Hetalia fandom
I love this show, but the fandom is making me kind of uncomfortable...
I think the characters are great, and I enjoy the overall gist of the show. For what it is, Himaruya has handled it very well and very tastefully, I feel. Yes, FUNimation crossed a pretty far line in their dub (or so I've heard... I haven't actually heard the episode for myself) and that makes me a bit uneasy about purchasing the dub, but overall I think it's a good series. And despite the bad joke, the rest of the dub is pretty funny. (:
But it's the fandom I can't really stand. I understand it has a mostly slash fanbase, and I do pretty well at avoiding those fanworks, but it's other things that are just making me more than a little uneasy.
1. Tasteless or controversial fanfics/fanarts. Admittedly, I haven't seen any fanarts of subjects like this, but I've read more than a handful of fanfics that have just really struck a bad chord with me. Things like 9/11, the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, the war in Iraq, Darfur, things that are recent, ongoing, or still having effects that people are struggling with today I've seen portrayed in fanfics, and it really irks me. Especially when people throw a pairing in there, slash or not, it just gets hard for me to read. Fandom could use a bit more discretion. ):
2. Treatment of flags at cons/get-togethers. I've never been to a con before and I'm not sure if I'll ever muscle up the strength to go to one (sooo many screaming girls...), but I love to view cosplay videos that people post from cons and stuff. And alot of people have flags of the country they're portraying when they go, but no one seems to take these flags seriously. I'm an American, and it just well... drives me bonkers to see someone laying the flag on the ground, stapling it to their shoulders, hitting people with it, or stepping or sitting on it. And I'm not sure how other countries view treatment of their flags, but it drives me nuts to see it happen to any flag, really. It's a matter of respect for that country and it's people.
3. "I'm learning history from Hetalia!" Okay, less on this one because, history major that I am, I'm thrilled whenever anyone can get excited for history and develop a curiosity for it. But I don't think people realize how historically inaccurate this series actually is. For example, the portrayal of the relationship between Japan and China is wayyy off, and Japan itself is a far cry from how the country really was in WWII. I understand it's being told from a Japanese point of view though, so of course it's going to be skewed, but you can't take this thing for 100% fact. China was not even a major Allied power and didn't really fight with them, but in the show they send him out first (like... three times too), so it just isn't accurate. ): Take a history class, read a book! :)
4. No respect for the actual history. This is a pretty thin line, but I think it's possible to respect history and still like this series. I like the personification of Russia, but I understand that Russian history is pretty darn bloody and grim. And I get if Ludwig is your favorite character, his personification is good, but you're way crossing that line when you become a fan of Nazis. Respect the actual history the show is based on, and don't treat the actual events like they're walks in the park.
In short, you're killin' me, Smalls Hetalia fandom!
I think the characters are great, and I enjoy the overall gist of the show. For what it is, Himaruya has handled it very well and very tastefully, I feel. Yes, FUNimation crossed a pretty far line in their dub (or so I've heard... I haven't actually heard the episode for myself) and that makes me a bit uneasy about purchasing the dub, but overall I think it's a good series. And despite the bad joke, the rest of the dub is pretty funny. (:
But it's the fandom I can't really stand. I understand it has a mostly slash fanbase, and I do pretty well at avoiding those fanworks, but it's other things that are just making me more than a little uneasy.
1. Tasteless or controversial fanfics/fanarts. Admittedly, I haven't seen any fanarts of subjects like this, but I've read more than a handful of fanfics that have just really struck a bad chord with me. Things like 9/11, the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, the war in Iraq, Darfur, things that are recent, ongoing, or still having effects that people are struggling with today I've seen portrayed in fanfics, and it really irks me. Especially when people throw a pairing in there, slash or not, it just gets hard for me to read. Fandom could use a bit more discretion. ):
2. Treatment of flags at cons/get-togethers. I've never been to a con before and I'm not sure if I'll ever muscle up the strength to go to one (sooo many screaming girls...), but I love to view cosplay videos that people post from cons and stuff. And alot of people have flags of the country they're portraying when they go, but no one seems to take these flags seriously. I'm an American, and it just well... drives me bonkers to see someone laying the flag on the ground, stapling it to their shoulders, hitting people with it, or stepping or sitting on it. And I'm not sure how other countries view treatment of their flags, but it drives me nuts to see it happen to any flag, really. It's a matter of respect for that country and it's people.
3. "I'm learning history from Hetalia!" Okay, less on this one because, history major that I am, I'm thrilled whenever anyone can get excited for history and develop a curiosity for it. But I don't think people realize how historically inaccurate this series actually is. For example, the portrayal of the relationship between Japan and China is wayyy off, and Japan itself is a far cry from how the country really was in WWII. I understand it's being told from a Japanese point of view though, so of course it's going to be skewed, but you can't take this thing for 100% fact. China was not even a major Allied power and didn't really fight with them, but in the show they send him out first (like... three times too), so it just isn't accurate. ): Take a history class, read a book! :)
4. No respect for the actual history. This is a pretty thin line, but I think it's possible to respect history and still like this series. I like the personification of Russia, but I understand that Russian history is pretty darn bloody and grim. And I get if Ludwig is your favorite character, his personification is good, but you're way crossing that line when you become a fan of Nazis. Respect the actual history the show is based on, and don't treat the actual events like they're walks in the park.
In short, you're killin' me, Smalls Hetalia fandom!