America

America アメリカ
Name:	The United States of America
Human Name:	Alfred F.Jones (アルフレッド・F・ジョーンズ, Arufureddo F. Joonzu)
Alternative Spelling(s):	N/A
Age:	19
Gender:	Male
Birthday:	July 04
Hair Color:	Blond
Eye Color:	Blue
Height:	177 cm (5'9 ft est)
First Appearance (volume):	Volume 1
First Appearance (strip):	Chapter 2: Allied Forces
First Appearance (anime):	Episode 01
Japanese VA:	Katsuyuki Konishi, Ryoko Shimizu (Young America, drama CD "Prologue"), Ai Iwamura (Young America, anime)
English VA:	Eric Vale

America (アメリカ, Amerika) is a main character in the series Axis Powers Hetalia/Hetalia: Axis Powers and leads the Allied Forces. In 2008, Himaruya gave out human names to some of the characters and he recieved the name, Alfred F. Jones (アルフレッド・F・ジョーンズ, Arufureddo F. Joonzu).

Appearance

He has short blond hair, with an ahoge, representing Nantucket, sticking up and blue eyes. He wears a tan uniform and a brown bomber jacket with a '50' on the back (for the fifty states). His glasses are said to represent the state of Texas. America is often shown holding a hamburger or a large-sized soft drink (usually a cola) and flashing a thumbs-up.

When America initially appeared in the webcomic, his hair was drawn smoother, parted in the center, and he had no ahoge. Eventually as the art style changed, Himaruya added in the strand and made America's hair slightly wilder. America also was shown to have his pants tucked into his boots in older designs, but more modern artwork depicts him wearing his pants over the boots.

Personality And Interests

America is a cheerful, energetic, yet somewhat conceited young man who is obsessed with heroes, justice, and freedom. He has the habit of sticking his nose into everyone else's business, which causes him to have difficulty making friends. He loves hamburgers and junk food, and can even eat strange and inedible things due to inheriting England's sense of taste (or lack thereof). America is also known for not being aware of how "the atmosphere" is when he's around others(which, at one point, he was told to read it), but it has been noted that it is not that he lacks the ability to "assess the situation", he simply chooses not to. His profile states that his hobbies are sports, games, and making movies. Furthermore, in the side-story Black Ships Have Come, in introducing himself to Japan, he states that his hobbies are "quick-draw, archaeology, and adventures" (which is translated to Japan as America's hobby being lechery). He possesses an abnormal amount of strength, shown even as a child by easily swinging a full-grown buffalo around, and has been once seen running around dragging a heavy SUV, belonging to England, behind him for an hour in order to ask permission to borrow it.

America is shown to be ignorant of the geography outside his own home, believing that maps of the United States are a "world map" and believes that he can simply get to other countries by car travel. He is shown becoming concerned about his weight in the strip Supersize You! and it is mentioned that he's invented strange diet machines as well as becoming obsessed with exercise (which has caused him to become paranoid about his rising weight, as he is unaware of his building muscle). As America is obsessed with heroes and happy endings, he hopes that his future will be that way.

Though he is friends with an alien named Tony, he doesn't believe in England's magical friends, the fairies or unicorns.

Relationships

England/UK/Britian

Main Article: England

America was discovered as a small child by England, who adopted him and raised him as his younger brother, caring for him with adoration and teaching him how to be a nation. When the Revolutionary War came, America declared his independence and split from England, creating a huge rift between the two that still is present, if only less severe. As part of the Allied Forces, they manage to work together, although England often disagrees with the unusual ideas that America presents and America teases England about everything from his cooking, his style of dress, and his "old" age. They are shown to be always bickering but it is hinted the two truly care for one another.

Canada

Main Article: Canada

America's kind-hearted brother, who is frequently overshadowed by him and has even been mistaken for him more than once. America and the other nations also tend to forget that he exists, but there are times, such as in Episode 44, where Canada comes to talk to America, and America has no trouble recognizing him and seeing him. They seem to have a healthy sibling relationship, despite Canada's passive aggressive resentment and America's cluelessness.

Japan

Main Article: Jpan

Because Japan is always interfering in others' affairs, his only real friends tend to be Japan, Lithuania, and England. They both share a love of technology and videogames and are frequently at each others houses to play them together.

Lithuania

Main Article: Lithuania

After falling into poverty due to WWI, Lithuania started to work for America as his housekeeper, finding himself a happy freedom in the process. When the Great Depression hit, Lithuania found himself having to return back home with Russia.

It seems like Lithuania actually cares for America since in Episode 29 he asks Russia about him, although a trembling Estonia interrupts to remind him that he can't talk to Russia about America.

In the Anime

America in the anime

America first appeared at the beginning of Episode 01 where he announced his plan to stop global warming. In Episode 06, he briefly appeared where he was spying on the Axis Powers and later roasting marshmallows. In Episode 07, he was attempting to announce his plan to take down the Axis Powers, but no one could understand him, due to him eating and drinking while speaking. He appears again in Episode 09, fully explaining his plan of being the hero while the other Allies serve as support.

America had a brief cameo in Episode 11, as he attempted to talk to Arthur about something, but wound up confused when he saw that the other man appeared to be interacting with thin air. He later appears in the supermarket line in Episode 14, laughing rather loudly.

America's childhood is spotlighted numerous times in the anime, including Episode 25 and Episode 39 and Episode 40, which tells of how France and England battled each other over his ownership.

In a minor difference from the manga design, the '50' was left off of America's jacket in the anime adaptation.

Trivia

• Although commonly referred to as America, some merchandise refers to him by the full term United States Of America, or simply U.S. for short.
• His birthday corresponds with the Independence Day of July 4th, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was approved.
• "Jones" is one of the most common surnames in the United States (as is "Smith" and "Williams"). "Alfred F." is most probably an allusion to Alfred E. Neuman. It is also possible that his name is a reference to the USS Alfred, the first ship to fly the Grand Union Flag. The man who hoisted the flag was John Paul Jones. It is also possible that 'Jones' refers to the action movie hero Indiana Jones, as America has stated that one of his own hobbies is archaeology. In some fanart, he is often portrayed with a rabbit, as "U.S.A." can also be "usa", which means "bunny" in Japanese. The child version of America was also shown to have a bunny following him, when he first met the older nations.
• According to Himaruya, America's personality was based off of his teacher's. The same teacher is said to have a strong disinterest in world geography. Meanwhile, America's appearance is based off of that of a Canadian that Himaruya met when he went to America.
• In a set of character notes, it is revealed that America has mingled a lot with Germanic blood, and that he was insecure for having no history of his own before England adopted him.
• It is a source of debate among fans as to whether it is America or Canada that is the older of the two brothers (with Hidekaz Himaruya having not confirmed a set age difference between the two). A common fanon assumption is that the two are twins, due to their similarities and the fact that Matthew is easily mistaken for America (due to having the same face), though the two do not share the same day of birth, though supporters of the twin theory point out the nations' birthdays merely refer to their date of independence or unification, and that a "nation" may not have an official birthday in the same sense as humans.
• Notes in the special edition booklet for Hetalia: Axis Powers volume 3 revealed that America was originally intended to be smarter and more cocky, but evolved into a louder heroic-wannabe type of character. Himaruya noted that in retrospect, the original character personality would have been harder to use.