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I’ve never been quite sure how to take
Hetalia. It’s a clever idea – anthropomorphising entire countries and giving
them personalities based on their history and stereotypical national character –
but its original incarnation, Hetalia Axis Powers, was occasionally guilty of
making overly obscure references and trivialising some quite serious events of
World War 2. As the series has progressed it has moved further away from the original
wartime premise, bringing in far more up-to-date references and expanding its
cast to include numerous other nations. |
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I’ve always found Hetalia to be a bit hit or miss, with a kind of scattergun approach to history that will see references to obscure cultural artefacts or traditions sit uneasily next to jokes about national stereotypes (England can’t cook, Italy always wants to surrender, America constantly gorges on junk food etc) and references to serious historical events such as D-Day, the American War of Independence and the German invasion of Russia. In places it can be a bit crass and in others genuinely funny, but I’ve always found |
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that the series was at its best when it concentrated on the interaction between the nations / characters rather than reimagining historical events. Thankfully this film does just that. With a common enemy to face the characters are forced to try and work together, and of course end up squabbling over the correct course of action, forming factions and arguing amongst themselves as the enemy advances. The humour is largely played with broad strokes, focusing on their clashes of character and culture as well making a fair few satirical digs if you want to look for them. Instead of referencing too many obscure historical figures and events we get jokes about France and Britain's mutual dislike for each other, Germany's exasperation with the inefficiency of other countries, Switzerland's complete obliviousness to the crisis due to their 'neutrality field', America's gung-ho need for instant action and how everyone ignores the somewhat resigned Canada. These kinds of gags may not be that original, but there's a certain charm about seeing them applied to human characters. Surprisingly the film keeps to the
format of the original series, with short and often unrelated scenes
separated by title screens rather than a continuous story.
However, in the case of this film these short scenes are supported by an
overarching narrative which serves to give them some direction.
The film does manage to squeeze in pretty much every nation that has so
far appeared in the series, even if some of them have very short cameos.
Sealand actually gets quite a lot of screentime, but as usual most of
the action revolves around Italy, Germany, England, America, France,
Japan, Russia and China with many of the other nations reduced to one
shot gags or quick assimilation by the Pictorians. As with the
series comedy is the order of the day and like the series this can be a
bit hit or miss. However, in the film the gags hit more than they
miss, and it's not afraid to make fun of itself, even going so far as to
point out the similarity between the Pictorian's aim of assimilating all
life and the Borg from Star Trek, who plan to do the same thing.
The characters are good, if a little superficial, and the story provides
a solid framework for the character interactions and jokes. |
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The film is not without its issues, but largely these are the same that affects the series. Some of the references are still a little obscure, with nods to kings and emperors from the early part of the 20th century and oblique references to treaties and century old alliances which will pass most viewers by. There are some scenes which are very similar to ones already covered by the series and references to running gags which favour existing fans, and there's still the problem that some of the stereotypes are slightly offensive. Italy is depicted as a |
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cowardly idiot, England as a terrible cook and France arrogant and aloof, although in its defence the film is quite egalitarian with its stereotyping, showing perceived good and bad points of each one, even Japan. My main issue with the film though is that by sticking to the format of the series the film doesn't really stretch the franchise or develop its characters beyond the stereotypes attributed to them. Whilst Hetalia is very suited to this format it does feel like a missed opportunity, there's little here that the series couldn't have done. Despite this I thoroughly enjoyed Hetalia Axis Powers: Paint it, White!, something which surprised me quite considerably. Most of the issues I had with the original series, in particular its use of the second world war as a theme, are absent in this film and the focus is strongly on the characters and their interactions. Whilst some references will still go over your head unless you refer to the copious amounts of notes included on the DVD as an extra (it's a shame there isn't a pop-up video-style option similar to ADV's Vid Notes for these), you can still enjoy it simply from the 'culture clash' of the differing national characters. It doesn't do a lot different from the series to be honest, and if you dislike the series there's not a lot here that will change your opinion, but the more general gags and an actual plot to focus on makes it more accessible. I thought that whilst the series could be very hit or miss, it had a good premise that had a lot of potential. Despite its flaws and its inability to stretch itself beyond the confines of the series, I did find that this film lived up to some of that potential and was the best part of the franchise so far. A must buy for Hetalia fans, and for those who found the series' scattergun approach could lead to some entertaining moments it's well worth checking out too. Extras: Plenty. The aforementioned notes are joined by footage of a presentation panel featuring the film's director and the principal three Japanese voice actors as well as alternative ending sequences (ie. the same ending with Japanese text or no text at all), a trailer, outtakes from the American dub recording and a commentary featuring the American dub cast. I didn't find the outtakes and commentary that interesting to be honest, but the panel and notes are great additions. Ratings Feature:
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