I’m going to be outright with it: Unironically calling Hetalia a dying fandom is a slap in the face to those content creators still in it.
To call something dead just because you’re leaving/have already left the fandom is disrespectful on so many levels. There are still people creating content, and to have you dismiss their hobbies and interests as something doomed to fail discourages active members from contributing further to the community.
There are people struggling and working every day to get recognized, and yet you have the audacity to say that it’s dead? What gives you the right to wave off those invisible artists and writers? What gives you the right to take away the hope from those who want to get recognized? What gives you the right to declare a fandom dead when there’s people who still have a genuine and active interest in it?
Only those who have left the fandom have a dead interest in Hetalia; don’t project this onto the rest of us.
I’ve seen this justification enough times that it really makes me question if people know what a fandom is. Sure, Hetalia isn’t as popular as it was years ago…SO WHAT?
A fandom is a community. A community involves personalized interactions. If you’re so pent-up on numbers, then it’s time to re-evaluate why you’re here. You shouldn’t (note the word shouldn’t, as not everyone’s the same) base your gratification from a fandom based only on numbers. The community may be smaller now; we’re tight-knit.
But that’s just it, isn’t it? We don’t have to be big to form our own little niche. If anything, it makes the experience more satisfying to know those who you interact with. I understand where others are coming from when they say that the responses aren’t the same as they used to be. However, if you’re using that same argument, activity and numbers have been on the rise lately.
Nonetheless, a fandom doesn’t have to be super popular for you to be able to enjoy it. The Hetalia fandom is just big enough where it’s still thriving with new content every single day. That hardly seems like it’s dead to me.
Yes, numbers matter, as they derive from interaction. But, if you’re really here for the fandom experience, huge numbers shouldn’t be a first priority. We’re here to fulfill and sustain meaningful relationships, not some self-validating line graph.
Why Hetalia Declined in Activity:
I say activity, because a lot of what goes on in this fandom is smoke and mirrors. There are still a TON of people in this fandom. The only problem is that most of said people only follow accounts and can’t be bothered to like or reblog. In no way are you obligated to like or reblog content either, don’t get me wrong. Still, it’s this unwillingness to share content that’s made the fandom smaller.
In other words, people are interested in the content, but when it comes to sharing it, that interest dissipates. Everyone here has the power to make this bigger again (not that it needs to be). Regardless, it’s your call whether you want to invest that extra minute in supporting your favourite creators.
Another problem I’ve noticed is that those who do reblog don’t use their tags. This is probably the biggest explanation as to why we’re so invisible on tumblr’s fandometer. If even half of us wrote the simple tag of “hetalia”, we’d be up there for sure.
“You’re still into Hetalia…?”
I get it, I really do. Based on circus performances from mostly older members, this fandom has a horrible reputation. What I don’t understand is how that horrible reputation somehow translates into it being embarrassing to like the series. The actions of others should not be reflective of the entire fandom.
Which brings me to my next point. Yes, Hetalia is based on stereotypes. It’s inevitably biased, and I admit, some of the earlier content could have been executed with a lot more research and sensitivity on Hima’s part. Point is, that was over a decade ago, and his new content has proven that he’s learned from these mistakes.
It would be impossible for Hima to create a series using this medium without necessitating the need for stereotypes. What a lot of people don’t seem to quite get is that stereotypes are conceptual tools; that is, they’re flexible.
What’s wonderful about this fandom is that Hima’s general use of stereotypes allows fans to step in and add their own personal touches and corrections to the characters.
Also, I cannot stress this enough, but this series promotes peace, not war. It’s easy to look at the series’ summary and automatically think: “They’re glorifying Germany during WW2!”
NO! Not once have they ever promoted fascism. There’s zero insignia shown, nor is any of the horrors that happened covered. What the strips do show is the nations fighting each other, as is what happens in war. More importantly is that the nations have been shown on countless occasions to abandon wartime rivalries and act as friends above all else.
I mean, the series’ theme is literally “Draw a circle, that’s the Earth.”
You can’t honestly tell me that this isn’t pushing for worldwide consolidation as opposed to division.
Why Hetalia has Remained:
Hetalia has remained as one of the most versatile fandoms out there. You have both human and nation AUs that can be recreated and re-formulated over and over again. On top of that, you have 11+ years of canon character information to work with. The fandom is full of depth, flexibility, and future potentialities for people to explore new ideas with the characters.
You don’t typically see this with other fandoms. Usually there’s one big boom. Then people realize that they don’t have all that much to work with and move on. People haven’t completely moved on from Hetalia because it’s still rich enough to keep producing new content from it.
Likewise, not many other fandoms provide the motivation to engage in learning about the world and its history. Hetalia made me want to learn more about what I was reading.
And before anyone says “Hetalia is simple, there’s nothing to it”, I implore you to reconsider. If you really pay attention to the inner workings of Hima’s craft, you’ll find countless inter-texts, foreshadowing, easter eggs, and dark themes running all throughout it.
To Those Leaving the Fandom:
Thank you for all the content you’ve created for us, truly. I wish you all the best. But, if you do leave, all I ask is that you respect those who are still in it.
Just because you’re leaving, doesn’t mean that the fandom has died. It just means that you’ve lost interest. Please don’t attribute this loss of interest to a fandom that’s “dead.” If anything, it’s because of lower numbers and activity.
To dismiss us as dead means that you’re overlooking those who are still here. Not only that, but if you had a large enough following, you’re ruining the aspirations of those who idolized you.
Leave behind your legacy with class. Set a good example. Allow those to eventually climb up to the peak you reached in the fandom rather than tearing it down and frightening others into leaving with you too.
With all that said, I want those reading this to remember one thing. We’re still a community. We’re in Hetalia because we share a common interest.
It’s about sharing what you love, not loving something because it’s shared.
theartofmadeline
annaxmalina
dededos
snowghoul
kaledo-art
