Alternative Character Interpretation/Anime/Axis Powers Hetalia: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
Since the cast of ''[[
* This is especially true for England. While normally depicted as a [[Tsundere]] who's more bark than bite, he's shown in canon as having been quite a prick in his conquering days when he rode roughshod over Spain, and even now he has a tendency to play [[The Mean Brit]], usually to America and France; but it's still [[Sarcasm Mode|debatable]] if, based on canon, he'd ever be as much of a [[Darker and Edgier|domineering,]] [[Yandere|creepily possessive]] [[Manipulative Bastard|bastard]] as some people like to portray him. This unfortunately overlaps with his status as a victim of [[Die for Our Ship]], especially for [[Fan-Preferred Couple|America/Russia shippers]]. There's also debate on whether England still thinks of America [[Big Brother Instinct|as a brother or someone he needs to look out for]] and [["Well Done, Son" Guy|just can't admit it]], or has grudgingly come to think of him [[Worthy Opponent|as an equal]] [[Vitriolic Best Buds|or even a friend]] and [[I Shall Taunt You|just can't admit it]], or has [[Promoted to Love Interest|fallen in love with]] [[She Is All Grown Up|him]] and [[He Is Not My Boyfriend|just can't admit it]] - though everyone agrees on at least [[Cannot Spit It Out|one trait]].
* There's at least one fanfic in which N.Italy is portrayed as [[Stepford Smiler|a person who pretends to be always happy (and dumb) but who has inner angst for being considered dumb by the other countries and by the possibility that Germany doesn't love him]]. Who even tried to commit suicide. It's probably because Italy's [[The Ditz|canon personality]] doesn't mesh well with drama/angst which [[True Art Is Angsty|many people favor]].
* There are two general lines of interpretation for Canada in the fandom: "[[Moe]]" Canada that emphasizes his sweet, timid, and unassertive demeanor (sometimes to [[The Woobie|Woobie]] levels); and "manly" Canada, mostly by people who [[Misplaced Nationalism|don't like the way he's portrayed in canon]], that plays up his assumed passive-aggressive tendencies (sometimes to the point of making him an unabashed [[Deadpan Snarker]]) and gives him an overall [[Darker and Edgier]] characterization. This is sometimes [[Flanderization|flanderized]] up to the point where he's an [[Ax Crazy]] psycho who goes around [[Rape
** A lot of fan authors and fanartists depict a very close, loving, brotherly relationship between Canada and America, even though the manga describes America as "the root of Canada's unhappiness" and it's shown that Canada, while not outright ''hating'' him, resents his brother a lot. So much that his [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] consists into almost [["The Reason You Suck" Speech|talking America to death]]. On the other hand, some fans posit that all this is just typical sibling behavior and that just because Canada likes cutting America down to size occasionally, it doesn't mean that he doesn't genuinely love and care for his brother when the chips are down (as evidenced by him consulting America for advice at least once in canon).
*** This makes sense since in Real Life, Canada and the United States are currently the world's largest trading partners,share the world's longest border, and have significant interoperability within the defence sphere. While Canadians will always make fun of the US and vice versa, these two countries would inadvertently sink together.
* Aside from the [[Misplaced Nationalism]] that frequently raises its head among his fans, America is either an [[Idiot Hero]] and a gigantic [[Love Freak]], a [[Wide
* Russia is the one who gets the most varying interpretations. Is he a [[Complete Monster]] who only wants to torment others, or a [[The Woobie|Woobie]] who's become so emotionally damaged that he can't think rationally anymore? Could he be accurately called a [[Manipulative Bastard]] who [[Mind Game Ship|knows how to press his victims' buttons]], or is he too [[Psychopathic Manchild|childish]] to be capable of such conscious manipulation or even be fully aware of the morality of his actions? Does he want to [[Memetic Mutation|become one with everybody]] so that he can [[Omnicidal Maniac|destroy them]], or ensure that he can never be hurt anymore, or simply to cure his loneliness or [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds|pain]] in the only way his warped mind can comprehend? And does he truly love Lithuania (probably a [[Mad Love|little too much]]), or is Lithuania [[Love Martyr|just a convenient target for him]] to vent his anger and frustrations upon?
* Many fans portray China as being secretly wise, with the reasoning that he's the oldest of the nations (although [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old]] and [[Immortal Immaturity]] are in full effect in this series), and general depictions of his character seem to be split between "long-suffering nation who's been kicked around for a long time and thus doesn't have much in the way of aggressiveness" and "nation who won't let others kick him around anymore and thus acts jerkish toward them." If his real-life history is brought in, he becomes either a [[Broken Bird]] who's been [[Trauma Conga Line|hurt over and over again]] by the betrayals of his siblings or a [[Broken Hero]] who's [[Misery Builds Character|gone through a lot of grief and hurt but nonetheless has overcome them]] and can still smile and be happy.
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** Add in the fact that [[Imperial Japan|imperial!Japan]] is often portrayed in a different light from modern!Japan, and character interpretations can get pretty complex. Was imperial!Japan a [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] who thought that [[My Country, Right or Wrong|his empire was more important than his family]] and [[My God, What Have I Done?|ended up regretting it]] and [[Character Development|becoming a better person]]; a [[Complete Monster|monster]] who [[Lack of Empathy|only cared about furthering his empire]] [[Moral Event Horizon|by any means necessary]] and is ''still'' like that even today, just [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing|more covertly]]; a [[Jerkass Woobie]] who became [[Broken Ace|emotionally messed up]] after he was led to believe that allowing himself to [[Emotions vs. Stoicism|show emotions]] or [[Love Is a Weakness|fall in love]] would make him "weak", and nowadays still has problems with [[Cannot Spit It Out|opening up to others]] or [[What Is This Thing You Call Love?|dealing with love]]; or even a [[Super-Powered Evil Side]] that [[Split Personality Takeover|overtook the "real", kinder Japan]] during that period?
* Even Greece is subject to this. Is he a [[Nice Guy|sweet and patient guy]] at heart who's [[Birds of a Feather|quietly in love with Japan]] and just happens to have a huge [[Berserk Button]] in the form of Turkey (possibly coupled with [[Love Triangle|shades of]] [[Green-Eyed Monster]])? Or is he actually a sassy, smart-mouthed [[Tsundere]] deep down who shows his true colors only when with Turkey and [[Belligerent Sexual Tension|refuses to admit that he's secretly attracted to his foe]]? It tends to fall along [[Shipping]] lines, obviously, but it's almost as if he's an entirely different character on both sides. The balance between his [[The Philosopher|Philosopher]] and [[Cloudcuckoolander]] traits also fluctuates from work to work, with the former tending to be emphasized more in serious works and the latter emphasized more in humorous works.
** About his rival Turkey: [[Jerk
* Italy Romano: A [[Jerkass Woobie|misunderstood grouch]] with simply a huge inferiority complex stemming from his grandfather ignoring him and feeling that Spain and others want to use him for his inheritance, a useless whiny [[Psychopathic Manchild|manchild]] who was too spoiled of a brat that still deserves to be spanked, or a grade-A [[Jerkass]] that simply likes being an annoyance to everyone? Then there's the matter of if he [[Tsundere|has "deeper" feelings for Spain but acts like a jerk to throw him off]], or if he actually hates Spain and is just stringing him along in hopes to manipulate him as payback.
** His portrayal as a [[Deadpan Snarker]] is also rather popular
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