"Bastards! How dare they underestimate the all mighty France! I may be a lover, but I'm a fighter, too! The only reason Paris was taken over by Germany was because God had hemorrhoids that day!"
"China, you run in there and bust out some crazy Shaolin kung-fu, then I'll easily capture them when they're all tired and beat up. It will mean a fight to the death. . . _for you_!
I'm hoping the anime (on order) will add some energy and spark to the characters.
May 14, 2013
Hetalia is like having fun reading and doing social studies at the same time; it is basically a bunch of little stories put together to make a collage of beauty. Yes, it is a confusing concept to totally grasp, but when you do, you will love the ideas, pictures, and vast amounts of personality put into this manga. The main characters include Germany who is a neat-freak and strict, Italy who is thick headed and loves pasta, and America who tries and tries again to be the hero of everything. The story starts off with a group meeting of all of the important countries in the world (except Canada, because really what does he even make you think of?), and they make no progress in the meeting at all due to fighting. This afterwards makes everyone join sides and start a quick WW1. Germany captures Italy, they soon pair off with Japan to start WW2, and at the end, who wouldn't want a little PASTA (trust me, you would get it if you read it). This favorite of mine could skyrocket to the top of your reading list too.
August 25, 2020
El concepto del manga es desopilante y me reí de principio a fin. Pero, a la vez, creo que puedo decir que aprendí una cosa o dos. 🤣🤣🤣
August 19, 2014
Note: This review is for the series in general, not just the first issue! :D
From England's John Bull, France's Marianne, to America's own Uncle Sam, country personifications are nothing new. Political cartoonists have used them to poke fun at stereotypes and national policy, like the famous 1898 cartoon depicting imperial powers Britain, Germany, Russia, and Japan dividing up a pie labeled "China." While national personifications have been mainly used for commentary and satire, Hidekaz Himaruya's webcomic Hetalia takes the idea in a different direction.
Hetalia's playful, irreverent take on history deconstructs the idea of nation personification: If nations really did have avatars of themselves, what would they look like? How would they act, towards each other and towards their own citizens? While humorous, it provides for serious moments as well, such as when the ghost of Ancient Rome visits the home of his grandson Italy for a day, witnessing the changes that have occurred since his death, or when Japan struggles with maintaining his identity in a rapidly westernizing world. It unites fans of many different ethnicities and nationalities, fostering cultural exchanges and multilingual jokes.
Discovering Hetalia while taking Modern World History provided an interesting perspective to view world relations by bringing it to a scale that I could identify with. I suddenly wasn't dealing with monolithic, faceless empires, but group of suspicious people dragging their cronies into their personal problems, blaming their whole problem on Germany, and completely ignoring the Soviet Union the way a high school queen bee gives a "friend" the cold shoulder after a perceived betrayal. As would be expected by such a massive drama, grudges remain, relationships are established and ruined, and it sets the tone for the rest of the 20th century. Learning about US history the next year involved the story of a backwater farm boy rapidly growing up into an industrial world power, and the conflicts that arise from the transition.
Above all, though, it helps give an answer for the duality and contradictions that plague the countries of the world–how can it be that a country can be capable of producing beautiful art while also inflicting suffering? How can it be that a nation may bring blessings and freedom to some, while degrading the lives of others? They're supportive of their friends, treat their enemies viciously, and sometimes make decisions that are just plain nonsensical.
In the face of history's grim inanity, Hetalia wholeheartedly embraces the absurdity of the world. Some have criticized its lighthearted approach, saying it portrays a whitewashed version of history, but I disagree. For a subject fraught with seriousness and emotional baggage, Hetalia's message is ultimately one of whimsical optimism and unity, celebrating cultural differences in fashion, language, legends, and horror movies, and showing the value of stepping back and laughing at ourselves every once in a while. Even in the midst of treacherous politics and international conflicts, it acknowledges the beauty in each country, depicting, in the words of the theme song, a "fabulous world that you can see through the swipe of a paintbrush."
March 5, 2013
The premise drove me away faster than I'd like to admit.
However. It wasn't long before the art and favorable reviews drew me back. Historians around the globe screamed in agony on the day Hetalia: Axis Powers was released. Still, it's cute character designs and... originality drew many people in and would not let them go.
I don't like many aspects about Hetalia. For starters, just go ahead and forget about any variations in skin tone. The United States of America may be a melting pot, but Hetalia America is blonde haired and blue eyed. Occasionally you'll see a character with a light tan, such as Egypt, but that's about it... :|
I do like, however, that no country is inherently "evil". They all have their faults and are all pretty much made fun of equally... even though Italy gets a larger piece than most of the ridicule pie, to be honest.
And, well, it's funny. Bizzarely so. Most of the jokes are only funny because of how... absurd they are. Still, Hetalia is a favorite.
However. It wasn't long before the art and favorable reviews drew me back. Historians around the globe screamed in agony on the day Hetalia: Axis Powers was released. Still, it's cute character designs and... originality drew many people in and would not let them go.
I don't like many aspects about Hetalia. For starters, just go ahead and forget about any variations in skin tone. The United States of America may be a melting pot, but Hetalia America is blonde haired and blue eyed. Occasionally you'll see a character with a light tan, such as Egypt, but that's about it... :|
I do like, however, that no country is inherently "evil". They all have their faults and are all pretty much made fun of equally... even though Italy gets a larger piece than most of the ridicule pie, to be honest.
And, well, it's funny. Bizzarely so. Most of the jokes are only funny because of how... absurd they are. Still, Hetalia is a favorite.
November 6, 2011
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
I've seen up to episode 36 of the Axis Powers series, so I was really looking forward to the manga. It wasn't up to my expectations, but it was still good. My favorite thing was the side note about the icecream in America.
"In America, there are ice cream trucks patrolling neighborhoods all the time. Even without going to the store, customers can score a variety of flavors in bright reds, blues and beyond. As if that's not enough, the calorie-starved consumer can even buy massive buckets of ice cream. These legendary super-sized portions are NOT urban legends.
Ah. Thank you, Japan.
That's another thing I love about Hetalia: It's extremely racist, even on Japan itself!
PAAAAAAAASSSTTTTTAAAAAAAA!
My copy is signed by Clarine Harp (China) and Scott Freeman (England).
I've seen up to episode 36 of the Axis Powers series, so I was really looking forward to the manga. It wasn't up to my expectations, but it was still good. My favorite thing was the side note about the icecream in America.
"In America, there are ice cream trucks patrolling neighborhoods all the time. Even without going to the store, customers can score a variety of flavors in bright reds, blues and beyond. As if that's not enough, the calorie-starved consumer can even buy massive buckets of ice cream. These legendary super-sized portions are NOT urban legends.
Ah. Thank you, Japan.
That's another thing I love about Hetalia: It's extremely racist, even on Japan itself!
PAAAAAAAASSSTTTTTAAAAAAAA!
My copy is signed by Clarine Harp (China) and Scott Freeman (England).
Read
June 1, 2015This book is beyond hilarious, it takes political satire to a whole new level - along with cultural stereotypes, but it was still really funny! I laughed all the way through! I love the anthropomorphic allegory in which each nation is a character in the story, it just makes it all the funnier to see watch the character development. The actions and developments were exponentially funnier because it is all parody. My personal favorite was Finland showing up at the end dressed as Santa Claus... I also busted up laughing when England used his witchcraft to summon up a 'terrifying creature of monstrous size from the pits of hell, with the power to destroy America', and accidentally summoned Russia... ha ha!
June 23, 2011
I got this copy used - to see what all the hype was about. Tokyopop is promoting this like a nobel winner. Well is Sucked so bad--I did not finish it! The stereotype, the poor drawing, the concept is lost on me completely. Maybe, because I am a baby boomer, or I know a lot of WWII. If anyone wants this--just email me for free.
December 31, 2021
Listen I know it’s trash but man the jokes still hit.
February 18, 2013
This manga is hard for me to write about. I liked it, for many of the same reasons I liked the anime. It's funny, the characters are appealing, and it makes history and the relationships between countries more interesting and memorable, even for someone like me, who had to struggle to remember anything for history tests. However, I read a review that said this manga has "a strong whiff of pointlessness," and I think I'd have to agree with that. I didn't dislike this volume nearly as much as some of the people who commented on the review seemed to, but...it felt like the manga equivalent of potato chips - enjoyable enough while it lasted, but basically just empty calories.
I wouldn't mind reading more volumes of Hetalia, but only if I got them via the library. I do still want to buy the anime, but only if I can get it for a lot cheaper than its current price. Both the manga and anime are good for some laughs, but the anime, for reasons I can't quite explain, is just more enjoyable for me than the manga. This is quickie entertainment, with the draw being, in large part, what you make out of Himaruya's basic idea - I still find some of the results of Hetalia fandom to be incredibly awesome, more so than either the manga or the anime, but none of that awesome fandom output would exist if it weren't for the original work.
The first thing I noticed when I got this volume via ILL was its quick, sketchy artwork. My first thought was that, visually, I preferred the anime, and I still felt that way after I had finished the volume. I did get used to the manga's look and developed a preference for the comics with ink (or something that looks like ink) sketches over the comics with pencil sketches. There were even some panels I fell in love with (like the big panel with Austria on page 38), but, overall, I prefer the cleaner look of the anime artwork.
I do think certain things were easier to follow in the anime than the manga. This is really a personal preference, and probably due to some embarrassing gaps in my knowledge. Since I had so much trouble retaining historical information in high school and college, sometimes I wished that the (very helpful) footnotes throughout the manga were more extensive - the footnotes explained what inspired a particular comic (a historical event, or a cultural stereotype, or possibly an interesting factoid), but, if Himaruya decided to move on to something else, which happened often, I was left saying, "But what happens next to that country?!" That's what history books and guidebooks are for, I guess, and Hetalia has increased my desire to read both. It's too bad that the volume didn't include a list of recommended history books.
My other problem, at least in the beginning: my embarrassing lack of knowledge about country flags. The volume starts with several lovely full-color pages dealing with a meeting between all the countries (the same meeting the anime starts with). If I remember correctly, the anime identifies the countries by name. The manga identifies the countries by flag, with certain details in the dialogue also identifying the countries. Had I not already seen the manga, I probably would have been lost. Later on, throughout the volume, there are country profile sections that provide brief information about each of the countries (as characters in the series), so I probably would have read those and then gone back to reread the beginning.
I consider this the most quotable manga I've ever read - my notes, which I took as I was reading the manga, are filled with quotes that made me laugh. Some of my favorites:
- "Germany, I have terrible news! It's a disaster! Italy has become our ally!" (27)
- "I am Japan. My hobby is to read the atmosphere of a conversation and answer in the least offensive way possible." (32)
- "Your anger is Chopin." (38) - This makes more sense in context. Austria was angry at Germany for being allied with Italy, a cowardly idiot, so he decided to express his anger by playing the piano.
- "Eat lead, you potato-sucking bastard!" (40) - I think these are Romano's first words in the whole volume. Romano (South Italy) is speaking to Germany.
Unlike many manga, Hetalia has numbering on almost all of its pages, making it easy to point to an exact quote. Thank you for that, Tokyopop!
Another thing I enjoyed was the little factoids, although I was sometimes doubtful about how true they were. Himaruya's perspective on American ice cream was amusing, though ("These legendary super-sized portions are NOT urban legends" (53)), not to mention embarrassing for my country.
Speaking of embarrassments, I know there are some people who have been offended by how their country is presented in Hetalia. The characters are based on stereotypes, both good ones and bad. As someone with one parent who's American and one who's German, I felt an affinity to the characters representing both countries. Not every German is like Germany (the character), but the way Germany is presented is fairly inoffensive, I think. America is another matter. However, I never actually felt offended, so much as mildly embarrassed about how others view my country. I didn't feel as if any of the characters were presented in a mean-spirited way, and, in fact, I think a certain amount of affection for all the countries must have been necessary for Himaruya to create so many countries that are likable, even when they're not shown at their best.
Still, I can see how some people might be offended. This is probably not a good series for the thin-skinned, or for those who think they might take issue with a series that chooses to soften or sidestep the more horrible moments in history.
In and of itself, Hetalia isn't much, but it makes for an awesome jumping-off point to other things. I think I'm going to have to find some history books that might be to my taste.
Extras:
I forgot to write down all the extras, so I have to do this from memory. As I've already mentioned, the volume begins with some full-color pages. The volume ends with a section explaining honorifics using examples from the manga, a section with translator's notes (which, as far as I was concerned, barely scratched the surface of all the things it could have covered), images of cosplayers dressed as Hetalia characters, and editor's notes.
(Original review, with read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
I wouldn't mind reading more volumes of Hetalia, but only if I got them via the library. I do still want to buy the anime, but only if I can get it for a lot cheaper than its current price. Both the manga and anime are good for some laughs, but the anime, for reasons I can't quite explain, is just more enjoyable for me than the manga. This is quickie entertainment, with the draw being, in large part, what you make out of Himaruya's basic idea - I still find some of the results of Hetalia fandom to be incredibly awesome, more so than either the manga or the anime, but none of that awesome fandom output would exist if it weren't for the original work.
The first thing I noticed when I got this volume via ILL was its quick, sketchy artwork. My first thought was that, visually, I preferred the anime, and I still felt that way after I had finished the volume. I did get used to the manga's look and developed a preference for the comics with ink (or something that looks like ink) sketches over the comics with pencil sketches. There were even some panels I fell in love with (like the big panel with Austria on page 38), but, overall, I prefer the cleaner look of the anime artwork.
I do think certain things were easier to follow in the anime than the manga. This is really a personal preference, and probably due to some embarrassing gaps in my knowledge. Since I had so much trouble retaining historical information in high school and college, sometimes I wished that the (very helpful) footnotes throughout the manga were more extensive - the footnotes explained what inspired a particular comic (a historical event, or a cultural stereotype, or possibly an interesting factoid), but, if Himaruya decided to move on to something else, which happened often, I was left saying, "But what happens next to that country?!" That's what history books and guidebooks are for, I guess, and Hetalia has increased my desire to read both. It's too bad that the volume didn't include a list of recommended history books.
My other problem, at least in the beginning: my embarrassing lack of knowledge about country flags. The volume starts with several lovely full-color pages dealing with a meeting between all the countries (the same meeting the anime starts with). If I remember correctly, the anime identifies the countries by name. The manga identifies the countries by flag, with certain details in the dialogue also identifying the countries. Had I not already seen the manga, I probably would have been lost. Later on, throughout the volume, there are country profile sections that provide brief information about each of the countries (as characters in the series), so I probably would have read those and then gone back to reread the beginning.
I consider this the most quotable manga I've ever read - my notes, which I took as I was reading the manga, are filled with quotes that made me laugh. Some of my favorites:
- "Germany, I have terrible news! It's a disaster! Italy has become our ally!" (27)
- "I am Japan. My hobby is to read the atmosphere of a conversation and answer in the least offensive way possible." (32)
- "Your anger is Chopin." (38) - This makes more sense in context. Austria was angry at Germany for being allied with Italy, a cowardly idiot, so he decided to express his anger by playing the piano.
- "Eat lead, you potato-sucking bastard!" (40) - I think these are Romano's first words in the whole volume. Romano (South Italy) is speaking to Germany.
Unlike many manga, Hetalia has numbering on almost all of its pages, making it easy to point to an exact quote. Thank you for that, Tokyopop!
Another thing I enjoyed was the little factoids, although I was sometimes doubtful about how true they were. Himaruya's perspective on American ice cream was amusing, though ("These legendary super-sized portions are NOT urban legends" (53)), not to mention embarrassing for my country.
Speaking of embarrassments, I know there are some people who have been offended by how their country is presented in Hetalia. The characters are based on stereotypes, both good ones and bad. As someone with one parent who's American and one who's German, I felt an affinity to the characters representing both countries. Not every German is like Germany (the character), but the way Germany is presented is fairly inoffensive, I think. America is another matter. However, I never actually felt offended, so much as mildly embarrassed about how others view my country. I didn't feel as if any of the characters were presented in a mean-spirited way, and, in fact, I think a certain amount of affection for all the countries must have been necessary for Himaruya to create so many countries that are likable, even when they're not shown at their best.
Still, I can see how some people might be offended. This is probably not a good series for the thin-skinned, or for those who think they might take issue with a series that chooses to soften or sidestep the more horrible moments in history.
In and of itself, Hetalia isn't much, but it makes for an awesome jumping-off point to other things. I think I'm going to have to find some history books that might be to my taste.
Extras:
I forgot to write down all the extras, so I have to do this from memory. As I've already mentioned, the volume begins with some full-color pages. The volume ends with a section explaining honorifics using examples from the manga, a section with translator's notes (which, as far as I was concerned, barely scratched the surface of all the things it could have covered), images of cosplayers dressed as Hetalia characters, and editor's notes.
(Original review, with read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Read
September 18, 2023Okej po ostatnim moim poscie o fanfikach z hetalii już wszyscy wiedzą że to czytałam więc nie ma co się kryć
January 23, 2024
imagine a bunch of high school fujoshis dressing up as ww2 soldiers and kissing each other but it's totally not gay cuz it's girls just yaoing. thanks to hetalia that became a thing. also gonna confess that i actually unironically liked hetalia for a time in high school please don't hurt me.
four stars. the anime is better but it's fucking hetalia. marukaite chikyuu bitches
four stars. the anime is better but it's fucking hetalia. marukaite chikyuu bitches
January 13, 2015
A friend lent me this book, and I read it without knowing anything about it or the anime. She is quite a fan, so I thought I'd be as excited as her, but it didn't happen. Yes, it is very funny and the little bit of historic facts are always interesting, but for me the stereotypes were too much in certain cases. I think some were humiliating and harmful.
I am thinking about a particular sentence found in the description of Hungary (in relation to Romania) that just might have destroyed decades of diplomacy. The author probably never realised this, but there is a significant number of Hungarians living in Romania who I think have to suffer the most in the political game of the two countries (I still vividly remember that day in 7th grade when a classmate came to school with a blue nose. One of the tough kids in his street decided to punch him in the face because he spoke in Hungarian...). So forgive me for this lengthy rant on a relatively funny work, but that one sentence just ruined the whole thing for me.
I am thinking about a particular sentence found in the description of Hungary (in relation to Romania) that just might have destroyed decades of diplomacy. The author probably never realised this, but there is a significant number of Hungarians living in Romania who I think have to suffer the most in the political game of the two countries (I still vividly remember that day in 7th grade when a classmate came to school with a blue nose. One of the tough kids in his street decided to punch him in the face because he spoke in Hungarian...). So forgive me for this lengthy rant on a relatively funny work, but that one sentence just ruined the whole thing for me.
May 14, 2015
Hetalia Axis Powers, or APH for short, is a comidic parody of history, revolving around the personifications of countries. Orginally based off a webcomic by Hidekaz Himaruya. The story mainly follows the Axis and Allied powers of World War II, but often branches off to other events, time periods, or countries. Don't look for any cronological consitancy here, often jumping from ancient times to modern day and everything in between. Many countries within the series, their personalities having basis in both stereotypes as well as historical events. Practically a fanfiction of real-life history, it is a fairly entertaining read for those who enjoy history and are not easliy offended.
As far as the art is concerned, I am a fan of Himaryua's art style, and although a case of "only six faces" for some, I enjoy his wonderful colouring style and the sketchy feel of the lines. This becomes more apparent latter on though, so the earlier art may be cleaner and more angular.
As far as the art is concerned, I am a fan of Himaryua's art style, and although a case of "only six faces" for some, I enjoy his wonderful colouring style and the sketchy feel of the lines. This becomes more apparent latter on though, so the earlier art may be cleaner and more angular.
July 22, 2016
Geschichtsunterricht in Mangaform.
Obwohl ich mich sehr für Geschichte interessiere und auch gern mal über das ein oder andere Klischee lache, konnte mich dieser Manga nicht wirklich begeistern. Der Zeichenstil war mir zu skizzenhaft. An sich waren die Charaktere interessant und auch niedlich gezeichnet. Auch die verschiedenen Uniformen waren nett anzusehen. Aber dieser kritzelige Zeichenstil war einfach nicht meins.
Inhaltlich fand ich die Kurzgeschichten alle recht langweilig zusammengestellt. Auch der Humor kam nicht bei mir an. Der geschichtliche Aspekt gefiel mir gut. Ich habe auch noch einiges dazugelernt und fand es gut, dass es auch Erklärungen zu einigen Kurzgeschichten gab - sprich der geschichtliche Hintergrund wurde nochmal kurz erklärt. Ein wirklich tolles Ansatz aber für mich zu langweilig umgesetzt.
2,4 von 5 Sternen
Obwohl ich mich sehr für Geschichte interessiere und auch gern mal über das ein oder andere Klischee lache, konnte mich dieser Manga nicht wirklich begeistern. Der Zeichenstil war mir zu skizzenhaft. An sich waren die Charaktere interessant und auch niedlich gezeichnet. Auch die verschiedenen Uniformen waren nett anzusehen. Aber dieser kritzelige Zeichenstil war einfach nicht meins.
Inhaltlich fand ich die Kurzgeschichten alle recht langweilig zusammengestellt. Auch der Humor kam nicht bei mir an. Der geschichtliche Aspekt gefiel mir gut. Ich habe auch noch einiges dazugelernt und fand es gut, dass es auch Erklärungen zu einigen Kurzgeschichten gab - sprich der geschichtliche Hintergrund wurde nochmal kurz erklärt. Ein wirklich tolles Ansatz aber für mich zu langweilig umgesetzt.
2,4 von 5 Sternen
February 22, 2013
"VODKAAAAA!!!!"
I know, some of you would be like "this isn't history blablabla" but if you really think abouf it, some traits, events, acts, are rather logically representing each countries. For example, the easiest one: Italy and Germany's bromance = their sercure alliance during WW2. Some may have been exaggerated, but some may have been correct, like how Belarus really want to marry Russia = how people in Belarus want to be a part of Russia.
Anyways, I recommend this whether for pure entertainment or maybe for a fun and ridiculos way to have probably some knowledge of the history depicted in this manga. Truthfully, Hetalia helped my grades by a lot, so there's no harm liking it, right?
I know, some of you would be like "this isn't history blablabla" but if you really think abouf it, some traits, events, acts, are rather logically representing each countries. For example, the easiest one: Italy and Germany's bromance = their sercure alliance during WW2. Some may have been exaggerated, but some may have been correct, like how Belarus really want to marry Russia = how people in Belarus want to be a part of Russia.
Anyways, I recommend this whether for pure entertainment or maybe for a fun and ridiculos way to have probably some knowledge of the history depicted in this manga. Truthfully, Hetalia helped my grades by a lot, so there's no harm liking it, right?
October 16, 2012
This manga is insane. It made me laugh so hard I almost died by choking on my milk (I was eating Oreos at the time, while I was clicking away and that turned out to be an unwise decision; milk always goes well with Oreos, if you're wondering what it has to do with my milk). Thankfully I managed to survive the ordeal and read more.
I don't really think there's a plot they're following. It's mainly just about the characters who are people named and based on countries. I think it's a pretty sweet and unique idea to do that. If you look closely, you can see why the characters act the way they do. It's hard for me to explain. It's better to see it for yourself really.
I don't really think there's a plot they're following. It's mainly just about the characters who are people named and based on countries. I think it's a pretty sweet and unique idea to do that. If you look closely, you can see why the characters act the way they do. It's hard for me to explain. It's better to see it for yourself really.
December 13, 2019
The book "Hetalia" is a funny comic of countries around the world as people. It talks about revolutions, wars, and alliances. This volume mostly centers around Italy, Germany, and Japan. The Axis Powers. The book uses a fun and creative way to teach you about history. By reading this book i learned about a lot of new countries like, Ukraine, Hungary,Belarus, Prussia etc. I didn't expect to like history as much as I did after reading "Hetalia" I would recommend Hetalia to people who like history or just want a good laugh. I rate the book 5 stars.
May 23, 2010
This manga is sooooo hilarious. It's similar to South Park. If you have no sense of humour, stay away from it. If you're too pride of your nationality, stay away from it. But you will miss a big lump (although the number of pages is not that great) of silly humour and also some history lessons.
March 11, 2019
as a great man once said, “it’s outsider art”
November 18, 2015
Un divertido caos. Está entretenido.
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July 19, 2023KOCHAM PAŃSTWA OŚI🛐🛐
March 18, 2023
Bardzo chaotyczna, ale również bardzo trafna.
(święte cesarstwo rzymskie, jak ja go nienawidzę...)
(święte cesarstwo rzymskie, jak ja go nienawidzę...)
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