hetalia | [mod post] Another Hello

Hello, everyone, this is your community moderator.[Poll #1217657][Poll #1217657]

And in case you're wondering, the human names of the nations are:

Turkey=Sadiq Adnan

Prussia=Gilbert Beilschmidt (aka: Gil)

Canada=Matthew Williams (also, his bear's name is Kumajirou)

Sealand=Peter Kirkland (nickname: Sea-kun)

Belarus=Natalia (I can't find her last name)

America=Alfred F. Jones (aka: Al)

UK=Arthur Kirkland (nickname: Iggy Iggy)

Germany=Ludwig (family name unknown)

Japan=Honda Kiku (or, in the west, Kiku Honda)

Italy (north)=Feliciano Vargas (nickname: Veneziano)

Italy (south)=Lovino Vargas (nickname: Romano)

Austria=Roderich Edelstein

Hungary=Elizabeth Héderváry

Spain=Antonio Fernandez Carriedo (nickname: Oyabun)

France=Francis Bonnefoy (nickname: Oniichan)

Switzerland=Vash Zwingli

Greece=Heracles Karpusi

Egypt=Gupta Muhammad Hassan

Russia=Ivan Braginsky

Lithuania=Toris Lolintis (thanks to

herbalriver)

Estonia=the closest I got was "Edward"

Lativa=Raivis Galante

Poland=Feliks Łukasiewicz

China=Wong Yao (Yao Wong in the west. Nickname: Nii-Nii/Aniki)

Korea=Im Yun Soo

Finland=Tino Väinämöinen

Sweden=Bernard Oxenstierna (nickname: Su-san)

Sweden and Finland's dog=Hana-tamago

For nations that don't have human names, their names are made to sound like nicknames. For instance, Hong Kong is currently known as Hon-kun or Hon-tan. Taiwan is Tai-chan, Cuba is Qba, etc...

If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment or send me an LJ message!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think most of my thoughts have already been said before, I'd just like to make one thing clear.
The country not daring to use countries names with Hetalia is Japan, where they don't make fun of politics, their government or history in the same way people do in the west, if at all.
Still I doubt they're using the nicknames 'cause they're afraid of possible consequenses, in there they just don't make fun of things like that.

English forums/imageboards/livejournal are read by people who live in a Conan O'Brien Hates My Homeland -world, where more incorrect and insulting equals more fun. protip: see /b/

Hetalia is something that would be totally accteptable in tv in the west, so why not in a shady corner of the internet?
As long as we remain from putting Muhammads with bombs into newspapers, I'd say there's no problem.

Actually, we have several members here who are not from the western hemisphere of the world, and that's where their concern comes in, and I wanted to respect their wishes in addressing the issue and then casting a vote. If it goes that the majority of the community vies for nation names, then it's majority rules.

And while yes, it is mainly Japan that is not using the nation names, it's not only because of their education culture of not making fun (or, in certain cases, not even mentioning)of points in history/culture/politics. Also, this community has members who are not from the Conan O'Brien Hates My Homeland-world, and that's actually one of the members who expressed their concern. Who am I to say "well, it's okay in the west so I don't see why you're upset about it?"

(and really, just the image of Germany in his uniform with the Reich flag could rub someone the wrong way, no matter where. On another LiveJournal community, someone had already expressed discontent about Russia's portrayal, etc)

All hopes point to this community not to be "stumbled upon" by overly sensitive people like I have mentioned above, though.

Yes I'm aware of the members who, like you said, aren't from the western hemisphere, but I thought they wouldn't be members if they'd find Hetalia insulting... oh well.
With the comment 'bout western people I meant the ones who might accidentally come across Hetalia, and to be honest, I'm quite sure Hetalia would be one of the last (and maybe not least, but definitely not most either) incorrect things in this world to which you just bump into. Of course I'm not saying others than western people can't just bump into it, but if you browse sites like 4chan or even livejournal, you should know they _are_ mostly western sites, right?

Maybe it's just me, but how hard I ever try I just can't see the point in censoring a political satire so it won't be politically incorrect anymore. Or does someone actually like it only 'cause of the pretty boys?
And by saying that most of my thoughts have already been said before, I was especially referring to

mumumugen's reply, though I also understand

splintertalon's - and your - point, that you can't go telling people what they're allowed to get upset 'bout (though I still have no idea what they are doing in the Hetalia fandom if that's the case).
Anyway, didn't mean to RAGE, hope it didn't seem like it.

I was wondering, couldn't you make the community friends only? Maybe except the scanlations, since many people without a lj come here for those, but the other posts?

"I just can't see the point in censoring a political satire so it won't be politically incorrect anymore."
This is the issue I hold with the idea; once you censor a satire, it is no longer a satire. Especially in the case of something political. If you take out that element, it just becomes a story about people doing stuff that doesn't really make sense unless you're in on the joke.
But at the same time, like I said in my first post, I know internet drama, and I can see how over-the-top people can get about stuff they profess to like. Like with a lot of things in life, I don't think there's any catch-all strategy that will keep everyone happy.
I hope I'm coming across right, it's hard to communicate on serious topics online without gross abuse of emoticons and *narration*. The fact I got no direct response on my first post makes me paranoid I came over as unreadable. :/

"does someone actually like it only 'cause of the pretty boys?"
*got here inititally through /cm/, feels slightly guilty :P*

The fact I got no direct response on my first post makes me paranoid I came over as unreadable. :/

Nah, it was just me doing my usual "sandwiching method of replying," and then I was in dire need of food...so... XD; your comment was sandwiched.

I guess so far the feeling is that we're pretty much fine with using the nation names, though, so we're all good?

Ahhh yeah. I got to be less worried about talking to new people. X)

That looks like a very big consensus on the poll up there, yeah. Suggests a very interesting cultural difference, I think.
Productive and democratic discussion? On these here internets? It's a new one on me! ;p

This thread was actually really productive and civil, moreso than I was expecting (sorry, it's the internet by majority that's gotten me jaded...)

But definitely a real interesting look on culture feelings of acceptability. Hmmm new social experiment...?

Well, there's always the culture to consider--people in the east are stereotypically known to want to keep the harmony amongst the whole, so in a way their train of thought is: I like this stuff=>but it's offensive to others=>I'm not offended=>but "they" are=>I can't offend others, it'll upset the harmony of the whole. Fans in the east don't usually brandish themselves as "fans." (For instance, one would see those Myth bags in the west, but it's embarrassing to have those in the east, even other fans would look down upon those people.)

It's not really upsetting them as it is that they're afraid of upsetting the people around them, behind them, looking over their shoulders, perhaps.

On the subject of friends-only, I hope that will be a last resort if and when problems do actually arise.

Right now, we seem to be a bit under the non-fan radar.

[mod post] Another Hello

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