characterization in hetalia – Page 7 – Ellawritesficssometimes

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.

I want to begin by pointing out that I’m simply presenting
canon information. That is, what we’ve seen
about religion in the strips.

Just because one nation follows the dominant religion of their
people doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t hold their own beliefs or can’t
engage in the religious practices of other groups amongst their citizenry – all
I’m saying is that the latter point hasn’t been demonstrated in the series.

It’s also important to mention that the nations are
stereotypical personifications – they’re not characterized for specificity.

With all that in mind, religion in Hetalia encompasses a
generalized population rule. Similar to how they’re affected by the demographic
statistics of their citizens (e.g., their weight, income, behavioural habits),
the nations have also historically abided by the most dominant religion in
their country.

The Clergy as a ‘Boss’:

Since the Church used to be the Head of State, they would
have also been the respective personification’s boss.

Ex: We saw this with England, who spent some time on the run
from a Bishop who ordered him to cut his hair.

The Personification as a Religious Entity:

Ex: Prussia first emerged as a Catholic religious order.

As a reflection of his people and their beliefs, he was
therefore extremely religious.

Ex: There’s also Knights Templar, who likewise represented
a Catholic religious order.

War:

The Polish-Swedish wars are a good example of how the
different religious orientations of the two countries are reflected in their personifications.

Conversion:

As mentioned above, the nations only follow a religion if it’s
prevalent within their population.

Ex: During the year 1000 [the Christian Millennium Apocalypse),
France and England truly believed that the world was going to end.

France feared going to hell. Because he thought they were both
going to die anyway, England fulfilled France’s last wish and pretended to be
conquered by him (ironic, considering that the Norman Conquest wasn’t that far
in the future).

Meanwhile, Hungary who had just converted to Christianity
that year, hadn’t yet acquired the religious beliefs that would have also made
her fearful of the so-called apocalypse.

Ex: There’s also this beautiful gem of a scene where Iceland’s
converted to Christianity. Note again how this happens only because his people
are being converted.

There is a Real God in Canon Verse:

Ex: Despite being a secular state in modern times, France
still believes in God. This is seen in his encounter with Lisa, Jeanne d’Arc’s
reincarnate.

Ex: Ancient Rome ties up God so that he’s able to leave Heaven and visit Veneziano.

Ex: God visits Hungary in her dreams and orders her to hit
France with her frying pan.

Ex: God visits Estonia in his dreams and fulfills his
fantasy to be surrounded by girls.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a religion-based post without mentioning the Vatican. While he doesn’t have an official design and appearance, Hima does say what his personality would be like should he ever become canon.

Before I go through case examples, I want to go over some
important ground rules pertaining to the subject of economics and how nations are
affected by it.

1) When a personification has a cold or is
physically unwell, they’re having problems with their politics and/or are
experiencing a recession.

2) An economic recession will impact a nation’s
health differentially depending on their economic standing.

Ex: During the
Great Depression, some nations were more affected than others, as designated by
greater negative signs.

3) If the nation itself is poor, so will the
respective personification.

With all that in mind, just like political independence and
a stable, functioning government, the strength of a nation’s economy is an
equally important factor in influencing the personification’s age. The best way
I can explain this process is that a nation’s age is a result of an amalgamation
of factors.

Some personifications will go through a gigantic growth spurt
in reaction to their country’s own surge in economic prosperity.

Other
personifications, while lacking official political recognition, are able to age
upon achieving and maintaining economic prosperity through high GDPs.

Lastly,
there are officially recognized nations who remain young as a result of poor and
inconsistent economic growth.

America:

Of course, I’ll start with the most obvious and well-known
example. America grew up quickly in tandem to his growing economy, despite lacking
independence from England.

“Because he was relatively tolerant of religion forms, America became a melting pot for various cultures, arts and crafts. Soon, he began to grow an industrial prowess and rivaled England himself.”

Meanwhile, Canada, who didn’t possess the same
economic strength, aged at a much slower rate than America.

The point to differentiate between the two brothers is the
impact that their economies had on their biological ages.

Chinese Autonomous Territories: Macau and Hong Kong

While they are presently considered to be autonomous territories under a one country-two systems mode of governance and therefore lack full
recognition as nations in themselves, Macau and Hong Kong’s strong industrial
economies allowed for them both to age.

This lack of official autonomy is depicted by both of them
living in China’s household.

Macau:

Macau was originally Portugal’s underling. He was East Asia’s
centralized and most successful trading port before being superseded by a
younger Hong Kong.

As such, despite being part of Portugal’s house, Macau’s
commercial success was enough to make him an adult.

That’s all we know, as he’s not given an exact canon age.
Now, he remains as an older brother figure in China’s house. Again, it’s his
economy that primarily contributed to his physical maturity.

Hong Kong:

Hong Kong was little when he became English territory.

Becoming an economically-successful trading port is what contributed to his growth.

However, because he’s not a nation-state in himself,
this would explain why he’s 16-17. If he did become a full-blown nation, the
consistency in this rule would likely have him age again.

Historically, Macau’s a lot older than Hong Kong – this might
offer a plausible explanation for their differences in age.

Taiwan:

This one’s a bit tricky and controversial given the testy
disputes regarding China’s claim of sovereignty over a self-governing Taiwan.
Nonetheless, there’s still an economic factor that accounts for the reason why
Taiwan is older in age [as opposed to a small child]. She’s also a strong
industrial power, despite not receiving international recognition.

On the other hand, Taiwan was officially recognized as China
in the UN before losing its seat in 1971. This also may have had an impact on
Taiwan’s age, although since none of this is presented in canon, all I can do
is speculate.

Latvia:

Not only was Latvia historically repressed politically, but
his agricultural economy isn’t doing all that great today either. Both of these
factors account for his young age, regardless of how long he’s existed
chronologically.

Moldova:

As one of the poorest countries in Europe, it’s no wonder
that Moldova’s growth has been stunted.

In sum, while economic sufficiency and success is only one
of the factors that allow a personification to age, it’s influence has a strong impact.

Now that I’ve gone over some of the factors that cause a nation
to age [x], I think it would be useful to go through each one separately. This
post will focus on how political autonomy and independence allows a nation to
reach adulthood.

Not only that, but what you’ll also see is that they go
through growth spurts right before gaining independence; their status as an
adult is solidified once this independence is gained. In other words, it’s the resistance that first sparks the aging.

It’s also important to mention that
chronologically-speaking, nations will still consider themselves to be older
than others, regardless if one of them became an adult first. There are late bloomers
like the Italy brothers and quick bloomers like America. The best comparison I
can think of is that anything to do with gaining independence is akin to the pubescent
period for a personification.

That said, let’s go through some examples.

America:

In the following three panels, we see America go through three
developmental changes. In the first stage, he holds a more compliant attitude
towards England and helps him in the French-Indian War. Notice the tag of “Young
America” attached to him.

This compliance begins to wane as America was heavily taxed and financially drained by England following his involvement in the war. Notice how he’s a slightly
older child here.

Then, when America begins fighting for his independence, he’s clearly gone through another growth spurt.

We also see in the years leading up to his independence – as he becomes even more economically and politically sufficient – that he grows pre-emptively.

Lastly, there’s the imagery that Kumajiro uses with dolls to
represent England’s relationship with America and Canada. America is the rowdy
Baby Bear; put another way, it’s like a teenager fighting for freedom from
their parent. Once that freedom is gained, only then will they become an adult.

Canada:

Canada’s growth occurred at a much slower rate than America. He wasn’t an economic powerhouse like the latter.
While he remained as a young child, America appears to be in his pre-teen
phase.

In the years following America’s independence, Canada ages,
but he still has the lanky and awkward appearance of a teenager. He hadn’t yet
gained his autonomy yet, the missing factor to the age equation.

Here’s Canada after the Battle of Waterloo.

Pay attention to the roundness of his face.

And here’s him during the war of 1812 [right], vs how he
looks in present strips [left]. There’s a notable difference in age.

Likewise, we also know that when Canada upgrades to the semi-dependent
status of a Dominion, the autonomy is enough to allow him to reach adulthood.

Italy:

We know that Italy is around the age of a pre-teen during the
Austrian War of Succession. He’s not quite a teenager, or at least not an older
one given how short he is in comparison to Austria.

During the Battle of Custoza [whilst raging his third war of
independence], there’s a considerable increase in age. Once again, we see an
example of a nation pre-emptively growing right before they attain independence.

Once Italian Unification is complete, there’s no doubt that
Italy has become an adult.

Romano:

Romano’s path to adulthood occurred in the exact same manner
and timespan as Veneziano’s did.

He’s around the same age as Veneziano during the Austrian
War of Succession.

He’s noted to have stereotypical teenager behaviour in the
years leading up to his independence from Spain.

Before independence, he appears to be in his late teen
years.

Once unification occurs in the panel I provided above, he’s also clearly an adult.

With all that in mind, it’s important to mention that chronological age is how the nations organize themselves
in terms of perceiving their elders. I know this may come across as obvious,
but it still needs to be said.

Despite becoming an adult later than America did, Romano
still sees himself as older than America and even takes it upon himself to give
him political advice.

In an earlier post, I talked about the lesser known sides of
Spain. This post will focus on the more obvious, yet ironically ignored,
positive aspects of his character. Spain has never been a plain character. The
problem is that his personality is often watered down, either as a result of
the anime or people choosing to selectively represent certain aspects of his
personality.

That said, let’s go over some examples.

He’s not a cheerful
ditz all the time:

Ex: He didn’t
take chibi Romano’s constant complaining without any resistance. On several occasions,
Spain’s shown to be calling him an idiot.

Ex: He’s an
emotional or “violent” drunk. It depends on which translation you have, but it
pretty much conveys the same thing.

My translation is a bit different from the one above:

“As long as you keep him away from booze, and don’t get on
his bad side, you should be fine.”

Ex: Prior to the
strip, teenage Romano had a huge obsession with fantasizing about/ role-playing
the medieval chivalric romance novels that he read. In comes Prussia, recklessly
spouting out keywords that seem to trigger Romano’s obsession again, much to
the latter’s dismay. Mother hen Spain quickly swoops in to give a deadly warning.

Ex: He melancholically
looks back on his and France’s rough childhoods.

Ex: When the
topic of discussions falls to what each nation is known for, Spain laments over
being known for cows and tomatoes.

He’s more than capable of reading the atmosphere:

Ex: His reaction
to America after the Stock Market crashes in 1939.

Ex: He’s
heartbroken when Veneziano chooses Austria over him during the Austrian War of
Succession. The scene alludes to the fact that Spain was deeply saddened in the
years following his divorce from Austria. Likewise, the way Spain revs up his
cheery attitude in light of being rejected seems to be more of a defense
mechanism, a guarded mask of emotions, than it is of his true personality.

I say this because Romano finds Spain weeping in the next
panel.

Ex: He solemnly hints to Chibitalia of what’s to become of him right before he and his brother are
both conquered.

His optimism is not out of sheer stupidity:

It’s more like it’s a desperate sort of optimism. The way
that Spain convinces himself to push forward with a smile is eventually
internalized until he himself doesn’t even realize that what he’s doing is
unrealistic and naive. As mentioned above, it’s also a coping mechanism.

Nonetheless, there are moments where he shows a deep awareness
of his economic/ political situation.

Ex:There’s a clear recognition that he’s lost his international
standing due to poverty.

Ex: Once again, his [desperate] optimism shines through in
how he copes with his weakened economy. He sings songs, and acts happy…

…but he’s more than aware of how deep and serious his money
problems are. He’s literally clinging to Germany, albeit for exaggerated humorous effect.

He may have a laid-back personality…

…but once he gets worked up about something, his passion
replaces his typical lazing around.

Ex: He fought to have olive oil continually be marketed as a staple product
of the EU.

Again, with Spain, it seems that the happiness he forces
onto himself allows him to get too carried away in what he does (e.g., over-manufacturing and then causing a property bubble).

That’s why he comes off as naïve and a bit air-headed. You could even argue
that it’s a slight dissociation from reality to help minimize any anxiety that
he feels.

His constant smiling is also a play on the fact that the sun
never set in the Spanish Empire.

He’s selfless:

Ex: Despite all the complaining and constant belittling that
he had to endure with Romano, Spain still saves him from Turkey.

Ex: Spain spent all his money on improving Romano’s
wardrobe. [Please note that Romano was too young to realize this]. Meanwhile,
his own clothes were in tatters.

Ex: When Romano immigrates to America, Spain is the first
person he calls. Their relationship is noted to be much deeper than the one
Romano shares with Veneziano.

Immediately, Spain’s mother hen mode gets switched on as he
asks Romano how he’s been and if he’s been eating well.

He also lets Romano know how proud he is of him working and
taking responsibility for himself for once.

That said, it wouldn’t make sense for a character predicated
on a stereotype of passion to be flat and static. He’s anything but.

Misconception: He’s
weak

Reality: Far from
it. The man’s been through a lot, emotionally especially.

Ex: During a heated
argument with America, he’s able to close the door on him. It’s hinted that
Canada may have super strength, but he dismisses this.

Ex: He’s more
than capable of standing up from himself if necessary. Even a pushover has their limits.

Admittedly, he does excuse a lot of Cuba’s hostile behaviour
towards him. It’s only because Cuba mistakes him as America, though.

Ex: Canada’s
emotional insecurity can easily be seen as a strength. It takes a lot out of a
person to remain so generous and friendly, despite being historically ignored and
neglected by those close to you.

Misconception: He
and America hate each other.

Reality: While
they may have had some extremely rough times together, they’ve done more than
enough to make up for this.

Covering the progress of their relationship in more detail
will require a whole series of posts, but these are the basics.

Despite growing up together, they argued a lot following
America’s independence. Britain acted as the most prominent wedge between them. For some time before, they also couldn’t see eye-to-eye due to profound age differences.

Canada held resentment towards America for being selfish,
reckless, and too imposing.

Ex: America
actually pushed for Canada to gain his independence. This didn’t occur until quite a while later, obviously.

Ex: When Canada
does get his independence, they reconcile for the better…after having another argument of course. Siblings will be siblings.

Although, as you’ll
see soon, they still argue over the same things. Canada’s main tooth to pick
with America is his egotism and boisterousness.

Ex: America knows
little about Canada’s pop culture, meanwhile Canada knows everything about his.

Nonetheless, the two are still extremely close…

Ex: America helps
Canada figure out his identity. Canada’s multiculturalism [in the strips only,
of course] is inspired by America’s own diversity of cultures and ethnicities.

As such, Canada suddenly finds South Korea and China staying
at his place. The East Coast of Canada, especially Vancouver, is where many
East Asians immigrate to.

Ex: America is
jealous of Canada’s natural ability to get along with everyone.

Ex: The two co-host an online cooking show together. Yes, it’s called “America’s Cooking Channel, but Canada is on there enough times to deserve the title of a co-host.

Misconception:
France is his father.

Reality: France temporarily
acted as a big brother figure to Canada before England took hold of his
jurisdiction. As such, this would explain why Canada inherited France’s hair. It’s
mere influence. They’re not blood-related.

We’ve already see with Hong Kong how one nation’s influence can impact the
physical/ personality traits of another.

Ex: England’s
influence on Hong Kong’s personality. England also cursed Hong Kong to have
thick eyebrows like him.

Ex: Seychelles was originally supposed to have one
thick eyebrow and one thin one to represent French and English influences on
her nation’s culture.

Misconception: Canada’s invisible for no reason.

Reality: There’s
a real historical reason for this. Being a dominion, Canada was often
overshadowed by Britain.

For instance, in WW1, other than the occasional Canadian Red
Ensign flag – which also had a Union Jack on it – Canadian troops fought under
the Union Jack. In return, Britain absorbed much of the credit for the feats
accomplished by Canadian soldiers.

Ex: America thinks that Canada hides in Britain’s shadow. He holds back from saying this out loud.

Later, Canada’s shown to recognize this on his own.

Ex: Canada wanted
to sign a treaty with America, however he was too scared to talk to America
directly. He was worried that America wouldn’t be able to see him.

Bonus Facts:

He cried when Seychelles remembered him as being part of the
G8.

He served in the French army at Waterloo.

Maple syrup is his fuel.

He smoked marijuana.

He once yelled at America for three hours straight, pointing
out his faults. America cried afterwards. Predictably, this was quickly fixed with
a burger.

He aged at a much slower rate than America.

We already know from
chapter 1 of World Stars that the nations let their bosses order them around.
As such, they often have no choice over what they’re commanded to do.

I always use this
example, but it’s still important to point out that Germany’s sense of duty overrode
his personal unwillingness to annex Austria.

The control that
national leaders have over their personifications is pervasive. While Finland
is joking in part, he still alludes to the possibility of Germany’s boss [Hitler]
being more than capable of imprisoning Germany should he disobey orders.

In that regard, the
nations are just like regular citizens. They may cast votes…

…and hold meetings to
discuss world issues, but for the most part, they have little to no control
over what happens in their government. They recognize that there’s corruption
present, but don’t seem to be able to do much about it.

That doesn’t mean to say
that they have no agency, either. They’re not complete puppets in that they
have a mind of their own. It rarely happens, but some nations have in fact
resisted or gone against their boss’s wishes.

Either way, boss control
over personifications has historically been all-encompassing. While in present
times it’s not as extreme as what we saw during both world wars, the control is
still there. For example, England’s boss has control over his sweets and alcohol
intake.

Point is, there’s an
evident and wide power differential between a personification and their leader.

If that’s the case, what
happens to a personification when they’re captured?

The answer is nothing,
as Finland implies in this line of dialogue. More importantly, this strip takes
place in the present [2010].

The only material that
we have to work with on the subject can be found in
the instances where the nations are taken as prisoners of war.

Even when they are
rescued, it’s the personifications who do the liberating, not other human
soldiers. As you’ll see, when a nation is taken as a POW, they’re treated just
like any other soldier; no special treatment or protection is offered to them.

Let’s go over some
examples:

Russia:

As I’ve stated before,
Russia isn’t exempt from being exposed to the brutal conditions that his
soldiers had to endure.

The war-time conditions
are so bad that Russia even thanks Germany when he’s taken as a POW. He claims
that Germany is heaven compared to what he was used to dealing with.

Further, Russia’s bosses
are notorious for their brutal treatment of him. They clearly didn’t give a
damn about Russia given that they tortured him when they were bored.

That said,
I don’t think they would care all that much when news of Russia’s capture
reached them. Again, we don’t see any rescue attempts depicted.

There’s also the fact
that Russia was once given the order to stop a tank with his own body. What’s
crazy is that he actually obeyed this.

Germany:

When taken as a prisoner
of war, Germany claims that the torture there is nothing compared to what he
has to experience back home on a daily basis.

Italy:

Italy seems perfectly
comfortable upon being captured by Germany in WW1, citing that he doesn’t want to leave
as it would mean fighting again.

Usually it’s Germany who
rescues Italy when he gets into trouble on the battlefield. Of course, these strips take place during WW2.

However, in this case, Germany didn’t have to rescue Italy
from the Allies. He was so useless that they mailed him back.

England:

We also see that it’s
America who rescues England when he’s taken as a POW by the Italy brothers and
Germany.

In sum, when captured, it seems that the nations aren’t given any
special treatment or priority by their bosses. Instead, they’re treated just
like any other citizen. It would follow, then, that this type of treatment
would also carry into the present given the time in which Finland’s statement
was made.

They owe their
existence to them.

Ex: France lays out the rule that as long as the nation
possesses a stable government and a large enough citizenry to identify with
said national identity, the respective personification will remain and continue
to be immortal.

This rule is further confirmed in World Stars, where France
explicitly admits that he exists because of his citizens.

They openly interact with one another + humans know of their existence.

A common misconception that people often make is that the
nations’ identities are a secret kept from the public and that only their bosses
know about them. That simply isn’t true.

In fact, while some humans are shown to be perplexed by the
nations’ immortality, their overall existence is known to the public.

Ex: France introduces himself to Lisa, Jeanne d’Arc’s
reincarnate.

Ex: Italy flirts with his own citizens.

Interestingly, Italy’s also admitted to getting tired of
seeing the same faces of his citizens every day – a consequence of his
immortality. However, he does add to this and claims that seeing
these same faces can also be refreshing.

Point is, on top of their being no knowledge barrier of
their existence, the personifications openly interact with their citizens.

The Nations are Citizens Themselves.

Ex: Romano has his own passport.

Ex: Russia isn’t exempt from civilian duties, such as manual labor.

He’s forced to build a waterway alongside his people under
impoverished conditions.

He fought alongside his people in both world wars (as well
as any other personification), and endured the same notoriously terrible living
conditions that his soldiers were exposed to.

Ex: Coinciding with the last example, the nations serve in
their military. Here, America is tasked with tightening security among his
troops after Germany and Prussia successfully infiltrated them.

Population Demographics Affect the Nation’s Personality Traits, Behaviours, Habits, and Physiology:

Given that this is a series predicated on stereotypes, this
isn’t all that surprising.

Ex: China has a video game addiction resulting from this
becoming a rising problem among Chinese youth.

Ex: Germany strictly adheres to the directions of his GPS.
Hima drew this from a news story of a Bavarian who caused an accident by
following GPS directions.

Ex: Post WW1, several Lithuanians immigrated to America to
outsource their labor so that they could send money back home. As such,
Lithuania lived with America during this time.

The same thing happened with Romano. He went to live with America
during the first Industrial Revolution –a direct effect of his own people
migrating there for work.

Ex: As a result of his shifting cuisine (i.e. Indian and
Chinese influences), England is beginning to learn how to cook.

Ex: A nation’s obesity rate likewise impacts the weight of
the personification.

Russia and America:

China and Japan:

Hungary and Romania:

Greece and Turkey:

Switzerland and Japan:

Veneziano and Romano:

America and England:

America and Canada:

France and England:

Prussia and Austria:

Real Hatred – Prussia and Russia:

Ancient Rome:

Lithuania:

Latvia:

China:

Germany:

Finland:

Russia:

Netherlands:

America:

Lithuania:

England:

Japan:

Switzerland:

Italy:

Germany:

The Clergy as a ‘Boss’:

The Personification as a Religious Entity:

War:

Conversion:

There is a Real God in Canon Verse:

America:

Chinese Autonomous Territories: Macau and Hong Kong

Macau:

Hong Kong:

Taiwan:

Latvia:

Moldova:

America:

Canada:

Italy:

Romano:

He’s not a cheerful ditz all the time:

He’s more than capable of reading the atmosphere:

His optimism is not out of sheer stupidity:

He’s selfless:

Russia:

Germany:

Italy:

England:

They owe their existence to them.

They openly interact with one another + humans know of their existence.

The Nations are Citizens Themselves.

Population Demographics Affect the Nation’s Personality Traits, Behaviours, Habits, and Physiology:

He’s not a cheerful
ditz all the time:

They owe their
existence to them.