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38th out of 250 books
—
353 voters
Hetalia: Axis Powers, Vol. 1 (Hetalia: Axis Powers #1)
During World War I, gruff Germany finds Italy hiding in a wooden box of tomatoes. Germany takes Italy as prisoner, but instead of war-like interrogation, Italy becomes more of the nuisance and unwanted guest. World War I quickly comes to an end, but World War II is right on its heels! This time, Italy tries his best to become friends with Germany. They soon befriend Japan,...more
Paperback, 152 pages
Published
October 12th 2010
by TokyoPop
(first published 2008)
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It's a cute manga that's set in World War 2 through present day that actually manages to amuse and both educate at the same time. The manga is about anthropomorphic personifications of some of the countries during World War 2, with adorable comic strips about certain events. The personifications of the countries somewhat poke fun at national stereotypes, such as America being loud, brash yet good natured and friendly, or Japan being the quiet but secretly-an-otaku, etc, without being super offen...more
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Hetalia Axis Powers, or APH for short, is a comidic parody of history, revolving around the personifications of countries. Orginally based off a webcomic by Hidekaz Himaruya. The story mainly follows the Axis and Allied powers of World War II, but often branches off to other events, time periods, or countries. Don't look for any cronological consitancy here, often jumping from ancient times to modern day and everything in between. Many countries within the series, their personalities having basi...more
Because of Hidekazu Himaruya's Hetalia, I aced my world history exams last term! I got a score of 4.0, which was the highest grade, and I enjoyed because I used the characters as a medium to understand the teachers lesson.
Teacher says, "Germany underestimated Russia's power"
I imagine, "Ludwig(Germany) being threatened by Ivan (Russia) saying, 'Kol kol kol kol..' "
Ooh. what a fun subject. :))
And even before our term on World history started, I watched hetalia, even if it's a parody on the World...more
Teacher says, "Germany underestimated Russia's power"
I imagine, "Ludwig(Germany) being threatened by Ivan (Russia) saying, 'Kol kol kol kol..' "
Ooh. what a fun subject. :))
And even before our term on World history started, I watched hetalia, even if it's a parody on the World...more
Hetalia is like having fun reading and doing social studies at the same time; it is basically a bunch of little stories put together to make a collage of beauty. Yes, it is a confusing concept to totally grasp, but when you do, you will love the ideas, pictures, and vast amounts of personality put into this manga. The main characters include Germany who is a neat-freak and strict, Italy who is thick headed and loves pasta, and America who tries and tries again to be the hero of everything. The s...more
This manga is hard for me to write about. I liked it, for many of the same reasons I liked the anime. It's funny, the characters are appealing, and it makes history and the relationships between countries more interesting and memorable, even for someone like me, who had to struggle to remember anything for history tests. However, I read a review that said this manga has "a strong whiff of pointlessness," and I think I'd have to agree with that. I didn't dislike this volume nearly as much as some...more
Out of curiousity, I looked this manga up today and...goodness gracious. Goodreads does indeed have EVERYTHING on it, eh?
This is the only manga I have read in the series, I got the "stories", if you like, from watching Anime series. why only watching the Anime? well, it's approximtely 5 minutes per episode, not much allusions was made in the episode and the jokes are simple enough to understand. Easy entertainment of the day. Not to mention, I WILL NOT waste any money on buying the whole series...more
This is the only manga I have read in the series, I got the "stories", if you like, from watching Anime series. why only watching the Anime? well, it's approximtely 5 minutes per episode, not much allusions was made in the episode and the jokes are simple enough to understand. Easy entertainment of the day. Not to mention, I WILL NOT waste any money on buying the whole series...more
Everyone is SOOOO CUTE! Especially Italy!
I watched the whole anime and it was AWESOME! They are only 5 minutes and about 17 seconds long, but...totally worth it!
I found Germany and Italy's friendship absolutely ADORABLE! Random Side Note or RSN: wouldn't it be WONDERFUL if my name was Isadora! There would be sooooo many puns using the word adorable! Anyway it's time to go BACK TO THE REVIEW! (couldn't help it sorry) I'm actually rooting for GerIt...or whatever crazy name people living in their b...more
I watched the whole anime and it was AWESOME! They are only 5 minutes and about 17 seconds long, but...totally worth it!
I found Germany and Italy's friendship absolutely ADORABLE! Random Side Note or RSN: wouldn't it be WONDERFUL if my name was Isadora! There would be sooooo many puns using the word adorable! Anyway it's time to go BACK TO THE REVIEW! (couldn't help it sorry) I'm actually rooting for GerIt...or whatever crazy name people living in their b...more
Axis Powers Hetalia Vol. 1. What did I expect? I'd heard alot about this before and at first I was quite indifferent about it but once it actually hit me, it REALLY hit. You know, like a bowling ball or something similar. Hetalia is impossibly hilarious and has the power to make you want to go and research history. It may not be something you can study from but it's something that will motivate you unwillingly. It's a deviation from classic mainstream manga and has it's own style that is evident...more
This was hilarious! It took me a while to read though, I kept forgetting which countries had which face/clothes. The book reads like a series of short stories.
I was surprised to read that personifying countries was a foriegn conceipt to the Japanese audience. If you look at Western art, all sorts of things are represented by other things. But it's even more surprising in regards to Japanese History. When WWII ended, America had issues determining who was to be held "responsible" for their conti...more
I was surprised to read that personifying countries was a foriegn conceipt to the Japanese audience. If you look at Western art, all sorts of things are represented by other things. But it's even more surprising in regards to Japanese History. When WWII ended, America had issues determining who was to be held "responsible" for their conti...more
6 likes · like · see review
History can never be this fun --or ridiculously fun.
Hetalia Axis Powers, created by Hidekaz Himaruya, introduced itself to the world of manga firstly in a web 4-koma comics format.
The story itself mainly tells about the trio of axis power during the World War II: Italy, Germany, and Japan (and also allies and other countries in the world).
But the manga also appears random events in random timelines from various countries and some are not in the WWII (or war in general) setting.
And despite re-te...more
Hetalia Axis Powers, created by Hidekaz Himaruya, introduced itself to the world of manga firstly in a web 4-koma comics format.
The story itself mainly tells about the trio of axis power during the World War II: Italy, Germany, and Japan (and also allies and other countries in the world).
But the manga also appears random events in random timelines from various countries and some are not in the WWII (or war in general) setting.
And despite re-te...more
Himaruya presents the events leading up to WWII in this entry in the series by personifying the various nations involved into over-the-top manga characters, and it works so well! As a History major and WWII fanatic, I can tell you that Himaruya knows his stuff inside and out, and he can also clearly see the humor in various situations of cultures clashing and colliding. He knows that history doesn't have to be taken with a complete straight face in order to learn from it. I don't think I can eve...more
This book is absolutley great. Alot of it made me laugh, some sigh, and some smile in utter brilliance. Hetalia isn't offensive or racist, but it's rather promoting yaoi, maybe. And this is why I love it. If only Belarus, seychilles, and hungary were guys, Hetalia would be perfect. It would create more humor as well. NOW. here's what is odd:
Japan is Mr. Perfect. I believe the author did this because he is from Japan himself.
What happened to old mean Moussolini?? I don't recall him to be all ju...more
Japan is Mr. Perfect. I believe the author did this because he is from Japan himself.
What happened to old mean Moussolini?? I don't recall him to be all ju...more
Hilarious! I love the personifications of all the countries. The story centers around the countries during the first and second World War. Although some of the facts are a little screwed in some places, the overall accuracy is pretty good. As the war progresses, more countries come into play and each one has a very interesting personality adapted from some (not always flattering) stereotypes.
I recommend this to anyone who loves history and a good laugh. Although, if you're sensitive to jokes mak...more
I recommend this to anyone who loves history and a good laugh. Although, if you're sensitive to jokes mak...more
Oct 20, 2010
Hillary
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Older teen girls
Recommended to Hillary by:
Older teen girls
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but after hearing how funny and un-PC this was I thought I'd be rotfl. Unfortunately, it was not so for me.
Several teen girls expressed their utter love for this title saying that it also makes the reader want to learn more about the countries and wars/battles mentioned in the book. However, not one of them Googled anything themselves so the whole "educational" slant was a sham. To me, the fem-boy personifications of countries fail overall because world co...more
Several teen girls expressed their utter love for this title saying that it also makes the reader want to learn more about the countries and wars/battles mentioned in the book. However, not one of them Googled anything themselves so the whole "educational" slant was a sham. To me, the fem-boy personifications of countries fail overall because world co...more
1 like · like · see review
Hetalia: Axis Powers, Vol. 1 tells the story of WWI and WWII with anthropomorphic personifications of countries, and the various conflicts in the war told as conflicts between people. It's a very interesting idea, and actually pretty funny (and yes, I even learned things! For example, I hadn't known that British intelligence supposedly hired Aleister Crowley to cast a curse on Germany). The characters/countries are all very stereotyped, but I think they're stereotyped pretty equally. (: I found...more
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This was my first manga and thus at times confusing to read as well as entertaining, especially when depicting the axis powers in all their clichéfilled glory. However, it was often hard to follow the different plots that didn't seem to fit together at all. But I guess that this is just typical for mangas and if one is willing to concentrate only on the satirical wit put into creating the voices of the different countries, this is a great read.
I apologize to all manga ( mangas?) in the world for...more
I apologize to all manga ( mangas?) in the world for...more
Unarguably one of the most original works, Hetalia tells the stories of the countries of the world by personifying them as handsome young men and women. Not only is it terribly entertaining, but it has a lot of educational value that is far from boring. This series is extremely addicting and enjoyable. The anthropomorphic characters are bursting at the seams with stereotypes and hilarity. While the main story focuses on snippets of events in WWII, the further you progress into it, the more you s...more
This is the funniest manga I have ever read! This series is of good humor while it still teaches you your history. In this book the countries are represented by humans and have there own personality that of sorts depics thus country has. For example america is a loud, obnoxious, can not feel the mood in the room, hero obsessed, idiot. Canada is a soft spoken, often invisbl to other characters, very polite country where no one even knows his name. You learn very interesting things while laughing...more
Best manga I've read so far! But if you have Netflix, I definitely recommend watching Hetalia over reading the manga.
The premise for Hetalia is that all the European/Asian/North American countries involved in WWII are personified as little boys, and the history of Europe is told through the interactions between these incarnations.
It's really fascinating to see the different stereotypes from a Japanese perspective, and to see something like WWII stripped of the larger than life personalities lik...more
The premise for Hetalia is that all the European/Asian/North American countries involved in WWII are personified as little boys, and the history of Europe is told through the interactions between these incarnations.
It's really fascinating to see the different stereotypes from a Japanese perspective, and to see something like WWII stripped of the larger than life personalities lik...more
Aug 02, 2011
Jody Mena
added it
This book is beyond hilarious, it takes political satire to a whole new level - along with cultural stereotypes, but it was still really funny! I laughed all the way through! I love the anthropomorphic allegory in which each nation is a character in the story, it just makes it all the funnier to see watch the character development. The actions and developments were exponentially funnier because it is all parody. My personal favorite was Finland showing up at the end dressed as Santa Claus... I a...more
"VODKAAAAA!!!!"
I know, some of you would be like "this isn't history blablabla" but if you really think abouf it, some traits, events, acts, are rather logically representing each countries. For example, the easiest one: Italy and Germany's bromance = their sercure alliance during WW2. Some may have been exaggerated, but some may have been correct, like how Belarus really want to marry Russia = how people in Belarus want to be a part of Russia.
Anyways, I recommend this whether for pure entertain...more
I know, some of you would be like "this isn't history blablabla" but if you really think abouf it, some traits, events, acts, are rather logically representing each countries. For example, the easiest one: Italy and Germany's bromance = their sercure alliance during WW2. Some may have been exaggerated, but some may have been correct, like how Belarus really want to marry Russia = how people in Belarus want to be a part of Russia.
Anyways, I recommend this whether for pure entertain...more
This manga is insane. It made me laugh so hard I almost died by choking on my milk (I was eating Oreos at the time, while I was clicking away and that turned out to be an unwise decision; milk always goes well with Oreos, if you're wondering what it has to do with my milk). Thankfully I managed to survive the ordeal and read more.
I don't really think there's a plot they're following. It's mainly just about the characters who are people named and based on countries. I think it's a pretty sweet an...more
I don't really think there's a plot they're following. It's mainly just about the characters who are people named and based on countries. I think it's a pretty sweet an...more
1 like · like · see review
I was so excited when I got this from the library because I had already watched the anime and gotten really into the fandom and I must say that the manga didn't disapoint me, if anything it was better than I thought it would be! The scenes where Korea were taken out in the anime were even better than before! And that's saying something considering how funny they were before, I loved the part in the German Simulation one where he was rolling around on the ground and I think I might watch Stairway...more
So hilarious! I absolutely love Italy! (and of course America because of his love for food, escpecially donuts!)
I salute a goodday to you.
PASTA!
I salute a goodday to you.
PASTA!
Aug 15, 2009
Alex
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
manga fans, history buffs
A hilarious look at history that's neither politically nor historically "correct", but it's adorable and the personalities are scarily accurate.
I watched the anime series almost two months ago and found it incredibly enjoyable, so I decided to tackle the textual version to see how well the humor carries over. Though the volume itself is incredibly short, it still did a great job of captivating the comedy that I've come to adore from the Hetalia series. Plus, it did a better job of keeping events more sequential instead of jumping all over the place like in the TV series, even interjecting the occasional comic that was left out but was n...more
Hi! This is Sophia, ready to review and love~ Hetalia. So, Hetalia Axis Powers is a story about Italy, who is probably the main character and his blooming friendship with Germany and Japan. Also, the main allies, America, the U.K., France, Russia, and China appear in the story. The allies always are trying to agree or actually accomplish something besides arguing, because when ever they have a meeting they never get anything done. America is always arguing with the U.K. and France, France and th...more
Cute and clever, these charming and funny personified countries of the world interact, argue and ally in strip cartoon form in this unique manga. Provided one is aware that the countries are based on stereotypes and does not take offense at this, this is a quirky, funny read that will entertain any history student or manga enthusiast. The country characters are endearing and easy to like, and while the plot loosely follows WWI events, there story is more based on how the countries interact than...more
By Golly I just adore this book and series. It's a book where you get to laugh at the silly stereotypes of you nations and of many other nations. I book where history is somewhat accurate and you get a good laugh. I admit there are times where you may feel slightly offended but don't take it to heart. This book is very light hearted and it's meant for a good laugh. Please guys don't be afraid to ask me about it I've shared this book with at least half of the eight grade! Well hope this book catc...more
Just so the world knows, Hetalia is my most favorite manga ever. It is WW1 and WW2 plus some other random times in history, where each country is represented as a person who carries out all of their country's stereotypes. Though it may be about some serious times in history, Hetalia puts it together in a very funny way. I know some people may find it offensive to certain countries (I know Korea was especially offended and requested that it's character not be included in the anime), but it is goo...more
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Hidekaz Himaruya (日丸屋 秀和 Himaruya Hidekaz, born May 8th, 1985, in Koriyama, Fukushima) is the creator of the series Hetalia: Axis Powers (originally titled Axis Powers Hetalia in the webcomic run). He is sometimes affectionately called Papa Hima, by Hetalia fans.
Himaruya started the original Hetalia webcomic while he was attending Parsons School Of Design in New York City and continues the series...more
More about Hidekaz Himaruya...
Himaruya started the original Hetalia webcomic while he was attending Parsons School Of Design in New York City and continues the series...more
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“PASTA!!”
—
87 people liked it
“China, you run in there and bust out some crazy Shaolin kung-fu, then I'll easily capture them when they're all tired and beat up. It will mean a fight to the death. . .for you!”
—
36 people liked it
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