Hetalia: Axis Powers anime given fifth season

Ian Wolf

Ian Wolf

Mushi-shi
AUKN Staff
A fifth season of the comedy anime <em>Hetalia: Axis Powers</em> has been commissioned.

The new was announced in <em>Comic Birz</em> magazine, which publishes the original manga comic. The news coincides with the publication in Japan of the fifth printed volume of strips.
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<strong>Synopsis</strong>

Italy, once home of the strongest empire in the world, has changed. This is the story of Italy, now a cowardly pasta-loving fool, and his friends (other personified countries of the world) as they live through strange moments in world history.
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<a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.co.uk/news/2012-07-27/hetalia-anime-gets-5th-season-green-lit">Source</a>
 
Thanks you two ^ Even though I'm not a fan of being negative and raining on others parades I seriously though I was the only person on here who didn't like this show!
 
I have to review this stuff, and try and be fair and balanced about it. Three season and one movie down the line, the thought of more does my head in. At the end of season 1, I wondered how long they could stretch out the joke...
 
The fandom is overwhelmingly dominated by women so I imagine it's not unusual for chaps not to enjoy it (in most specialist shops in Japan they don't even bother putting the DVDs/CDs in with the general stuff at all, instead giving it pride of place in the fangirl area).

R
 
That makes some sense to me in Japan (and makes even more sense when thinking about the cosplayers I saw when I was over in the US), but from what i saw it doesn't strike me as a 'girly' show. The humour isn't particularly girly and of all the arts/humanities type subjects I'd say modern history is one of the less feminine interest areas. I guess Italy is kinda cute though? And most of the lead cast are male and kinda cute in their own ways...
 
Tried watching some Hetalia via some clips on Youtube. Can't say it's my cup of tea. It didn't even make me smile, let alone laugh! Good for those that enjoy it though - but it's like watching paint dry in my opinion and yes I'm female. :wink: I suspect the undertones directly appeal to those who like BL/Yaoi.
 
I can handle female oriented programming if it is good. I developed an obsession with Ally McBeal at one time that had me around the wrong watercooler at work at break. Hetalia isn't that good. It really is just one joke repeated ad infinitum, and variations thereof.

I get the feeling that Hetalia fans are getting something out of it that isn't explicitly in the show.
 
Oh come on it's not a bad series and yeah it has loads of girl fans but I love the stereotypes and how they tell history and relationships between country's it's a funny series in my book.

And I can see why woman like this show, most types of what women are looking for in a man is on hetalia
 
FourthLion said:
I guess Italy is kinda cute though? And most of the lead cast are male and kinda cute in their own ways...
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Italy? He's super annoying ;_;

While I'm sure it's true that subjects such as modern history may not have a great deal of uptake from female students (I wouldn't know), I don't think that necessarily means people aren't interested in a light take on the subject. There's a lot of trivia about language too and that's certainly a topic women tend to be associated with. It's not the main reason I like Hetalia, but I have enjoyed learning the odd amusing fact along the way myself. Who'd have thought I'd have found out what Panjandrum was from a Japanese gag cartoon? :)

I also must disagree with JustPa that it's objectively bad. I see its appeal as being fairly obvious in that, say, K-On! is a lighthearted series about a bunch of cute girls in uniforms doing cute things (incidentally, K-On! is mostly about girls eating cake, which is a subject I don't think many male anime viewers are actively into). Hetalia is a lighthearted series about a bunch of cute guys (and girls) in uniforms doing cute things. There's also a heavy focus on comedy and historical/linguistic tidbits which are often interesting to boot, perhaps more so in the manga strips.

The BL is of course largely made up, but the actual series does contain plenty of fan bait too, with the guys frequently taking their clothes off for gags, cross dressing, or making lewd references.

I'm not saying only girls can enjoy Hetalia (my other half loves it, and indeed I own K-On! myself, following through with the example). But if you're not that keen on really dorky gag humour in the first place, or curious to see how Japan sees other countries, it's not got the fanservice appeal to fall back on that it might have to a lot of female viewers.

R
 
Im a fan of hetalia and at first I thought it was very very annoying at first and I didn't know what was going on but after watching it a second time * season 1 and 2* I got the idea what it was about and found it funny and to be honest I was a lil sad when there was only 4 seasons but after hearing there's going to be a fifth season I was happy to hear about it and who knows there might be a sixth
 
I think the reason why I like Hetalia so much is that it is just amazing from a British point of view that this sort of thing has been made - a comedy about the war, by a country that lost the war, in which nearly all the characters are stereotypes. It does take a little while to get your head around that.

However, I think I like it because it mocks everyone fairly. It is "equal opportunities offence", because Japan includes itself in the joke, and they try to avoid the most offensive portrayals.
 
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neptune2venus said:
...yes I'm female.
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You are? I wouldn't have known. Kudos.
 
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