Forum - View topicNEWS: Korean Protests Call for Hetalia Anime's Cancellation
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Aikoh
Posts: 96 Location: United States |
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That's why this is nothing new. This was already discussed weeks ago at the Fandom Secrets community, and most of these points have already been discussed, and it was handled so badly over there on both sides of the argument to the point where some of the fans vowed not to participate in any future arguments about the series since there were a lot of generalizations, personal attacks, and, as abunai put it, "holier-than-thou" attitudes coming from all sides. |
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luisedgarf
Posts: 660 Location: Guadalajara, Mexico |
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At least they didn´t create a character named "Mexico" who could be the slave of America or a lazy arrogant bastard or even worse: a character named "Israel" who he could be depicted as a trigger-happy military wacko who despise Asians, especialy Arabs, even that he IS an Asian too.
That's because they don´t share the same Protestant mindset like Germany, the U.S. and other countries in this side of the world, you know. |
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Agent355
 Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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I'm gonna give y'all the benefit of the doubt and assume that you can read Japanese fluently, because as far as I can find, Hetalia only has a few English-translated strips (at least, on the 'net).
I love political humor and history, so I'd love to read the comic, if it becomes available in English. The few strips ( mostly dealing with inept Italy allying itself with a disgruntled, reluctant Germany during an unspecified time period) I saw seemed slightly funny with the potential of developing more. That being said, I'd like to point out the obvious here: protesting something you find offensive is as much "free speech" as publishing and creating whatever you want. I don't think the 23-year-old creator of Hetalia has anything personally against any of the nations he pokes fun at, but Koreans who are offended by his work certainly have every right to protest it, which includes signing petitions and enacting boycotts against the publishers and television networks or advertisers involved. |
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Maryohki
 Posts: 526 |
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...except that's not what I said. There's a difference between remembering and still being mournful over wartime atrocities and deciding that, because a country, Imperialist Japan or Nazi Germany for example, committed said atrocities, then therefore everyone from that country is evil. It's the latter that infuriates me, which I clearly stated at least twice. =/ |
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KabaKabaFruit
 Posts: 1878 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba |
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And I'm a Canadian. If we can put up with Peter Griffin telling us how much we suck as free loaders, why can't Koreans just put up with a caricature on a Japanese cartoon? |
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musouka
Posts: 710 |
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There's nothing like Hetalia to get people all worked up without having read the source in question.
I think it's safe to say that the author is probably well aware of the issues Korea and Japan have. While I think you can read some of the strips in a problematic fashion, it should also probably be kept in mind that Korea and Japan rarely even interact--Korea tends to play off China more than anyone else. Also, Korea never even shows up in the WW2-era strips. Only modern and indeterminately post-WW2 ones. |
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The Xenos
 Posts: 1519 Location: Boston |
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I guess I'm somewhat hypocritical as I watch such offensive shows like South Park. Hell, talk about making fun of World War II. There was that episode where they had Japan using 'Chinpokemon' anime and video games as a subversive way to brainwash kids and try to take over America. "Try to bomb ze harbah."
Then again, the US government and education system really hasn't glossed over internment camps or the Tuskegee experiments. I don't see President Bush covering up such things. (Iran Contra, selling Iraq weapons to use on Iran in the 80s. Maybe, but not WWII.) Plus South Park is more of a counter culture thing than a show propagating the glossing over of history.
Yeah, I really don't remember what Americans were in Lain. Other than the general shadowy government conspiracy, but, hell, we do that in our own shows all the time. Remember X-Files and The Lone Gunmen anyone? If anything I'd say the bigger issue to me were the gnostic overtones that even The Matrix later used.
I'm sorry, but is the show not fully titled Hetalia Axis Powers? How is it not Nazi Germany. Never mind fascist Italy or Soviet Russia. I know those examples I gave are not in the show. I was just trying to make the issue a litter more relevant to American readers. Plus from what a friend told me, there are definite shonen ai overtones. I don't think it's just her or other fans implying things. As for MASH or Mel Brooks references to Hitler. Wow. Do you not see the difference? Axis powers as bishonen main characters in a Japanese show vs a Jewish American comedian making fun of Hitler. I see a big difference. It's no MASH. And Italy may be pretty but he's not as dreamy as Alan Alda. Er.. I mean.. anyway.. kidding aside. I've been meaning to check out the show myself. I should check it out first. Still, I can totally see why Korea is gunshy to Japanese shows possibly being revisionist about World War II. It's a big problem. I'm against censorship, but at the same time I think you should call someone out when they're twisting history to make their country look good. Mission accomplished and all that crap. America. F-- yeah. |
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Maryohki
Posts: 526 |
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...It may be called that, but that is because the primary storyline is WWII. Ludwig of Hetalia represents Germany as a whole, from it's beginning as a country up until today. That includes Nazi Germany, yes, but not solely Nazi Germany. Also, Germany and Hitler? Not the same thing. Hitler led Germany, but it's not like every German person thought Hitler was brilliant. As for the gay overtones, yes, there are hints. However, the only canonical gay couple I can think of is Holy Roman Empire and Chibitalia, and that didn't end well. (they confessed their feelings for eachother, then HRE went off to war, never to return). Yeah, there's also SuFin, but it's not clear whether Finland returns Sweden's feelings. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Example 1 Example 2
Just to let you know: most Japanese don't see themselves as Asians either. |
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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I'm off to work now, so I don't have time for lengthy posts -- but I do have a warning.
I have removed a number of posts for being pointless one-liners, as well as for name-calling, and I would like to remind everyone that the Rules are pretty clear on this: don't do it. Your posts should have some point to them beyond "me too". I'd rather not have to lock this thread, but I will if necessary. As you were... - abunai |
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yojimboray
Posts: 108 |
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My final post on this thread (which, frankly, has gone on for far too long)- Although I still stand by all of my previous posts, I respect you for not having banned me or deleting my posts criticizing you. Peace. Last edited by yojimboray on Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:11 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mad_Scientist
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 3011 |
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The parts I bolded reference something I've noticed, something that annoys me. Any work of fiction that comes from Japan is held to a different standard regarding certain things, all because of the actions of the Japanese government regarding WWII. A standard that is way too extreme, in my view. There's this expectation that because the Japanese government has never really acknowledged some of the things Japan did in WWII or issued an apology, any work of fiction from Japan that has even the slightest relevance to WWII has to show Japan committing atrocities, and make it a large focus of the work too. Any work of fiction that doesn't do this, that dares to tell a story that might involve WWII but that does not focus on Japanese war crimes, is criticised for glossing over history. As if every single Japanese person who lived in that time was a horrible person involved in sexual slavery and murder. For example, the movie Grave of the Fireflies has been bashed for this very reason. Now, this is a movie that focuses on a couple of children struggling to survive, children who never leave Japan and who don't exactly know very much about what is going on in the war. I'm not sure how it is going to show Japanese soldiers raping women, or give a well reasoned argument against Japanese militarism before WWII. I'm not certain how those elements would fit in with the story or make the movie better. But apparently, because Grave of the Fireflies doesn't have those things, it's a horrible movie that's trying to cover up Japanese crimes and justify their actions in WWII. Imagine a US made western movie. A really really good movie, awesome acting, incredible story. And there happens to be a native american character in the movie who is friends with the main character. He's the only indian in the movie, though, most of the focus involves a band of outlaws and the problems they cause. Now imagine that this movie was made in an alternate universe where the US government never really accepted that it behaved in an... unpleasant manner at times, to put it midly. Would that automatically make the movie offensive? Would it be right to say that because the movie didn't include scenes of US soldiers killing innocent indians, the movie was trying to gloss over history? I don't know what Hetalia is like. It's probably not the type of humor I'd enjoy anyways. But I have to wonder: if something exactly like it was made by an American, would anyone care that much? |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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You are the first person I've ever seen making such a comment. The movie has some flaws, but as far as I know no one has criticized it with the reason you wrote down. |
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Mad_Scientist
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 3011 |
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Really? I remember a fair amount of comments on IMDB mentioning this, and I think that I've even read comments on ANN criticising it for that. |
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evalover1987
Posts: 6 |
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I think the number, (10000), is totally exaggerated, but
I think they have a right reason to be angry about. Japan is known for distorting history in its textbook, and while the intentions of the hetalia creator, may not be "distorting the history" but "poking fun at WW2", there's no doubt how it will impact young viewers' perspective on Japan and WWII that are watching this anime. However, if BS movies like "Calling for Austrailia" is released despite a bunch of protests, I wonder Hetalia will be banned at all. For all those who state that Korea should "get over with it" since when did US get over with 9/11? |
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