Disscusion. Hetalia's popularity

[pmpatg.livejournal.com]

Alright. I'm sure you have all heard about the news that the anime is going to get dubbed.
I admit, I am happy, but I'm mostly worried.



Hetalia's popularity has been going off the charts ever since France's character songs have come out.
It's fans are growing rapidly dangerously. As more episodes, character songs, strips, fanart, fancfics, anything really, come out, more people find out about it .
I admit, it's nice that so many poeple like it, and that it has brought good things to all.
But the fear of this fandom becoming the new Naruto is most probably not going to be a fear, rather than a reality after the release of the dubbed anime and the movie.
I really don't want to look like a pessimist, especially since so many poeple aer really excited about all this. But I'm just posting this as a warning.

Now, I would really like to hear your two cents on this. I know Hetalia requires a certain level of maturity, but we all know how to have fun anyways without hurting anyone. DON'T STOP THAT. Seriously, if something,or someone, comes off as rude to anyone, they politely say it and explain why. PLEASE don't go off like rabid fangrils and flame. You guys are all much better than that.

HOLY CRAP. NOT EVEN FIVE MINUTES AND ABOUT 70 MESSAGES. AND I'M SORRY IF I SOUNDED HARSH OR BITCHY. I JUST SOMETIMES START AND GO OFF LIKE MATT. I'M SO SORRY TwT

Comments

[peekaydee.livejournal.com]

i actually liked it much better when the english speaking hetalia fandom was still a bit small.

[rebornhayatofan.livejournal.com]

I agree. That's all i have to say.

[810geek.livejournal.com]

I really don't want this to turn into the next twilight or naruto TT_TT I really like this anime, the characters, the fandom (as it is now) ect. But I'll probably abandon ship or be a closet Hetalia fan when things get out of hand. I honestly just don't want to be labeled as a crazy fangirl retard, in all honesty. :(

[musoka-chan.livejournal.com]

seconded. That's my fear too. =(

[kisekichibi.livejournal.com]

If this gets into a shitfest of weeaboos, I'm going to fully convert myself into a Kitayume-universe fan ONLY. D:

Srsly.

[kaleidoruby.livejournal.com]

It's not like it's going to be airing on TV. It's not going to reach Naruto levels of popularity.

[antonio.livejournal.com]

Even though the popularity is fucking insane, it's not going to become the new Naruto. Practically every fandom I've ever been in has had people say that when the dub was announced, and... well, as you can see, we're still comparing stuff to Naruto, so it hasn't happened yet. I seriously doubt Hetalia will be aired on any TV stations, which is the number one way for fandom to completely explode.

Fangirls gonna fangirl. I doubt this will really do much about that.

^{/sounds like a total bitch orz sorry}

[alliterations.livejournal.com]

^ This.

At first, I gotta admit, I was panicking all over the place, but I've calmed down a little and reminded myself that the only thing I can do is keep doing what I know is good.

Also, your username is the fucking best.

[sapphireluna.livejournal.com]

The quality of it remains unaffected even with many fans. Just continue enjoying it in your own wway, ignoring the potential idiots.

[pyroh.livejournal.com]

I agree entirely. Whatever happens, happens, but don't let it affect your own enjoyment or involvement. Likewise, don't let it turn your into a big-headed jerk. I know elitists jumped up in arms when this series was becoming an anime, and it's sad to see that those such ill judgement was directed at might now pay it forward to anyone who's joining as the popularity increases as a result of the license/dub. It's silly.

[phiradesu.livejournal.com]

Well I do have to admit that Hetalia's getting uber popular at the speed of light and sometimes it scares me too. Now with the news of it being dubbed, I'm caught in between happiness and sadness.

No offense to the people who like dubbed anime but I prefer the Japanese voice acting better. True that the NA dub may give the characters accents [ex. France his suave French accent] but... after almost a life-time of disappointment over dubbed anime, I fear the worst.

I just hope that if ever this becomes the next Naruto, fans will, um act more maturely. [had a very bad encounter with a Naruto fan before, who was just new to the fandom because of the popularity]

The movie I'm absolutely looking forward to it with all my heart. I mean, this is it you guys. Despite the controversy, Hetalia managed to get some well-deserved recognition plus we all got to see other cultures, histories etc with a bishi-twist without leaving our houses.

This is just my two cents

[rebelkid18.livejournal.com]

I also like the Japanese voice acting as well because it fits the characters almost perfectly; but I also want it dubbed so there will no subs required as a raw episode is released.

And mostly my opinion, because of Hetalia, history became really fun to learn about.

[annakinz.livejournal.com]

I'm not saying this is what you're view is, but I can't stand it when people act like new fans are somehow going to be bad fans. Or that the more fans there are then the base will somehow devolve into this clusterfuck of idiocy. I'm actually v. new to Hetalia. I found out about this past spring but didn't start watching/reading it until the fall, and I like to think that I'm not a retarded fan lol

We already have less than desirable fans mixed in with everyone else, and more fans will mean that yes, some will be less than admirable, but there will also be those that bring something new to the table. We'll have even more people creating art, writing fics, and bringing up new topics to discuss.

And even for those fans that want to go full-retard there will still be the sane ones to come by and be like "um no". There's a inherent system of checks-and-balances within the community to keep it from becoming a mess. And if the new, immature fans don't like that then they won't stick around, they'll make their own community and we won't have to deal with them anymore anyway.

[phiradesu.livejournal.com]

amen.

Somehow this reminds me of the Ar Tonelico fandom. True that are some rabid fans mixed in but majority of us aren't that...um sorry I can't give an exact word here but I'll just let you fill in the blanks.

[fuzzlekins.livejournal.com]

I personally like this fandom. If it continues to grow, that's perfectly fine with me. If haters want to hate based solely on the popularity, they can go ahead and do it, because I don't care.

Seriously folks, it's not gonna be another Naruto. And it definitely isn't going to be another Twilight.

[choisya.livejournal.com]

But my internet fandoms are the only times I get to really act like a whiny toddler and being mature isn't just as much ffffffuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

But on a more serious note, I don't really care about the popularity of Hetalia. Sure, there's a much higher saturation of stupid and butthurt than when I first got into the fandom, but a lot of great people have joined in as well. It's not like Hetalia is a super-special-secret club that we can kick the twits out of, so why don't we all just encourage the positives ignore the negatives?

[etrnlpeace.livejournal.com]

I, personally, am not excited for this introduction into the English-speaking world. It annoys me.

I'm TIRED of those people who blah-blah-blah "lol guys i like love naruto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sasuke is soooooooooooooooo smexy!!!!!!!!!!" If that ever happened to Hetalia, one of my last sanctuaries, I might just throw my computer out, chanting the matra I WILL NOT bash, I WILL NOT bash, I WILL NOT bash...

Seriously! I like this popularity thing, because then the merchandise will be more avalible to me AND it'll be cheaper, but... I don't want rabid fangirls who are unreasonable and stupid. Right now, it's anime-loving history fans. I like this, very very much.

-shrug- and I hate dubs, too.

[phiradesu.livejournal.com]

;A; *in a small voice* please don't hurt the computer.

Although the only thing that will insult me is that IF, yes IF, a fan who is new will start saying that he/she knows every country's history. *sweatdrops* It's not like we all memorize each country's history in one sitting. I, myself, is trying to learn more of Canadian, French, British and American history to add into my stored knowledge. Might venture to Russian soon when I get more time. But still.

We should at least, um, try not to panick?

[ex-defaced.livejournal.com]

Think about it in the good way, the more fans, the more fan work that will be made. Meaning more fan art, more fanfiction, and all of that good stuff... Just because Hetalia is getting REALLY popular doesn't mean that all of the fans will be total idiots. In my opinion, the more people that can enjoy Hetalia, the better. If you don't like some of the fans... don't let them ruin Hetalia for you, just simply ignore them.

[harumonia.livejournal.com]

I agree with kirkland. The more that get into Hetalia, the more we get to see more awesome fan works and more merchandise maybe imported to America! Since Hetalia isn't exactly action-esque, I don't think it will be on par with the Naruto fandom. Hetalia is more comedy and a lot of fans (I say this as a sweeping generalization) enjoy the action genre.

[epicfail1211.livejournal.com]

I really can't imagine the fandom becoming much larger than it already is. At all.
APH is already one of the most popular shows/comics out there.

Regarding Hetalia becoming the new Naruto:
I might be able to see where people are coming from if Hetalia was another mainstream shonen whose English dub would be airing on a network like CN or Disney, but it's not that type of show.
It's a five minute gag series that's going to be released on DVD.
I don't really see there being that much to worry about.

[lthemilkeater.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you on the "next Naruto" thing. One of the prerequisites for becoming "the next Naruto" is for a series to be aired on television, and what are the chances of that actually happening with Hetalia, really?

[m-dono.livejournal.com]

Truth is, I don't like the fact that a series I like becomes very popular--I mean, it's not really important if it is or isn't, but I guess "it's the principal of the thing"? I feel as though more exposure concludes to the quality lessening. That's for me anyway.

But I'm not too keen on it being liscenced. It'd make it more difficult to watch. I mean, there's Crunchyroll and Funimation's site, sure, but those usually take weeks. I kinda like getting it as soon as it comes out like now.

[23luxuries.livejournal.com]

Well this has been debated time and again. I'm worried too, because when I discovered Hetalia, I was excited to see a manga that combines slapstick and silly slashy elements with historical in-jokes. I really love that everything, from pairings to plotlines, has some sort of historical or geographical basis. It really helps me understand world issues more, since before I didn't really care much.

When a fandom gets really popular, a lot of its meaning gets lost in the fray I think. The only thing I'm worried about is, once the fangirls swarm in and the ship wars begin (in this community we accept pretty much anything xDDDD), are we going to have to put up with a bunch of people who don't care one bit about history? Are we going to face disdain from other fandoms or normal people? The thing I worry about is being seen as annoying or stupid because I like Hetalia, especially since Hetalia has taught this geographically challenged girl a lot of things about our history.

But, everyone is allowed to like what they like. No amount of complaining is going to stop it, so I guess we just take the bad with the good.

[linguini-flecks.livejournal.com]

and i thought i was becoming special for getting into a series that i thought hardly anybody knew about (=3=)~

although the series is now big internet-wise, it was only big to those who knew where and how to look for it. basically, i'm saying that i'm still kinda happy that just about nobody in my regular activities--i.e. school, church, etc.--knows about Hetalia, save for a couple of ppl [not counting my sister :O], although that kinda takes out the fun of sharing excitement w/ those who also follow the series >_>.

maybe it won't be as disastrous as some of us fear it'll be. Hetalia involves a lot of witty humor that maybe only a number of ppl could thoroughly enjoy :]. Naruto is a record-breaking series that has yet to be surpassed, and--not meaning to diss, but rather to kinda lift up some hopes--i kinda don't think Hetalia's gonna be the one to do it ^^". if worse comes to worst, at least there'll be more ppl we can share our enjoyment with; we might just have to tame them a little, though. x]

[usagiasakura.livejournal.com]

we might just have to tame them a little, though.

EXACTLY! Thank goodness I'm not the only one who believes that's even possible. truth be told, when I first got into anime in general I had to be "tamed" myself *brick'd for confession of former n00b-ness*.

[pcthirtyone.livejournal.com]

As a new fan (I mean, I only got interested last summer) I don't really know what it was like before it blew up. All I can say is that I've never been part of such an active fandom. It's really exciting that I don't wait months on end for something else to be posted.

But in all honesty, I don't know how many more people will be aware of it. It seems that everyone who wants to know about Hetalia knows about it now.

[choisya.livejournal.com]

Pff, you fandom young'ns. I remember having to wait FIFTEEN MONTHS* for an single bit of fanart and well over TWO YEARS* for actual fic. Icons were as rare as unicorns* and fanmixes were unheard of*.



*These statistics may be somewhat off, or even something I just pulled out of my ass.

[xcelestial97x.livejournal.com]

Ditto. I really like the fansub set up we have going on right now. I'm a poor college student, so I don't just have the money to spend on the DVDs and the like, and it seems so wasteful when I could just see them on the Internet for free. ;_;

[flo-bizet.livejournal.com]

I don't think that that'll happen.

Surprisingly, Hetalia is still considered an "underground" anime, especially when compared to Naruto. EVERYBODY knows what Naruto is. I have yet to meet a single person in the past year in my town who knows what Hetlia is.

You also need to take into account the fact that it's only five minute episodes, and thus will not air on TV. Television broadcast is still a major factor with younger fans, so there's that to be relieved of.

Basically, I'm not too worried. The worry is there, yes, as I find the fandom a bit lacking in the historical fanworks that used to be more prevalent, but I still love the fandom. No stupid shipping wars! At least on the main comm, here, which is all I need~

[epicfail1211.livejournal.com]

Surprisingly, Hetalia is still considered an "underground" anime.

I am so confused.
As far as your average shonen fans that you'll find at school/in the neighborhood go, I could see it be considered unknown.

But as far as online fans go, or fans who have viewed a wider spectrum of series, Hetalia is one of the most popular things out there.
Perhaps too popular, for some. I've seen it been called extremely mainstream plenty of times.
Blaster Knuckle and the Blood series by Bohra might be considered unheard of, but not APH.

The wider spectrum comment makes me feel like a dirty elitist.

[antonio.livejournal.com]

More cosplayers =/= more popular... Hetalia's popular among the animanga fan crowd, but Naruto's fans extend past that. Someone who's not really into anime but is into Naruto probably isn't going to go to an anime con or cosplay.

[23luxuries.livejournal.com]

In a fandom where practically every pairing is plausible, ship wars are wholly unnecessary :D

[810geek.livejournal.com]

agreed~

[overlyhyped.livejournal.com]

Ehh.. Truly, I'm wary of it. At first, I thought it was pretty cool. But, now I'm really thinking this through. I was introduced to Hetalia through a friend, and at that time it was fairly big. A few months after, though, I did notice Hetalia popping up everywhere. Like you, I think it's good to see people like it. But, I desperately hope not to see hoards of new members flooding the Hetalia fandom. I welcome any new members, of course, but with a sense of majority and control.

Let's face it, the chances of the fandom growing are pretty high. With Funimation being popular and deciding to dub it. I'm just fearful of it becoming like Naruto. I'd like to say more, but I'm not sure what else to say.

Odds are, if worst comes to worst, I don't think I'll leave the Hetalia fandom. I'll probably limit it more to my friends, however. Possibly try to get into new fandoms as well.

[claritins.livejournal.com]

Everyone in the first two years in my school somehow grow to hate history, so Hetalia has been special to me because I'm those one few which have enjoyed it and still take it given the option. I'm not too worried about Hetalia spreading in my circle. As for it becoming really popular after all the dubbing and everything, I supposed the only thing we can do now is be optimistic and trust that everything will be fine.

[yuuago]

I've been hearing the same old thing since last January.

I really don't think we have much to worry about.

[kuro-ko.livejournal.com]

I agree with you D:

[seiichirou-uta.livejournal.com]

I think annakinz is right.

And about being mature... ahem. I am mature, so to speak. Older then most of you guys in here and I freaking know what it means that society expects you to be mature ("A woman your age does not have children yet?" "Is not married?" "Just finished further education?" blablabla), when everyone looks at you like "erm, a woman YOUR AGE reads WHAT?"

Hetalia is not mature. Not at all.

And that's the reason why I'm here.

[antonio.livejournal.com]

This. Definitely this.

I don't even know where this idea of maturity + Hetalia came from. Just look at the anime... 5 minutes of pastel colors and "HEY HEY LOOK AT ME I'M CUTE LOLHISTORY". And the comic isn't much better in terms of being "mature"... just slightly less cutesy.