I looked into that, believe me. The dictionary definition wasn’t that. Well, the English version of it anyway. Does it mean something else in another language then?
OH SHOOT IT MIGHT BE A SPELLING MISTAKE HAHAHA. Yes, then. You’re absolutely correct. If Germany isn’t referring to some sort of irregularity in Italy, then it could possibly mean cloudy or unclear. I’m just not sure why he would cover Italy’s eyes then…
Before, I’ve speculated that the reason Italy has his eyes
closed is that he doesn’t see the truth of the world. First, he was sheltered
by the protection his grandfather provided for him and didn’t realize how
brutal the world truly was.
Then, I argued that after the traumas of being conquered and
losing Holy Rome, Italy kept his eyes shut as a conscious decision. In other
words, he refused to see the truth around him.
Following said logic, this would explain why Italy rarely
opens his eyes in front of Germany. Perhaps this is him not wanting to
acknowledge his uncanny appearance to Holy Rome. He may even realize that
Germany is connected to Holy Rome in some way or another, but chooses to ignore
it, sparing himself from the painful reminder of his first true love.
However, that’s not what I want to talk about in this post.
What I do want to talk about is that the Italy we know and love is hinted at
hiding another side of himself…a scary one too.
In the Christmas 2011 event, Italy is requested to keep his
eyes open for a long period of time. Italy’s shocked response prompts Germany
to comment that it can’t be that difficult for him to do so.
What I find suspicious is that Italy conveniently falls
asleep in the following panel, almost as if he doesn’t want to open his eyes.
Given the context, it also wouldn’t make sense for him to fall asleep during Christmas,
as he’s known to love being around people and adores any kind of festivities.
This is completely out of character for him.
Even stranger is that when Italy does open his eyes, he
later remarks that it’s best if he keeps them closed. Okay…
So, what about this side of himself he’s hiding? Well,
there’s one strip that disturbs me every time I think about it, that being
“Mind-reading Binoculars.”
Here, Japan invents binoculars that reveal what
people are thinking. After pointing it at Italy, Japan doesn’t believe what he
sees and concludes that the binoculars are defective. On the contrary, I think
this was purposefully done and that they do in fact work properly.
Scary, right? And yet, it also makes sense for Italy to
possess such a dark side (rather than his excessively cheerful, albeit insecure
one) to him given how brutal his history has been. Once again, we return to
this motif of truth and hidden secrets. Hima’s definitely going somewhere with
this…but…
Would you believe it if I said he’s been planning this other
side of Italy right from the very start?
When Germany first meets Italy, Italy is hiding in an empty
tomato crate and pretends to be a fairy. Germany’s word choice is quite eerie
in this particular scene.
I’m sorry, but “show your true self” (?!). Why so
specific? That is, unless the word “true” has an alternate meaning in terms of
Italy hiding parts of himself.
If so, that’s quite possibly the most brilliant
foreshadowing I’ve ever seen.
I’ve also noticed that when Italy opens both
eyes, it functions as him reassuring someone and/or telling them the truth of
his intentions/ actions. Roughly speaking, it’s comparable to Pinnochio…
Pin-eye-chio… Nah, it doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.
Back to the Christmas Event, this also might explain why
Germany immediately covers Italy’s face once he opens his eyes. How I see it is
that it symbolizes how Germany may indeed know about the truth of his past, but
decides to cover it up and ignore it as opposed to confronting it.
Anyways, every time Italy tells the truth, his eyes open.
So, is he living a lie then? I really do think Hima’s going somewhere with
this, and encourage all of you to look at any examples where Italy opens both eyes.
I’m still not too sure about this one, but since this is
also another thing that’s been heavily requested, I have no problem explaining
what little I do understand from it. That is, if there is even any thing to
make sense of…
We’ve seen that the nations can transport or travel across
borders in a short period of time. The first thing I’ve noticed about this
ability is that it requires some sort of connection. In the “We’re Shipwrecked”
strip, since China has villas – China towns – all over the world, he’s able to
use them as a method of transport, travelling as far as the island of
Seychelles.
In the Christmas 2011 Event, this idea of connection comes
up again as Russia proposes to Japan that they build a bridge in order to
connect their houses, making it easier to travel.
However, there are times when transporting is difficult for
the nations. In my opinion, I think distance is the key factor here. For
example, we see that Italy travels to Germany by crossing over through
Switzerland on foot.
In the 2010 Christmas Event, we also see Finland travelling
to Sweden’s and Germany’s houses without any difficulties. On the other hand,
when asked to interview Seychelles and Greece, Finland either mails or texts
them.
For Seychelles, Finland states that “her land is a bit far.”
You also likely have to factor in the obstacles of water (or mountain ranges,
deserts etc.) in travelling, as not all countries are connected by land, or if
they are, it’s not always flat and easy to travel across.
It seems that distance and connections between landmasses is
what allows and/or inhibits the nations to travel on foot, as opposed to more standard
means.
How they came to be:
At just 20 years old and
now a Sergeant, Ludwig Beilschmidt is taking Berlin’s criminal underground by
storm. He was bred into this lifestyle, having inherited his family’s blue
blood footsteps. He’s a genius (literally) at what he does, and seems to be
able to crack the mind of any culprit he investigates. His mind works like a
clock; calculated, timely, and efficient. There is nothing he can’t figure out,
and is often spotted thinking to himself, so absorbed in his thoughts that you
can practically hear the cogs whirring in his brain.
Among his colleagues, he
is viewed as obstinate and stiff, but is still very much respected for the
outstanding reputation his hard work has contributed to the force. Some say
that he never blinks, let alone sleeps. The tell-tale sign that something is
wrong is when you don’t hear the click and scratch of a pen, that and the
furious patter of typing up reports.
Being on the streets is
another matter entirely. He specializes in cracking down on drug syndicates,
and is comparable to a military commander with the way he and his dogs snap at
the heels of those he’s pursuing. He’s ruthless, obsessive, stubborn, and
refuses to give up until the culprit is behind bars.
Those who are closer to
Ludwig, however, know there is a darker side to him, one that is better left
uninvestigated. A bloodhound himself, Ludwig knows when he is being watched by
those jealous and skeptical of his achievements. There are rumours that he has
an extremely short temper and will completely snap at the mention of his older
brother’s suspected mental illness. It’s best to give Ludwig his space and to
not keep too close. He’s not very sociable, nor is he much of a people pleaser.
Socializing and formalities simply aren’t his forte.
This is just speculation,
but supposedly two officers who suspected Ludwig of using corrupt methods in
gaining evidence were killed in a hit-and-run incident. The reports, Ludwig’s
reports, have deemed it as an accident. There are many who believe otherwise,
but are too afraid to speak up and accuse him of any wrongdoing.
Foul play is indeed
suspected in Ludwig’s work, but he’s established himself to the point that it’s
nearly impossible to challenge his authority – no – his reign over the other
officers.
Killing Methods:
True to some of the other
officers’ suspicions, Ludwig is in fact a very naughty cop.
After agreeing to absolve
their charges, Ludwig formed a mutually-binding contract with two ex-Italian
mafia members. The deal goes as followed: The Italians act as spies and give
him information about the criminal world, and in return, Ludwig lets them seek
refuge in his home, guaranteeing them full protection.
The Italians aren’t the
only ones who get their hands dirty, though. Ludwig has no problem murdering
anyone who obstructs his work, especially
if they’re criminals. His favourite code word is vacation, as his colleagues
know that he has a vast appreciation for them given how hard he works.
Ludwig’s vacations, in
reality, are trips he takes to Switzerland in order to get rid of the bodies of
those whom he and his partners have murdered. Ludwig uses brute physical force
in his interrogations and has killed people on accident more than anything
else. Nonetheless, if he does intend to kill someone, Ludwig is practical and
will go for the neater option. His creativity had once led him to kill a person
with none other than a bottle opener and a single toothpick.
Inner Psychology:
The motto Ludwig and his partners run by is:
What goes around, falls
underground.
That is, they hold a
pessimistic view of life itself. They have very little faith in people,
including themselves, and therefore see their jobs as getting rid of the worst
of the waste rather than the whole garbage dump. All humans are corrupt to
them, so they have no problem getting rid of lower-scoring humans on the
immorality scale. Their job is simply to stay afloat and to sweep away the
toxicity criminals bring into the world, which sometimes includes an occasional
piece of trash here and there. Switzerland, then, as a hub for criminals, is
the perfect place for them to dump their victims.