Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia I only own my oc
The Hetalia fandom is known as the most hated fandom of anime. This thought is due to all of the immature fans of Hetalia who are ignorant and do not realize that certain things they do or create can easily offend other people. Actions like not doing research on a country Hetalia oc or following bad assumptions like France is a perverted Rapist and that Spain is a pedophile for Romano. These types of thoughts are wrong and offensive. This fanfic is a survival guide on how to be a good and proper Hetalia fan.
Rule number 1. Research your OC
Never ever create an oc for a country without doing the proper research. Research is the most important key aspect for all country ocs. For example a writer wants to personify an African country like Jamaica or Haiti. You do NOT want the color of their skin to be white. That is called whitewashing. What does Africa have? People who have brown skin. So keep it that way. Secondly, countries do not fall in love with other countries that they have little to no relations with. Look up to see what your oc country has a relationship with. Then decide the logical aspect that he/she has special ties to.
State ocs have it bad in this fandom. America's states are not in love with a European country or each other. Hetalia is not just about stereotypes it is mixed with culture and history and not just what Himaruya showed in the manga and anime. Those are only one aspect of the characters. Liking Hetalia means you can learn to enjoy learning and researching history about your most beloved and favorite countries. Himaruya can only do so much for us so we have to do our part and go in depth of who the countries really are. If Hetalia was all about history lessons without the hilarity Himaruya gave us would it be as fun? No. Research goes beyond what you see on the surface. So research your ocs culture and history in full detail and portray them correctly.
Rule number 2. Self –Inserts and Yaoi pairings
Reader Self –Inserts and Yaoi pairings for canon characters is at the center stage of all Hetalia Fanfiction. Writers base their ocs off of themselves and either meet the Hetalia countries as themselves or as their oc country. Most self-Inserts tend to somehow immediately have the Hetalia countries fall head over heels for them and be willing to protect them at all cost without really knowing who they really are or what type of personality the oc has. That is like you walking up to a boy you like in the reality world and assume that he is in love with you and have a happily ever after. That is NOT how love works! Ocs need to be logical, fun to be around, and has a personality that isn't fun loving but is secretly/ or on the other hand crazy and psychotic when anyone makes them mad. Now moving out of self-inserts and into Yaoi pairing on canon characters.
Now many fans tend to think that their pairing is the absolute canon pairing. They tend to forget that Hetalia is NOT a yaoi. Things like this is the Fanfiction writer's own imagination. Now the only canon pairing that is actually real unlike other pairings is the Sweden/Finland pairing since Himaruya himself declared that the personification of Sweden is in fact gay. It is okay to like yaoi or any Hetalia and any type of yaoi pairing in general, just do not take it overboard and think that your pairing is canon and nothing else in the manga or anime as well as other's favorite pairing do not matter. The Hetalia Pairing Wars is a great example on that. Fans think that their pairing is better than the other and hate on that other pairing. That is not right. Everyone has a choice on what yaoi pairing they like. Just because you do not like one pairing does not mean you have to shove your likes into someone else to think the same as you. That is very rude.
Rule number 3. Cosplay and photo shoots at anime Conventions
For every anime fan there are cosplayers. Fans who dress up as one or multiple characters and video tape them to upload onto YouTube. Many fans enjoy this and enjoy having other anime fans watch them act as their character they Cosplay as. Cosplay may be fun, but there are people out there who are just plain cruel. If you are a cosplayer then you will understand what can go on. There are people who are mean to other cosplayers and bashing them because they did not portray the character as how they want it or he/she is too fat to act as that character. That kind of behavior and actions are not appropriate for any fandom in general. Fans no matter what they look like skinny or not let them cosplay as whoever they want. Let them enjoy themselves and be who they are.
Photo shoots at anime conventions are fun to do, but Hetalia fans need to be extra careful as to what they do and show. Since Hetalia shows mostly WWII scenes, and many people have the war still fresh in their minds, as fans of the show, being respectful is key. Instances such as the Anime Boston incident should not happen anymore. Think before you act Hetalia cosplayers!
Rule number 4. No Hating and Bashing female Characters
All of you at some point hated one or two characters from a cartoon or anime. Some take it too far. Many Hetalia fans despise or dislike female Hetalia countries because they " Get in the way of my UsUK or FrUk pairing or even a Spamano pairing. That reason in general is wrong and illogical. Why did Himaruya create female personifications of certain countries? For the fans to despise and hate on them? No. Do you all want Hetalia to ONLY be about MEN? No. It is OKAY to just dislike a character because you do not agree with their personality or a certain behavior that you do not like. Not for illogical reasons like She gets in the way of your romantic fantasy with a male Hetalia character. Poor Seychelles has is the worst.
A/N: This fanfic was created to let other writers know of the immaturity that goes on in the Hetalia fandom. I do not hate ocs at all and I myself have created ocs for this fandom and sure they are not perfect and one is in a complete character revamp by my own choice. All ocs have potential if the creators just have the enthusiasm and motivation and the proper care and respect for them. All of these are based off what I saw in the Hetalia fandom. I want all new and old Hetalia fans to realize and be aware as to what your actions can cause if done wrongly. Hetalia is a great anime and I want the fandom to better themselves so that Hetalia will be liked and respected as an anime by other people. If we want them to change their perspective we have to change ourselves for the better as well.
