We are not the people we were before, we changed, and we can continue to change. Sure this fandom has done many horrible things in its early years and honestly I wasn’t even in the fandom at that point in time, and the point is some actions were plain wrong, we know, but it’s honestly disheartening.
Please, please, I’m calling out to the true fans who cares about this fandom I learned to call my family, let’s prove that we can do good, prove them wrong for the things they still think about us. I’ve met more real people than I could ever meet in the real world. Please, I’m begging you, don’t let this fandom die, don’t let them degrade us, prove that we are good people with good intentions, that we can be real mature people who can contribute to society. Make them see what I see, a fandom that welcomes all people no matter what age or race.
Please share the word.
((I am tagging people who made me see that hetalia isn’t as bad as people say, please help me get the word around.
@hetafacts for getting the truth around the fandom and keeping it alive.
@urufu-arts for being brave enough to stand up and make a fundraiser for the victims of the Hurricane Harvey.
@ask-demon-denmark for being a good friend, and to everybody else.
@annotated-hetalia for helping us connect with the world with real world facts from the hetalia comic strip and series
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@hetascanlations for translating Himaruya’s webcomic and sharing it to the world.
@k-y-t-s-k-o for being an inspiration to me and many more artists out there.
@ellawritesficssometimes for reliving and proving that our fanfiction can be great no matter what context.
@ciakirkland for introducing me to this beautiful world. You will always be in my heart.
And to the ask-blogs, artists, writers, archives, translators and everyone who supports and loves this fandom. Thank you for giving everyone something to love and protect, thank you so much
Thanks for the mention @tomatolouise! I think what people need to realize is that Hetalia is the most versatile fandom out there; it literally works with everything. You have a multitude of characters, their human forms, their fanmade 2ps, and their nyos. It opens up a lot more creative avenues (such as AUs) that wouldn’t be available elsewhere.
Now, as for the horrible things the fandom has done. Yes! It is crucial that the problems from the past are addressed and properly condemned. However, like OP said, these traits should not define us if we can rectify them and move on. You learn from your mistakes.
*Hetalia DOES NOT promote nazism. Most of the manga takes place in WW2. Germany is not once shown wearing a swastika, and it is even implicitly stated that he was not fond of Hitler. There’s a difference between promoting a horrid ideology vs situating a context.*
Hetalia promotes nazism just as much as any other WW2 blockbuster film does – it doesn’t. It doesn’t even show or focus on domestic political life like these films do. Germany is wearing a SS uniform ABSENT of any nazi insignia. Again, most of the strips take place in WW2. Before you put the fandom at the butt of your rage, watch the anime or read the manga. Then come back to me and we’ll have a chat.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not an optimist. There will always be awful people, but that’s the case for ALL fandoms. Still, I’ve met wonderful people in this fandom and am very grateful for having this common interest as a global linkage.
People also need to recognize that STEREOTYPES are GENERALIZATIONS. Generalizations do not reflect the entire population accurately, but they do attempt to give us a general overview of a country and its culture. Hima has already proved that he’s moving outside of his old humor and is being more politically correct. (I do concur, though. Some countries should be portrayed better.)
And you know what’s great about this fandom? Don’t like how your country’s portrayed? FIX IT. That’s what properly researched historical fanfiction is for. We all have a voice, so use it.
We are the world. We are diverse. Hetalia is an opportunity for people to share their unique histories, languages, cultures, and customs.
It’s supposed to link countries across the world, not divide them. There’s a reason why the main theme is “Draw a circle, that’s the Earth,” instead of “Draw a border, that’s my country.”
Ellawritesficssometimes 