Ranked #427

Hetalia Axis Powers

When I first heard of this series, it was from my anime-obsessed friend, who had recently turned me over to anime and manga. Now, this was at three in the morning, mind you, and I didn't feel like reading the manga, so I searched for the anime. Upon finding the first episode, I had to pause it every few seconds to read what they were saying, because it was going by so fast. After a minute or two, I decided, 'Screw this, I'm going to sleep'. About a month later, I decided that I would really try to watch the anime. Once I got past the first rapid-fire scene, I found it to be extremely enjoyable. Having a lot of time on my hands, I ended up watching thirty episodes in one day. The 26th episode is by far my favorite. (More than one of my family members/friends have received threats from Busby's Chair.) Though it can be found offensive and stereotypical, what many people will not admit is that they thought those exact same things about most of the countries represented here. They just never voiced their opinions, while Hetalia has really gone out there and said what everyone else was thinking. For that, it has earned my utmost respect as a viewer.

Story- 6

The story is really not there. It has almost no plot, and what little plot there is has been spread so thin it's barely visible. I get that its about World Wars one and two, but that becomes blurred, mostly due to the fact that Hetalia tends to jump around, and focus on many different points in history at random times. Somehow, it makes this work. So, I give it a six.

Art- 7

I find the art of the Hetalia anime to be very cutesyd-up, to the point where even some of the most intimidating countries make you want to go 'Awwww!'. It definitely isn't the best animation I've ever seen, but it was good considering it was adapted from webcomics that were little more than sketches themselves. I'm sure all watchers of Hetalia remember the small, pastel-colored, patterned frames they put around some of the scenes. While distracting at times, I believe they are there to separate whatever scene is going on in that frame from the regular storyline of that episode. I find that helpful and creative. Another part of the art that I love is the Chibitalia segments. I found myself 'awww!'ing every few seconds over the adorable little toddler. So, all in all, the art is not the best it could be, but it is enough to make even the most angsty teenager smile.

Sound- 8

The beginning 'theme' is much more suited for a moment in 'Star Trek' than a satirical history anime. But, I will put up with it, mostly because I forget about it until it's blasting in my ears. The ending theme, however, is a completely different story. Almost immediatly after finishing my first Hetalia session, I found myself rushing to download it onto my Ipod, along with all the other versions for characters such as Japan, Prussia, England, Austria, and France. The only grievance I have is that I didn't get any warning before Germany started shouting in my ear at the end of episode 27. Other than that, the background music was acceptable for the scenes. Overall, an eight seems sufficient.

Character- 8

The characters are extremely stereotypical. Germany is a muscley, blond-haired, blue-eyed stick-in-the-mud, Italy is a pasta-loving, airheaded weakling, France practically molests everyone he sees, and has red roses appearing out from behind him at random instances. France and England hate each other, Germany has to bail Italy out every other second, and America is a hamburger-loving hard-head with a hero complex. But, what can you expect from personified countries? The only way to give them a personality is to magnify the things their residents are most known for. This can result in some hurt feelings, but I find it fun to laugh at myself sometimes, and I'm sure many other people do too. Stereotypes aside, I think that Hetalia did an amazing job giving chunks of land the ability to converse, joke around, and even have relationships. While on that subject, I'm sure most Hetalia watchers are aware of the male character's gay tendencies. This really only serves to draw in mostly girls, but it is drawing in viewers, and most of the yaoi/shonen-ai aspects are cleverly hidden so that only fangirls will be able to spot them. Overall, I think that an eight is in perfect order here.


Enjoyment- 9

I think this is the perfect anime to watch if your brain just needs a break from thinking. It takes almost no effort to watch, unlike a lot of the more twisty-turney suspenseful animes out right now. Or, if you're feeling a bit sad, and want some cheering up, this is good for a laugh or two. Mostly I just watch it because I get bored very easily, and it is extremely entertaining. Thus, I give it a nine.


Overall- 9

All in all, this is a great anime. Despite the lack of plot, It still manages to be hilarious, idiotic, and clever all at the same time. A lot of work must have gone into putting the manga and the anime together, and I appreciate hard work. Especially when it comes in the form of twenty or thirty bishounens.

I hope my review helped you to make the right choice on this anime!
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NOTE: I do read/follow the scanalations so while I do not think there are any spoilers, it will probably make my review a bit biased.

Story: 9
The series is definitely interesting and unique, but there really is not an overlying story or plot. You're not really going to find much in plot development or anything, as it is more about relaying historical events with a heavy basis on character relations.

Art: 7
While cute (especially with the Chibitalia moments), the artwork and animation is not really all that special. Also, the fact that it is only a webcast (thus far) is not really helpful.

Sound: 7
The voice actors generally fit pretty well; some people who have read the manga probably had different expectations for some of the characters, but overall they are still pretty good. The ED is also ridiculously cute and addictive.

Character: 10
The characters are really the focus of the series: them and their interactions. While some people find find the stereotypes for the series a bit offensive, it is meant in a humorous way, and every country is pretty much subjected to the same mockery/praise. But it is the stereotypes that make the characters great and amusing, because when you see them you really think "Oh, that really is what I can imagine out of some people from ______."

Enjoyment: 10
Despite the fact that each episode is only 5 minutes long, the episodes are extremely amusing. While nothing dramatic has happened yet, the comedy so far has been done pretty well.

However, if I really didn't know much about history, I would not enjoy this series nearly as much as I do. Often it's the small things that make me go "Oh yeaaah, I remember learning that!" that make me smile.

Overall: 9
While the series isn't a masterpiece or perfect so far, I find it still really good. Simply because while it is not heavy on serious drama or anything yet, it is very entertaining and simply adorable.

I would not recommend this series to anyone who is easily offended or does not know much about world history (namely around the WW I to WW II era). read more

I jumped into Hetalia Axis Powers with high hopes. Online friends and real life friends gave the series such high praise. They swore that Hetalia was one of the best anime they'd seen. At appearance, Hetalia looked as good as they said, with a great set of beginning episodes. As the series progressed, however, I began to feel that Hetalia was just an over-hyped series that didn't deserve the credit that it was getting.

At first, I loved the story. With every country represented by a single character going through the events of World Wars I and II, what wasn't to like? The beginning of the series brought up the relationships between the countries very well, and stuck with the important, historical points of the two wars. As the series progressed, however, the story began to steer away from the wars and go towards what could have happened between countries if the countries were just one person. I thought the relationships took over the series and made the story lose traction.

With the character heavy series, at least I could watch them progress through the series. The characters, however, showed very, very weird interpretations of the countries. Even with foreign countries, I felt that the characters were just falsely advertising their countries with stupid quarks to make the characters "better" for the series. A great example, I think, is England, with his ability to see mythological creatures. As funny as that made going to Japan's house, the idea was still stupid. Another example is America's giant fear of horror movies. As funny as that was at times, I felt the idea was still stupid. And what was with the alien that was with America? I feel like I was the only one that didn't get that.

As far as the sound goes, I felt that the theme song got extremely annoying very quickly, even with different countries sang the song. Often, I skipped over them, or just turned off the episode when the song began. With no real fluctuation with the music, the sound lacked in the series and made Hetalia even more bland.

The one thing that I did enjoy in the series was the art. I liked how the countries were animated, but sometimes, the art got a little weird. I felt that the flags to show the countries were very distracting. The text for the country name would've just been appropriate. Still, the animation was cute, especially during Chibitalia, and I often got really engrossed in the art.

At a series, Hetalia could have been much better. I wished the show was better constructed, story wise, and the characters weren't quite as dumb. I believe that it's over-hyped, but there were some good moments. I would recommend Hetalia to anyone looking for a funny, short episode series, but I won't be watching the series again. read more

This series has very quickly become one of my favourites ever.

I am both an anime nerd and a bit of a history nerd, so when I heard of this new manga that had all the countries of the world getting a representative and telling historical facts through comedy back in October 2008, I just had to check it out.

Hetalia is actually quite educational, although there are times when the history is somewhat innacurate; but forgiveable.

There isn't much of a story, as the characters weave in and out of silly historical situations, but you will be hooked. It's a fix.

The artwork, I think is very pretty. Very bright, it jumps out of the screen at you and while the animation isn't the best I've ever seen in an anime, it's sufficient.

I adore each and every character of this series. Normally in media, there's a character you hate, a character you obsess over, and a character who you like because you can relate with them. Hetalia has all those and a sprinkling of cuteness just to keep your interest. My favourite characters are France, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, America, Canada, England, Austria, North Italy, and Hungary.

When the anime came around, I was so excited and watching the anime fills in my Tuesday evenings/Wednesday afternoons. It's awesome. I was once watching it in the living room and laughing so hard I was crying (this was episode 6 I believe, with the Allies making smores and America screaming that France's camp-fire song sounded like a demon summon), and my dad even asked me what the hell was making me laugh so much. It's such a morale boost before I do my homework.

Overall, I would give this series a 9. This review may be biased because I'm such a huge fan, but I do accept that there are some historical innacuracies. But on the whole, it's fun, educational, sweet... I love it. read more

If you just got out of a holocaust musem, you might want to skip this one. However, if you are in the mood for a screwball comedy about adorable nations poking fun at some of the darkest parts of our past, then I highly reccomend it.

This ONA follows little to no plot, but rather presents a series of skits and shorts like a variety show. Some of these take place during the WWII era, some take place in the present, some during the American Revolution or Austrian Succession ect. While the show is primarily a comedy, it sometimes deviates from this to present some drama that tugs at fangirl's heartstrings. Some moments are actually really touching or depressing, but then goes right back into screwball comedy.

The cast mainly follows the main Axis Powers: Japan, Italy and Germany, as well as the main Allied Powers: England, Russia, China, France and America. Characters are not really developed, but rather take on various cultural stereotypes and cliches. For example Italy is a lighthearted coward, Germany is strict and aggressive, America is loud, obnoxious and likes hamburgers. However it is not so much the characters themselves that draws me in so much as their interaction. The whole idea seems to be one of 'let's take these two polar opposites, put them in a jar, shake it and see what happens!' With over thirty personified countries in the cast and counting, the result is often hilarious to watch.

The animation, meant for five minute weekly episodes loaded to phones and other hand held devices, is not grade-A. France even jokingly notes that America's doodles are worse than the show's animation. It is choppy but filled with cute and brightly coloured pop art, which makes for an appealing mix despite the obvious cheapness. Clips are recycled or looped, but this is usually done for humourous effect and is even joked about within the series, effectively lampshading it. The music is often lighthearted and bouncy, typical of Japanese kawaii culture, but can also be deep and brooding depending on the events depicted.

The comedy itself is mostly based on stereotypes, culture clash, and bizarre events in history. For example there are many sketches with Japan and America being confused by each other's cultures, France tries to get into almost every character's pants, and Russia jumps out of a plane (based on stories of a group of Russian Paratroopers, who jumped out of a plane without parachutes believing the snow would cushion their fall.) In the English dub, a lot more of this is placed on shock value, with often offensive and insensitive oneliners. This is lampshaded in the commentaries where it is revealed that the VAs actually have competed with one another to see who could be the most offensive or crude and not have their lines cut. That said, the humour style can be equated to South Park, but with chibis.

That said though, some sketches can be very, very, very offensive, such as Polands involvement in the Second World War. I am not Polish, or of Polish decent, but I know the history, and found it appauling that a joke had been made about Germany's invasion of Poland in such a callouse way. Other events, such as the bombing of Hiroshima, Pearl Harbour, and the Holocaust are not mentioned in the series, possibly out of respect for the victims. This series is not for the sensitive, easily offended, or World War II veterans. (As funny as Hetalia is, some things are no laughing matter)

Hetalia is not a self contained history lesson. You will not learn all there is to know about history from Hetalia. It can however be a springboard to get the average anime fan interested in history and culture, turning that dusty old history textbook into fanfiction fuel. I personally enjoyed the series for this aspect, able to combine love of history with love of anime, spawning a fandom that both the deep thinking and crazy fans can enjoy. I watched this series to analyze war memory in Japan while the girl next to me could squeal over the cute chibis. The series, while shoddily animated and filled with crude humour on the surface has many layers and leaves a lot to be analyzed. read more

I rarely drop shows as quickly as I dropped Hetalia. However, I feel like I’m making the right decision.

At 5 minutes an episode, this show isn’t much of an investment. But even at that short length, I was unwilling to continue. This show is terrible – first of all, its not funny, except to maybe someone with a 12-year-old’s sense of humor. The story is non-existent. The characters are shallow stereotypes. The “Chibitalia” segments are so boring that they make me want to hang myself.

Yeah, yeah, I know, “tell us how you really feel”. I tried to give this show a chance, I really did. I love yaoi, shounen-ai, and cute comedies, and this show looked promising. But after 11 episodes, I couldn’t stand it anymore. Watching this show felt like a waste of time, and I really regret even bothering. Don’t make the same mistake.

tl;dr: Hetalia is an unwatchable, over-hyped piece of garbage that stifled me with its stupidity. read more

I decided to watch this anime after seeing cosplays for it at the mcm Expo in October last year.
I started watching without consulting any reviews and I must say my cat face exposed itself on many occasions. >(0_0)< * poor artistic impression
Now Hetalia's only down side is the five minute episodes, I was laughing so much during this anime I found it hard to breath at times. However it was hard to stay focused because the episodes ended quickly and I had to load the next one up.
Characters were on the mark, no one can fault cute little Italy. He portrays the new country very well and upon meeting him and right up to the end I loved him.
Russia provides the darker humor and is great, he is a good balance next to the little air headed Italy. I often wonder what a big dinner party with all of these characters would be like. I suspect Italy would be crying depending on who had cooked.
This anime appealed to me because it has historical references and my historian side really meshed. This is a very cute method of telling history and the endless jokes are priceless. It was a welcome relief to me as I had just watched Fruits basket, The light hearted plot and characters provided a lifter.
The art work is adorable with Catalia and chibi used in both series.
For Vic fans there is a appearance from him as Greece, so the anime has that added bonus.
I would recommend this anime to anyone who wants a good laugh or has a tiny historical interest. Its the perfect cheer up remedy.
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This has to be the absolute worst anime I've ever seen.

The animation is total crap. The animators were trying too hard to make this series look 'cute'. While I don't have anything against cute-looking animation, they seriously overdid it with Hetalia. I've seen anime that were from the 80's, 60's, and even the 50's that had better animation.

As far as story goes, I wasn't expecting much, since from what I can tell, this is supposed to be a parody of World War II. However, what I got was nothing. That's right: nothing. There wasn't a story to drive it forward and keep you interested.

When it comes to sound, the music is average. There's nothing too interesting or poor. However, the ending theme is probably the worst I've ever heard. Voice acting is an entirely different story. I like Funimation as much as the next guy, but even their skills at dubbing can't save this miserable pile of filth and vomit.

The episode length is a goddamn joke. Only 5 minutes? Seriously? I've seen porn videos that were longer... not to mention better.

Characters... oh god... can we even call them characters? The 'characters' of this series are representations of countries, since this is a parody of WWII. However, almost every single character is either A) completely boring, flat, and devoid of any life and personality or B) absolutely and aggravatingly annoying. Also, if your expecting characters such as Italy, Japan, Germany, and Prussia to be full of character development, prepare to be disappointed. This series gives the 'characters' absolutely no development at all. Seriously, I've seen more character development in the Sentinel robots from the X-Men cartoon. It's really sad that almost every character is just there for the sake of being there. The only exception to this is America. However, he only has very little development, and it's dragged out to about 5 episodes. A competent anime such as Rosario + Vampire, Corpse Princess, and Gun X Sword would've given ALL the characters development and would've done so in 1 or 2 episodes for each character.

Overall, if you want to watch something that's entertaining, go watch Rosario + Vampire. Go watch Gun X Sword. Go watch Street Fighter II V. For god's sake, watch anything other than Hetalia, because almost anything is better. If you haven't watched Hetalia, consider yourself extremely fortunate. read more

I picked this anime up on a whim, and I must say, it was quite entertaining. At first I had no idea this was going to be a comedy show (Because of the title and subject matter); I thought there was going to be violence, blood, gore, etc. and I was surprised that it didn't.

This series satires and parodies events from World War I and World War II. For example the main characters are the Axis Powers, and they are named after those countries (Germany, Italy and Japan respectively), and their enemies are The Allied Powers (America, England, France, Russia and China).

Since this anime was based on web cartoon shorts, it's only about 5 minutes long, which may be too short for some, but for me that's a good thing for when you don't feel like sitting through a long show.

It's also surprisingly funny and random; Italy randomly yelling out "PASTA~" and the characters getting into weird situations, but underneath all this can actually teach you history about WWI and WWII if you pay attention to those details.

To wrap up, if you're a history and anime buff, you will most likely enjoy this show. read more

I realise that this anime is most likely to be turned down simply on the mediocre art and animation. A warning now. NEVER JUDGE AN ANIME LIKE THAT. Unless it effects the character or design, please, do not judge this anime that way.

Finding that Hetalia has been subbed is the highlight of my weeks. I re-watch episodes, laugh, smile and nod my head as each charactesr captures the true element of their country. Stereo types or not, there's a reason people see them like that.
I cannot help but enjoy what seems like basic and repetitive humor, so contriversal that Korea (the real country) stepped into Japan and refused to allow it on t.v, hence it's webcast state.

The animation does not bother me as this is common of short-comedy anime. If you think of it as a spin-off or gag-manga/anime, the somewhat budget animation is common (for example SOS-dan). In a way, it helps you take this anime alot less seriously than you should.

Story. Oh hell, this is one of the most genious ideas since anime began. What better way to teach world history, than make a comedy-anime? It's like when teachers try to be cool, and your school funds those silly comics about sex-ed and fire safty. Only, this time Japan is quite happy to make a mockery of them selves and everyone else. Bless you, Japan.

But more seriously, of you do not understand who is who, I sugest you look up the characters here or wiki it because the one downfall is that the only real character-intro you get lasts about....5 minutes ofcourse.

More on character? 'Hetalia' is a mix of the japanese's word for 'useless' and Italy, because to be honest, they're not a strong country in war, but by far, a most beautiful and fun one. Just like poor, helpless Italy, each country brings to the forefront their experties, fun and their ever poked at stereo-types. America caught with hamburger in hand blabbers his idiotic ideas, charging full force with little care. Japan is quiet, cryptic and some-what submissive. England is loud, taking American for nothing but a fool. I could go on.

In my honest opinion, a perfect watch to balance up those darker, heavier animes and let your mind rest. Un-likely to be every lisenced you are welcome to take your time and endulge in the lovely humor and that catchy OP that comes at the end of the history-lesson for all ages that is Hetalia read more

I hardly ever laugh out loud when watching anime, but that all changed when I saw an episode of Hetalia: Axis Powers, a webcomic turned anime by Hidekaz Himaruya. The first episode opens up in a UN-like setting, where we are introduced to the characters. The characters of Hetalia are the personifications of countries. The characters live up the their countrie's stereotypes, and act out parts of history filled with gags, laughs, and pasta.

Story. 8

The storyline of Hetalia is very original, and it's obvious a lot of research was put into creating this series. But if you are looking for a deep plot filled with twists, this is not the anime for you. Each episode is sort of like a series of comedic skits, and even though North Italy is suposed to be the main character, many episoded revolve around a new character, teaching us their background story, so there isn't a definite good-guy or bad-guy.

Art. 7

Even though the artwork isn't the best I've ever seen, it fits the series by not being too detailed and realistic. The characters are not drawn like clones where they all have the same body type and head. This series if FILLED with chibis, and when I say filled, I mean chibis are everywhere, and they're really well-drawn too.

Sound. 8.

I think the voice acting is really well done (let's hope the dub can do that too), and I personaly love the background music. The music in the background can range from classical, to marching music, and the ending theme is catchy, and they make new versions of that song sung by different characters (the lyrics are modified to match the culture of that character). The voice actors obviously put a lot of effort into bringing their character to life.

Character 10.

I think the characters of Hetalia were a masterpiece. Each character is funny, unique, and they make me want to keep on watching. Unlike most anime I've seen, there really aren't any characters that I hate. The characters are enjoyable, and put the icing on the cake.

Etc. These are extra catagories that I add when reviewing.

How the series portrays women. 8.

It kind of irks me that Hetalia has a lack of female characters, but (almost) all the female characters are strong and true to themselves. You don't see any of the girls giving panty-shots, or whoring themself out. Occasionaly there's a character that is dependent on a male character, but that's usually history based, but I came to a conclusion on why Hetalia has a lack of female characters; The characters will kick everyone's asses >:)

Fanservice. 7.

I'm not a fanservice type of person, but fortunatelly, the fanservice in Hetalia is purely done for comedy reasons. I was suprised when I found out that Hetalia was created by a man, because almost all of the fanservice deals with the mostly male cast. Now don't get me wrong, it's not a yaoi anime, but there are some characters that can make one think that *cough*France*cough*

Overall, I give Hetalia an 8/10, but a warning, DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED OR CAN'T TAKE A JOKE!!!

That is all :).

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This is perhaps one of the funniest things I've ever seen in anime.
It's a giant history lesson... on CRACK!
I mean, I'm only on episode 2, but just listening to Daisuke Namikawa run around as Italy and go "pasta this" and "pasta that" (not to mention him singing the theme song), is just brilliant!
It's catchy, it's bright, it's fun... and it's kinda educational in some ways...
Though... don't know how educational a Tomato Box Fairy is... but hey, it's fun!
The episodes are only about 4 and a half minutes long, including "Chibitalia" wherein you get a tiny bit more history, but it's still funny and... has CHIBIS!
I highly recommend this show.
I mean, it'll only take 5 minutes of your time, and it's so hilarious!
I can't stop laughing through most of the episode. One thing leads to another and then it just gets funnier and funnier.
And the scary thing is... the stereotypes of the countries... are kinda true in some ways.
So!
I recommend this show. I've recommended it to my friends as well. It's wonderfully done, it's entertaining, engaging, educational, and enlightening (look at all the E words!).
I give Axis Powers Hetalia a 10 on my scale. read more

The story is one of the greatest and the weirdest (of course, in a good way). Every episode last for five minutes that makes you really craving for more. The good thing is, in this five minutes, the story progresses in a good flow. The gags in the story makes it a comedy but there are a lot of information and moral lessons given in the show, therefore it is educational as well.

As for the characters, there are a lot of varieties. Each character somewhat portrays his/her country. Each one is unique that attracts a lot of fans (I'm one!). Though there are girls, the show presents guy-to-guy pairing. Because of this, it became a good material source for shounen-ai/yaoi fans.

The sound effects are good but for music, there is only one ending song entitled "Marukaite Chikyuu". But eventhough there is only one, different versions of it was released soon after. The original is sang by Namikawa Daisuke, Italy's seiyuu. Then, the version of Germany and Japan came after it. Now, America's, England's, France's, China's and Russia's version is available too (others version should come out soon). There are Character CDs as well. The lyrics change at some point but it’s pretty much the same.

The art is simple but great in a way. But of course, if you're looking for a high-definition or something, this isn't the best choice.

My overall grade for this Anime would be an 8 out of 10. I really enjoy watching it especially when the episodes get really comical. read more

When I first started Hetalia I was obsessed with Bleach. I mean obsessed, I even had dreams about the series. But that changed.
When I first heard about Hetalia I laughed at it. The idea seemed completely stupid. I read a few reviews and laughed. People said it was confusing and the art was rubbish. That put me off. A week later I was ill and bored. I wanted to watch some anime, but was completely up to date with everything. I decided I'd give Hetalia: Axis Powers a shot.
By the end of the evening, I felt so much better. I watched about 12 episodes and simply loved it! The ending theme (Marukiate Chikyuu) was great, the characters all really good and the jokes had be rolling around. For the first episode or two the plot was confusing, then I realised, there sort of wasn't one. I mean there was the Axis and we all know how they fared during the war (certainly a lot better after this show!). After that I found each of the plots twisted together very easy to understand. The thig wasn't perfect! Chibitalia was cute, but after about 3 episodes it was boring.
There is only so much cuteness I can take.
Suprisingly I started taking a bigger interest in History and Geography, and Hetalia sort of helped me by secretly giving my brain the odd fact. It even read the scanlations as my obsession grew. I've pre-ordered the English one. The art is admittedly, terrible. Every character looks different every time he re-draws them.

Storyline - There sort of isn't one. Well there is but it isn't complex at all. So I'd have to say 3, although when I rate it I'll give it higher as it's enjoyable.

Art - I don't get this, who judges anime on the art! Seriously, hardcore raters here. Anyway, the art is actually not very good, so 3 again.

Character - I adore the stereotypical characters! The way they clash makes me laugh so much! I'd say a 8.5.

Enjoyment - 10. Straight away. The highlight of my week was finishing my jobs to watch Hetalia. It is hilariously funny too! defiantly 10.

Overall, this series is a defiant 10. I would recommend this to everyone who doesn't mind a bit of the gay-factor. I think the storyline may be pretty bad, but I don't think the story lie is the point to this series. I don't think there is a point to be honest.

But seriously, if you haven't already, watch this. If you don't like it, there must be something wrong with you. read more

Story:
Hetalia makes something very srs like WWII into some cutesy bullshit, with each character having a random personality that hardly reflects their own country. The story line is repeatative with the running joke of Italy eating some pasta or some shit. Hence the nickname repeatallia. But it is rather brilliant of how the creator of this series metaphorically connects each country to something. Even the names of the characters are clever.

Art:
Childish, made to appeal to children and girls alike. Nothing special really. The worse thing about the art is the character design. Each country is so feminesque that they are just begging to be drawn into yaoi. The colors of Hetalia reflect the childish nature of something so graphic as WWII.

Sound:
The songs are annoying. The voice acting is mediocre. Nothing much else to say/

Character:
i think they portray Japan in a more favorable light then other countries. This bias subtracts from the other characters.

Enjoyment:
Well.... I could watch this. Or I could do nothing, same enjoyment really.

Overall:
Not my cup of tea. read more

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

Axis Powers Hetalia is possibly one of the more unique animes I've had the pleasure of watching. Unlike most animes, there is no defined setting, rather the characters are settings themselves. You see, the characters are in fact countries. Yes, countries. The characters are defined through various sterotypes: America loves hamburgers, Japan is a die-hard otaku etc..

Most of the storyline thus far follows the musings of the Axis Powers in WWII (aka Germany, Japan and Italy). It is fiercely entertaining how history is incorporated into the storyline and interactions of various characters. Personally, I was never one who could keep their eyes open during history class, but the way historical events are portrayed in the series has awakened a profound interest in history for me as I am sure it will for most watchers.

Unlike most animes, Hetalia is notoriously short with only five minute episodes which are strangely satisfying in that they don't ramble on incessantly.

If you like comedy and hinted shonen-ai this is an anime you will instantly get addicted too. It's not often I give 10s across the board :] read more

This is definitely a funny series. It incorporates all those stereotypes we know and joke about, and also informs about some they used to have in war time (as in what the Italians would say when they were at gunpoint in war). However, if it's good satire on accurate history, you won't find it here. Each episode is only five minutes long, so you already know it'll be rushed.

Simple things like the way the relationships between different countries are presented aren't really true. Yes, France and England hate each other, but then there's the enactment of the American Revolution that, like I've said before, is totally inaccurate.

Yes, I know, it's a cartoon, but I love history and I can't help pointing out little details when it comes to all those little flashbacks and also presentation of certain aspects of their personalities. Still, if you need a quick history lesson with dates and funny characters, don't expect a great grade, but it can certainly make the subject more interesting if you're one of those people that history is simply a hard pill to swallow. read more

Absolutely awful. I don't even know why this anime is popular. All that I got out of it was stupid characters acting stupid. ALL of them are very annoying. I'm sure that I'm pretty much alone on this one, but I say, don't waste your time on a brain-cell-killer of an anime.

Plot - There really isn't one. I suppose one could say that it's about the world powers in WW2 or whatever, but it's not much.

I've become so sick and tired of the crazy Hetalia fans. This anime doesn't deserve nearly as much credit as it gets.

A history lesson that's a little hard to keep up with. Well, with episodes lasting roughly 5 minutes, everything is quickfire learning. But you eventually get by. The very first scene in episode 1 got me interested and I was able to take in the fact that the series gives a human form to the countries of the world (Although at first I'd imagine England/Britain with darker hair, but I'm used to it now.)
Though I'm sure I'll get all sorts of disagreement, I actually prefer the FUNimation dub. I'm sorry, sub lovers. The accents put me in a good mood to watch. Maybe the narration seems to be dumbed down (Poland is a country! In Europe), but I think it's more of a humourous way.
The characterisation of the countries are... pretty much accurate enough. read more

The title "Hetalia" reveals itself the nature of this anime, the combination of "hetare", "useless" on a free translation, and "Italia" is, itself, a cynical reference to the poor outcomes of the italian army on many conflicts on the course of history. So, if you have special bonds to any country, be prepared, watching this anime may be a trial by fire.

The main reason for that is the historically based storyline and the socially accepted esthereotypes that make the characters be who they are.

But, first, I should explain who are these characters and why the history is so relevant for this anime, after all, some of you readers may not have heard much of it before.

Hetalia is an anime based on the events occured on WW1 and WW2, mainly. This is valid for the "Axis Powers" season as well as for "World Series" and probably any others that may continue to come on the future. The characters of this anime are none other than countries, for instance: Italia is a kind, foolish young man, that easily surrenders at the sight of battle and puts pasta ahead of any thought, while Germany is a serious, compromised man, that is compromised to his duties and his allies.

The events occuring on the anime are based on actual facts in the most part, and picture in human feelings how countries have related one with another on the dark times of war, or what people from all countries involved think one of the other. One may find the esthereotypization of the characters to be offending, but all pictured still is, for the most part, the truth.

For the technical review now, I shall start with the art. Himaruya's webcomics were for the most part more of scribbles than an actual manga, but the anime is impeccable on the art. The characters are completely congruent to the countries the symbolize, since their appearance portraits the greater part of the people from them.

The music of the anime is also an interesting point, since the ending themes are, at times, sung by specific countries. When it happens, the lyrics are also adjusted to fit the personality of that country. An ending sung by England sounds completely different from one sung by Russia, since these countries are both quite different one of the another.

The jokes involved on the anime may be a bit difficult to understand, since they are based on historic events that one may not have the knowledge necessary to find it funny. But for the most part, the anime either explains, or don't gives much focus to it, and ends up being funny nonethless.

A word of advice, though. As a middle school student, I should warn that, if you watch this anime too much, you might never return to see the world the same way, for instance: If you hear about the "Einschluss", the process of anexation of Austria and Germany during pre-WW2, you may end up seeing the characters on your mind and laughing at the potential hilarious scene resulting from it. That's not a bad thing, and helps to study actually, but I thought you should know beforehand.

You will need to excuse me, but I can't give this anime less than a 10. I find it highly enjoyable and can't help myself but appraising this as one of the greatest anime I have ever seen. Every episode has but 5 minutes of lenght, so you can't possibly have an excuse for not watching.

I hope my review didn't strike as far too long, but there was much to be said on the matter and I feel that I should talk more about it. Also, this is but my second on this website. I hope it was useful and that you enjoy your anime. Domo arigatou gozaimashita. read more