rainwaterspark (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rainwaterspark) wrote2009-05-24 06:54 pm
rainwaterspark) wrote2009-05-24 06:54 pm
Entry tags:
Arr! (Don't ask)
Anime Boston was freakin' awesome. Since I'm going to college relatively nearby, I'm really hoping I can go again next year. Oh, and the Hetalia panel was AMAZING.
Speaking of Hetalia...
One of my absolute favorite MADs is this one.
It's about Germany and Prussia, though mainly Prussia. It's beautifully done, and the artwork is gorgeous. (Also, it's not (overtly) about any romantic relationships, which suits my taste more.)
The exact message is somewhat ambiguous, although my personal interpretation (not saying it's the only correct one) is this: It's about Prussia disappearing sometime after the unification of Eastern and Western Germany, as Prussia isn't, well, a country anymore. Prussia might be realizing he will disappear when he stares down at his hand (which, presumably, is paler than usual or something like that...) So Prussia is reflecting on the good times he had together with his brother and feels reluctant to leave, but in the end he accepts with his characteristic smile. Germany suddenly looks back, realizing Prussia isn't there anymore, and goes to look for him, except Prussia of course isn't anywhere to be found. (I saw Germany looking at his hand as realizing Prussia had known he would vanish, but Germany hadn't known at the time.) Prussia, though, finally reappears (why? I haven't yet thought of an answer. Maybe he's just too awesome to get rid of XD), and the German brothers are reunited again, with tears from both sides.
I really love the subtle emotions portrayed in the MAD (by the way, I still haven't figured out what that stands for). If not in canon, Gilbert has the potential to be quite a complex character, as the MAD clearly shows. And there's far too little of the brothers' interactions in the webcomic (and Prussia himself in the anime T_T), so I've always been interested in fanworks exploring their relationship.
(Cue start of ramblings)
While Prussia/Gilbert seems to be a crazy psycho who loves to laugh and make mischief, he appears to have a lonelier, more contemplative side (both inferred from the webcomics and some of Himaruya's portraits of him on "Oresama no Site"--I mean, that expression is not exactly Hooligan Gilbert). There's also the fact that he technically shouldn't exist anymore, plus the occupation of East Germany by the Soviet Union...if Gilbert does represent E. Germany now. People have argued no because of the geographical inaccuracy. I support the theory for several reasons:
1. He calls Ludwig "West." Yes, I know Prussia is still east of Germany, but calling Ludwig "West" instead of "Germany" implies that they have a closer relationship than the normal one between nations (cf. Lovino calls Feliciano Veneziano, not Northern Italy), so they may in some sense be one entity. Also, I'm assuming Hidekaz Himaruya would not have planned for Prussia to call Germany "West" without taking into account the connotations and obvious conclusions from that word.
2. As mentioned in "Oresama no Site" (the April Fools' joke on Himaruya's blog), Prussia lives in Germany's house.
3. Gilbert hates Ivan. Even though it seems that relatively few people like Russia, it still seems to support the Prussia -> E. Germany theory.
4. Someone else has said this on LJ, but Prussia was several things before becoming Prussia. He was the Teutonic Knights, some Order, a bunch of other random things...in short, having him simply represent a different area in the present day wouldn't be unfitting with his history.
5. ...Let's face it, as much as we love Hetalia, it isn't known for a particularly great record in terms of historical accuracy. XD
If Prussia still exists, Himaruya had to come up with some reason for his still being around...otherwise, he'd have gone the way of Roman Empire/Germania/HRE. (Even if HRE is Germany, he at least got amnesia.)
Er, sorry, went off topic a little. In short, Prussia's one of my favorite characters. It could have something to do with the fact that he doesn't actually get a ton of screen time, so there are a lot of things we don't know about his character, but I'm going to say until proven otherwise that he is deeper than the maniacal hooligan he appears on the surface.
I may post with more about AB later. I have to go to dinner now.
Speaking of Hetalia...
One of my absolute favorite MADs is this one.
It's about Germany and Prussia, though mainly Prussia. It's beautifully done, and the artwork is gorgeous. (Also, it's not (overtly) about any romantic relationships, which suits my taste more.)
The exact message is somewhat ambiguous, although my personal interpretation (not saying it's the only correct one) is this: It's about Prussia disappearing sometime after the unification of Eastern and Western Germany, as Prussia isn't, well, a country anymore. Prussia might be realizing he will disappear when he stares down at his hand (which, presumably, is paler than usual or something like that...) So Prussia is reflecting on the good times he had together with his brother and feels reluctant to leave, but in the end he accepts with his characteristic smile. Germany suddenly looks back, realizing Prussia isn't there anymore, and goes to look for him, except Prussia of course isn't anywhere to be found. (I saw Germany looking at his hand as realizing Prussia had known he would vanish, but Germany hadn't known at the time.) Prussia, though, finally reappears (why? I haven't yet thought of an answer. Maybe he's just too awesome to get rid of XD), and the German brothers are reunited again, with tears from both sides.
I really love the subtle emotions portrayed in the MAD (by the way, I still haven't figured out what that stands for). If not in canon, Gilbert has the potential to be quite a complex character, as the MAD clearly shows. And there's far too little of the brothers' interactions in the webcomic (and Prussia himself in the anime T_T), so I've always been interested in fanworks exploring their relationship.
(Cue start of ramblings)
While Prussia/Gilbert seems to be a crazy psycho who loves to laugh and make mischief, he appears to have a lonelier, more contemplative side (both inferred from the webcomics and some of Himaruya's portraits of him on "Oresama no Site"--I mean, that expression is not exactly Hooligan Gilbert). There's also the fact that he technically shouldn't exist anymore, plus the occupation of East Germany by the Soviet Union...if Gilbert does represent E. Germany now. People have argued no because of the geographical inaccuracy. I support the theory for several reasons:
1. He calls Ludwig "West." Yes, I know Prussia is still east of Germany, but calling Ludwig "West" instead of "Germany" implies that they have a closer relationship than the normal one between nations (cf. Lovino calls Feliciano Veneziano, not Northern Italy), so they may in some sense be one entity. Also, I'm assuming Hidekaz Himaruya would not have planned for Prussia to call Germany "West" without taking into account the connotations and obvious conclusions from that word.
2. As mentioned in "Oresama no Site" (the April Fools' joke on Himaruya's blog), Prussia lives in Germany's house.
3. Gilbert hates Ivan. Even though it seems that relatively few people like Russia, it still seems to support the Prussia -> E. Germany theory.
4. Someone else has said this on LJ, but Prussia was several things before becoming Prussia. He was the Teutonic Knights, some Order, a bunch of other random things...in short, having him simply represent a different area in the present day wouldn't be unfitting with his history.
5. ...Let's face it, as much as we love Hetalia, it isn't known for a particularly great record in terms of historical accuracy. XD
If Prussia still exists, Himaruya had to come up with some reason for his still being around...otherwise, he'd have gone the way of Roman Empire/Germania/HRE. (Even if HRE is Germany, he at least got amnesia.)
Er, sorry, went off topic a little. In short, Prussia's one of my favorite characters. It could have something to do with the fact that he doesn't actually get a ton of screen time, so there are a lot of things we don't know about his character, but I'm going to say until proven otherwise that he is deeper than the maniacal hooligan he appears on the surface.
I may post with more about AB later. I have to go to dinner now.