I like Romano because of his character development. I know he’s
not a great person, but he does have a big heart and feels more deeply than
most people. He’s also very loyal, even to Veneziano who he’s not on the best
terms with.
Post coming up tonight!
First, I just want to thank you both for participating. I really
appreciate it 😀
My theory accounts
for this:
1)
The nations are
cultural personifications
“Usually, when the culture or the country’s personality dies/ disappears, the country would gradually disappear or entrust him/ herself to the country that takes over him/ her.
There are also cases that him/her is not a country but continues to live leisurely as a representative of a region.”
Source: Hetarchive, It’s a Treasure Box of
Countries.
The nations are cultural personifications. They
exist when people unite under a common cultural identity. As such, this may
account for the reasons why there are separate personifications for Ancient Egypt
and Greece and Ancient Greece and Greece etc. However, I do agree that the
rules of this are arbitrary and inconsistent if you look at nations like China
and Japan, who don’t have ancient counterparts. Which brings me to my next
point:
2)
The nations are
described as “strange beings.”
Because of this, not everything that happens can be explained with an ascribed logic. It’s canon for nations to arbitrarily last
for as short as a few days to 1000s of years. Nations can also keep living and
change their titles over time. For example: Hungary was originally born as an equestrian
tribe and Prussia was originally born as a catholic order.
Therefore, it’s not an easy fix because no rules
were broken.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars
Chapter 1 + Hetarchive, Notes & Etc + Volume 2 Character profiles.
On the other hand, given that World Stars is
recent, the “easy fix” argument can still be countered. Himaruya’s been hinting
of the Holy Rome = Germany connection since the first original web chapters
(2006).
See: Hetare 4, Pact of Steel + Hetare 5, Lietuvis.
My theory also
accounts for this:
1) France never killed
Holy Rome in the deleted strip.
He only notified Italy that Holy Rome had died.
Source: Hetarchive, Holy
Rome is no more
2) Cultural personifications
x 2
I’m going to sum up my main points, as I’ve already
written and explained this in greater detail:
Source: Hetarchive, It’s
a treasure box of countries + Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 187.
Source: Hetarchive, In
just two minutes you can grasp the exterior of the European Economy.
Source: Hetarchive, It’s a Treasure Box of Countries.
Holy Rome theory posts: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x].
Prussia theory posts: [x] [x] [x] [x].
What affects a nation’s health?: [x].
The purpose of this post is to delineate the fact that
nations that have cultural influences on each other are not biologically
related. While the influencee may adopt traits from the influencer in some
cases, it doesn’t always constitute a biological relation. What’s even more
confusing is that there are specific adopted traits that the nations use to
mark a biological relation.
I know this sounds obscure, but it’ll make sense when I go
through some examples.
A gag with Romania in the series is that he claims that he’s
a descendant of Rome, and, therefore, an Italy brother.
However, even though Rome did, in fact, instill significant
cultural influence in Romania, Romano is quick to reject this claim. He
identifies the presence of a curl as proof of biological lineage from Rome.
Remember that Rome is said to have had many grandchildren and adopted
grandchildren.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 163 + Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., October 30th, 2014).
Later, we see the same rejection occur with Bulgaria, who
has Roman ruins.
Source: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., Oct 22nd, 2014).
As I’ve stated before, England and America are not
biologically related. England is stated to be the fourth and youngest sibling
in his family, consisting of Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
Source: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., Aug 4th 2010).
In the Battle for America, it’s explicitly stated that
England becomes America’s brother. We also learn that because America was a
“melting pot” of several cultures at the time, he inherited certain physical
traits from his colonizers.
Source: Hetarchive, The Battle of America.
For example, in the trio’s feud to make America their little
brother, Finland notices that America looks like him.
The distinction between cultural influence and blood
relation is necessary otherwise it would lead to a slippery slope where all
nations are related to each other. So, unless explicitly confirmed by Himaruya,
nations aren’t related to each other regardless of their histories. Arbitrary
as the biological relations may be, you work with what’s given to you.
Lastly, I’ve seen people comment that there’s a confirmed
biological relation between America and Finland. That’s not the case. Finland says that America has some genes from his people. Remember that America emerged as a personification representing several cultures. The genes are the traits, but because America has so many cultural influences, they don’t consider each other to be blood-related.
The fact that America didn’t identify with Finland as a
family member in the first place is telling of this cultural influence, as well
as the fact that Finland offers to become a father figure for America, who in
the context of the strip had been feeling jealous of kids who get presents from their fathers on Christmas.
Source: Hetarchive, Christmas 2010 Event.
Similar to the situation with England and America, Canada
inherits France’s hair.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 192.
We learn that France’s cultural influence is a dominant trait
that prevents America, Canada, and Seychelles from inheriting England’s bushy
brows. Although, interestingly enough, Seychelles had initially been designed
to have one thick eyebrow and one bushy one to represent English and French influence.
Source: Hetarchive, Seychelles profile.
Meanwhile, without French influence, Hong Kong, Australia,
New Zealand, Hutt River, Sealand, & Wy inherited the bushy brows.
Source: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans.,Nov 12th 2013) + Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 269.
Of most importance and what I can’t stress enough is the
example of Hong Kong. It proves, with the most clarity, that cultural influence
does not have a causal relationship with biological relation.
After becoming English territory, Hong Kong’s eyebrows grow
bushy from the resulting English influence on his culture.
Source: Volume 6, A wise man has no specialty.
It’s said that England put a curse on him to have his eyebrows become so thick, but you also have to remember that England’s eyebrows themselves are cursed. The implications would be that his influence caused the curse to pass on.
Source: Volume 5, Special Booklet.
Point is, as far as Himaruya’s concerned with his
characterizations:
Cultural influence ≠ biological relation.
Wanting to share memes with people:
Reality:
A good majority of the fan-fiction I read about
Belarus is about how she’s obsessed with Russia. Is there more to her than just
her obsession? I know she’s really really likes Russia but I want to believe
that’s not all to her character.
Honestly, no. Her
obsession is what shows up in most of her appearances. This doesn’t mean that
she can’t act normal, though. I have a post dedicated to showing that [x]. However,
even in the moments where she’s not hostile or aggressive, the gimmick still
ends up relating back to Russia.
It’s unfortunate, but
that’s just how it is. I’m still waiting for Himaruya to do something with her
character, as she’s only had one appearance in World Stars. It’s not even a
full appearance…
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 235.
I’m not an expert or anything, but I think
Canada has some symptoms of having abandoned child syndrome (ACS) or something
similar to it. Almost any official story arc involving him is about how he’s
neglected by everyone, his own family too. Poor baby I just want him to be
happy D’:
Without a doubt, Canada
was neglected as a child, but it’s not to the extent of abandoned child
syndrome. I’m also iffy on your claim that he’s neglected in every arc he’s
portrayed in. In fact, a key theme of America and Canada’s relationship—which
is depicted in more depth in World stars—shows that Canada is actually taken
for granted by America. America relied on Canada to follow his every command;
Canada’s character development revolved around him learning how to stand up for
himself.
I’m always hesitant to
medicalize characters because often enough labels like abandoned child syndrome
are thrown around without any substantiation, leading to exaggerated and
inaccurate conclusions (very similar to false claims that Chibitalia suffered
from Stockholm Syndrome).
The only symptom I would
say that Canada does have is guilt and believing that he did something wrong/
something is wrong with him that caused the neglect + accompanying
feelings of depression. Otherwise, he doesn’t have clinginess, he doesn’t
experience withdrawal from social activities, he isn’t resistant towards
others, he doesn’t have any sleeping or eating disorders, and he doesn’t have a
problem with substance abuse.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 180.
Oh, and I’m not an expert either ^^
Hey,
why do you think Germany doesn’t share the same last name as Prussia?
I agree with Hetarchive’s perspective on this. They believe
that the last name wasn’t given in order to leave more ambiguity in the relationship
between Holy Rome and Germany. They also go on to point out that the founder of
the Holy Roman Empire was named Ludwig (actually Louis, but Ludwig is the
German name version of Louis).
Hey Ella, do you have a theory as to why
Veneziano and Romano call Rome grandpa and not father? Is it a term of
endearment like “big brother” or are they actually blood related? And
if so do you think there was another nation between them and Rome that would be
their parent but didn’t last long? I’ve been wondering about that since day one
😅
No theory needed. It’s confirmed that they’re biologically
related. Their descendancy is confirmed through a curl of all things. It’s used
to discount Romania’s claim that he’s biologically related to Rome in spite of
being largely influenced by the latter’s culture.
Based on what I’ve seen in the manga, I think
the grandpa label is interchangeable and they just used what felt right to
them. Rome was older when the two of them were born, so ‘Grandpa’ likely felt
more appropriate in spite of the fact that he was their sole parent figure.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 163.
Another example: Ancient Egypt had a more
youthful appearance, which could explain why Egypt refers to her as Mom.
Is it true that England once hired China and India
to cook for him?
Yes. It’s meant to represent their cuisine’s
growing influence in his country.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 291.
Out of context, it looks like a sitcom…
*insert laugh track*
Note: This post
will use Adler’s theory of Birth Order.
In analyzing how children’s personalities develop, Adler was
the first to point out the impact of birth order. Essentially, he contended
that regardless of genetics and the environment children are reared in, the
order in which siblings are born have a unique impact on their personalities.
In fact, the birth order itself was considered to be a
different environment in itself. For example, an only child would have grown up
in a much different environment than a first-born with one younger sibling or a
youngest child with five elder siblings.
While only for fun, I’m going to analyze the personalities
of different siblings in the series. Their personalities don’t correspond with their respective birth order; however, a lot
of their personalities fit very well in Adler’s personality model.
Let’s go through them.
First-born children tend to adopt the role of the teacher,
the tutor, the leader, and the disciplinarian. They are intellectually mature
and have a deep interest in maintaining order and authority. As such, they’re
good organizers, are very detail-oriented, and hold authoritarian/ conservative
attitudes.
Sound familiar? It should, because this describes both
German brothers: Germany and Prussia.
Both are very disciplined and ordered.
Ex: Prussia
mentored America and gave him vast military knowledge.
Source: Hetarchive, Christmas 2011
Ex: Germany
trains his allies, Japan and Italy, in a hierarchical manner during WW2.
Source: Hetarchive, Diary Sketches Summary.
Both are very organized and devote a great attention to
detail.
Ex: Germany is
known for his neurotic attention to detail, such as keeping his kitchen clean,
meticulously organizing his day with agendas, and following manuals to the
letter.
Source: Volume 1.
Ex: Prussia has
documented several centuries worth of diary entries and has an entire library
to shelf them.
Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 339.
Second born children often have a pacesetter set in the
older sibling or vice-versa. A lot of times, this involves becoming locked in a
competition with the other sibling where they may strive to surpass them.
This is especially relevant to Canada and Romano.
Romano has felt inferior to Veneziano ever since he was a
young child.
Source: Hetarchive, Boss Spain’s Control of Southern Italy pt. 2
Canada’s characterization often revolves around his struggle
to overcome his invisibility, step out from America’s shadow, and develop a
unique and memorable identity for himself. His greatest irritation is being
mistaken for America.
Source: Hetarchive, Fly Canada-San, Fly!
Like second-borns, last borns are also driven by the need to
surpass their older siblings and often develop at a remarkably fast rate. They are
high achievers in whatever they decide to undertake. On the other hand, if they
fulfill the role of the “baby” of the family and are coddled too much, they can
also become dependent and helpless in adulthood.
This personality is most relevant to America, who both
developed (aged) at a remarkably fast rate but also rose to surpass England as
a world power to be reckoned with during the second Industrial Revolution.
Source: Volume 3, England Dreaming of Long Days Passed + Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 71.
A good example of the baby-like aspect of his personality is
that America is notorious for pouting when he doesn’t get something he wants.
Ex: He pouts and sulks when England doesn’t give him
chocolate on Valentine’s Day.
Source: Hetarchive, Buon San Valentino pt. 2.
Only childs are far more mature than their peers due to being reared in an environment with adults. They are likely to
experience difficulties in situations outside the home where they are not the
center of attention.
Italy fits this personality-type best.
Italy grew up in prosperity and accumulated aptitudes in
several things, such as trade and commerce and art.
Ex: Both he and Romano had a talent for business at a young
age.
Source: Hetarchive, Christmas 2011 Event.
It’s not so much that Italy wants to be the center of
attention, but abandonment issues that he suffered from after Rome and Holy
Rome died definitely plays a part in how initially clingy he was towards
Germany.
Source: Hetarchive, Main Storyline Chapter 4.
As most people already know, the nations’ body parts represent
different geographical landmarks/ land within their territory..
What I’ve found particularly interesting about Hetalia is
that it plays around with the idea of Cartesian Dualism, conforming to its
rules at times, while at other times subverting it.
The basic and essential principle is that the mind and the
body are two separate things. Himaruya, on the other hand, blurs those
boundaries.
I’ve broken down representation of this dualism into a model
consisting of three categories.
1)
Physical body part = geographical elements
2)
Geographical element –> personality influence
3)
The sociological collective –> bodily influence
Let’s break down these categories.
Fairly self-explanatory. As mentioned above, geographical
elements of the nation are reflected in the personification’s body.
Source: Comic Diary 2, Hetarchive.
The body in question here is the
body of land as opposed to that of the personification’s.
In these instances, the geography
and/or climate of the country affects the personification’s personality.
Ex: Iceland’s volcanoes and cool
weather are reflected in his canon hot and cold personality. He’s quick to rise
with anger but just as quick to cool off.
Source: World Stars Chapter 114, Hetascanlations.
This last category has more to do with the collective unconscious
of the society in question.
Ex: Both Italy brothers’ curls represent the “sexual
something” of Italians and function as an erogenous zone.
Source: Notes and Etc, Hetarchive.
Ex: Austria’s mole is said to have a similar function to the
Italy brothers’ curls.
Source: Hetarchive (Bamboo Thicket, eng trans., June 26, 2008).
My best guess is that this is a reference to Freud, who
believed that humans at their core are primarily sexual and aggressive beings
and that civilization exists only by repressing these urges into the unconscious mind.
Lastly, although it doesn’t exactly fit into this category, Austria’s glasses also represent his “musical something.” It would stand that this is a larger reflection of Austrian culture considering that classical music is something they are known for.
Source: Hetarchive, Notes and Etc.
In sum, while I understand that Himaruya likely didn’t have
an intent of tracing out and implicating Cartesian Dualism into his characterizations,
it still provides us with an interesting lens to analyze his work. It also proves
that a lot more thought and consideration was put into the characters than he’s
given credit for.
No worries. I’ve briefly touched on it but not in its
entirety.
I’ve boiled it down to three main categories:
This occurs when a nation is conquered and is forced to live
with their conqueror/ annexer.
Ex: Chibitalia
and Austria under the HRE household.
Source:
Hetarchive, Chibitalia (Main storyline.)
When administrations crumble and there’s no other place to
go…
Ex: England hosts
France during the Vichy Regime.
Source: Volume 5,
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité and…
Due to their dire financial circumstances, Lithuania and
Romano move into America’s house and end up working for him.
You could argue that this is in a way, involuntary, but I
would say it’s more along the lines of necessitated.
Source: Hetarchive/ Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 58 + Lithuania’s Outsourcing Series
Millennials, stand aside. We’ve been wanting to die for centuries. Unfortunately, we’re totally immortal.
“I remember death so much it feels more like a memory.” LITERALLY!!!!
Work’s giving you’re a migraine? Try being shot in the head a few times.
Forget no-strings attached. No-strings is our way of life.
Not aging makes us virtually undateable to the majority of the population. Nothing says major turn-off like being perpetually baby-faced…hang in there, Latvia!
Thanks to our bosses, we have an inhumane amount of paperwork to do every day.
Still waiting for France to unionize us and pull off a strike. Any century now…
Unlike humans, breakups can mean a number of things to us.
What’s more AWKWARD than having your ex-colonial overlord as your colleague?
Did I mention how much it sucks be us?!
Ellawritesficssometimes 