I stg hearing hetalia was getting a seventh season actually gave me flashbacks to the cringiest and most repressed part of my life man, I am not strong enough to withstand another revival of the fandom, it’s been this essential part of my life for like 1/3 of it and I just hhfhhhhhghhhf I’m so exhausted anyway piano man hot , stupid repressed bastard bird man hot, everyone in that show is a pasty war criminal tho, frying pan woman is my forever “””WAIFU”””” and I’ve never been more conflicted over something in my entire life I think I’m going to sleep for 100 years like I literally don’t know what to do I just announced my “one foot out” relationship with the fandom and I don’t know how I feel about this I’m just so tired
I might have to dust off my old ask blog to see what people think because I know there’ll be a handful of people wanting my opinion on it and I’m excited to reconnect with the community but also I’m very tired and getting old (in spirit) and might have to take up the mantle of a fandom old at age 17
AND another thing!!
I have genuine concerns about this like so much okay. Everyone in the fandom rn has kinda grown up and become more mature which is good! When I first got into hetalia I was without a doubt the worst version of myself. The show is quite insensitive and himaruya MEANT IT FOR AN OLDER AUDIENCE but kids nowadays have access to EVERYTHING and don’t understand insensitive materials the same way an older audience does!!!!!! They’re easily influenced and SPEAKING FROM EXPIRIENCE, I was so so so insensitive and was generally just “”cringe”” but like, I was genuinely insensitive and it was horrible
I hate that part of myself so much and I KNOW it’s bc I thought it was okay from watching a show not meant for someone who was like 10-11. It’s also not politically correct in today’s climate, I guess back in 2007-2009 it got a pass (?) BUT like, genuinely concerned there’ll be a generation of kids thinking it’s okay to do what the fandom did in the past (you know. At cons. And other stuff online). Having limited exposures to other cultures and only even hearing of some through some anime making fun of those stereotypes is REALLY BAD and narrowed my world view so much when I was younger. I love himaruya’s work, the community that has grown up past that 2012-2016 phase has matured and we can now see it as like, what it is and appreciate the characters and debate the issues with it as a critique of the media etc, it was integral to me as a person and growing as an artist but for the love of Christ, I’m so so so concerned and scared for this newer season Bc of what it might do to kids what it did to me
Augh I’m so sorry, I have to reblog this here bc this is where most hetalia people know me and it’s a post about hetalia’s fandom, feel free to scroll past this
I agree, I think that's the main reason I fell out with the fandom when I did. Hetalia was the first fandom I got involved with so naturally I was very young and wasn't aware of how insensitive I was being. Though I have many positive memories of that time, I do feel like I was also at my worst. I am hopeful because of the current state of the fandom, and because of what I remember of the World Stars manga being far less insensitive than the older stuff. But none of that will stop new fans from finding older seasons and comics, and I know that kids are going to find this and make up the majority of new fans. As optimistic as I want to be, I can't help but worry about what the new season will bring.
