[opinions?] My thoughts on Hetalia in a Philippine daily

[khursten.livejournal.com]

Hello Hetalia nakamas~

I recently wrote an article for the local newspaper, The Manila Bulletin, about my thoughts on Hidekaz Himaruya's Hetalia. A friend of mine needed an article for our organization's column, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity for me to explore my opinions, perhaps a thorough look into Himaruya's work.

This is my take on Hetalia -- why I love it, adore it, and why I sometimes feel sad about it. I thought I'd share this with you guys because I was hoping to have a healthy exchange of opinions with the series, why you started reading it and why you continue to read it still.

You may read the article here. It was actually published today. ^^;; Or yesterday, since it's past midnight my time now. I hope the community doesn't mind that I gave a link to the scanlation tag. My country doesn't exactly understand Japanese and I was hoping that this would trigger them to explore the comic and maybe history.

P.S. They also asked me to give examples for the column, so I used some scanlated ones (Germany training with Italy + Italy giving Japan a ride around Italy) for the benefit of the readers. I hope you guys don't mind. I did not profit anything from this article since our organization, Read Or Die, is a non-profit one. The article does link to both Himaruya and the community at the end.

P.P.S. Don't know how to really categorize this post. ;3; halp?

EDIT: The newspaper's website has reset to accomodate this day's section and the article's been taken off. I've placed a copy of it in my website. :)

Comments

[jali-jali.livejournal.com]

I do agree with your opinion, indeed after I've read the actual facts on history books, I've found there are many inaccuracies in Hetalia. But nonetheless, it's Hetalia that made me determined enough to wade through this piles of huge and thick books to search for the real facts.

Hetalia broaden my knowledge , and I'm very thankful for it ^ ^
Well, we know since it's being made into a manga, there must be some inaccuracies on board (for profit matters) so if we want to know the real facts, history books come in handy ;D (at least, most of us think so

However, if you look at the fanart, people seem to take pity on Japan/Kiku Honda for the fact that Alfred subdued him. Others simply smear him with a nice layer of nobility and melancholy and then leap forth to the delicious boy love.

And lots of it -_-;;, I'm sorry for this is just my subjective point of view, but knowing what Japan really looks like on WW II, I kinda pass out those ideas of Japan's portrayal.

[mumumugen.livejournal.com]

Like I said, Hetalia is (and has to be) not unlike a first grade history book. It can't have *all* the facts, but it should inspire you to read them.

And it's alright, MINE was also a perfectly subjective opinion, too. As I'm going to be very subjective and say it now: the biggest pet peeve I have with Hetalia is Kiku Honda. I could go on for hours just talking about the problems I have with him, from the fact I find him to be a bit of a Marty Stu, to the way he reflects the disturbing fashion in which modern Japan covers up its past. He simply bothers me... specially because every other piece of work about him makes it seem like he wants to go back to the "glory days." Doesn't it seem like it? Those dead, glazed eyes, the demure attitude, they all make it seem like we should pity Kiku because he's no longer out there, stabbing and raping the rest of the nations.

I even wonder if Hidekazu didn't portray him any more accurately simply because he doesn't know better. After all, I've heard there's a disturbing void of information over in Japan about the country's war-day deeds.

[jali-jali.livejournal.com]

Marty Stu, hehehe this one makes me laugh so bad XDD

Agree, for that very reasons, he's the only character I found really disturbing in this Hetalia fandom. Though I love every pieces of Hidekaz's strips, I always frown a little in strips that involve Kiku in historical event. I thought maybe part of it because, well, Hidekaz is Japanese, maybe he couldn't help let out his nationalism onto his works, which, I wouldn't mind to some extend ^ ^;;. But the real reason I found him more disturbing is the fact that he always pictured as the ultimate victim despite his carnivorous attitude to other nations at those time. Although, perhaps it's his way to express his guilty conscience?

Well, indeed from what I've heard from my friends who've lived in Japan, their WW II history records are sucks, and some of it clearly covers up what they've done to other nations in the past. I'll take an example on a history about Japanese occupation in my country for about 3 1/2 years, it's never mentioned in their history books though it caused damn a lot of hell to my country back then -_-; my friends even got into a fiery argue with their Japanese friends about that problem XD
This is the very reason why my opinion is really subjective ^ ^

Kiku's fans shouldn't read these posts XDD