Considering that the nations are described as “odd beings”,
many aspects of their existence are either left open-ended or unanswered. It’s probably
meant to be like this, as it allows Hima to have more creative leeway.
On the other hand, there’s a consistent logic in the process
of how the nations are born that I’d like to go over.
How Are They Born?
For the most part, the nations are born as babies.
Ex: Egypt and his mother, Ancient Egypt.
This excludes…
1) The micronations, who are noted to be anomalies outside
the rules of nationhood.
2) Germany, who’s born as a young child given that he
already had an existing body (I’ll get back to this in a moment).
We know from Iceland that the nations spontaneously gain
consciousness and come into existence. It’s not a formal birth process. They’re also instinctively able to tell that they’re different from humans.
What signifies them?
What signifies a nation as a baby is the nightgown they
wear. Personally, I don’t believe that the nightgown has any real significance
other than the fact that it acts as a plot device to distinguish the nation’s
young age.
How do they know who they’re related to?
Just like the nations are able to sense each other, the baby
nation is also able to sense their biological sibling.
This is seen with Iceland when he’s born. He sensed that
Norway was his brother upon gaining consciousness.
Norway also senses Iceland.
Likewise, we also know that later on, Iceland takes a DNA
test–in this case, it’s a land excavation–to confirm that there were no
Icelandic natives. Instead, the first people to settle in Iceland were
Norwegian.
That’s why Iceland and Norway are related.
On the other hand, America was colonized by several nations at once, not to mention that there
were already native tribes living there. As such, he’s referred to as an “ingredient.” He represents a mix of several cultures. [x]
Further, America doesn’t ‘sense’ an older brother from the pool of countries colonizing him. Instead,
Finland, France, and England deliberate over who will assume the role of America’s older brother.
It’s also important to mention that “onii-chan” in Japanese
does not always literally mean older brother. It can be an expression of “endearment” or “adoration.”
There are different cultural connotations that are
unfortunately lost in direct translations.
Despite this, America does, in fact, have a biological brother: Canada [x]
Germany’s ‘Existing Body’:
As mentioned above, most nations are born as babies. Germany
is an exception to this rule as he’s born as a young child…or is he?
Disclaimer, I’m going
outside canon now. This next part is theory based on canon fact.
Many people have speculated that Germany’s ‘existing’ body
means that while Holy Rome died, his body remained. Germany then resumed this
body after German Confederation.
The ‘existing’ body, then, would be the fact that Germany’s spirit
inhabited Holy Rome’s old body, hence the reason why he wasn’t born as a baby.
This perspective doesn’t make sense to me, as we know that
it’s possible for nations to live past their date of dissolution. More
importantly, Holy Rome lived past his dissolution.
Another problem with this perspective is that the nations’
bodies don’t remain when they die, but rather, they fade away. The nations are
personality-based, meaning that when their culture dies, so do they. [x]
Put another way, culture doesn’t die definitively. It fades
with time – A nation’s path to death is reflective of this.
This would explain why Holy Rome didn’t die right away, albeit being ill. The
German culture he represented was still alive and well.
Meanwhile, my take on Germany’s ‘existing body’ is vastly
different. I’m of the mindset that Holy Rome lost all his memories when he
became Germany. [post on that here].
In other words,
Germany wasn’t born as a baby because he was already existing, as in he had a living body.
In sum, while many questions about the nation’s existence
are left unanswered, there is a relative level of consistency regarding the
ages in which nations are born as well as the role that evolutionary instinct
plays in how they find their relatives.
So my sleep-deprived brain made a dumbass mistake. America does have a biological brother: Canada.
I didn’t word this post clearly. I had originally meant to say that America didn’t sense a biological brother among the countries colonizing him. Please disregard the old post and sorry for the inconvenience ;;;;
To begin with, I want to emphasize how important it is to
recognize that Hetalia is not a series that believes in permanent grudges. Regardless of
the betrayals that occur in the manga, the grudges that the nations bear rarely
if ever remain.
This doesn’t go to say that grudges can’t last for a long
time, because they do and for good reasons. What I’m getting at here is that
while the nations are cultural personifications – representing their citizens,
not just the government – they’re also people just like you and me.
How the nations associate
with each other is influenced by their political relations. On the other hand,
to say that, because of these rocky political relations, the nations in
question inevitably hate each other is a shallow way of understanding things.
Their pasts together extend beyond their present situation. They’ve
lived for several lifetimes and have their own memories and experiences; there are
other factors to take into account that influence how they view each other on a personal level. To view and associate are two
very different things that are wrongfully equated together in the fandom.
I say this because you’ll see moments where enemy nations
drop their political masks and treat each other as friends.
Ex: After being stranded on Seychelles during WW2, Italy invites
France to his side of the island and asks not to pick a fight. Italy still
fondly refers to France as Big Brother, a title that originated from their
childhood spent together in Rome’s house.
Ex: When he occupies Rome, rather than treating the Italy
brothers with hostility, America politely asks them to make him authentic Italian
cuisine.
Ex: Italy excitedly greets Austria after his annexation,
despite having recently fought him in WW1.
What this post will explore is how grudges held by the nations
subside with time.
That said, let’s go over some examples.
America and England:
Of course, I’ll get the most obvious one out of the way
first. America’s declaration of independence was experienced as a personal betrayal to England.
Ex: He’s noted to have had a stormy temper in the decades
following America’s independence. [x]
Ex: While it’s not explicitly stated, it’s alluded that
England is talking about America when he claims to have suffered from 100 years
of heartbreak.
Of more importance is that aside from their volatile political
relations, America still demands to see England when he hears that the latter’s
fallen ill as a result of the war.
Notice how distressed and panicked America is here. He even
tries to force his way into the house, despite being barred entry by
Canada. Again, the personal triumphs over the political.
As mentioned, with time, a lot of this anger and resentment disappears.
Ex: England takes the leap and attends America’s centennial
celebration.
Ex: The two are now able to tease each other void of any
spite.
Belgium and Netherlands:
There’s a rocky period in their relationship after Netherlands attempted to unify them into one Kingdom. Belgium declares her
independence instead.
We learn from his bunny how upsetting this “fight” was for
him. He copes by constantly keeping busy.
China and Japan:
This one is definitely the most difficult betrayal to
digest. It’s easily the most brutal scene depicted in the manga.
Japan stabs an unsuspecting China in the back during WW2.
What I want to place particular emphasis on is the fact that even though China
knew that their political relations were tense, he still personally trusted Japan, even as the katana was pulled out.
Additionally, notice how Japan’s face goes blank before he
stabs China. To me, this appears that he’s emotionally removed himself from the
situation.
In the aftermath of this betrayal, we see China drunkenly
crying as he realizes how war has changed Japan. Russia’s response to this is
crucial.
Nations don’t remain as enemies
forever.
It’s the good memories that last.
Even though China developed a grudge against Japan, it doesn’t
last.
Ex: In a more recent strip, China attempts to strengthen his
diplomatic ties with Japan.
Following the abolition of their empire, Lithuania falls
under Russian control. As Lithuania’s forcefully dragged away, Poland doesn’t
answer Lithuania’s pleas for help and instead laughs at his facial expression.
Because of all the fond moments they shared together,
Lithuania resents Poland for this, but he doesn’t hate him.
If he did, then he
wouldn’t have warned Poland of Russia’s plan to invade him in WW2.
All in all, the point to take away from this is that while
hatred exists in the manga, it doesn’t persist. Political relations may influence
the nations, but in no way does it define them in whole.
*talking about the American Revolution.*
America: Remember when you fucked up so badly that the whole
world turned against you?
Q: Hey!! I dont know if you do asks like this, but
i was wondering on how you would characterize Canadian provinces and
territories? Seeing as youre Canadian and a professional regarding all things
hetalia, as well as a super good writer, i feel like youd be a really good
person to ask!! Thank you for reading this and im sorry for bothering you;;!!
A: You’re not bothering me, no worries, and thank you very much! I just feel a bit awkward when people ask me how exactly to characterize a character/ personification. I strongly believe in artistic interpretation and don’t want to limit anyone’s creativity. You do what you feel is right and exercise discretion like you would with any other fan creation. I don’t want to impinge on your muse.
Q: How strong is America?
A: Strong enough to lift a full-grown buffalo [x] and drag around a Rolls Royce [x].
Q: The “oni chan” thing is true! In Japan, it’s
common for children to call older kids (especially teens) by oni/ onee chan/san
out of respect and adoration. They don’t need to be siblings at all.
A:Say it louder for the people in the back.
Direct translations and different cultural connotations have caused so much unnecessary fighting in the fandom. What amazes me is that the explanation was explicitly given in a translator’s note too. [x]
Q: Why do people think Spain would cheat on his
S/O? That would be completely out of character for him. Oh, on the Germany
thing. Is it possible given the pre-existing political body, the already
existing economic and political situation, Germany past the “baby”
state and skipped to childhood? I know fans of the Germany= HRE theory may not
like it, but I don’t like my home being that child.
A: Man, I don’t know. I focus on canon material, not whatever we crazy fans come up with. It is completely out of character for him, though.
Ex: He had his heart broken by his separation from Austria and is still clearly affected by it during the War of Austrian Succession. When Italy chooses Austria over him, notice how he claims to be dumped again. [x]
Not to mention that Romano finds him weeping afterward.
As for Germany’s existing body, I’ve mentioned this in a post before. Basically, the nations are cultural personifications that include the political.
Even if they’re dissolved, the personification will still exist until the culture completely dies out [x]. This is likely why Holy Rome didn’t die right away after his dissolution, albeit being sick. The body of people he represented still lived on.
I’m personally of the belief that Holy Rome is Germany [x]. There’s a lot of evidence substantiating the fact that he’s indeed Holy Rome but is suffering from amnesia.
However, I totally understand where you’re coming from.
I think what’s important to differentiate here is that the Holy Rome you see in the older strips was just as exaggerated and crude as old characterizations of other countries like France and Austria were. If you look at chapter 187 of World Stars, the Holy Rome depicted there is much tamer.
Side note, I don’t see a point in people denying that Holy Rome is Germany without any grounds/ evidence to base this on.
The denial for the sake of, well, denial, doesn’t do anything for me, I’d like evidence! My opinion isn’t set in stone either. I just haven’t seen someone put up a good case proving why Germany isn’t Holy Rome. Regardless, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, thank you for sharing yours.
Q: You mentioned North Italy helped a lot with
Germany’s friendship building, but what about Japan? Didn’t he help too? He’s
not the left over of an hot fudge sundae.
A: If you go back to the post, I say that Italy brings out the kindness in Germany. Italy does the same exact thing with Japan, who he views to be too formal.
The Axis learn new things and complement each other in their friendship. In that sense, Japan and Germany, as recluses, learn to open themselves up to the idea of friendship and companionship within their trio. They were always kind and considerate. Italy just has a knack for bringing out the best in people.
If Italy was to be removed from the dynamic, I really don’t think that you’d see the same kind of development between Germany and Japan.
The relationship that Italy and France bear is subtle, but
it’s nonetheless there. What this post will explore is the reason why Italy
holds France with such fondness.
Additionally, because they grew up together, France is one
of the select few nations who know how secretly vulnerable and insecure Italy
is, regardless of the cheerful front that the latter puts up to hide this from
others.
Childhood:
The two of them both grew up in Rome’s household. It’s for
this reason that Italy refers to France as “big brother” or “onii-chan.” Again,
it’s important to remember that in this context, the title is an expression of
affection or adoration.
There was a latent period in which Italy had no
contact with Holy Rome and France.
When he does meet them again, Rome had just passed away.
Although France protected Italy from being bullied by Holy Rome,
he himself also bullied Italy and later joins the campaign to conquer the
weakened Italian Peninsula.
After falling under Austria’s rule, Italy didn’t get to see
France for a long time.
He’s still under Austria’s rule and lacks independence
here, but he’s aged considerably since the last time they had last seen each other.
Of course, France has one of two reactions.
One, excitement to see Italy.
Two, an eagerness to make Italy French territory.
Still, having lived with Italy for a considerable time,
France is fully aware of how fragile Italy is.
While this is a deleted strip and should not be taken as
canon, the fact that Hima once depicted France to brave it out and break the
news of Holy Rome’s dissolution to Italy, not to mention the conflicted look on
his face, proves that he cares about Italy’s emotional welfare above his own.
I say this because it was France who caused Holy Rome’s
dissolution. Just imagine the shame and pain he would have had to go through in
confessing this to Italy, who loved Holy Rome. France was a role model for Italy
and to have that image destroyed by the death of the loved one could have put
their entire relationship on the line.
Non-canon material aside, Italy’s canonically noted to be
one not to hold grudges.
Let’s explore how this carries into his adulthood.
World War 2 Relations:
I’ve said this before, but it’s important to recognize that
while the nations’ interactions are influenced by their present political
relations, that doesn’t in whole
affect their personal lives.
As people in their own right, the nations’ opinions of each
other is predicated more on the past. Put another way, they have a personal history
together aside from politics.
This would explain why Italy refers to France as onii-chan both
in his childhood as he was being conquered by the latter and later in the world
wars.
Ex: Both find themselves shipwrecked on Seychelles during
WW2. While France is skeptical at first, the two agree not to pick a fight with
each other and to drop the political personas that would have designated them
as enemies.
Ex: When engaging in a gossiping smear campaign against the
Axis, France stops short and claims that Italy isn’t that bad of a person.
England still implants false ideas into Italy’s head anyway,
claiming that Germany hates him.
The reason that I believe that France is so hesitant to
attack Italy with words is because he knows how sensitive he is. It was incredibly
perceptive and considerate on his part.
Ex: Right after being told this by England, Italy clarifies
with Germany if he really does hate him. Of course, he doesn’t.
The insecurity stems from the fact that Italy needs
reassurance and does not hold a confident opinion of himself. He believes
England when he’s told that he’s useless.
This isn’t the first that we’ve seen of Italy’s insecurity
over his friendship with Germany.
Ex: He worries that he’ll be left behind when
Germany forms an alliance with Russia. He himself fears that he’s useless,
weak, and troublesome to his allies and has a nightmare about this.
That’s a tying theme of Italy’s characterization. He
experiences constant anxiety over the fact that he’s a hetare – a useless and weak individual. You can see why France was so opposed to doing
anything that would influence Italy’s already poor opinion of himself.
The closeness of their relationship further comes to light
when we learn that France is the first person Italy calls to voice his concerns
over Germany not liking him.
Italy trusts France so much that he takes his first
sarcastic piece of advice to heart – he did call in the middle of the night,
after all.
France later gives real advice after Italy calls him again.
The Present:
The two still get along really well, although the hints of
this relationship remain to be subtle in nature.
Ex: When France attempts to get closer with Germany, he
cites that Spain and Italy – his other
close friends –don’t care for aesthetics. What’s important here
is that France appears to consider Italy as a close friend.
Ex: He comes to Italy’s aid when Romano refuses to cooperate
with him.
In sum, France and Italy’s relationship, while not made to
be obvious, remains strong.
It’s more like I’m confused that the fandom portrays Italy as this super confident person, when in reality he’s incredibly insecure. Like, this is the one time where it would be appropriate to amp up the angst and you choose not to???
Ellawritesficssometimes 