Week 14

For this assignment I chose to read a few strips of Hetalia: Axis Powers. I remember this series being extremely popular when I was younger and I was always astounded at how great its impact was. There are some subject I feel that are sort of sticky with this comic, for instance I feel that a lot of the more recent touchy subjects shouldn't be messed with or made light of in general. However, I actually adore history and a lot of the comics involving history further back like strips having to do with the revolutionary war or holy roman empire are a lot of fun. At this point those events are just history and there is more freedom to have fun with them (still hopefully in the most respectful manner). It is interesting to see stereotypes of different countries through the eyes of someone who did not grow up in the west and their interpretations of historical events. I don't really understand why but there is something really engaging to me in the rare more serious parts of this webcomic and the idea of a human version of a country living among people/being affected by the historical events/etc. Although I do enjoy that part I don't feel as though this comic can take itself seriously for long and thats enjoyable as well because if you are going to create these comics it can be a testy subject. As a result they should be kept lighthearted to some of the sillier world happenings like for instance the existence of sealant as a country. In the comic he's an annoying little boy that thinks he's a country, which is cute and funny. I actually feel as though this comic today would have never rose in popular like it had back then, just due to the political and social climate right now. However, it's kind of amusing to remember how big it was just a few years ago before there was such a shift in the way we now scrutinize and interpret a lot of media material.