Sure thing, and thank you very much for your kind words! I’ll save a more in-depth post for Austria’s old and new characterization for later…
Just a small note here: If you’re writing a story on any aph character, my mischaracterization guides aren’t where you’re going to get all the details. They’re quick snapshots!
The mods of Hetarchive have belaboured over creating incredibly extensive and thorough wiki pages with sources for you to refer to…use them!
Over the course of the series, I’ve
found several clever ways that Himaruya uses the nations physical bodies and
interactions to reflect wider historical, social, and political circumstances.
Typically, I’ve noticed that the
use of physical force between a dominant and subordinate nation reflects
political pressure and suppression. Russia is a prime example of this. You’ll
often see him squeezing, bending, and pressing down on other nations—obliviously,
of course. Remember that he’s unaware of his cruelty [x].
Ex: I’ve speculated before that
the reason Latvia is so short is a symbolic representation of how he has been
politically marginalized and controlled for a significant part of his history [x].
In other words, he lacked the
independence and autonomy that would have allowed him to achieve growth and
flourish on his own. His growth was stunted by virtue of him being pushed down
into submission.
Latvia citing the reason for his
shortness as a result of Russia pushing down on his head, to me, acts as a
wider metaphor for political suppression.
Ex: Russia squeezes and hugs Czechia and Slovakia to end
their dispute over whether they should include a hyphen in their name. In this
context, the hug is Russia asserting pressure over not what he thinks should be
their name but rather what their name will be [x].
Ex: Russia hugs Bulgaria from behind [x].
Ex: In the strips depicting the Baltics path to independence
from the USSR, Russia squeezes Lithuania’s shoulders [x].
Wars and battles can also be depicted in seemingly trivial
interactions between nations. The battles occur literally but are repeated figuratively
in these interactions.
Ex: To symbolize how France picked at the remains of some of
Austria’s lost territories after the War of Austrian Succession, France also
loots from Austria directly [x].
Different classes and social status are reflected in the
clothing that dominant and subordinate nations wear. Nations who are
conquered, annexed, or made to be under the control of another nation are
adorned in servants’/ maids’ clothing.
Ex: Chibitalia becomes a servant to Austria after being
conquered [x].
Ex: Lithuania acting as Russia’s servant while the latter
attended a world meeting on both of their behalves.
Ex: Romania and Bulgaria during the Soviet era.
I think I read somewhere that Belarus can see
ghosts? Do you know if this is true.
I don’t have a direct English translation to link you to, but it is
revealed that she can see ghosts in “Desktop Buddies” [x].
This is
the anon from earlier asking about your askbox status. I’ll send the ask now
then. So I was wondering if the canon human names that Himaruya’s picked out
for the countries have any historic relation, significance, or connotation to
be kept in mind? I believe that Hima in the past has explained some of his
reasoning to an extent, but a lot of it I think he’s left up for debate so I
was wondering if you could provide a list of plausible reasoning for their
canon names. Thanks!
The human names were deleted, so some people don’t take them as canon. Many speculate that this was because the names and surnames were not well-researched on Himaruya’s part (which is true).
Hetarchive has an entire page dedicated to extracting the possible historical references and/or significance from each of the names [x].
Although the nyos were later given names, they’re not official or canon. Himaruya stated that fans could name them however they please [x].
I love your post on
micronations and states. I’m hoping hima will put Mexico and Texas in there. I
know mexico was mentioned once. I just am hoping Texas will be
official-official since Texas used to be a country and hima saying nations
continue living if the become territory’s.
Thank you!
The strip where Mexico was mentioned is from Comic Diary 2. America speaks of the Alamo grudge [x].
As for statetalia? While state personifications exist for other nations, they don’t [officially] for America.
On the other hand, Himaruya does create a dialogue and panel in which the American states hypothetically existed [x].
I think I saw somewhere that Prussia asked
Italy on a date once- is that true?
Yup! It’s from Prussia’s Drama CD, titled “The CD of the Awesome Me,” [x].
Hi Ella! Can nations teleport? (France
disappeared after talking to Joan so I was wondering) Or maybe he just ran away…
Hello! They can transport; however, distance and the ability to travel on foot conventionally seems to be a major factor (e.g., Finland can’t transport to Seychelles and vice-versa during the 2010 Christmas Event).
*After talking to Lisa, Jeanne’s presumable reincarnate*
It’s not confirmed, but that could be the reason why France disappeared so quickly. Either that, or he was just being dramatic for flare.
Do you know some moments that Italy may looks naive, but he knows more
then he looks?
Italy’s not canonically naïve.
Yes, I’m aware that the comic gag is that he’s a “Hetare” but even in the
original webcomic, he’s not clueless at all. In fact, he constantly worries
about how he’s perceived by his allies in terms of his worth and ability to
contribute to the alliance [x].
Overall, he’s incredibly
intelligent and perceptive. He puts on a front of cheerfulness but is keenly
aware of what’s going on around him. Most of the time he brushes it off and
chooses not to focus on it.
You see this more when he refers to corruption in his nation’s
politics [x].
MORE WHOLESOME AMERICA PLEASE
Your wish is my command [x].
Why are Austria and Switzerland suddenly so
distant from each other? Okay their relationship was cut because of their boss,
but after that, why are they like cold towards each other like ex lovers or
something?
As far as I’m concerned, it’s
literally just that reason. There isn’t much of a romantic overtone (they were kids). It was more like a very tight partnership or camaraderie. I say this because Switzerland has flashbacks of the times he spent with Austria when he experiences similar moments of fondness with Lichtenstein.
He’s still bitter over the loss, having been discarded and mistreated by someone he trusted. Please remember that nations follow their bosses orders, so it’s not like Austria had any malicious intent [x].
Okay, just a quick question. Do you remember
that strip where Romano wanted his room of hopes and dreams cleaned? There was
a roman emperor looking statue on the front. Maybe he wanted to rule the empire
once? I’m feeling curious y’know.
That’s an interesting thought. My personal take on it is that it represents Romano’s failed hopes to live up to his grandfather’s legacy and inheritance [x].
You see this complex with him when he’s younger too [x].
Veneziano isn’t exclusive to failing up to this legacy either. Germany actually overestimates him when they first encounter each other in WW1 (Volume 1, Prologue).
Which character do you think is least accurate
to the country they are based upon?
Poland 100%
So now there are 4 italy brothers?
I suppose if you want to think of it that way. The German
States/ states are considered to be Germany’s brothers, so I don’t see why not [x]. Just know that this isn’t confirmed in canon.
Why there is a personification of Genoa if
Veneziano was the North of Italy since his childhood?
As mentioned in previous
posts, nationhood isn’t exclusive. It can extend to any organization of people,
formal or informal. Veneziano represented all of North Italy, whereas Genoa is
a more specific personification [x].
If it helps, think of it
this way. It’s no different than Holy Rome representing the collective of German
States despite them existing individually. Not to mention that these German
States evolved to become states (note the difference in capitalization).
Which characters do you think are the most developed?
America, England,
Germany, and Italy.
I see that all the cats in nekotalia have the nations as the
owners, but are They the cat versions of their respective nations or just an au
where the nations are cats?
They’re cat versions of
the respective nations. (Source: Volume 6).
Hi there! Love your blog, your theories and
such are very interesting:) You know how countries live by their bosses orders?
What do you think happens when they disobey their orders to stop a war from
breaking out? What are the consequences for them, as a personified country? I’m
very curious.
Thank you!
Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question considering that there are no
facts/ similar situations in the manga for me to base a response on. That’s
more along the lines of a headcanon ^^
What this post will explore
is the impact of Austria’s and Hungary’s parenting style on Italy. There is no
good and bad here. All I aim to do is give reason and meaning to the
problematic behaviour and relationships that are depicted in the series. The
characterization is done for a specific purpose. What I seek to do is bring
several parallels to light to prove this.
One of psychologist Karen Horney’s theories explored how problematic
parent-child relationships often result in the child developing neuroses
(mental health complications), such as anxiety or depression.
However, rather than assert
all the blame on the parent, she went on to explain how parents who have been
reared in an environment void of love, care, and affection are incapable of
raising their kids in any other manner.
Put another way, parents pass
on their neuroses to their children. You can’t expect someone to provide the
care, warmth, and love that they’ve never experienced and learned themselves.
On the other end of the spectrum, these problematic parent-child-relationships
and parenting techniques are learned and repeated through
generation-to-generation. It’s a cyclical process, that, unless consciously
recognized, results in all sorts of emotional trauma.
What Horney believed to be the Basic Evil of these problematic
parenting styles is Parental Indifference, which can also include a
hostile or rejecting attitude of the parents toward the child. This parental
indifference can cause the child to develop feelings of Basic Anxiety or Basic Hostility –
both of which, if not attended to, can lead to mental health issues.
For the purposes of this
post, I only need to focus on Basic Anxiety. Basic Anxiety occurs when the
child develops feelings of loneliness and helplessness in a world that they
perceive to be hostile and dangerous.
That said, what I’ll now
analyze is how Austria’s and Hungary’s upbringings were passed down to Italy.
Let’s tie this back to the
strips.
As expected, having had to
fight for their autonomy to prevent themselves from being conquered caused
most of the nations to have rough childhoods. The world of war is full of
uncertainties, fears, and insecurities. Of course, Austria was no exception and
had to experience this too. However, rather than fighting, he attained his
security through many alliances and marriages (e.g., the Swiss-Austro
partnership and the Austro-Hungarian empire).
Nonetheless, Austria did
experience a total loss of control as a child [many times].
Ex: He lost several battles to Hungary [x].
This total loss of control is
later inflicted onto those who Austria conquers. Again, I’m not attempting to
justify any of the following behaviours. What I hope to do is provide insight
into the reasoning behind these behaviours. I should also mention that there
are a lot of grey areas in the manga; to depict the scenarios as black and
white doesn’t do the series and characters any favors.
What’s important is that
these behaviours have been wrongly normalized as the ways in which nations
function and interact with each other. It’s a cycle that’s repeated.
When Austria first assumes
control over Italy, he makes him the equivalent of a servant. As such, Italy
loses total control over his political affairs [x].
It’s a harsh world where
deviance [rebellion] is strictly prohibited. The punishments are respectively
just as strict and harsh—this would entail the hostility component of Horney’s
theory.
Of course, this doesn’t mean
that Austria wasn’t only hostile with Italy. They shared several fond moments
together and were considered to be a family unit.
What would matter to Horney
is how Austria’s inconsistent parenting style of being a simultaneous source of
love and affection and a hostile enemy to be feared affects Italy’s mental
health later in life.
Italy’s helplessness in
adulthood is most seen in his clinginess, stemming from his desire to seek
safety and security from the world that has consistently proven to be dangerous
to him. First, Rome died and Italy was conquered by Austria. Flash forward to
WW1 and he’s once again in the hostile, unpredictable, and insecure world of
war.
So, what does Italy do?
He seeks safety.
With who?
Germany, his enemy at the
time.
When taken as a prisoner of
war by Germany, Italy doesn’t attempt to escape, even when provided with the opportunity
to. How I’ve interpreted this before is that Italy does this to seek security.
He explicitly states this too. Even as a POW, he still has a roof over his
head, can sleep without worrying about being attacked, and can expect to be
fed.
On the other hand, war isn’t
the only sphere in which Italy feels helpless. Corruption and the tyranny of
the mafia have once again rendered him void of total control over his political
affairs. I would even go so far as to say that he’s adopted a sense of learned
helplessness.
Learned helplessness occurs
when a being recognizes the inevitability of their negative situation. The result
is that they don’t attempt to escape from this situation but instead cope with
it.
A prime example of this would
be when Italy has his car and wallet stolen from him. Rather than calling the
police, he goes to Germany for help. The fact that it’s Germany and not Italy
who reports to the police implies a conscious recognition on Italy’s part of
their inability to do anything about the event [x].
In other words, being stolen
from is something that Italy’s normalized.
Hungary, having been reared
in a more supportive environment, doesn’t pass down neuroses to Italy, unlike
Austria.
Instead, Hungary passes down the ability to trust in others. She had the
rare privilege of growing up with a parent figure. Magyar raised her to be just
like him [x].
Point is, this ability to love and care unconditionally is replicated
in Hungary’s treatment of Italy.
The cycle repeats as Italy learns
from Hungary that even in the most hostile of environments, trust can still be
established with other nations. This trust is often excessive and nonsensical
at times, as Italy forgives quickly and will openly befriend enemies.
Ex: Italy is noted to be a
nation that doesn’t hold grudges. He hugs Austria despite having recently
fought a naval battle against him.
Ex: Italy fondly refers to
France as “oni-chan” when they both get shipwrecked during WW2.
In sum, when looking at Italy
from this perspective, it’s easy to see how Austria and Hungary have influenced
his personality.
Me: I’m not judgmental.
*scrolls through dash*
Me:
Oh, I remember [x].
Oof. Another excuse to make an addition to the psych-talia series. Absolutely, post coming up tonight!
Aside from the muddled waters of his previous [deleted] and
inappropriate characterizations, which, unfortunately, have bred several
accompanying misconceptions—an important topic that I will eventually delve into in greater detail—Spain’s
personality is arguably one of the most benign, kind, caring, and compassionate
among the nations.
Being oblivious to the feelings of those around him and goofy-natured,
Spain has a tendency to act with his heart rather than his head. It’s not so
much that he’s emotionally-unintelligent. It’s more so along the lines that he
doesn’t always read into others correctly because he doesn’t bother to read
them at all.
Nonetheless, there are notable moments where he’s able to
see right through to those he cares about, knowing exactly how they’re feeling,
what needs to be said, and, of course, expressing his support for them.
In the past, I’ve seen his character unjustly be watered
down as a “plain” type, merely because he’s cheerful, as if people like this
don’t exist in real life. There’s nothing wrong with a character being sweet
and genuinely cheerful to those close to him. It’s this overcritical
attitude that causes people to overlook how benign and supportive characters
like Spain serve to compliment others and their respective relationship
dynamics. Often times, this support comes at the cost of self-sacrifice.
Ex: Spain gave Romano a whole new wardrobe at the cost of
wearing rags.
That said, below will be a list of examples detailing just
how much of a gem Spain is.
While Spain may have generally favored Veneziano over Romano
when they were younger—[not always the case, post on that here [x]]—this
dynamic has since changed. As adults, Spain’s attention has almost completely
been diverted to Romano.
What’s humorous is that Spain’s smothering irritates Romano
greatly.
Ex: Spain asks a tourist to stop Romano in order to get his
attention [x].
Ex: The two of them have matching tomato boxers [x].
Ex: He escorts a drunk Romano home [x].
Ex: Spain’s perceptiveness comes to light when he realizes
the real reason why Romano dressed Roman style for Halloween.
He smiles
knowingly when Romano refuses his suggestion that this is done in honor of
Rome. Having been his guardian for centuries, Spain knows Romano better than
anyone else [x].
In the same strip, Iceland, having experienced the same type
of overbearingness with Norway, alludes to the fact that Romano doesn’t
actually mind Spain paying him all this attention. Romano’s blush says everything.
The two are just really good friends. There’s a reason why
they’re always depicted together [x] [x].
It’s not just Romano who Spain’s excessively kind with
either. As mentioned, it’s just who he is as a person.
Ex: In recognition of how Germany has trouble smiling, Spain covertly tries to teach him how [x].
Ex: He’s described as the type of person who would ask about
the contents of a book he’s not interested in [x].
Ex: Spain’s kind nature is what makes the Bad Friends Trio dynamic complimentary and memorable. It just works [x] [x]
Misconception: He’s a rude ‘hedgehog-type’ character.
Reality: He’s a hedgehog-type with a soft underbelly.
Following this hedgehog metaphor, while Switzerland can be abrasive
and rub others the wrong way, he still has a notable soft, compassionate, and
sentimental side. In some cases, his tone may be aggressive, but it’s the
intention of what he’s doing that truly matters.
What Switzerland is most known for is his ruthlessness.
Ex: He’s indifferent toward how money is obtained and will
protect the bank accounts of cronies and criminals [x].
Ex: He’s easily irritated by other nations [x].
Ex: He supplies weapons to Germany during WW2.
He can also be quite grumpy.
On the other hand, it’s important to understand this from
the perspective that Switzerland’s a survivor. He didn’t have the privilege of
having fertile land and turned to banking as a way to sustain himself and later, Liechtenstein.
His sweet side is something that is often neglected.
Ex: He’s described to be rather affectionate toward
Liechtenstein.
Ex: He wears the frilly pajamas that Liechtenstein made for
him.
Misconception: He doesn’t care about anyone but himself.
Reality: He puts up a guarded front, having been used and
betrayed in the past. He very much cares about others but will, of course, put his and Liechtenstein’s best-interest first.
Ex: He took Liechtenstein in and gave her food, despite running out of it himself.
Ex: Switzerland teaches Liechtenstein self-defence, but later
succumbs to her request to make more cute drawings.
Ex: In the present, he advises Liechtenstein to boost her
tourism. Liechtenstein soon realizes that Switzerland is projecting his past
onto her. He wants to protect her with a back-up plan; that way, she won’t be
treated as disposedly as he had once been [x].
“I don’t want you to go through the same mud and misery that
I did and be used as a shield by other people.”
Ex: Switzerland also projects himself onto Japan. He
reprimands Japan for not stating his opinions. In other words, he wants Japan
to stick up for himself.
Ex: He helps France after he’s defeated by Spain in war.
Ex: Back when their countries were united, Switzerland saved
Austria fifty-two times. While he’s still grumpy and complains a lot, that doesn’t
stop Switzerland from exercising his loyalty [x].
This brings me to my next point.
Misconception: Switzerland hates Austria.
Reality: Switzerland has mixed feelings toward Austria
resulting from their past partnership. While he claims to be independent and indifferent
[economically and politically], Switzerland is far from neutral when it comes
to his emotions.
Ex: Switzerland is revealed to still harbor complicated
emotions about his past with Austria. He experiences flashbacks when he
replicates fond moments with Liechtenstein (i.e., holding hands, exercising
table manners) [x].
Ex: The resentment over betrayal is seen in how Switzerland
constructs Austria as a shady figure during one of his lessons with
Liechtenstein.
Misconception: Switzerland and Liechtenstein are biologically
related.
Reality: Switzerland and Liechtenstein are not biologically
related, but Switzerland did adopt her into his household. They’re adoptive
siblings. Liechtenstein originally represented Austrian nobles [x].
Ex: Switzerland adopted Liechtenstein following WW1.
Bonus Facts:
Switzerland is described as thin with muscles [x].
In the “Can’t Escape from Italy” strip, it’s revealed that
the Italy brothers hired Switzerland to get England out of the ditch they entrapped him in [x].
Ellawritesficssometimes 