Episode 46: Medieval England's Clothes And Hair

The forty-sixth episode of Hetalia: Axis Powers was broadcast on December 4th, 2009. It adapts Medieval England's Clothes And Hair, an Extra Story that was reprinted in volume 2 of the published manga, along with a strip from the third webcomic chapter, G-R Nonaggression Pact?

Mine Test
Germany orders Italy to plant a landmine inside enemy territory without being caught. As he tries to warn Italy about being in Russian territory, Italy wanders off and plants the mine, but winds up with a Soviet tank after him. Germany frantically orders him to retreat.

English Fashion In The Middle Ages
A younger England is shown standing in tall grass (with a rabbit), as the narrator states that it is the 11th century. They explain that in England, growing out one's hair like the French was the new fad, because the king loved French culture.

France approaches England, smirking over how "puny" he still is. He asks when England will change his "unsophisticated" hairstyle, but an annoyed England tells him that the bishop said only women should grow out their hair. France laughs at him and informs him that long hair is the new trend, and that it's a sign of nobility. After asking England what he thinks of his hair, he suggests that England should look cool too and departs, laughing at him. England screams and claims that he's not jealous of France, but sees his reflection in a pond and wonders if he really looks that unsophisticated.

England then finds himself on the run from an angered bishop, who chases after him with a sword and orders him to cut his hair. The narrator explains that after many narrow escapes, England finally managed to grow his hair out.

England runs down a hall with his cloak pulled over his head, as the bishop continues to give chase. He finds a mirror and decides to remove his hood, but finds that his hair is not only incredibly long, but messy as well.

France discovers England in a field and freaks out over his long bushy hair, stating that he mistook him for a "golden caterpillar" and grabbing him by the head.

Me and Goldy
France smirks and explains that England can't expect to be cool by simply growing his hair, as he sits England down in a chair to give him a haircut. He says that he never expected England to try to imitate his look, and cuts his hair, giving him a hairstyle similar to his own. But England decides he wants a different style, since he "hates" France and doesn't want to look like him. France gives him another haircut, and asks him how he likes it. Though England doesn't hate it, he remembers that there was someone in France's distant family that had the same style (Switzerland).

England decides to leave it to France to find a "cool" style for him, and imagines himself with long flowing hair. However, when France is done cutting his hair, England finds that his "new" style is actually the same one he had at the start. France says that it's the style that looked best on him, and runs off laughing as England screams after him again.

Character Appearances

 * Italy
 * Germany
 * England/UK
 * France
 * Bishop (St. Wulfstan)

Voice Cast

 * Narrator: Yuki Kaida
 * Italy: Daisuke Namikawa
 * Germany: Hiroki Yasumoto
 * England/UK: Noriaki Sugiyama
 * France: Masaya Onosaka
 * Bishop: Go Inoue

English Dub Cast

 * Narrator: Jamie Marchi
 * Italy: Todd Haberkorn
 * Germany: Patrick Seitz
 * Britain: Scott Freeman
 * France: J. Michael Tatum

Trivia

 * The segment before the opening sequence is from G-R Nonaggression Pact?, and originally took place after the segment with America and England in the bar (which was featured in Episode 26.


 * This episode only adapts the first portion of the strip, involving England's haircut. The second portion involves France's style of fashion, and includes cameos by Spain and the younger Romano.


 * Though the bishop in the episode is not named, the original footnotes in the strip identify him as St. Wulfstan, the Bishop of Worcester. The king mentioned by the narrator is meant to be St. Edward the Confessor, who was half-Norman, was raised in Normandy, and preferred the Norman-French lifestyle.


 * While France looked much younger in the manga strip, his child design in the anime seems to have been recycled from his teenage one, at least in his head.


 * In the mobile streaming, the episode ran 47 seconds longer due to pre- and post-show bumpers featuring Germany, as well as a commercial for Hetalia: Sound World.