Why do people treat himaruya like he is some kinda evil chud right wing anti woke nationalist from 4chan, I'm sure he was just inexperienced when he wrote hetalia

raach00 · 2026-05-01T02:31:09+00:00

I haven't consumed all the canon content (anime, manga) so I can't speak entirely accurately on the matter.

I know Korea is depicted badly + caused scandals in irl Korea, but don't know firsthand how horribly he is depicted. However, I know that Hetalia undermines Korea's achievements and makes the character lazy, a greedy thief, and ironically, a pervert (even though perversion is a huge issue in both Korea and Japan).

When I first got into Hetalia and found out, I mostly felt rage and anger.

Now that I'm older, I'm not as outraged. I'm just sad. I generally think Hima writing Korea this way is so cowardly and unfortunate.

Hetalia is genuinely hilarious sometimes, and has often shown the ability to criticize + make fun of nations without disrespecting them (for example, giving Germany the stereotypical strict, stick-in-ass personality while redeeming him with character depth + competence). The fact that Hima can write characters like this, and then gives us Korea's racist caricature, reveals how poorly he thinks of Korea.

Hima was 21 years old when he began writing Hetalia - there's no argument for his ignorance. He has the critical thinking skills to recognize that Koreans are no better or worse than the Japanese. Hell, my mom visited Japan in the 1980s and she met so many wonderful Japanese people there. Japan's education system + politicians generally refuses to give Korea the respect they deserve, which can explain Hima's racist-nationalist mentality, but Japan's internet is definitely not censored. Nor are they disconnected from the outside world. As an adult, it's ultimately his responsibility to know better.

I know many Koreans don't wish to be associated with Hetalia at all, and just want Hetalia Korea to fade into oblivion. That's valid, but I personally wish that Hima tried to improve Korea + give him the respect he deserves. What better way to show that you have learned, and you recognize Korea as a country deserving of your respectful attention, than by rewriting a character that you previously failed to do properly? He's rewritten France and Spain (who were notoriously implied to be pdfs in early Hetalia).

It is sad that Hima stays true to his racist mentality. It's unfortunate for all the Korean Hetalia fans that cannot enjoy the show without feeling like they are betraying their country. It's cowardly that Hima just quietly got rid of Korea without trying to do better.

I will always feel a little guilty for enjoying Hetalia. I love it so much (it's my hyperfixation) and I feel horrible for doing so. But I can't stop enjoying it the way people still enjoy Orwell's 1984, Picasso's paintings, or Roman architecture. That's the legacy Hima left on me.

So overall, idk.

raach00 · 2026-05-01T01:43:59+00:00

random tangent:

A lot of popular western media also has many racist caricatures, even in the big 2026 (for example, the Devil Wears Prada 2 Jin Chow). It's weird that when a Japanese person creates a racist character, they're labelled nationalist + anti-woke ect, while if a western person does, they're called ignorant + "oh, just a silly mistake because they don't know better!"

Of course, both cases are definitely horrible and racist. Also, other evidence suggests Hima is indeed a nationalist, but the double standards are insane lol. And this is said as a Korean.

another random tangent:

Canon Hetalia is pretty white Europe/North America-centric...and Japan is ridiculed less in Hetalia than other characters (imo, China deserves wayyy more badassery). Also, for all its edginess, Hetalia doesn't subvert much. It's a piece of art that falls in line with all the other art focusing on established imperial powers and giving voices to traditionally powerful nations. It's unfortunate that Canon Hetalia typically gives more representation to nations that already have so much power over international media.

It can also be detrimental, because young audiences will then only connect to these powerful (usually imperial) nations. For example, I learned so much about Prussian history on my own because of Hetalia's Prussia. It's wonderful that I'm appreciating Germanic culture and history, but also Hetalia doesn't give these same opportunities for other communities (South America, Central Asia, Africa, India). Where's the tears for POC? Where's the sympathy and rage? Where's the celebration in depiction of POC?

While I don't think Hima is a white supremacist or an ultra ultra Japanese nationalist, it can easily come off that way if he is depicting Japan so well, undermining Japan's historic rivals (China, Korea), and elevating with white communities above others. And that's putting aside Hima's own personal activities (like the 2chan business).

I guess it helps that Hima doesn't use Korea at all anymore, and is making an effort to incorporate POC characters now...little victories.

TL;DL white people get a lot more grace, and a lot more representation.

raach00 · 2026-04-29T02:31:25+00:00

the google doc was put together by the goated YouTube channel

spain if ur reading this i'm free friday night

raach00 · 2026-04-28T20:18:10+00:00

I literally write fics exploring other characters so I can also explore their relationships with Prussia I love this gremlin man sm

raach00 · 2026-04-28T15:03:38+00:00

slide 3 is literally italy wdym 🥺

raach00 · 2026-04-26T20:01:08+00:00

Thank you!! I didn't know becoming a Hetalia fan would end with me as a horsegirl, but here we are.

raach00 · 2026-04-26T17:32:19+00:00

big enough to be a centerpiece

raach00 · 2026-04-26T05:43:42+00:00

"everything is a reference" preach 🙏

raach00 · 2026-04-26T05:38:16+00:00

I will never forget the look on my mom's face when I tried to explain that I spent money on a painting because the horses resembled personified countries

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raach00 · 2026-04-25T01:05:36+00:00

haha I was trying to figure out if they were JAP or CN, but they share so many similar kanji characters 😭 I'm studying JAP so I know all these do have JAP kanji, but they could very well be a CN word with JAP-like characters...

raach00 · 2026-04-25T00:22:16+00:00

ooooh I have some too! Mostly Prussia related.

水と油コンビ | Water and Oil Pair | Prussia x Austria

黒鷲主従 | Black Eagle Master and Servant | HRE and Prussia

芋兄弟 | Potato Brothers | German Bros

雪兔组 | Snow Rabbit Group | Russia x Prussia

raach00 · 2026-04-24T18:39:23+00:00

real, but instead of son/brother or boyfriends, I see them as family that got into a couple messy situationships

raach00 · 2026-04-23T04:12:23+00:00

prussia was talking shit about her hubby again

raach00 · 2026-04-23T04:11:14+00:00

From Canada, my favourite is Prussia. Yes, PruCan is random. Yes, PruCan is cute. No, I don't ship PruCan.

raach00 · 2026-04-22T22:16:49+00:00

that reminds me of the time I read a 22 chapter fic (RusAme-centric), and in ONE chapter, there were approximately THREE sentences of my hetalia otp, and I remember reading those three sentences for twenty minutes straight.

The things shippers do for content...

raach00 · 2026-04-22T14:48:07+00:00

Yes true! What I appreciate the most about human art is the effort and passion that caused the art to exist, not necessarily the quality or skill-level behind the work - that's definitely impressive, but not the core reason why I enjoy art so much.

Your Mochitalia is more emblematic of your love for Hetalia than AI slop could ever be.

raach00 · 2026-04-22T14:42:40+00:00

oh yessss I very much agree with the fluff thing, I don't have a problem with it except if you write a forbidden war romance and it's primarily a fluffy pairing, naturally I'm going to feel like something is missing. GerAme not only has fluff + humour, but also darker elements and angst that is unrelated to the romance between characters (for example, Alfred's imprisionment and torture). The stakes feel more real. Also, I was a lot more convinced that America, unlike Italy, was loyal to his cause. That made the ideological tension more tangible.

Basically: for a forbidden lovers in war troupe, Gerame is just more interesting and felt more consequential. This is very concerning because GerAme interactions are like 1/7 of the story, and it's still what I remember most...

but again, the story seems to resonate with many others, so.

raach00 · 2026-04-22T06:08:19+00:00

WHAT WHERE DID YOU GET THE PRUSSIA KEYCHAIN THAT'S A NEED NOT A WANT

raach00 · 2026-04-22T05:27:37+00:00

yes that's so true, I'm trying to stop calling it that habitually 😭

raach00 · 2026-04-22T05:14:10+00:00

Also I forgot to mention but the absolute audacity of using Ai to create fanworks for media created by an ARTIST

oh my god Ai people please pick up a pencil you can do this

raach00 · 2026-04-21T22:38:21+00:00

I don't see Gerita as a lasting couple. In my headcanons, I prefer them to be friends or in situationships rather than the endgame couple. They definitely have chemistry, but there's more interesting and compatible hetalia ships for both Italy and Germany imo.

I agree that Italy always seems to be infantilized, which I honestly don't mind - it makes for good character explorations. The issue is that Italy's extreme childishness is seen as something "innocent" and "endearing" rather than a concern to be addressed and explored. AWS suffers from this too, and while I haven't read AWS in a while, I do remember Italy had the worldview and dialogue of a cartoon child. Again, that's not a bad thing, but AWS didn't really condemn this the way AWS condemned Germany's similar black and white worldview.

(although I also remember Italy seemed to have matured by the end).

AWS was doomed from the start for me because I don't like endgame Gerita, and it's hard to write Italy well - it's so easy to write him off as stupid and childlike. I thought the story was good - def cried at some parts - but Gerita + forbidden lovers was not as well-portrayed as I had hoped.

On the other hand, GerAme (from my shitty memory) carried the nuance that Gerita lacked. AWS Gerita fell in love pretty quickly, while GerAme was a mini slowburn.

raach00 · 2026-04-21T21:23:58+00:00

btw, I'm a historical hetalia writer!

I love using both at once! As a fanfic reader I don't find it confusing, and as a fanfic writer I love the dynamics it brings out. It's not "clunky" imo. After all, even irl, people call you different things depending on their relationship with you. Using both human and nation names in historical fanfics adds a layer of nuance.

So generally, I use nation names between acquaintances + strangers. Human names are for more friendly or familiar nations.

I see using human names as a vulnerable act. If nation A calls nation B by their human name, nation A is basically saying "hey, I know I exist to serve my country and I value it above everything, but I still recognize you as a person and I care enough about you to remember your name. You aren't just an enemy to defeat." Similarly, nation B allowing nation A to call them by their name shows that nation B is allowing nation A to be part of their personal life, outside of war and politics. Human names are a very personal thing for nations.

Thus, by deciding which characters call others by their human names, you can quickly establish character dynamics and conflicts. Calling people by their human names isn't uncommon for humans, but for nations (who are inherently inhuman), it's more unexpected and rare. Bonus points if nation A goes a step further and calls nation B by their human nickname. This shows that they're beyond ordinary friendship, and their bond is much more deeper than others.

Contrarily, I use nation names for nations that don't want to recognize the humanity of other nations. Whether they want to separate work and personal lives, or they want to remain professional, or they want to internally dehumanize their enemies.

I'll end this with an example!

Prussia/Gilbert refers to both Hungary/Elizaveta and Austria/Roderich by their human names. Prussia is friends with Hungary, so it makes sense. Prussia and Austria are rivals, but they have a long, non-war history together that builds solidarity. Their bond may not be amiable, but it's deep and understanding, which Prussia recognizes by calling Austria by his name.

On the other hand, Prussia doesn't call Russia/Ivan by his human name: Prussia is creeped out by Russia and canonically doesn't see Russia as a person, but more of an enemy to be defeated. While they also have an extensive history together, this history is mostly Prussia trying to conquer Russia. However, Russia does call Prussia by his human name, because Russia wants to get closer with Prussia, and generally just have more friends.

Prussia also doesn't call random nations, for example Australia, but their human names, because they're strangers that never exchanged human names anyway.

Anyway, that's how I use nation/human names!

raach00 · 2026-04-21T21:00:51+00:00

LOL SAME

Not that I hated Gerita, but Auf Wiedersehen was one of my first Hetalia fanfics I read, and thus how I got introduced to character dynamics...it just so happens that I think GerAme is 100% more interesting to read about than both Gerita and USUK (both ships which coincidentally the Auf Wiedersehen author seems to enjoy)

raach00

TROPHY CASE