User blog comment:Ceras SanMarina/Some rants!/@comment-2004850-20100613192240

Fandom scares me, so I try to keep out. Unfortunately, people take Hetalia a bit...too seriously. It's a gag manga and is not intended to substitute for real history. However, some fans seem to have their entire views changed by it, as if the Axis Powers weren't wreaking havoc on the world and that Germany's government did nothing wrong. They'll take their racism out on characters or choose some to hate. They'll make baseless assumptions, hate female characters, or wish death about any character that "gets in the way" of an apparently canon "relationship".

I don't pair up characters. I stick with canon and occasional fanart of fanon pairings (though I'll never be able to like some pairings, such young!US and adult!UK; it's too creepy for me), and watch as rabid fans blow everything out of proportion. If you want to ship, fine, but don't kill someone who ships something else or points out that, despite whatever incessant, crazed babble you throw out, it's not canon and wont be unless Himaruya says. At this point, characters are either friends, comrades, or siblings with only a few having outright romantic relations, some of which are one-sided. I understand that there are sane shippers, but we don't hear much from them because, being sane, they aren't throwing fits every few seconds.

The thing about Wikis is that they aren't like Wikipedia. Current Wikipedia standards call for reliable sources and the amount of in-universe information is limited based on the series, article, and other factors. I can say that it was total hell searching for some Chinese sources for An Ideal World. I managed to get it to GA status with some help, but it was really difficult. Not that I disagree with that policy, of course, as it's necessary to prove the information and provides sources for someone writing a paper or whatever. Subject-specific Wikis like this one don't have the sort of information that Wikipedia does and is primarily intended for fans. The Hetalia Wikipedia page helps fans, but also provides information for someone who is entirely unfamiliar with anything Japanese. There isn't much of a point for people to say this Wiki should attempt to replicate Wikipedia. There's just too large a gap in policy, intention, and use.

I hope 2ch copies are responses, too. We may not be as fun as some of the LJ members, but our opinions are probably going to be less biased.