Hetalia: Axis Powers - It's fun to watch!

Who can resist an anime series with many bishounen who each represents a country? I certainly can't!Hetalia: Axis Powers is an entertaining and somewhat educational series. I like it so much that I went to Kinokuniya to buy the manga (2 volumes released thus far). Though I personally like the manga better than the anime adaptation, I still think that the anime series is worth watching. There are lots of cultural inside jokes and stereotypes. The series also often uses satire and comedy to address well-known and lesser-known historical facts. Historical political and military interaction between countries is represented in Hetalia as social interaction between the characters.

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Hetalia recently finished its first season of 26 episodes (only 5 min per episode) and is currently in its second season. Recently, Gentosha Comics has announced on its website that a theatrical anime film adaptation of Hetalia has been green-lit for 2010. Yea... How I wish I can be in Japan next year to watch it.

StoryThe first season primarily focuses on the Axis Powers versus the Allied Powers. Much of it is centered on the historical events which occurred between and during the two World Wars. There's also a cute segment called Chibitalia. The main character is chibi Ita-chan and it walks through the life of child version Italia.

Kawaii Ita-chan

Currently, we are near midway point of the second season. Unlike the first season, the second season mainly focuses on some of the most pivotal moments in recent history (ie. the founding of the Olympic Games). Characters

Each character has the characteristics of each nation's diplomatic stance and also their personalities are based on stereotypes. For instance, Italia is cowardly, weak, likes to flirt with girls and loves pasta; Germany is rough and militant; Japan is shy, reclusive and hardworking; America is a self-proclaimed "hero", who loves ice-cream and hamburgers; France is romantic and carefree; and UK is known for his awful cooking skills and strange fanaticism with occult.Even their weapons are based on stereotypes: Japan has a sword, China has a wok, UK has the world infamous Busby chair, and Italia has a white flag. What I like best about Hetalia is the interactions of the different characters with one another.My favorite characters are:

Italia ♥Japan ♥Spain ♥UK (I love the Busby Chair episode! ^-^)