Hetalia: Axis Powers (Axis Powers ヘタリア, Akushisu Pawāzu Hetaria?) is a Japanese webcomic, later adapted as a manga and an anime series, by Hidekaz Himaruya (日丸屋秀和, Himaruya Hidekazu?). The series' main presentation is as an often over-the-top allegory of political and historic events as well as more general cultural comparisons. Characters are personifications of countries, regions such as Hong Kong, and micronations such as the Principality of Sealand, with little reference to other national personifications such as Uncle Sam or John Bull. Both positive and negative cultural stereotypes form part of each character's personality.
The character roster is large and far from complete, but the main cast could be said to be the countries which made up the Axis powers and Allies of World War II - namely Italy (North Italy in particular), Germany, Japan, United States, England, France, Russia, Canada, and China. Hetalia (ヘタリア?) is a portmanteau combining hetare (ヘタレ?, Japanese for "useless" or "pathetic" in a cute or endearing way) and the Italian word for Italy. The main storyline's events occur during World War II, but the vast majority of the comics take place during other historical events, modern holidays, or at no specific time whatsoever. The series often uses satire and light-hearted comedy to reinterpret well-known events as well as less common historical and cultural trivia. Historical, political, economic, and military interaction between countries is generally represented in Hetalia as social and romantic interactions and misunderstandings between the characters.
Himaruya originally created Hetalia as an online webcomic, and so far five tankōbon have been published by Gentosha Comics, the first on March 28, 2008, the second on December 10, 2008, the third on May 20, 2010, the fourth on June 30, 2011, and the fifth on July 31, 2012. English translations of the first two volumes have been published by Tokyopop in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Both printed volumes published so far have topped The New York Times manga best seller list. As of May 2012 the English language version of the manga was published by Right Stuf. The series was later adapted into drama CDs, and an anime series created by Studio Deen has also begun streaming online. As of January 8, 2010, the anime series' international distribution is being handled by Funimation Entertainment. A fifth season of the anime has been announced on the cover of Comic Birz. The October 2012 issue called it The Beautiful World and released its first episode with new Studio Deen designs on January 25, 2013.
Read more about Hetalia: Axis Powers: Main Characters, Reception, Hetalia Day, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words axis powers, axis and/or powers:
“Our security depends on the Allied Powers winning against aggressors. The Axis Powers intend to destroy democracy, it is anathema to them. We cannot provide that aid if the public are against it; therefore, it is our responsibility to persuade the public that aid to the victims of aggression is aid to American security. I expect the members of my administration to take every opportunity to speak to this issue wherever they are invited to address public forums in the weeks ahead.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“A book is not an autonomous entity: it is a relation, an axis of innumerable relations. One literature differs from another, be it earlier or later, not because of the texts but because of the way they are read: if I could read any page from the present time—this one, for instance—as it will be read in the year 2000, I would know what the literature of the year 2000 would be like.”
—Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986)
“He who is conversant with the supernal powers will not worship these inferior deities of the wind, waves, tide, and sunshine. But we would not disparage the importance of such calculations as we have described. They are truths in physics because they are true in ethics.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)