Common Name: Hetalia Axis Powers
Score: 8/10, 5/5
Length: 52 episodes
Genre: Historical, Comedy, Shorts
Summary: When the nations of the world are personified and their actions summarized to an absurd degree, hilarity is bound to ensue. Though initially focused on Italy during WWII, the series works to represent the world's nations as they were and how they reasonably function today.
Review: When entering the anime world today, it's hard not to hear of it's many Greats: Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Gurren Lagann, or maybe even Naruto. All of these titles have fanbases that have both size and dedication on their side, and often for very good reason. Hetalia isn't exactly what would be considered a great, but it is no less beloved. Likely due in part to it being a fairly easy to swallow short-form title, this show has stood the test of time for a little over 5 years now, spanning 135 episodes that are only 5 minutes long as well as a couple of movies. Admittedly though, I have only seen the first two seasons and one of the movies that make up the whole of this longstanding work, hence why this review is only addressing the Axis Powers seasons and not World Series, Beautiful World, and The World Twinkle. Through the interactions of simplified personifications of the world's nations, a strange kind of comedic history lesson unfolds. Everything from political and social attitudes, traditions to wars and treaties, tentative alliances to bitter rivalries, Hetalia works to capture the very essence of a nation in a cutesy, almost moe, but easily marketable manner.
I bring particular attention the word "marketable" because Hetalia itself is a phenomena that is accessible to almost any kind of viewer. It doesn't take long for a person to gain a favorite nation, or even a favorite iteration of a nation, since the show spans centuries at some points. The characters are so animated and feature a wide variety of temperaments so there's always at least one character to fall in love with. Bubbly Italy, stern but loyal Germany, stoic but shy Japan, "heroic" America, snobbish France and England, or the ever unsettling Russia, there's a character that'll tickle any particular ideology or preference.
Who could possibly hate such a cute face? Or deny him his title, Harbinger of the End Times?
Honestly, there's only a few faults that could be levied against this otherwise hilarious, historical satire. The first is the show's instances of self-advertising that promise future gags and take up a fair amount of each episode's limited airtime. This is easily forgivable since anime as a medium has incorporated the "In the next episode..." shtick for years. The second fault is that it honestly glosses over some of history's more tragic events. For a show that starts with the actions of WWII, there is very little mention of the atrocities Germany and Italy committed against their own peoples. Events like the Holocaust aren't even mentioned in the original sub of the show. The English sub, however, much like its American audience, is far more willing to be crass and insulting as it references the Holocaust, but even then it only does this once. To be fair, however, glossing over such things likely isn't done out of malice. Events like those just don't have a place in the show's otherwise lighthearted comedy. The aforementioned English dub has even been called inappropriate for bringing up such a heavy topic. Funimation itself bleeped out the word "Jew" in a promotion for the show's dub that featured the crass reference.
Since the show is a satire, however, it simply shouldn't be given the same treatment as actual historical records that gloss over such events. Shows like these are meant to follow a certain scope and attitude, adhering to a comedic identity. Trying to break away from that identity to handle more serious material, would result in a very different show. As it stands though, Hetalia is a lighthearted historical comedy, one that is primed to educate its audience on certain matters but is by no means obligated to do so.
Americans could certainly stand to learn a few things.
It's a fun and easy on the eyes watch that doesn't overstay it's welcome. I found that there were a few moments when the jokes were overdone or tired, which might just be a matter of personal tolerance, but the show's sense of humor is typically on point and fairly representative of its subjects. I wouldn't cite it as a source for a history report, but I'd definitely consider it one of the most memorable comedies I've ever seen.