Episode 17: America's Cleaning Of The Storage, Part 1

The seventeenth episode of Hetalia: Axis Powers was broadcast on May 15th, 2009. It adapts part of the strip America's Cleaning Of The Storage (also referred to as simply Cleaning Out The Storage), as well as the strip Supersize You! from the "Extra Stories".

Cleaning Out The Storage
Lithuania, who is working for America as his housekeeper, notices that America is going to clean out a room and offers to take care of it for him. America declines, saying that it's only a little storage cleaning and that he can handle it. Lithuania decides that he'll go make coffee for America in the meantime.

America enters his storage room, setting some heavy books down on the table as he does. He notes that he hasn't set foot in the room for a century, and that it has always been hard to clean due to the memories that it holds. As he looks over at a box of toy soldiers, the scene cuts to a black screen that reads the story will be continued after the following segment:

Supersize You!
America is busy chowing down on another hamburger when England asks if he's okay eating all those burgers every day. America replies that he's fine and that since he changes the seasonings every day, he never gets bored with eating them. England says that's not the problem, then asks if America's weight and physique are okay. America insists that he's in "perfect" shape.

Later that night, America goes to weigh himself on the scale, only to find (much to his horror) that he's put on weight. He paces about, thinking to himself that perhaps he does need to diet, and that he needs to find someone that knows a good diet method, other than England. He then remembers that France is quite thin, and goes to him for advice.

The French-Style Diet
America asks France how he manages to stay so thin while eating so well. France replies that it's due to the fact that he eats in smaller portions. A quick cut to a white screen follows, as a note reads that France proceeded to teach America stuff that "shouldn't be taught", so it was cut. An angered chibi version of France pops up, wondering why. (In the drama CD, Francis proceeds to wax lyrical about 'hot and steamy night-time exercise'.)

The Chinese-Style Diet
America moves on to ask China how he keeps HIS figure. China answers that it's easy, you simply drink a lot of tea while you eat to lose weight. America, holding a cup of tea, voices how impossible it seems. However, he quickly gets another idea...

The Japanese-Style Diet
His next target for diet advice winds up being Japan, for Japan happens to be the thinnest person he knows. America asks Japan what his normal diet is usually like. A confused Japan responds that he simply eats three meals a day and has a snack in the afternoon. America, however, is shocked at hearing that.

As America sits down to eat some Japanese food, Japan wonders why America bothers to come over everyday. A note reads that America is working hard on his Japanese food diet and has even invented a special machine for it.

Memories In The Storage
The episode cuts back to the shot of the toy soldiers, as it segues into a flashback:


 * A younger America marvels over the new set of toy soldiers that England gave him. He thanks the visibly injured England, his arm in a sling, who tells him to be more careful when using a hammer next time. America notices how all the toy soldiers have different faces, while England says it's because they're all custom-made.

In the present day, the adult America stares at one of the old toy soldiers and says that he won't be needing it anymore, so he might as well throw it out. His attention is quickly diverted by an old, dust-covered formal suit as another flashback occurs:


 * A teenage America is confused at the expensive suit that England gave him, and says that it's not like he'll wear it. England responds that his wardrobe has become a mess, and that if he doesn't dress properly, it reflects badly on both of them. America says that he likes his clothes the way they are, but in the following shot, he finishes putting on the suit in front of the mirror while England exclaims that he looks better that way. An unconvinced America continues to resist, saying that the suit is too formal and that he'll wear it for special occasions.

Back in the present, America folds up the suit and decides he'll throw it out as well. He notes that there seem to be a lot of upsetting things in the room, and digs through a crate in hope of finding something worth keeping. He digs out an old musket, and thinks of putting it up as a decoration, but trails off as he notices a deep scratch mark on it.

America realizes that the mark is from "that time", long ago, as a shot of his teenage self is shown in the rain, holding the musket.

The screen cuts to black, as a note reads that the storyline will be continued...

Character Appearances

 * America
 * England/UK
 * Lithuania

Supersize You!

 * France
 * China
 * Japan

Voice Cast

 * America: Katsuyuki Konishi
 * England/UK: Noriaki Sugiyama
 * France: Masaya Onosaka
 * China: Yuki Kaida
 * Japan: Hiroki Takahashi
 * Lithuania: Ken Takeuchi
 * Young America: Ai Iwamura

Trivia

 * Although the previews for this episode were done in English and with the characters voiced by Jun'ichi Kanemaru, the actual Storage segments turned out to be in Japanese, with the usual voice cast for the characters.
 * The main storyline of this episode takes place post-WWI when Lithuania went to work for America, as shown in the Lithuania's Out-Sourcing strip series. While an abridged version of Outsourcing was adapted for the early drama CDs, the storyline was excluded from the published version of the manga. It remains to be seen if it will appear in any sort of format for the anime adaptation.
 * In the drama CD adaptation of Storage, which predated the anime, the younger version of England was voiced by a different actor, as well as the young America. In this adaptation, Noriaki Sugiyama voices the teenage England, while Ai Iwamura (who had previously voiced the younger version of Japan in Episode 16) voices the younger America.
 * In the original strip for Supersize You!, China adds that in addition to drinking tea, mutton was also good for dieting back in his day. America proceeds to pig out on Chinese food, finding it delicious, but winds up finding that he's gained more weight once he goes back to weigh himself on the scale.
 * Japan originally wore a casual outfit with suspenders in the strip when America went to ask him for diet advice. In the anime version, he instead wears his WWII naval suit.
 * This episode ran 5 minutes and 30 seconds in its Animate.TV broadcast, due to adverts for the second Hetalia character CD.