Tag: aph Germany

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Note: This is not
a theory. All I am doing is presenting canon information to help people better understand
the topic at hand.

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Despite all the countless evidence explaining why Italy and
Romano remain as separate personifications, it seems as if the entire fandom
has conveniently forgotten about this. Shame on you all for pulling a Germany
and becoming amnesiacs!

Nah, I’m just kidding! But really, the number of strips that
explain why they’re separate personifications is overwhelming if you add them
all together. First, let’s start with the strip that makes this reasoning as plain
as day.

In chapter 20 of World Stars (the web comic), Hima states that the Italy brothers
are separate personifications not just because of regional differences, but
also because of their difficult cultures (which includes different dialects)
and histories.

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On example of these differences, Romano has Spanish and some
Arabic influence, whereas Italy Veneziano has German blood in him. This is likely
attributed to how they were continuously conquered and divided by larger
foreign powers (ex: Spain, HRE, the Austro-Hungarian Empire).

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Hima was also very careful to differentiate Italian Unification
from German Unification. The Italy brother’s unification process was rushed and
forced. It was artificial and symbolic more than anything else; in reality, it
wasn’t true unity.

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Meanwhile, while the other German nations were also separate
personifications, their unity was a much smoother process and established more
solidarity throughout the country. It’s for this reason that only one
personification, Germany, was needed.

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You can even tell that Hima was a bit frustrated in having
to explain this all to the readers (again),
as he finishes the scene with these sassy panels:

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Honestly, given how many times Hima has stated these
differences and distinctions throughout the series, I would be annoyed too.
After this strip, however, the reasoning for why there are two Italian
personifications is 100% obvious.

You’ll see that Hima has been explaining these differences
right from the very start. Without further ado, let’s go over some of the many examples provided.

Due to Spanish influence, those in the island of Sardinia “still use Spanish.” Although, others have informed me that this influence is only in the dialect and that Sardinians don’t actually speak Spanish. 

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Here, Hima makes a clear distinction between the cultures,
personalities, and economies of the North and South. 

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Oops! More Spanish influence on Southern Italy (cuisine).

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A small map that reveals what the regions are known for.

North Italy = Arts, Cars, and Tourism

South Italy = Primarily agriculture + has a mafia problem.

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Although, it’s important to mention that North Italy has also had things stolen from him by the
mafia. Point is, the mafia is a much more prevalent problem in the Southern
half of the country, especially with kidnappings.

All right, I think I made my point. Both Italy brothers are
here to stay, so you don’t have to worry about one of them fading away any time
soon.

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What would you say if I told you that a lot of the nations had
Roman look-alikes – more like clones –
in the far past? Insane, right? Well, believe
it or not, it’s true.

First, there’s Augustus and Agrippa.

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It’s crazy to me how uncanny they both look to North Italy
and Romano respectively. Despite some personality differences, they also share
a lot in common. Augustus is charming, charismatic, and weak at fighting.

Meanwhile, Agrippa
wasn’t given the inheritance he expected from Caesar (the title of Emperor). We
see the same thing happen with Romano and North Italy, as the latter inherits
most of Ancient Rome’s wealth once he passes on.

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Further, Agrippa also shares Romano’s reserved nature, and
is only kind to those whom he is close with.

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There’s also this picture that Germany draws of Italy. It’s almost
identical to the facial expressions Augustus makes. 

Note: It’s manga Germany is referring to, not a textbook.

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Now here’s Augustus again:

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But it doesn’t stop there. There are plenty more Roman look-alikes.
Here are just a few more examples.

Tiberius looks scarily similar to a Sweden without glasses. He
is also feared by those around them and is perceived as anti-social.

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Mark Antony looks a lot like Denmark.

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Japan resembles Ancientus quite a bit too.

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Gothicus looks like Genoa.

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Probus too looks a lot like
Norway, and is even stated that he perplexes people and is often misunderstood
for this.

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Now, I know what you’re all
thinking, and as much as I want to blow the whistle and say that there is, there
actually isn’t any reincarnation present. Sorry to disappoint. Anyways, what’s happening
here is extremely strange, but also fascinating.

In a brief inter-text character
note, it’s stated that Quintillus is able to break dimensional boundaries and
travel through time. For example, he’s visited Japan and China before. What I want
to talk about more is Quintillus’s recent visit to Germany.

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Prior to Quintillus’s visit,
Germany was doing research on Roman history, reconstructing it to make old records
more accurate. It’s for this specific reason that Quintillus visits Germany; to
clarify that his older brother Gothicus wasn’t as bad as people have portrayed
him to be.

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Of course, true to his love for
science, Germany doesn’t believe that Quintillus is the ghost of a real Roman
emperor and dismisses him. What’s odd is that in the last panel,
Germany says, “That Roman boy is interesting.”

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I don’t know, but to me this
indicates that Germany might know that Quintillus is a supernatural being, but
is only able to acknowledge this in private. You’ll see with Hima that he’s
obsessed with linking Germany to Italian culture and Roman history. Another
Holy Rome hint perhaps?

Nonetheless, let’s get back to the
proof against reincarnation. One would think that maybe as Germany is reliving
history, he imagines it with the faces of those around him, hence the
look-alikes. A sound argument, but the strips prove
otherwise.

Here,
Ancient Rome is seen talking to Probus, Norway’s Roman look-alike. 

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Then, Gothicus, Genoa’s Roman
look-alike enters the scene and talks about how he’s not positively talked
about in modern textbooks. This confirms that the look-alikes are in fact real
and are not just a product of Germany’s imagination.

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If I had to guess, I’d say that they’re
all in heaven in this scene, since they’re long dead. If they exist seperately now, then
clearly, they haven’t been reincarnated into their nation look-alikes.

Still, I can’t help but wonder why
Hima has made them look so uncanny to one another.

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We all know Prussia’s
East Germany, and yet, Hima hasn’t directly referred to him as such. He’s only
been referred to as East and is also stated to have fallen under Russia’s
control after WW2, working unprofitable jobs.

It’s like Hima enjoys toying with us, leaving hints literally
everywhere. But, I mean, it’s not like he would make a hint so obvious that he would make use of a symbolic
wall in the strips…

DAMN IT, HIMA. SERIOUSLY?!!

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And lest we forget about this beautiful strip, where Taiwan
and Hong Kong are moving furniture. Move it to the east and west, you say? Well,
wouldn’t that be a convenient excuse
to sneak in another Berlin Wall reference and have Germany or Prussia pop out
of nowhere.

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Well played, sir.

Well played.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Inner Psychology:

The motto Ludwig and his partners run by is: 

What goes around, falls
underground.

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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.

Due to popular request, I’ll be starting to analyze the several instances in the series where it’s alluded that Germany is Holy Rome in some way or another. There’s too many of them to include all in one post, so welcome to yet another new sub-series!  

You’ll notice how subtle these hints are, as well as how uncomfortable they make the nations feel as they recall certain memories. Without further ado, let’s get started.

First, there’s England. In the “About why there is Italian architecture in England” strip, France shows surprise at the sight of an Italian-styled house in England and even praises it. England then has a flashback of when Holy Rome gave him this house as a gift, despite it not being suitable for the harsher English climate.

Note the expression on England’s face once the flashback ends. Sure, the reminder of Holy Rome’s legacy must be painful to relive, but why become so nervous and uncomfortable? If he was sad, I could understand, but the former two emotions make me think that something is still unresolved in the present; that is, England is reminded of how HRE is still around today except in the more modern form of Germany.

It almost seems as if the nations are aware of Holy Rome’s reincarnation/rebirth/ revival (whatever you want to call it) but don’t have the courage to tell Germany about his past. It’s not really their place anyway.

Then, you have France. We already know from the Napoleonic Wars, the first world war, as well as the German military occupation of France in WW2, that France has every reason to hate Germany, and is even depicted stating so.

In modern times, he still shows an evident aversion to Germany. Call this a stretch if you want, but I interpret a lot of this aversion more so in terms of guilt. Napoleon’s army ended the Holy Roman empire, after all.

However, it’s also important to note that recently France has slowly been starting to spend more time with Germany and is noted to no longer hate him.

In the “Germany’s playing an impossible game” strip, France is shown to be secretly backing Germany, referring to himself as the latter’s Big Brother. (Yes, I’m aware that France considers himself the Big Brother of the world).

What makes me suspicious is that in a few panels below, Hima mentions how France and Germany’s economic relations in the EU isn’t always agreeable and that they don’t see eye-to-eye in a lot of matters.

Why am I mentioning this? Well, flip back to when Holy Rome and France lived in Rome’s house. They used to refer to each other as brothers then too – they’re not actual brothers, it’s just a form of endearment.

Historically speaking, I can understand France’s grudge towards Germany after the Napoleonic wars. What I’m curious about is that even in modern times, well after WW2, France still appears to be hesitant/ walking on egg-shells around Germany.

That’s why I believe France is not completely open in his support for Germany. Again, I think he still feels guilt for causing the Holy Roman Empire’s demise and doesn’t know how to compensate for this.

Lastly, as I couldn’t possibly leave him out of this, there’s Prussia. Prussia is the one who tells Germany all about his past, being his older brother/ father figure. I say father figure sarcastically, because Prussia is lame enough to be wearing a Dad shirt in the 2011 Christmas event.

Anyways, in that same event, Japan and Italy reminisce about how Prussia, as the Teutonic knights, used to be. Germany expresses his confusion towards these stories by shouting, “What is that brother of mine doing?!”

We then get a brief bit of inner dialogue from Japan, who also seems confused over the fact that Germany believes everything that Prussia tells him about his past. Perhaps Prussia is purposefully fabricating parts of Germany’s birth to spare him from the pain of remembering how he had died before.

More notably, Germany remarks that he’s going to cross-examine Prussia, which may mean that the truth (whatever it is) is going to be revealed to him. Now that’s exciting.

On that note, there’s one last thing I want to talk about. In “The Guns of Italy and Germany”, Germany is completely bewildered by the shoddy guns Italy makes, all for the sake of making them easier to clean. When he asks Prussia if Italy has always been like this, Prussia ominously stares off into the distance and tells him this:

Hmmm. Another potential hint that just like Holy Rome had an ‘appreciation’ for Italy, Germany will eventually develop one too? Questions, questions. So many strips and not nearly enough confirmations…