Yes! He’s such an impressive character. Although it makes him nervous to be in the spotlight, his benign qualities are in desperate need of being displayed.
Mischaracterization post on Japan coming up tonight!
Tag: aph Japan
Of course. How might I
forget that people depict him as cold and emotionless when in actuality…
…he’s a gigantic
sweetheart in his own awkward way.
France tells Germany out
of the blue to meet with him secretly and to dress inconspicuously.
Germany does this, no
questions asked.
Italy gains weight when
his country’s obesity rate rises.
Germany pulls up data to
prove that it’s okay if “handsome Italian men” have some stomach fat.
America doesn’t believe
the large reading on his bathroom scale and calls Germany for ‘electrical help.’
Once again, Germany
comes, no questions asked.
He also helps America
train harder to shed off some extra weight (it’s actually just muscle, but
America doesn’t realize this).
He loves his dogs.
He loves baking and
graciously shares this passion with others.
You said that Russia pressing down on Latvia’s head is a metaphor for political repression. Is there anything else like that?
It’s somewhat similar, but Russia sends [political] pressure
in the form of hearts. Since he grew up under repressive rule himself and considers
anyone to be his friend regardless if they abuse him or he abuses them, force
is the only way he knows how to communicate with others.
Similarly, to end the hyphen dispute between Czechia and Slovakia, he squeezes them together in a hug.
Since the beginning of the heavens and earth, countless soldiers
Spun history by overlapping their lives, aru.
On the banks of the Yangtze, there is a single caged dove.
In front of the Great Wall, the sun “rises” again, aru!
Selfishly, I think of the past – how nostalgic, aru…
Nǐ hǎo ma?My body hurts all over, aru.
I will even make new sweets, aru.
When I wake up, I cannot be beaten, aru!
As brave as a lion
My state of selflessness is dyed red, aru.
Depend on me at any time
Ai yaa yaa…
The child I found that day within the bamboo
I raised him to be sturdy and strong, aru!
Do you remember the moon we gazed at together,
aru?
Wǎnshàng hǎo! The rabbit is pounding medicine, aru.
This sky extends to the ends of the earth, aru.
The wind runs through this vast land
Proudly, like a dragon
The star that is suspended on the red is flown
high
And shines on us, aru
Ai yaa yaa…
In the grief of this unending world
Why is it that people fight, aru!
Regardless of the injury, the day it will heal
will come, aru.
Leave everything to me!
Ai yaa yaa…
(Even if our countries are different,
If our words are different,
If our characters are different,
I always want to… gaze at the same moon as you.) [x]
What’s the most disturbing thing you’ve ever come across in canon?
I believe this has more symbolic meaning and shouldn’t be taken literally, but Japan’s “Excuse Me, I’m Sorry” character song has some very… powerful lyrics.
I believe it has to do with how he accepts being Westernized again after WW2, as he mentions the Meiji Era. I also think he’s referring to the American occupation of his country, pertaining to his innate fears of losing his sense of self [culture].
“ Cherry trees, maple trees
The meaning of the seasons
My straight black hair
will be blond by tomorrow ”
…
“
I really really like Western cooking
I can’t deny the Meiji Era
Excuse me, I am sorry
I love everything new
I really really like what’s fashionable
The minority can’t control me
Excuse me, I am sorry ”
Q: If there are two
Italies, how come Veneziano is referred to as Italy and Romano isn’t?
A: There’s no
real reason given. It’s just how it is.
The other nations generically refer to Veneziano as Italy, and
Romano as “Italy’s older brother” – Romano gets pissed off at this since he
resents being stuck in Veneziano’s shadow.
Nonetheless, BOTH are Italy.
Q: What did Chibitalia represent? Did anything
change?
A: Nothing’s changed in what he represents. Veneziano has always represented the north of the country, and Romano, the south.
The only difference
then is that Italy was fragmented into several small city-states after the
Roman Empire fell. The country wasn’t as
consolidated.
By this, I mean that each city-state was diverse and different
enough to be considered as a nation in its own right. Veneziano and Romano were
the collective personifications of these states. Similarly, their names are
each likely references to Venice and Rome, city-states that were thriving with
culture at the time.
Veneziano refers to his half of the country as his house, meaning
that when city-states under his jurisdiction were conquered, he would also be
conquered.
This is seen when Milan gets thrown into a war between
France and Prussia. When Milan gets taken over by Spain, it’s Veneziano who’s
captured. Again, he represents the collective of these northern city-states.
“This is how the War of Austrian succession looked like. Basically, everybody just bullying Austria. At one point, Northern Italy (Milan) got caught in a war between between France and Prussia, not noticing Spain surrounding him from the South until he got kidnapped.” [x]
The same thing goes for Romano.
He was once conquered as Naples by France [parts of Veneziano were also conquered here].
Q: Would APH Genoa still be alive today?
A: It’s difficult to say since we don’t see him in the
present, so I can only speculate.
However, I would guess that it’s possible for a variety of
reasons.
1) Personifications are personality-based. These personalities
are based on how strong the culture(s) of a collective organization of people are [x]. Since
Italians are so diverse and tend to identify themselves regionally, it’s
possible that while Genoa is no longer a city-state, he can still be a
personification of Genoan culture.
2) It’s stated that when the culture dies and the personification
loses their nationhood, they either die or become a representative of the
region. In other words, he could be active in politics. [x]
3) This one is more unclear and open-ended, but it’s
still substantiated in canon. We’ve seen personifications that technically
should be dead still existing well past their date of dissolution.
Ex: Holy Rome.
If that’s the case, then Genoa could still exist, either because his culture is still there, or for no explicit reason. Nationhood is often very flimsy and loosely defined in the
series.
You also have to factor in the existence of the micronations, where
even Hima states that the reasons that founded their existence are “amazing” – as in no concrete rules
apply to them. It also has to do with the bizarre reasons regarding how they formed in real life. [x]
It’s likewise important to mention that real nations are often just as perplexed by the existence of micronations.
In sum, it’s possible for Genoa to still be alive if you use
the canon rules I provided; however, it’s not canon.
Q: Is State-talia
real or OC?
State-talia is real. You can find notes on states and
provinces if you search the tag in the English translation of Hima’s blog
(Bamboo Thicket)
Tag: states and provinces
Ex: China’s provinces are personified.
Ex: Japan’s prefectures [blog only] and feudal clans/territories are
personified [make appearances in the manga]
Interestingly, these feudal clans/territories still exist during Japan’s Westernization phase. Again, the rules of nationhood are loose, and personifications don’t always die and fade out right away.
Sometimes it takes a while before they die, and other times they won’t die at all.
Osaka, a previous feudal domain, later evolved to become a prefecture from the Meiji era
– present.
Ex: America’s states are not personified, but Hima does
provide a hypothetical description of what they would be like in their relation
to America [x]. There’s also a brief dialogue between some states.
Notice how America refers to his country as his house in the
case that his states were personified. It’s the same exact situation with North
Italy. Point is, there’s a consistent rule here.
Given that Genoa is personified, it would be possible for the city-states in each Italies’ house to be personified as well.
I think it goes unsaid that how the nations relate to one
another is not only based on their present political relations.
In other words, while they may not be on good terms with
each other, these relations don’t define their relationship in whole. There are
times where nations get along, and there are times where they will fight
frequently and ‘hate’ each other. Point is, the hate doesn’t typically last.
While current relations do cause tensions, their pasts have
the most impact on how they view one another. It would therefore be shallow to
say that if nation A and nation B grew up together, only to go to war centuries
later, that they would unequivocally hate each other and be unable to reconcile.
Relationships don’t work like that, and this is especially the case for
immortals who have lived several lifetimes.
I’ve stressed this in other posts before, but the nations
don’t represent their government. They represent their people – they’re cultural,
not political representations. The irony is that they’re forced to serve their government, which may or may
not represent their peoples’ best interest. [x] [x]
It is for this reason that even in times of war, nations on
opposing sides are shown to be getting along with each other when they’re not
on the battlefield.
Ex: America’s occupation of Rome. He doesn’t treat the Italy
brothers as enemies, but rather friends.
Ex: England, Russia, and Germany share their military
rations with each other.
While humans from other nations may bear present grudges
towards each other, this doesn’t always reflect itself in the personification.
It’s important to remember that they’re people themselves, and have had more experiences
that influence their outlook on life.
That said, what this post will set out to demonstrate is
that nations rumoured to canonically hate each other don’t actually. The hatred
isn’t deep-set or genuine. It’s more like a rivalry between someone who constantly
gets on your nerves…someone who you routinely get into arguments with and can
never see eye-to-eye. On the other hand, old war grudges have been shown to heal with time.
Although, some take far longer than
others.
With all that in mind, let’s go over some of the most common
characters that are mistakenly depicted to be in hate-hate relationships. And
yes, while this is intended to be ship neutral, all of these examples can be
used to counter bashes against your ship.
Russia and America:
While they may have been on thin ice with each other in the Cold
War, their history runs far deeper than that. Unfortunately, we get very
minimal insight into American-Imperial Russia relations. The strips only depict
Russia’s participation in the American Revolution.
Either way, the two countries don’t hate each other,
regardless of how tense their political relations were and still are. They even
acknowledge this tension as they spend time with each other in the present.
Russia in particular admits to how much America gets on his nerves.
China and Japan:
Japan’s betrayal in WW2 caused China to develop a strong
grudge towards him.
Nonetheless, in recent strips, we do see China attempting to
reconcile with Japan through diplomacy.
Hungary and Romania:
The two are noted to fight like cats and dogs. Each nation
depicts each other in a negative historical light. They may have resented each
other, and still do from time to time. However, it’s not true, long-lasting hatred.
Ex: Hungary’s somewhat smug reaction to Romania and Bulgaria fighting with
each other.
Regardless, they’re still capable of getting along.
Greece and Turkey:
The two bicker every time they see each other.
Comic gags
aside, the two still care for each other and are mentioned to be making some grounds
in their relationship.
Ex: Turkey’s form of bullying Greece is taking him to a
bathhouse and massaging him.
Switzerland and Japan:
Switzerland yells at Japan to be more assertive and voice
his opinion. It has nothing to do with hatred. If anything, it’s an aggressive form of encouragement.
Veneziano and Romano:
Romano suffers from an inferiority complex in comparison to
Veneziano, who received most of their grandfather’s attention. As such, he is
often very hostile to Veneziano, referring to him as “stupid little brother”,
or something similar to that depending on his mood.
However, this is only done to Veneziano’s face. When he’s
not around, Romano’s been shown on several occasions to look out for Veneziano.
America and England:
Short story short, the two have been able to reconcile their
rocky relations in the years following the Revolution. England’s bitter and
scathing nature towards America has softened considerably over the years.
It’s said that England once suffered from one hundred years
of heartbreak, presumably a hint to the American Revolution.[x]
Ex: England still goes to America’s centennial celebrations, despite
how sick it makes him.
He also offers to fix a crack in the first liberty bell he
gave to America, and gives him another one for his bicentennial.
Ex: The two are close enough to make fun of each other’s
politics.
America and Canada:
Canada doesn’t hate America. Instead, he hates America’s
egocentrism and often calls him out for this.
France and England:
While these two are notorious for fighting, having their own
designated preserve to quarrel in…
…they can get along with each other just as well too.
Ex: France used to be England’s cook.
Ex: England proudly calls on France’s cooking skills again
when he opens a butler café.
Ex: A summary of how their relationship’s progressed.
Prussia and Austria:
The two don’t get along with each other.
However, that doesn’t stop them from spending Christmas together as ‘family.’ Prussia, of course, initially [teasingly] refuses to accept Austria and Hungary as guests.
…
Real Hatred – Prussia and Russia:
Albeit the fact that it’s one sided, Prussia’s hatred of
Russia is deep. It’s probably one of the only case examples where it’s not a
matter of two nations simply not getting along.
Ex: Prussia will cough up blood if Russia touches him.
Either that, or he will lose four eyelashes.
With all that in mind, long-lasting hatred between nations
is rare in canon. Similarly, while current political relations may have an
influence on how nations interact with each other, the influence of the past –
on a personal level – is much greater.
The nations are two-fold representations. By that I mean
that they have a literal body and a figurative body.
Bear with me, things get a bit tricky, but I’ll break it
down to the best of my ability.
Basically, the figurative body is what influences the nation’s
physical body.
The figurative body
is composed of two parts.
1) There’s the geography
of the nation. The landmass is sometimes referred to as their body or house,
despite the real physical one that they possess.
The geography can influence both the physical appearance and
personality of the personification.
Ex: Since Sealand’s geographic body is small, so is his physical
one.
Ex: Iceland’s contrasting volcanic and freezing temperatures respectively
causes him to have a hot and cold side.
2) There’s the personality
of a nation. The personality of a nation (not to be confused with the
personification’s personality) is defined in terms of culture in the manga [x]
If the culture is well-developed
and thriving, then the personification will also thrive and be able to grow; to
age. However, if the culture is repressed, then the personification’s growth
will also be stunted.
The reason I’m outlining this is essentially to show how
geography/climate and historical events are reflected in the personifications’
appearances and personalities. Information on the impact that this has on their
health can be found here [x] [x]
What this post will focus on, however, is why some nations
have scars and either suffer from or are affected with other physical symptoms.
Let’s go over some examples.
Ancient Rome:
Before dying, Rome was noted to have many wounds and scars –
a physical reflection of the turmoil his people suffered from.
Lithuania:
We know from his time spent in the USSR that Lithuania acquired
several scars on his back. The military repression of several revolts and the
banning of diverse cultural practices in favor of an atheist state very likely
had a role in causing these scars to appear.
Latvia:
Latvia’s case is similar to Lithuania’s. While we don’t know
if he has any scars, we know that Russia pushing down onto his head ultimately
stunted his growth. How I interpret this is that it’s a metaphor for political repression.
Put another way, Russian control stunted Latvia’s growth,
which, in turn, was reflected in the personification’s physical body.
China:
It’s hinted that China gained scars after being betrayed by
Japan in WW2. It’s both a literal and symbolic stab to the back.
Germany:
Each time America engages in reckless financial activities,
a new wrinkle develops on Germany’s forehead.
Finland:
Estonia’s quest to become a Nordic causes Finland’s back to
be itchy whenever he’s talked about.
Bonus cases that aren’t so clear…
Russia:
When he’s not wearing a scarf, Russia is shown to be wearing
bandages around his neck.
Netherlands:
An unknown event caused him to develop a scar on his
forehead.
Before I start, it’s important to go over and situate a few
things. The nations’ immortality is more of a curse than it is a blessing.
They’ve experienced countless wars, plagues, political strife, and have even
died, only to be regenerated.
Now, unlike humans who have been blindsided with the rough
backhand of fate, the nations are forced to relive these pains over and over
again. It would be enough to drive a normal person mad.
In other words, their immortality was a prison that kept them
locked into a systemic cycle of bloodshed. What adds to this prison imagery is
that they’re obligated to listen to their bosses and fight in wars that they don’t
necessarily want to participate in.
Nowadays, this prison more has to do with loneliness. They
still follow their bosses’ orders, but the restrictions on their freedom are
not nearly as pervasive.
Ex: England’s sweet and alcohol intake is regulated by his
boss.
Regardless, Germania and Ancient Rome best exemplify how
their freedom was gained not by their immortality, but rather, the loss of it.
They were “liberated” from their bosses and war upon dying.
France is another good example of this. He gives better
insight into how heartless history can be in tossing peoples’ lives around. When
he first sees Lisa, Jeanne d’Arc’s reincarnate, he believed that God was
playing a cruel trick on him. On its own, this already proves how betrayed and
hurt France felt after her death.
Nonetheless, France still keeps his faith and believes that
humans who have had rough past lives will be reborn into happier ones. He
doesn’t have this privilege.
The purpose of this post will be to illustrate how the
nations’ immortality has historically caused them to live through many
traumatic events. It would follow, then, that being reared in such unhealthy
environments would cause some of them to develop PTSD.
In fact, there is a mounting pile of canon evidence that
depicts the nations having discomforting flashbacks, severe anxiety, and
nightmares. That said, let’s go over some examples.
America:
When his settlers moved inland, America didn’t have many
belongings to his name. England ponders why America produces things in mass and
comes to the realization that America’s overconsumption of goods likely stems
from this impoverished period of his life.
Note the use of the word traumatized.
Lithuania:
Lithuania has a flashback to when he and the other Baltic
States declared their independence from the USSR. He then experiences another
flashback, where Russia squeezes his shoulder – it’s used as a metaphor to
represent political repression.
Lithuania is so immersed in this second flashback that he
begins squeezing Estonia’s and Latvia’s shoulders without realizing it.
One of his character notes also mentions that he’s been rebilitating after his time spent in the USSR.
England:
England doubts his capacity to care for young America. The
stress of this new responsibility causes him to have a flashback of his older
brothers sending him hexes.
It’s noted that England once suffered from 100 years of heartbreak, presumably a reference to the American Revolution.
This is a theory of mine, as it isn’t confirmed in canon, but given that England coughs up blood and gets ill on the fourth of July, I think that it is meant to symbolize how he still hasn’t recovered emotionally from America’s independence. In other words, each year, England’s heart is both literally and figuratively ripped open on the inside.
Japan:
While this example is a more subtle depiction of trauma, it’s
not surprising.
Although this isn’t covered in the strips, following WW2, Japan
would have become America’s underling. As such, the atrocities committed by the
atomic bombs would have made him visibly more compliant to America’s demands,
regardless if he agreed or not.
This is seen in a world meeting where Japan unanimously agrees
with America’s ridiculous global warming plan. Switzerland even calls out Japan
for not voicing his true opinion.
Switzerland:
Switzerland’s mercenary past still haunts him. Lichtenstein
perceptively reads into this as she asks him why they’re working to boost her income through tourism.
Italy:
Italy’s perhaps one of the most anxiety-ridden characters in
the series.
Ex: He worries that Germany hates him and has nightmares
about this. His greatest fear is being left behind to fend for himself.
This insecurity leads him to make Germany reaffirm to him several times that he’s not actually hated.
Ex: Italy has nightmares where a childhood version of himself
presses to be acknowledged.
The dream ends with Italy screaming and refusing to
acknowledge the child. To me, and as I’ve theorized in the past, I read this as
Italy repressing parts of his childhood to minimize and forget about the trauma
that he experienced. The child is merely a representation of his unconscious
mind.
Germany:
Germany also has a childhood version of himself pressing to
be acknowledged. Of course, this is running on the assumption that he’s
actually Holy Rome and has forgotten about his childhood.
Similarly, he’s once depicted to be holding Chibitalia,
looking visibly confused.
“It’s me.”
Again, how I see this is that perhaps Germany is repressing
aspects of his childhood. In that case, Chibitalia is an unconscious
representation of these memories attempting to pierce through to his conscious
mind.
All in all, given how long the nations have lived, it’s not
novel to assume that they’re still traumatized by things that have happened to
them in the past.
If aph England is the personification of both England, Great Britain, and the UK then who’s the personification, if there is one, of the European Union, NATO, and the United Nations?
Interestingly, in the original webcomic, the UK actually had its own design, but
this was eventually scrapped.
As you mentioned, England later assumed the embodiment of the UK, with each
member state still possessing its own respective personification. It’s the same
thing that happened with Russia, who had also stood in to represent the Soviet Union.
We only have a personification for the UN thus
far. But, considering how old this strip is, I’m not sure if Hima intends to do
anything with him considering that he hasn’t popped up again.
Ellawritesficssometimes 