Just to make sure, what countries are not in the manga / anime?

I know none of the African countries are not in it and a few others. Does anyone know who else is not in it?

Actually, there are a few African countries in Hetalia- Seychelles, Cameroon, and Egypt, if you're one of the people who counts Egypt as an African nation. Plus there are a bunch of other African nations that Himaruya wanted to add in, like Zimbabwe and Kenya (They even have tags on the Hetalia community. What), but weren't really finished.

There's no North Korea, I give you that. Himaruya wanted to make a North Korea character that was a musician and fond of reading and dancing, but he never did due to the possible controversy that would give (South Korea reacted to its portrayal in Hetalia. What more the North?). Nor is there an India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the rest of the UK, Mexico, Luxembourg, the Middle East...

Let's put it this way- there are many countries that aren't featured in Hetalia. Or there were some that had a planned design, but didn't really push through.

Actually, it amazes me how a small country like Monaco could get a design finished in less that month and even be featured in the manga (with a short history of the country on the creator's blog to boot), whereas countries that were thought of long ago like, well, Mongolia, still don't have at least a full-body design. It puzzles me. Greatly.

Oh absolutely, Kim Jong Il (North Korea's dictator) wouldn't stand for it. He doesn't even like South Korea making fun of him. I can't imagine what he would have done if the creator actually place North Korea in the manga / anime.

TheOutsider wrote:

Actually, there are a few African countries in Hetalia- Seychelles, Cameroon, and Egypt, if you're one of the people who counts Egypt as an African nation. Plus there are a bunch of other African nations that Himaruya wanted to add in, like Zimbabwe and Kenya (They even have tags on the Hetalia community. What), but weren't really finished.

There's no North Korea, I give you that. Himaruya wanted to make a North Korea character that was a musician and fond of reading and dancing, but he never did due to the possible controversy that would give (South Korea reacted to its portrayal in Hetalia. What more the North?). Nor is there an India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the rest of the UK, Mexico, Luxembourg, the Middle East...

Let's put it this way- there are many countries that aren't featured in Hetalia. Or there were some that had a planned design, but didn't really push through.

Actually, it amazes me how a small country like Monaco could get a design finished in less that month and even be featured in the manga (with a short history of the country on the creator's blog to boot), whereas countries that were thought of long ago like, well, Mongolia, still don't have at least a full-body design. It puzzles me. Greatly.

oh gosh... if he portrayed North Korea like that, all sophisticated after the South Korean abomination, that would piss me off even more. I think I'm starting to see a pattern... German and Japan are a bit more normal and respectable than others and they did terrible things during WW2 North Korea has been and is doing bad things today, and he was planning on giving them respectable traits... what does he give respectable traits to people who have done terrible things, and portrays everyone who he feels is inferior to Japan or who opposed Japan as ridiculous and annoying?

GaGaalinG wrote:

oh gosh... if he portrayed North Korea like that, all sophisticated after the South Korean abomination, that would piss me off even more. I think I'm starting to see a pattern... German and Japan are a bit more normal and respectable than others and they did terrible things during WW2 North Korea has been and is doing bad things today, and he was planning on giving them respectable traits... what does he give respectable traits to people who have done terrible things, and portrays everyone who he feels is inferior to Japan or who opposed Japan as ridiculous and annoying?

(Oh wow, you're back... and I thought friedyam and I scared you away. O.o )

Actually, I do remember reading somewhere that North Korea was based from a Korean neighbor of his, since he didn't know any North Korean stereotypes? I don't even know any North Korean stereotypes. I'm lost.

I think he's just following the stereotype. And it's not like the Axis alone get good traits (England is extremely loyal to his friends, America is positive, and China, in my opinion, is just as sane as Japan), as it's not just the Allies that get bad traits (Italy is cowardly, Japan is naive and viewed as weird by others, and Germany is inflexible and a pessimist). Perhaps Korea would be an exception, though I thought him being respectable to elders was a good trait of his.

Also, a lot of countries have done wrong things in the past, so if this pattern of yours was accurate, wouldn't all the other countries like Turkey or Russia be just as 'normal' as Germany and Japan are? (Assuming they are normal, as I don't think having a large collection of erotic woodcuts and preferring 2D girls over real ones is considered normal.)

Hetalia hasn't made references to the Holocaust or war crimes Japan did, just as we haven't see the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or, going outside the WWII timeline, the Armenian Genocide or Europe's treatment to Africa. It's actually a miracle we got to see the Russian Bloody Sunday of 1905 or the Sino-Japanese War (Either one, it wasn't made clear), with Japan being the offender this time. They weren't portrayed in a comedic light either.

TheOutsider wrote:

GaGaalinG wrote:

oh gosh... if he portrayed North Korea like that, all sophisticated after the South Korean abomination, that would piss me off even more. I think I'm starting to see a pattern... German and Japan are a bit more normal and respectable than others and they did terrible things during WW2 North Korea has been and is doing bad things today, and he was planning on giving them respectable traits... what does he give respectable traits to people who have done terrible things, and portrays everyone who he feels is inferior to Japan or who opposed Japan as ridiculous and annoying?

(Oh wow, you're back... and I thought friedyam and I scared you away. O.o )

Actually, I do remember reading somewhere that North Korea was based from a Korean neighbor of his, since he didn't know any North Korean stereotypes? I don't even know any North Korean stereotypes. I'm lost.

I think he's just following the stereotype. And it's not like the Axis alone get good traits (England is extremely loyal to his friends, America is positive, and China, in my opinion, is just as sane as Japan), as it's not just the Allies that get bad traits (Italy is cowardly, Japan is naive and viewed as weird by others, and Germany is inflexible and a pessimist). Perhaps Korea would be an exception, though I thought him being respectable to elders was a good trait of his.

Also, a lot of countries have done wrong things in the past, so if this pattern of yours was accurate, wouldn't all the other countries like Turkey or Russia be just as 'normal' as Germany and Japan are? (Assuming they are normal, as I don't think having a large collection of erotic woodcuts and preferring 2D girls over real ones is considered normal.)

Hetalia hasn't made references to the Holocaust or war crimes Japan did, just as we haven't see the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or, going outside the WWII timeline, the Armenian Genocide or Europe's treatment to Africa. It's actually a miracle we got to see the Russian Bloody Sunday of 1905 or the Sino-Japanese War (Either one, it wasn't made clear), with Japan being the offender this time. They weren't portrayed in a comedic light either.

you forget Russia was an ally during WW2, so they weren't on Japan's side, Turkey wasn't on Japan's side either. I never said that they didn't have a good trait, I said they were idiotic and annoying. England is a delusional drunk pedo, America is only possitive cuz he's childish and thinks things are always going to go his way. China is obsessed with that theme park and putting China towns everywhere. it's like I said, Italy is cowardly cuz Italy withdrew from WW2 and Japan saw it as an act of betrayel, Korea grabbing Japan's breasts and annoying his elders isn't respecting them, or claiming that their stuff belongs to him, or wearing his elders flag as a shirt. Japan is only weird to everyone else cuz everyone else is weird. *also Korea shouldn't be younger than Japan in the first place (historically) the manga was biased in favor Japan cuz they didn't want to have Japan having to respect Korea as an elder.

Hetalia never mention Hiroshima and Nagasaki cuz those are sensitive subjects still in Japan, and would offend people. Japan made a reference to his abuse of China which destroys this argument. (China's scar on his back from Japan's Katana) and there are a few other examples of bloody events which were depicted as cutesy wootsy and what not, so the idea that Hetalia avoids those has been debunked, however it won't say of the things Japan did to Korea like how they referenced it with China. they came close but to poor salt on an open wound they made it so that Korea in the manga was calling Japan out on his war crimes (bullying) and instead they turned it around and said Korea's history is distorted and it was really Korea (bullying) Japan.

TheOutsider wrote:

Actually, there are a few African countries in Hetalia- Seychelles, Cameroon, and Egypt, if you're one of the people who counts Egypt as an African nation. Plus there are a bunch of other African nations that Himaruya wanted to add in, like Zimbabwe and Kenya (They even have tags on the Hetalia community. What), but weren't really finished.

There's no North Korea, I give you that. Himaruya wanted to make a North Korea character that was a musician and fond of reading and dancing, but he never did due to the possible controversy that would give (South Korea reacted to its portrayal in Hetalia. What more the North?). Nor is there an India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the rest of the UK, Mexico, Luxembourg, the Middle East...

Let's put it this way- there are many countries that aren't featured in Hetalia. Or there were some that had a planned design, but didn't really push through.

Actually, it amazes me how a small country like Monaco could get a design finished in less that month and even be featured in the manga (with a short history of the country on the creator's blog to boot), whereas countries that were thought of long ago like, well, Mongolia, still don't have at least a full-body design. It puzzles me. Greatly.

I saw Seychelles, Cameroon, and Egypt characters on youtube... the only one that was actually black was Cameroon. I wasn't offended. but it reopened a wound I received when talking to my girlfriend in Korea. she tells me all about how in Asia they prefer white people over black people and how hard it is going to be for me to survive there when I do move there. she talked as if America was the cornerstone of accepting blacks which it's not. she just watches too many American tv shows which preach about open mindedness and didn't see much of the ugliness while she was here for a year.

in Asia the reason they prefer whites to blacks is because (one for culture reasons, dark skinned people tended to be poor farmers along time ago in Asia and they retain that mindset today) two because of the media controls how other countries see black people. there's a Korean Japanese guy on youtube named Tenchijk he's a really cool guy, he goes into detail about it. but anyway the subject got me thinking. my girlfriends race has a country of their own, if she were to come to america and people didn't like her (which simply doesn't happen cuz everyone loves Asians) cause she is different she could go back, seeing as she is same as people in Korea. but where is my opportunity to go to a country run by my race? Korea has a country full of cities wealthy well fed people, and is all around successful with tourists from other countries frequently people take interest in their culture, and just like all other Asians are seen as elequent and beautiful. however Africa isn't run by blacks, it's run by European countries, and now people say how much more caucasian there are in Africa as opposed to blacks. so like, now, and we already know there's only 11% blacks here in America.

I feel like black people are becoming extinct or something, I only have one black friend in the town I live in. but even still. I mean I can't even go run to Africa in the way she could return to Korea if she can't make it here. so, blacks have no control over media the way Koreans have control over media and how other countries see them, racism towards blacks is still present and accepted but it is industrialized, it's not blatant and straight forward. peoples perceptions of us often matches what they see on TV. when someone says someone is "acting black" they think of ghetto gangster thug. when the Earthquake hit Haiti they often showed people attacking each other for food or supplies like barbarians. but when one hit Japan... it showed them as they always do, a peaceful people, that were suddenly victimized by a natural disaster and are trying to stand strong after such an event.

*sigh* I talked to my girlfriend about it and I told her how I felt like I'm suffocating. I hate how people perceive us in reality and that I have no where to escape to, and how I use to feel I could temporarily escape in anime and manga and JRPG's but then I noticed how few blacks I can relate to in them and how horribly they are portrayed when they are in there. heck even the ones that are in anime and manga... how many of them are portrayed as breath takingly attractive like light skinned people in anime

I dunno, I feel idiotic for thinking about all this so much, but I've tried to ignore it so long while nothing's changed. one black african character out of three in Hetalia just reminds me of this. this has little to do with Hetalia but it does remind me of these things, I feel like he's the token black guy. he's just in there to appeal to black people, but the European governing of Africa was a good enough excuse to make the other African characters white. it's very depressing for me.

I feel for you man.

GaGaalinG wrote:

oh gosh... if he portrayed North Korea like that, all sophisticated after the South Korean abomination, that would piss me off even more. I think I'm starting to see a pattern... German and Japan are a bit more normal and respectable than others and they did terrible things during WW2 North Korea has been and is doing bad things today, and he was planning on giving them respectable traits... what does he give respectable traits to people who have done terrible things, and portrays everyone who he feels is inferior to Japan or who opposed Japan as ridiculous and annoying?

Wait. let me get this straight. You think that certain characters should have mean and abusive personalities because of bad things that have happened in their history?

Lalala wrote:

GaGaalinG wrote:

oh gosh... if he portrayed North Korea like that, all sophisticated after the South Korean abomination, that would piss me off even more. I think I'm starting to see a pattern... German and Japan are a bit more normal and respectable than others and they did terrible things during WW2 North Korea has been and is doing bad things today, and he was planning on giving them respectable traits... what does he give respectable traits to people who have done terrible things, and portrays everyone who he feels is inferior to Japan or who opposed Japan as ridiculous and annoying?

Wait. let me get this straight. You think that certain characters should have mean and abusive personalities because of bad things that have happened in their history?

no, I'm saying they shouldn't be more sophisticated and more sane than the countries who stopped the the countries with mean and abusive behavior, this is something known as "war glorification"

Sorry to break it to you then, but every country you see on the map has had its bad past. Some worse than others, but that's no reason to make those characters less sane. I, personally, perceive that as minor racism, simply from the way you phrased your sentence, and your word choice. Perhaps I'm just being a bit too sensitive, but that is the impression I get from your comment.
From your comment one could perceive that no country personification in any media not necessarily Hetalia-related should be more negative than that of the countries you see as having a "nicer" and "less abusive" history.

Lalala wrote:

Sorry to break it to you then, but every country you see on the map has had its bad past. Some worse than others, but that's no reason to make those characters less sane. I, personally, perceive that as minor racism, simply from the way you phrased your sentence, and your word choice. Perhaps I'm just being a bit too sensitive, but that is the impression I get from your comment.
From your comment one could perceive that no country personification in any media not necessarily Hetalia-related should be more negative than that of the countries you see as having a "nicer" and "less abusive" history.

ugh gosh why does everyone say this. we're not talking about the times that other countries did something bad. Hetalia takes place during "WW2" not the times that "other" countries did something bad, but when German and Japan and Italy did something bad. and guess what Hetalia is? Japanese. this is why it's "war glorification" on Japan's behalf. btw not "all" countries did something bad. just most of them. you think it's racism. no war glorification is more racist, so you're saying it's racist to be against racism. if a Nazi makes a cartoon about how they are superior to America and Jews and spouts racism about them, while making themselves seem righteous or more sane then them. THAT'S war glorification and if a Nazi did that the cartoon wouldn't last. but this is what a Japanese person is doing and we have overwhelming amount of proof that they spout racism against Korea while making the Japanese character more sane well mannered. there's. and there aren't other countries who base cartoons in an era that the said country did something awful and then made a cartoon make it seem like they were justified and what they did was right and the people they abused were somehow inferior to them. Hetalia is the only one who does that and actually became successful because too many people are ignorant of what goes on in Asia beyond what they see in anime, or they try to excuse the racism, which is impossible and I have evidence for this as well, that I've had to post over and over and over again on this site.

btw... you're not "perceiving" my comment you're "twisting" it. again... look at the part about war glorification.

You know... It is true that Hetalia is set in WW2, but except for one or two strips it isn't actually about WW2. Believe me, if it was about WW2 and the characters were this way, I would have more than one problem with it.
But there are other moments, even in the first episode, that have nothing to do with WW2. In fact, WW2 doesn't even pop up in episode 1.

I'm not twisting your words. What I wrote was entirely what I read in your words. Like I said before, perhaps I'm being a bit too sensitive and reading too far into what you wrote causing an entirely large misunderstanding.

Lalala wrote:

You know... It is true that Hetalia is set in WW2, but except for one or two strips it isn't actually about WW2. Believe me, if it was about WW2 and the characters were this way, I would have more than one problem with it.
But there are other moments, even in the first episode, that have nothing to do with WW2. In fact, WW2 doesn't even pop up in episode 1.

I'm not twisting your words. What I wrote was entirely what I read in your words. Like I said before, perhaps I'm being a bit too sensitive and reading too far into what you wrote causing an entirely large misunderstanding.

it's set in the same era, based on the "axis powers" which was a group of countries that did awful things during WW2. it's like saying a cartoon called "civil war, let's stop slavery against black people" isn't about american history. and don't forget that all throughout history Japan has done a bunch of crap to Korea not just WW2 and Hetalia goes back and talks about different era's of Korea and Japan and always it's the same thing, so we don't have to just limit this to WW2, there's a whole history of Japan initiating war against Korea and committing genocide and rape, WW2 wasn't the only instance. so whether or not Hetalia is about WW2 (which we can safely assume because it's about the Axis Powers, and Hetalia meaning "useless Italy" because they backed out of "WW2" that it's about WW2") that it is still glorifying Japan, due to the many other wars Japan initiated with Korea.

1) War of the Austrian Succession. Doesn't even feature Japan.

2) 3rd and 4th season's title

3) I think we'd have an easier time listening to one another if both of us did one thing. Actually listen. Not just argue. Like in the other posts on this website.

4) Or we could agree to disagree and end this as two strangers feeling neutral about the other

Lalala wrote:

1) War of the Austrian Succession. Doesn't even feature Japan.

2) 3rd and 4th season's title

3) I think we'd have an easier time listening to one another if both of us did one thing. Actually listen. Not just argue. Like in the other posts on this website.

4) Or we could agree to disagree and end this as two strangers feeling neutral about the other

yes, but WW2 DOES feature Japan and the focus on Hetalia is WW2, and how does this change the fact that Korea was portrayed in a racist way? it doesn't. Hetalia is portrays Korea in a derogatory way that racists in Japan identify Koreans with. saying that the austrain succession, and 3rd and 4th season is in here therefore it's not about WW2 is like someone ordering a Pizza, hamburger, and buffalo wings. but because they're on a diet they'll order a salad with all that so they don't gain weight. everyone on this forum who I talk to knows I listen, even the fans, in fact, we've talked enough to talk about stuff not Hetalia related, so there's no foundation for the idea that I don't listen.

I don't I've ever once claimed that Hetalia wasn't in any way not offensive towards them.

For now I'll just stick to point 4, which you seem to have overlooked.

Lalala wrote:

I don't I've ever once claimed that Hetalia wasn't in any way not offensive towards them.

For now I'll just stick to point 4, which you seem to have overlooked.

I didn't overlook point for... I just chose not to acknowledge it seeing as I was talking about Korea and Japan and why Korea was offended which brought us to why it was ridiculous for the author of hetalia to portray north Korea as better than south Korea or more sane and even "sophisticated"

I'm not disagreeing with you on anything right now, simply pointing out that there is no canon character for North Korea as of yet

Lalala wrote:

I'm not disagreeing with you on anything right now, simply pointing out that there is no canon character for North Korea as of yet

we know... the subject was about what the author had intended for the north Korean canon character.

In that case... I'll just stay quiet.

The author was smart not making North Korea. Kim Jong Il would throw the biggest fit of all. And be fit I mean he will attack Japan. He still hates Japan with a passion.

TheOutsider wrote:

Actually, there are a few African countries in Hetalia- Seychelles, Cameroon, and Egypt, if you're one of the people who counts Egypt as an African nation. Plus there are a bunch of other African nations that Himaruya wanted to add in, like Zimbabwe and Kenya (They even have tags on the Hetalia community. What), but weren't really finished.

There's no North Korea, I give you that. Himaruya wanted to make a North Korea character that was a musician and fond of reading and dancing, but he never did due to the possible controversy that would give (South Korea reacted to its portrayal in Hetalia. What more the North?). Nor is there an India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the rest of the UK, Mexico, Luxembourg, the Middle East...

Let's put it this way- there are many countries that aren't featured in Hetalia. Or there were some that had a planned design, but didn't really push through.

Actually, it amazes me how a small country like Monaco could get a design finished in less that month and even be featured in the manga (with a short history of the country on the creator's blog to boot), whereas countries that were thought of long ago like, well, Mongolia, still don't have at least a full-body design. It puzzles me. Greatly.

well the reason is is that he actually he based most of his characters on research, necessary plot points, and his friends nationalities.... his north korean friend moved away before he finished so he just dropped it ^^