A run-down of different perceptions
and common disputes over canon material.
Can England really not swim?
It’s taken as a fact by
most that England can’t swim. On the other hand, some people are unsure whether
this should be considered canon given that Himaruya made the post in reference
to how British people in horror films stereotypically can’t swim [x].
Teenage Holy Rome?
It’s a common
understanding that the Holy Rome that appeared in the Christmas 2011 event was
a teenager. The younger Holy Rome that appears in chapter 187 of World Stars
would then be a consistency error…
However, if you really
look at the 2011 version of Holy Rome, he’s too small to be a teenager/
pre-teen. Specifically, look at his size in comparison to Hungary as she holds
him.
His age in 2011
corroborates more with his age in World Stars than it does with old sketches
that depict him more clearly of being of a teenage age.
There’s also the Private Concert strip where Holy Rome is depicted. He seems to match the ages of the 2011 and
World Stars versions [x].
Perhaps what happened
here is that Himaruya decided to make Holy Rome younger in later strips to
better fit some narrative/ plot that we have yet to see unfold.
Human Names?
The human names were
originally posted by Himaruya in response to a fan request. Since he deleted
the yahoo blog these were from, some don’t consider them to be canon despite
their popular usage.
This post will explore how openly and inclusively concepts of
love and sexual attraction are depicted in the manga. While the nations don’t
have canonically assigned sexual orientations—of course, with the exception of Sweden—
it’s the fact that there is a representation of diversity within the series
that matters. Obviously, the term ‘Sexualities’ in the title is used very loosely
for lack of a better word.
In no way will these be all examples included in the manga, but this
should provide a good scope for understanding how Hetalia approaches human sexuality
and the capacity to love.
England:
England is once described by France as being aroused by anything [x].
Germany:
In the infamous Buon San Valentino strips, a series of
mishaps occur where Germany misinterprets his relationship with Italy to be a
romantic one and proposes to him (really???).
Regardless of the misunderstanding, what matters is that Germany was okay with
the idea of entering a same-sex relationship [x]. Not only that, but he had totally committed himself to it.
France:
In a volume 2 character note, France is said to go for “guys
and girls of all types”, including non-humans “as long as they’re beautiful.”
In the 2007 April Fools’ event, we also learn that he may
have a preference for “macho men.”
Italy Brothers:
Both are notorious for being girl-lovers, without a
question. It’s part of the Italian stereotype [x][x].
On the other hand…
Italy admits to Germany in Buon San Valentino that his first
love was a guy, presumably referring to Holy Rome [x].
In a Volume 2 character note, it’s left open-ended on
whether Romano has a taste for men.
Bonus:
Spain quasi-proposes to Romano when gay marriage is legalized in his country [x].
Sweden:
Sweden remains as the only aph character to possess a canon
sexuality. He’s homosexual, but only feels this way toward Finland. It’s
one-sided, as Finland doesn’t reciprocate this sentiment [x].
Taiwan:
Strips have suggested that Taiwan may be attracted to women.
In the Christmas 2011 event, she’s unable to concentrate due
to the exposure of other female nations’ cleavage.
In the Halloween 2013-2014 event, she checks out other
female nations.
Introduction:
I’ll open things with a quick reminder that the practice of
judging characters because they don’t live up to the perfectionist and
fictional [unrealistic] standard that we hold them up to is hypocritical. Real
life interactions and relationships are full of flaws, blemishes of the
character, mistakes, and regrets.
Instead of holding up characters to this impossible pedestal,
I believe that we should devote our efforts to appreciating how their life
experiences reflect that of our own. Cliché as this saying may be, it’s something
that’s always held to be true: no one is perfect. This includes fictional
characters.
The fact that America and Canada’s relationship consists of
several moments of jealousy, selfishness, and resentment is what makes their
characters so developed. To get from point A to point B, a required component
of character development is to overcome some sort of personal, emotional,
spiritual, and physical struggle.
The scenarios in which these characters attempt to negotiate
through these hurdles can be messy. Mistakes are inevitable and they will say things that they don’t truly mean. It’s important to
recognize this rather than singling out a panel as evidence to prove that a
character is “rude.” That’s a very simplistic way of looking at things. Not
only that but context and motivation are needed if you’re to understand the
true reasoning behind these outbursts, which are far more complex than merely painting
the picture of a character lashing out for no particular reason.
That said, I’ve organized the breadth of America and Canada’s
relationship into three main themes: Identity, jealousy, and autonomy. Let’s
explore them.
Theme: Identity (or
the lack thereof)
The most prevalent theme coursing through America and Canada’s
relationship is identity. Canada’s struggle to overcome his invisibility
primarily rests on his inability to form a stable and memorable self-concept,
something distinct that he can use to formulate his own unique identity.
The problem is that he lives in the much larger shadows of
England and America, albeit mostly the latter’s.
Ex: America is described as the source of all of Canada’s
woes [x].
Ex: Kumajiro advises Canada to find something that shows who
he is.
Ex: He’s often mistaken by other nations for America and has
to deal with repercussions and hatred that isn’t even intended to be directed at
him. In this case, Cuba assaults Canada, thinking that he’s America.
Another problem that Canada has by virtue of his invisibility
is that he lacks an assertive presence. Remember that this is an old trope in
the manga, so the humour will be a bit more exaggerated than something you
would see in recent strips.
Ex: He has trouble “getting in a word” to America. Here, he
had hoped to tell America to quit acting so “domineering” to other nations, as he
ends up on the receiving end of other nations’ hatred.
Ex: Canada reflects on how, even as a child, he wasn’t
that memorable.
Ex: Canada’s sat on by Russia during a meeting due to
lacking a certain presence and charisma.
Ex: France and England both don’t remember Canada right
away, as there is nothing distinctly remarkable about him. Again, I’ll repeat
that the manga is based on stereotypes. Canada’s invisibility reflects how he’s
still negotiating his national identity—what he’s known for.
Note: Canada’s anger
here is justifiable. I want you to remember that when we look at other examples
where he snaps and becomes angry. The emotions don’t simply emerge in a vacuum
(i.e., out of nowhere). It’s pent-up emotions that he’s suppressed, having been
pushed down, taken for granted, and ignored for most of his life.
One scene that I’ve noticed has been grossly misrepresented
in the past is this baseball scene. The gist of it involves America throwing a
baseball too fast and hard for Canada to keep up with. It’s not meant to be
abusive on America’s part.
If you look at the panels it’s meant to represent how
symbolically, America pushes Canada too hard, operates at a much faster pace,
and expects a lot from the latter. In particular, the differences in their
paces will be important, as it’s something that Himaruya brings up again in World Stars.
Notice how it’s only after Canada has been pushed enough that
he strikes back at America. The two get into a heated argument and both call each other names. It begins with
America expecting Canada to do a favor for him and Canada responding that he’s
not America’s “handyman,” as in he’s not someone who can be taken advantage of
to do the latter’s dirty work.
America’s criticisms fall short when Canada loses his temper
and criticizes America’s flaws for three hours straight. It’s enough to make America cry.
While America may take advantage of Canada, he also acts as
Canada’s greatest support. On several occasions, he encourages Canada to form
his own unique identity.
Ex: He advises Canada to be more receptive to welcoming
immigrants to his country. Canada later becomes known for his
multiculturalism.
Ex: After Seychelles remembers that Canada’s a member of the
G8, Canada overcompensates in his gratitude by dressing up as his stereotype.
America tells Canada that he’s fine the way that he is, amusedly remarking how
Canada went out of his way to stand out [x] [x].
As mentioned, it’s not just America that causes Canada’s
identity (or lack thereof) to be obscured and insignificant. England too overrides
Canada’s sense of self.
Ex: Canada at one point once used England as a mouthpiece to
negotiate treaties with America [x].
Ex: Post–American Revolution: America attempts to visit
England, who fell ill following the conflict. Canada gets angry at America for
one; barging in, and two; only worrying about England and ignoring how Canada was
also implicated in the war [x].
“I’m Canada! This is Canada!
Can’t you see anything else besides England?!”
Canada refuses America entry, which ignites another
argument. America criticizes Canada’s will and his inability to separate
himself from England. In this case, America touches on how Canada eats
marmalade instead of maple syrup to appease England.
Once again, it’s only after Canada is pushed far enough that
he returns America’s insults. This scene is especially important because it
culminates in Canada asserting himself by forcefully shutting the door on
America.
Theme: (Mutual) Jealousy
In light of being ignored, Canada unhealthily compares
himself to America. This hopeless endeavor is a major contributing factor to
his poor self-esteem.
Ex: Canada thinks that he’s plain and not good-looking. This
conclusion stems from comparing himself to America, who’s well-known and
described as a good public speaker [x].
Ex: Canada being overshadowed by America is crudely portrayed
when America sticks his own flag on Canada’s forehead [x].
Ex: Canada takes an interest in American pop culture and
media entertainment. America doesn’t reciprocate [x]. Keep in mind that Canadian
media is a more recent phenomenon, as Canadians used to consume a lot of
American content before things like CBC.
It’s symbolic of how Canadian content is often mistaken as something
produced in Hollywood. This is seen in the Hetalia of the Dead strips, where
New Zealand mistakes a Canadian film as American.
Ex: After realizing that America doesn’t know anything about
his pop culture, Canada wonders if America has no interest in him and reflects
on their childhoods [x].
Take note of the fact that they play in a field of flowers,
as it will turn up as a metaphor in later chapters. Similarly, the idea of
America aging quickly is reflected in the fast pace in which he makes decisions
and excels versus that of Canada, whose growth and path to independence is hesitant
and slow.
This is a brilliant and covert connection made by Himaruya, as it
links back to the baseball strip [Fly Canada-san, fly!] where America pushes
Canada too hard.
Lastly, it’s crucial to mention that the jealousy is mutual
between Canada and America. Canada is jealous of America’s large impression and
status in the world, whereas America is jealous of Canada possessing a
personality that allows him to get along with people [x].
Theme: Autonomy (or the lack thereof)
The final theme I would like to touch on is autonomy. The
premise of this layer of characterization is twofold. On one hand, it involves America
self-interestedly expecting too much of Canada and pushing him too hard until
they both explode and feed each other a piece of their minds. On the other
hand, it involves the two of them unequivocally supporting each other,
regardless of where their political interests lie.
As mentioned, America is Canada’s biggest supporter. He’s
the one who encourages Canada to fight for his independence.
Ex: America urges Canada to gain his independence from
England and gets angry when he perceives Canada’s wish not to pick a side as
being indecisive [x].
Ex: They speak to each other, despite technically being
enemies in the aftermath of the Revolution [x].
Canada’s sheltered life as a subordinate to England is
revealed in his naïve perspective of world politics. He has trouble wrapping
his head around how England and America are able to keep trading with each
other while in the midst of a fight. Having never been in control over his own
affairs, Canada doesn’t recognize that practicality comes above personal issues
in politics.
Ex: After improving his relationship with England, America
attempts to establish a treaty with Canada. The way he does so is abrupt and
rubs Canada the wrong way. He’s both spoken for and spoken over [x].
Another link is made with older strips. America “drags”
Canada at his own pace without realizing that Canada operates and does things
differently.
America’s opinion that he never voices out loud after Canada
reprimands him is particularly important. He knows that Canada is slow and won’t
make any moves on his own. It’s because he recognizes that Canada’s grown
accustomed to living in England’s shadow.
Ex: The second time America asks Canada about his
independence, he gets a response…more or less [x].
What disgruntles America is that Canada expects to gain his
independence by being on good terms with England. As someone who had to fight
for his autonomy and has experienced the harshness of the ‘real world’, America
can’t control this next outburst. It’s out of concern for Canada’s naïve,
childish, and softened perspective of the world.
Remember that childhood metaphor I mentioned earlier? This
is it.
“Is your head a field of flowers?!”
Ex: To get Canada a more immersed understanding of the
world, America encourages him to do some travelling instead of simply focusing
on domestic issues [x].
In the same strip, he pushes Canada to become independent
again. His rationale is that without England in the mix, the two can be closer.
What doesn’t sit well with Canada is America’s self-interest; what he has to
gain by improving their relations.
Regardless of how much he wants to deny it, America’s
influence on Canada is profound. Canada even recognizes this as he declares his
independence [x].
Ex: It’s no secret that America “underestimated” Canada and
believed that the latter wouldn’t be able to support himself [x].
On the other hand, when he does visit Canada to congratulate
him on his independence, the progress they achieved in their relationship is
unmistakably present.
Rather than shout and get into a fight, as illustrated in a
sequence depicting what they would have liked to say to each other, the two accept their differences in opinion, enjoy the congratulatory moment, and remain civil. They were always best
friends in their hearts. This reconciliation confirms the sentiment [x].
Conclusion:
In sum, even though Canada may still struggle over his
identity in modern times due to America’s overbearing influence and frequently
get into arguments with America, it doesn’t do their relationship any justice
to characterize them as hating each other. America cares very deeply about Canada
and acted as his biggest support, regardless of his egotism. Canada too cares
very deeply about America despite getting frustrated with the latter when his
boundaries are pushed too far. Siblings are siblings, and while they may fight
and get on each other’s nerves, the two are still very close.
Why else would they host a cooking show together? [x].
Misconception: The nations are a secret kept from the public.
Canon: The nations are well-known to the public. Their
existence isn’t a secret.
Misconception: The nations can speak all languages and
inherently understand each other.
Canon: There is a general meta language that they all understand but will still sometimes need translators during first meetings [x].
Thank you to @jammerlea for bringing the former point to my attention [x].
Misconception: “Flying Mint Bunny” and “Gilbird(s).”
Reality: These are fanon names. Both pets haven’t been given
an official name.
Misconception: Holy Rome died immediately after his dissolution.
Reality: He didn’t die right away and instead sought refuge in
Prussia’s home. To this day, his death has never been seen or confirmed [x].
Even in the deleted strip—not to be taken as canon—where France informs
Italy that Holy Rome is “no more” leaves things vague and open-ended.
What this post will
explore is how, despite his independence, America is still equated to a child
by England. I will also touch on how America fights against this image and
overcompensates by attempting to discard any association of his childhood with
England.
England:
As designated by the title,
America’s independence didn’t stop England from infantilizing him. Instead,
what you’ll see is that in light of losing his responsibility of guardianship,
England turns to criticizing everything America does and often meddles in his
affairs. Unconsciously, he’s unwilling to relinquish the authority that he had
over America.
Of course, America is
chronologically young in comparison to other nations, but there is still
something distinct in the way that England fusses over everything the former
does. It’s similar to an estranged parent that hasn’t come to terms with the fact
that they’ve lost control over their adult child.
Some examples of England’s
meddling would be…
Ex: England is caught
meddling in America’s political affairs during the latter’s Civil War [x].
Ex: England conveniently
shows up when America attempts to establish a trading agreement with Japan [x].
Ex: When Lithuania moves
in with America to pursue work, England immediately turns up. He wants to know
how Lithuania is being treated.
Translation: he wants to know what’s going on in
America’s life but is too prideful to admit it [x].
Some examples of his critical,
often condescending, attitude toward America would be…
Ex: When America arrives
at the African Warfront in WW2, England is dismayed over having to “babysit.”
In the same strip, he has
an entire dream sequence where he worries about America injuring himself.
Ex: He hypocritically
reprimands America for running his mouth during a world meeting despite having
a foul mouth himself.
Ex: He bashes America’s
[admittedly childish] world defense plan, referring to him as a “spoiled child” [x].
America:
America’s hero complex,
in large, is an expression of his autonomy, his ability to succeed, and the
ability to assume the responsibility of making choices for both himself and
others. The only problem is that any reminder of his past with England doesn’t
reconcile with this new image of himself.
It’s for this reason that
I believe America suppresses any hint of his childhood with England. In other
words, it works against the mature, capable person that he’s constructed
himself to be.
Ex: England falls asleep
during a world meeting. It’s only until England starts murmuring his dream out
loud that America wakes him up. To be fair, it would be mortifying to have your
past bedwetting habit revealed.
Ex: America drinks
coffee out of spite. Drinking tea would be an acknowledgment of his past as a
subordinate. It’s a childish way of him wanting to differentiate himself from
England [x].
Ex: Lithuania finds the
toy soldiers that England gave to America when he was younger. *In arrives
England for a surprise visit* America becomes distressed and tells
Lithuania to hide the toy soldiers [x].
In sum, even though
America formally gained his independence from England, both struggled to readjust
and form new images of themselves in the aftermath.
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: 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]
Here’s just a list of
terms that have a completely different meaning in the manga. This is aside from
their literal denotation.
Being Bullied:
When a nation is referred
to as a bully and/or is bullied, this refers to them being conquered or sought after
by more powerful nations.
Ex: Both Italy brothers being conquered after Rome’s death [x].
Ex: Russia being ‘picked on’ by Mongolia, Denmark, Sweden, and Prussia.
While it is possible for
nations to become students and attain degrees, the term “honour student” is
used in reference to how well a country succeeds politically or economically.
Ex: Italy’s referred to as an honour student in the EU [x].
Ex: Seychelles, being among the wealthiest African nations, is referred to
as an honour student.
House:
House refers to the
actual country itself.
“My house [country] is
known for…”
Ex: Italy expressing confusion at the foods that tourist destinations in
his country try to pass off as authentic Italian cuisine [x].
In light of
Canada day, I think it’s about time that I dedicated a full character analysis
to him. What I aim to do is disprove any claims that Himaruya has made Canada
into a flat, two-dimensional character. It’s quite the contrary.
Canada’s
well-known for his invisibility and the overused jokes that accompany this
characterization. However, to say that this is all that defines Canada is to
overlook the amazing depth that this invisibility has on his personality.
While it’s
easy to look at Canada as the nation that’s ignored during meetings, what this
post will explore is the ways in which Canada’s character is far more fleshed
out than what is popularly conceived in fanon.
Childhood:
From birth,
Canada was objectified by European colonizers for his abundance of resources [x].
After
England fights France to assume control over Canada, Canada mistakenly assumes
that England is the first nation to actually look at him as a person and not
merely as an asset.
In reality, England was staring at Canada’s hair, which he
had inherited due to French influence.
When told
that England will become his family, Canada is ecstatic. He had grown
accustomed to being valued for his resources rather than as a living being. Already,
we begin to see how Canada’s worth is not attributed to his person—who he
is.
The
importance of this scene will be critical to understanding why Canada suffers
from such poor self-esteem in his adulthood.
Identity Crisis and Devaluation:
The main
complex that Canada suffers from is that he lacked a solid identity and
conception of himself. Being surrounded by greater, more politically and
economically relevant powers when he was younger can mainly be attributed to
this.
Canada’s
self-esteem was contrived in relation to those around him. He felt inferior,
and these feelings later became entrenched in how he views himself.
Ex: Canada
grew up alongside America, who excelled and aged at a much faster rate [x].
Ex: England
devoted a lot of his attention toward America, leading Canada to feel neglected
and excluded [x].
Living in
America’s shadow consequently caused Canada to believe that he wasn’t worthy
of the latter’s attention.
Ex: He once believed that America was disinterested in him [x].
Ex: He used England as a mediator to speak on his behalf to America. Notice
how America is perplexed by Canada’s behaviour here. Canada thinks poorly of himself and attributes this same train of
thought to how he perceives others to think of him [x].
Although, it also has to do with the fact that America doesn’t believe that Canada has an accurate conception of the real world, and, therefore, isn’t ready to gain his independence [x].
What’s even
more unhealthy is that Canada uses America as the means of assessing his worth.
Ex: He
believes that he’s simply a plainer version of America given their similar looks [x].
Ex: When England
falls ill after the American Revolution, Canada cries and claims that even
though he’s not as strong as America and doesn’t possess a lot of money, he’ll
try his best to heal the former [x].
The irony
of this is that it’s alluded that Canada may possess his own form of
superstrength. In the same arc, America tries to force himself into Canada’s
home after being denied access to visit the then sick England. Canada is able to shut the door on him [x].
Of particular interest to me is how in Canada’s fantasy, England’s cheering him on, likely symbolizing how badly we wants the latter to pay more attention to him.
Forming an Identity:
Constantly being
overshadowed by America and England and internally comparing himself to America
created a lot of tension and frustration in Canada.
It’s only
during his independence arc where we begin to see him release these emotions.
Canada wants to form his own autonomous identity. To him, America
contravenes and gets in the way of this from happening.
Ex: Canada
reprimands America for being selfish and self-absorbed on several occasions [x].
Even after
gaining his independence, Canada lacked a solid self-concept and was still
mistaken for America by other nations.
What’s
always been a seamless turning point for me is how it was America who helped Canada
form his multi-cultural identity.
The
culmination of these arcs, albeit seemingly to be nonessential and unimportant,
is when Seychelles recalls Canada as a member of the G8 [x].
Years of
being forgotten and neglected caught up to Canada. Trivial as the situation may
be on the surface, to be remembered is to be important enough in the eyes of
another person. It’s a foreign and gripping moment that causes him to cry.
Likewise,
because this is so foreign to him, Canada doesn’t know what to do with himself.
In other words, he overcompensates by excessively reinserting his identity,
which remains fragile and still in a developing state.
This fragility
is most seen when America appears and laughs at Canada’s ridiculous clothing [x].
“There are times, every now and then, when I want to stand out from the shadow or let my hair down too!”
Another
parallel between the two is then introduced: Canada doesn’t want to remain in the
shadows and vies to be well-known in the world just like America; meanwhile,
America is jealous of Canada for his ability to get along with everyone.
In sum,
Canada’s invisibility lends his character most of its strength. It is through his
journey to establish himself that it becomes clear that Canada is not as
passive as one may think. For his entire life, he’s fought to
be remembered. It would follow, then, that his invisibility perhaps had a
double meaning to it; it was a physical reflection of how hollow, empty and
lacking he felt on the inside, a personal identity that needed to be filled and discovered.
I know it may seem random at times, but there is a
consistent logic running through the manga that explains why some nations live
on despite ceasing to exist politically. The reason that this causes a lot of
confusion among fans is because of how loosely the word nation is defined in
Hetalia.
Nation doesn’t strictly mean an autonomous and politically
recognized sovereign state. Instead, personifications exist as representations
of a group of people and their culture, hence explaining their wide diversity
(e.g., kingdoms, religious orders, micronations, city-states, provinces, etc.)
Remember that the modern nation-state is a recent phenomenon. Humans organized
themselves far differently in the past. Larger post on that here [x].
In “It’s a Treasure Box of Countries”, it’s confirmed that
the nations are cultural and citizen-oriented personifications. Two things can
happen when a nation dies.
1) They gradually fade when their people’s culture
or identity (personality) disappears.
“Usually, when the culture of the country’s personality
dies/ disappears, the country would gradually disappear or entrust him/herself
to the country that takes over him/ her.
2) The ex-nation becomes a state representative.
“Regardless if their people’s culture and
personality disappears, the personification can still live on as a state
representative.”
There are two points to take away from this. One, the
nations don’t cease to exist because of political recognition. First and
foremost, they exist for their people and their culture. Two, nations don’t
necessarily die right away, or at all if they decide not to.
Ex: In World Stars, France reaffirms again that the nations exist because of their people.
That said, let’s go through some examples.
Poland and Lithuania:
After the third partition of their empire, it wasn’t just
Poland that ceased to exist on the political map.
Lithuania did as well. Nonetheless, as Lithuanians and Poles were absorbed by
Russia, Prussia, and Austria, thus ending their political identity, their
cultural identities remained in tact. Lithuanians and Poles didn’t disappear; their states did.
It’s for this reason on top of the fact that nations gradually
disappear that Poland and Lithuania are revealed to have lived during this era.
Poland made friends with Italy and bonded over their desire for independence.
Meanwhile, Lithuania became a servant to Russia.
Holy Rome:
Holy Rome didn’t die right away despite being dissolved,
once more demonstrating the gradual pace of how and when a nation fades.
Whether he’s East Germany or not, it’s clear that Prussia is
losing his immortality.
Ex: When Germany’s dog bites him, Prussia takes longer to
heal from a wound.
When asked on whether Prussia will disappear, Himaruya doesn’t rule this out as a
possibility [x].
In sum, it’s important to note that the nations don’t exist
for political reasons. If they die, it’s because their people no longer
identify under a common identity, or their culture disappears. This death doesn’t
occur immediately and is a gradual process. On the other hand, personifications
can still choose to exist even without a group of people and culture to
represent.
One thing I’ve noticed is that fans approach and analyze
relationships between the nations from a human perspective. The problem with
this is that it doesn’t capture the elasticity and interchangeability of
titles of beings who are immortal– not mortal– go through. In other words,
aside from direct biological relations which don’t change, you can’t apply
words of human organization to immortal beings who routinely change how and who
they relate to.
For example, just because a nation lives with another
nation, doesn’t automatically make them family. In the case of a nation, they
don’t live with other nation(s) by choice but rather circumstance. Often
enough, it was the product of being conquered.
Some nations living together will choose to identify as a family,
as their bond as a unit most closely resembles one. Nonetheless, these
families, or households rather, are temporary.
Ex: Hungary refers to Holy Roman Empire’s household as a
family [x].
Ex: Having lived with France in Rome’s household
for some time, young Italy referred to France as big brother.
Out of respect, some nations will continue to refer to the
other nations they lived with as an older brother. In Japanese, “onii-chan” is
a term coined out of affection and adoration for a figure. It doesn’t mean
older brother in a blood sense.
Ex: France claims to be the older brother figure of the
world. Meanwhile, only Italy and Monaco choose to refer to him with this title
of affection [x]. Again, not to be mistaken with a relation.
A nation can be a guardian for several centuries and later
evolve into a companion, friend and/or mentor figure.
This is best seen with America and Canada, biological
brothers who temporarily held a family unit with their colonizers. Although,
they didn’t physically live together, settling for occasional visits instead.
For one thing, it’s important to distinguish the fact that biological relations are inherently sensed by the nations.
There’s a difference between Iceland, who senses Norway to
be his brother from birth [as does Norway]… [x].
…and England and France, who make America and Canada their
family [x].
Ex: America doesn’t inherently sense a brother among his
colonizers, Finland, France, and England.
Instead, they fight over who will assume the role of
America’s brother [x].
As mentioned, it’s difficult to apply human words for
relationships to capture relationships between immortal beings. It doesn’t
quite fit. Think of it this way: The nations have unique experiences that we as
humans will never have. So, why are we using words that describe our
experiences to describe theirs?
Respectively, England has trouble deciding what America
should call him.
Again, notice America’s choice of the word onii-chan.
Titles like guardian and older brother, two very different
terms, are loosely thrown around. Of course, older brothers can be guardians, but you’ll see what I mean by this muddled distinction in a moment.
It’s hard to make sense of a relationship
using words that don’t describe but instead confine and water down the
complexity of the colony-colonizer and simultaneous guardian-adoptive
relationship they’ve established.
This uncertainty and fumbling to find words that best
describe their relationship is seen again when America declares his
independence. Even he doesn’t know if what they had entailed a parent-child or
sibling relationship [x].
Nonetheless, he cuts off these ties and no longer views
England as this type of figure for him.
The point I want to emphasize is that due to political
circumstances, the nations’ relationships with each other are dynamic. It’s not
as rigid as human forms of organization; therefore, it doesn’t make sense to
approach these family-like dynamics from a human perspective. It’s like
comparing apples and oranges.
Lastly, to avoid falling into a trap of reasoning, there’s a
stark difference between conquering/ colonizing a nation and living together and
willfully forming a union [economic or political] and living together.
Ex: Switzerland adopted Liechtenstein into his household and
the two consider each other to be siblings. Because this is how they presently
identify and relate to each other, they are siblings.
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