Hetalia Axis Powers

Episode Count	147 (52 in Season 1)
Season	Winter 2009
Genres	Comedy, Seinen
Source Material	Manga
Rating	TBD
Streaming	TBD

Anyone who knows about Hetalia that sees that I included it likely has one of two reactions: snickering or proclaiming "Oh no".

The concept of Hetalia is imagining all of the countries in the world as cute anime characters. So the first series, Axis Powers, is about the goofy bumbling Italy, the muscular aggressive Germany, and the quiet but hard-working Japan. You can see why this show was immediately controversial.

Hetalia is very love it or hate it, if you don't like the concept then avoid this show like the plague. But I do understand its popularity. I've binged 5 seasons and the movie just because the episodes are 5 minutes long, so seasons can be watched in hours (Season 3, which is part 1 of World Series, is easily the best one BTW). But if you ask me which country I kin I'll be like "uhhhhhh the Principality of Sealand, sure".

- 0215MADman

This is one of those shows you must look back at and laugh hysterically and cringe visibly, especially in light of current world events. I mean, seeing Russia interact with Ukraine is just…yeah…YEAH…The grip that Hetalia had on the anime community was undeniable, which, considering this series consists of 5-minute episodes and one movie, is a feat in and of itself. Maybe this was the precursor to things like Vine and TikTok—quick little blerbs of comedy? Who’s to say? But it can’t be denied that Hetalia left its mark on the anime world, due in no small part to the excellent marketing job that the late Funimation did for this one. From picking an all-star cast to play the individual eccentric character countries, to merchandising and special edition home video releases (Admittedly, I still have my Collector's Edition that came with colored handkerchiefs), Hetalia will forever be remembered as being a funny, irreverent, unusual way to learn about world history…at least as it was in 2009.

- KhakiBlueSocks