While thatâs a very flattering thought, my anxiety unfortunately wouldnât have it.
Note: This post
can be taken as both a friendship and shipping post, so Iâll tag it
accordingly. I say shipping in the sense that this material would be useful tools
to incorporate into characterizations should anyone wish to write this pairing
more in tandem to canon.
A trend Iâve noticed in the fandom is that many people are
quick to dismiss the possibility of Japan and England sharing a good
relationship. I suspect that the animeâs portrayal of them in WW2 has a lot to
do with this conception. That said, what I seek to prove is that their
relationshipâmore specifically friendship because thatâs what it isâextends before WW2. The two are and were actually very close allies.
That said, Iâve organized their relationship into three main
themes. All themes are linked to one another and contain substantive parallels
between their characters.
Loss of a Brother
Figure:
Both England and Japan experienced the pain of losing a
brother figure. Japan lost China, who raised him, and England lost America, who
he raised. While Japanâs historical isolation extends into the time where he
and China were still personally involved with each other, there is nonetheless the
unique parallel that both countries have experienced personal isolation.
Ex: China
developed a grudge after Japan betrayed him in WW2. Please note that the grudge
has since eroded away in the present.
Source: Hetarchive, The Story About the Early Days of China and Japan.
England and America both experienced a substantial loss and
tear in their personal relationship following the Revolution. This has also
since been rectified in the present.
Ex: America drank coffee in spite of his grudge over the
Revolution.
Source: Hetarchive, Lithuaniaâs Out-sourcing Series pt. 1
Ex: England dreams about raising America, an echo of his
latent and longing desire to live in the past again.
Source: Volume 3, England Dreaming of Long Days Passed.
Loneliness and Isolation:
Of course, the two didnât just experience personal
isolation. Theyâre both known for their political isolation.
Ex: England,
being geographically isolated from continental Europe, became ostracized from other European nations.
Source: Volume 3, England Dreaming of Long Days Passed.
Ex: Japan grew
accustomed to telepathically communicating with other beings. In fact, he grew
so accustomed to it that when he first met Italy, he wasnât in the habit of
speaking verbally [x].Â
Obviously, this isnât overlooking the Westernization he
experienced during and after the Meiji era. The point is that his previous
isolation impacted his communication patterns.
Ex: In fact,
several strips in the series depicts Japan being overwhelmed upon opening his
country.
Source: Volume 4, Netherlands and Isolationist Japan.Â
The neat tie between the two characters is that Himaruya
dedicates an entire strip to the two of them forming the Anglo-Japanese
alliance. The title of said strip is pretty self-evident as to how their
isolation impacted them:
âThe Anglo-Japanese Alliance Between Two Lonely People.â
Lastly, there is also this comic gag that depicts their neko
versions overcoming their isolation by sharing a kitty box [x].Â
Cultural Sharing:
A last theme coursing through their relationship is the open
dialogue between their cultures. In other words, the two have a history of
sharing their cultures.
Ex: England enlists Japanâs help in teaching him how to make
better industrial design [x].
Ex: Japan adds his own spin to a traditional Christmas card and
England reciprocates the favour [x].Â
Overall, England and Japan share a very gentle and generous
relationship, overlooked as it may be in light of other relationships that tend
to be underscored in fanon.
Iâve already touched on this before. My opinion hasnât changed.Â
–Â Â Feedback
shouldnât inherently be expected. Youâre not entitled to someoneâs thoughts
just because they read your work. However, if you like a creatorâs work,
feedback is the best way to keep them going.
–Â Â I think
engagement is more important. This includes likes, follows, reviews,
favourites, reblogs etc., Yes, there is a hierarchy in how some are more
valuable than others, but Iâm not favourable of the âlikes do nothingâ
argument. Theyâre still a show of support and they do do something. Be grateful
for any level of interaction you receive.
–Â Â I saw @feyna-v
bring up an interesting point in reference to how the fandom is fragmented into
âniches.â That is, people will gravitate towards specific content. Since
popularity levels have dropped, these niches have become smaller. You can find
their post here [x].
While this is true, my only
qualm is to look at follower counts for specific blogs and to analyze the
engagement levels at a localized level = meaning, look at the engagement levels
of your followers. Then take the engagement levels of one niche and compare
them to others to verify if this is a fandom-wide issue. From my experience,
Hetalia does have an issue of low engagement. Itâs not about how many people
are here. Itâs about the ratio of engagement of the people in the fandom, compartmentalized as it may be, that
matters.Â
–Â Personally, I think a
1:10 ratio is healthy, and itâs what I believe this fandom should aspire for in
supporting our creators. This would entail 1 follow/ like/ reblog/ favourite
per ten people.
–Â If you write solely
for feedback, Hetalia isnât the place for you. I learned that the hard way when
I wrote for nearly two years on ff.net, garnering 100s of readers and yet I was
lucky to get between 2-5 follows, favourites, and reviews. Iâm not going to lie
and say that it wasnât discouraging.
Itâs a horribly shitty
feeling to write a 10k chapter (a minimum of 40 hours of work) and get excited
about potential responses, only to feel like youâre sending your heart and soul
into an unappreciated and empty void. What I had to learn before I came here is
that people read your work for a reason, and while they may not overtly show
it, they still appreciate it.
However, I would be lying if I said that the low levels of
engagement didnât affect my confidence as a writer. Perhaps it was because I
began writing during such a vulnerable and lonely time in my life, but I now
have a colossal aversion to uploading fics. Iâve since moved towards private
writing but would like to begin updating again when I get my life back in
order.
–Â Â Â Last
point: If you complain to your
favourite author about not updating and donât support them at all (i.e., no
follows, no likes, no reviews etc.) you have a lot of nerve. Weâre not obligated
to create anything for you, just the same as youâre not obligated to support us.
Itâs the same thing as the
working in a service sector argument.
To avoid the chronicity of rude, entitled customers, thereâs the
belief that every person should work in the service/ food industry at least
once in their life. That way, they donât treat the workers like shit because they know what
it was like to be one.
Itâs the same thing for fanfiction. Become a creator and youâll
see for yourself how much time and effort is put into it. Itâs why Iâve noticed
that other creators are the best at giving feedback/support if they like something because they know the process
and what itâs like to be on the other end of the screen.
Ellawritesficssometimes 