I love the characters in hetalia. They can span across a huge range of emotions whilst generally being really funny- they're just great. I just find it disgusting that they should represent nations. I understand that many hetalia fans are probably choosing to ignore or hell, haven't even noticed or fully realised the time periods and wars covered by hetalia, having been a hetalia fan myself, so if you are reading this as a hetalia fan who isn't involved in what I'm about to relate, please know that I am not attacking you. It took me too long to actually comprehend that a good fraction, even majority, of hetalia is set during World War Two - a hellish time of great devastation, horrific cruelty, inhumane experimentation and loss. And who are the people presented to us so sweetly by the show? Who are those we just want to meet and cuddle and are made out to be so adorable and cutesy? The axis powers. We have that title shoved in our faces a lot across hetalia, particularly in the season of that name, but it took a long time for me to understand the actual meaning. The axis powers- the union of Nazi controlled Germany with Italy and Japan. I would write paragraph after paragraph on the atrocities of the acts of that group in the war- of the cities levelled, the innocents killed across Europe and further- people being pushed into pits to be burnt alive, then have the remaining fat be scraped out and used for nazi soap, of the history lost- all in the name of an intent universally acknowledged as evil- but you will already know of the grotesque acts of horrific proportion that World War Two comprised of- at least enough, I hope, to understand that what the axis powers stood for was disgustingly, horrifically wrong, and what it caused, along with the responses that enabled the war to be ended at great, seemingly neverending cost of life, was a tragedy. So why, why can we see nazi germany x readers spread across the Internet? Why is there a fandom that in part consists of people who fetishise something so profoundly wrong? World War Two is one of several wars skimmed in hetalia, a ridiculously small amount actually represented with negativity attached to them. I choose World War Two as the main focus as it is the most seemingly normalised. The story is often told from a perspective that presents Nazi germany and its allies as cute, sweet- even good or better than the opposing allies who are, in comparison (in relation to their representation during that time period) shown to be less tactical, with nazi Germany and Japan shining through as noble, if cutely flawed, characters. How can this be happening? These are positive representations of one of the most destructive forces in history. And people support this. I understand that there are people who just don't see it, or actively ignore it/members of the fandom who like this in order to enjoy character interaction etc, but the truth is that there are people out there who fetishise this and normalise it. If the idea of a nazi sympathising impact of hetalia doesn't seem negligible to you, please think of the simple subject of respect. So many people died in so many horrific ways in that war as a result of the Nazi regime. The least that could be done to respect them would be not to skim over their suffering in a show that covers the topic, or in the very least simply not show the sources of the suffering be cast in such an amicable light. The point of this rambling, huge rant is please- please at least recognise how hetalia wrongfully represents these groups at those specific times (of course modern and other-time Germany, Japan and Italy would be fine) and if you are/see someone who fetishises the positive representation of the axis powers or more specifically fetishises the nazis, please try to awake them to what they are trying to or even inadvertently supporting. I think the concept of hetalia is incredible, and to do it in offensively in the manner of a comedy is hard with the subject matter- but is it really necessary for all this? At the end of the day, unless it is a statement or has a purpose surrounding the topic, a show should aim to be as inoffensive and respectful as possible to such subjects. Instead, hetalia not only ignored its gravity but also silently supports a happy image of nazi germany. Please, please- this can't be right.
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