World Conflict/World Conference: Axis Powers Hetalia

Abstract

It was July of 2010 and the streets of Tokyo were lined with soldiers. Not human soldiers: image-soldiers. Flags advertising the film version of Himaruya Hidekaz’s web-manga-turned-anime Axis Powers Hetalia were strung along the lamp-posts of Sunshine-dōri, a major shopping street in the neighborhood of Ikebukuro. Attractive male personifications of the World War II Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) along with the Allies (America, France, England, Russia, and China) beamed out from posters and wrap-arounds. Fans who had just seen the film flocked around to take photos with their cell phones (Figure 6.1). “The flashback with Chibi-Italy and the Holy Roman Empire was so kawaii!” one enthused. “Isn’t it great?” her friend agreed. Passers-by passed by. Nobody seemed especially perplexed to hear the Holy Roman Empire described as “cute” by teenage girls.