Hetalia Axis Powers

A manga adaptation of Hidekazu Himaruya's web-published work, the story is set in Europe between the two World Wars, using anthropomorphic characters to represent various nationalities. These characters, often bishōnen, embody stereotypes and traits associated with their respective countries. For instance, one Italian character enjoys pasta and women, a German character likes potatoes and sausages, and a character representing Japan is an anime enthusiast. The series has covered historical periods ranging from ancient times to contemporary geopolitics. The title combines the Japanese term for "useless" with the name of the country Italy.