Who is Enoshima Junko?

I saw all that Harry Potter + South Park AU going on around and I had to do this with @lilithkb , I changed the House of Kenny based on the results on Pottermore (and influenced by Mysterion too) At first Craig was Ravenclaw but I was so mad at this I decided at the end to change his House too. Tweek is in Ravenclaw cause he is a cinnamon roll talented af with an explosive mind and also he has a boggart on his closet but his parents don’t believe him

I also added Marjorine and Kevin. My girlfriend is so hype with this AU she was thinking about a big idea (i hope she turns it as a fic) where Butters made a mistake in his potion (coughCartman) so he gains his Marjorine look and dates?? Kenny (Bunny pretty much) Note: Butters is in Slytherin cause we thought Steven would had been one and if he is not in Slytherin, he sure would be grounded. So just imagine Butters with the Sorting Hat like: “Hello sir, can you please put me in Slytherin? If not, my parents will ground me, please?" 

So uhm I am so obsessed with Kenny and Butters that I made a fic??? I tried to venture with the Hanahaki trope and well, it’s called like that, Hanahaki.

Basically it’s Stan and Wendy’s wedding and Butters is going to reunite with the gang after two whole years since he went away to study Medicine at University and everything would be okay if not for the fact that he is deeply in love with Kenny and refuses to tell him about his feelings cause he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship. It’s going to be a 4 chapter long thing and I decided to make illustrations for the chapters with the main characters posing with the numbers hahaha So here’s chapter number 1 and 2 with Butters and Kenny!

I’m going to be outright with it: Unironically calling Hetalia a dying fandom is a slap in the face to those content creators still in it.

To call something dead just because you’re leaving/have already left the fandom is disrespectful on so many levels. There are still people creating content, and to have you dismiss their hobbies and interests as something doomed to fail discourages active members from contributing further to the community.

There are people struggling and working every day to get recognized, and yet you have the audacity to say that it’s dead? What gives you the right to wave off those invisible artists and writers? What gives you the right to take away the hope from those who want to get recognized? What gives you the right to declare a fandom dead when there’s people who still have a genuine and active interest in it?

Only those who have left the fandom have a dead interest in Hetalia; don’t project this onto the rest of us.

The Popularity Argument: 

I’ve seen this justification enough times that it really makes me question if people know what a fandom is. Sure, Hetalia isn’t as popular as it was years ago…SO WHAT?

A fandom is a community. A community involves personalized interactions. If you’re so pent-up on numbers, then it’s time to re-evaluate why you’re here. You shouldn’t (note the word shouldn’t, as not everyone’s the same) base your gratification from a fandom based only on numbers. The community may be smaller now; we’re tight-knit.

But that’s just it, isn’t it? We don’t have to be big to form our own little niche. If anything, it makes the experience more satisfying to know those who you interact with. I understand where others are coming from when they say that the responses aren’t the same as they used to be. However, if you’re using that same argument, activity and numbers have been on the rise lately.

Nonetheless, a fandom doesn’t have to be super popular for you to be able to enjoy it. The Hetalia fandom is just big enough where it’s still thriving with new content every single day. That hardly seems like it’s dead to me.

Yes, numbers matter, as they derive from interaction. But, if you’re really here for the fandom experience, huge numbers shouldn’t be a first priority. We’re here to fulfill and sustain meaningful relationships, not some self-validating line graph.

Why Hetalia Declined in Activity:  

I say activity, because a lot of what goes on in this fandom is smoke and mirrors. There are still a TON of people in this fandom. The only problem is that most of said people only follow accounts and can’t be bothered to like or reblog. In no way are you obligated to like or reblog content either, don’t get me wrong. Still, it’s this unwillingness to share content that’s made the fandom smaller.

In other words, people are interested in the content, but when it comes to sharing it, that interest dissipates. Everyone here has the power to make this bigger again (not that it needs to be). Regardless, it’s your call whether you want to invest that extra minute in supporting your favourite creators.  

Another problem I’ve noticed is that those who do reblog don’t use their tags. This is probably the biggest explanation as to why we’re so invisible on tumblr’s fandometer. If even half of us wrote the simple tag of “hetalia”, we’d be up there for sure.

Again, it’s your call.

“You’re still into Hetalia…?”  

I get it, I really do. Based on circus performances from mostly older members, this fandom has a horrible reputation. What I don’t understand is how that horrible reputation somehow translates into it being embarrassing to like the series. The actions of others should not be reflective of the entire fandom.

Which brings me to my next point. Yes, Hetalia is based on stereotypes. It’s inevitably biased, and I admit, some of the earlier content could have been executed with a lot more research and sensitivity on Hima’s part. Point is, that was over a decade ago, and his new content has proven that he’s learned from these mistakes.

It would be impossible for Hima to create a series using this medium without necessitating the need for stereotypes. What a lot of people don’t seem to quite get is that stereotypes are conceptual tools; that is, they’re flexible.

What’s wonderful about this fandom is that Hima’s general use of stereotypes allows fans to step in and add their own personal touches and corrections to the characters.

Also, I cannot stress this enough, but this series promotes peace, not war. It’s easy to look at the series’ summary and automatically think: “They’re glorifying Germany during WW2!”

NO! Not once have they ever promoted fascism. There’s zero insignia shown, nor is any of the horrors that happened covered. What the strips do show is the nations fighting each other, as is what happens in war. More importantly is that the nations have been shown on countless occasions to abandon wartime rivalries and act as friends above all else.

I mean, the series’ theme is literally “Draw a circle, that’s the Earth.”

You can’t honestly tell me that this isn’t pushing for worldwide consolidation as opposed to division.

Why Hetalia has Remained: 

Hetalia has remained as one of the most versatile fandoms out there. You have both human and nation AUs that can be recreated and re-formulated over and over again. On top of that, you have 11+ years of canon character information to work with. The fandom is full of depth, flexibility, and future potentialities for people to explore new ideas with the characters.

You don’t typically see this with other fandoms. Usually there’s one big boom. Then people realize that they don’t have all that much to work with and move on. People haven’t completely moved on from Hetalia because it’s still rich enough to keep producing new content from it.

Likewise, not many other fandoms provide the motivation to engage in learning about the world and its history. Hetalia made me want to learn more about what I was reading.

And before anyone says “Hetalia is simple, there’s nothing to it”, I implore you to reconsider. If you really pay attention to the inner workings of Hima’s craft, you’ll find countless inter-texts, foreshadowing, easter eggs, and dark themes running all throughout it.

To Those Leaving the Fandom:

Thank you for all the content you’ve created for us, truly. I wish you all the best. But, if you do leave, all I ask is that you respect those who are still in it.

Just because you’re leaving, doesn’t mean that the fandom has died. It just means that you’ve lost interest. Please don’t attribute this loss of interest to a fandom that’s “dead.” If anything, it’s because of lower numbers and activity. 

To dismiss us as dead means that you’re overlooking those who are still here. Not only that, but if you had a large enough following, you’re ruining the aspirations of those who idolized you.

Leave behind your legacy with class. Set a good example. Allow those to eventually climb up to the peak you reached in the fandom rather than tearing it down and frightening others into leaving with you too.

…

With all that said, I want those reading this to remember one thing. We’re still a community. We’re in Hetalia because we share a common interest.

This time I might just disappear This time I might just dis- 

(moomoo moo moo moo moomoo moo moo moo OH HHH YEAH)

Mystery Skulls is just too good to be true and Ghost MV is amazing and Lewis is PERFECTION I SAY

It’s plainly obvious. Heiman is a toxic relationship. 

Heidi and Cartman were built on false pretenses, and therefore doomed to fail. Cartman’s a bad boyfriend. He’s terrible to her. We all want it to end.

But I think in our rush to see this bad thing that made us all so uncomfortable be done with, for it all to just go away, we forget what this relationship was like before it all went sour.

In our need to see Cartman return to his normal self, we never really stopped to look at his relationship with Heidi. How it functioned. We all just said, “bad. fake.” and waited for it to end.

I don’t know HOW many times I’ve heard “Cartman is incapable of being in a relationship unless he’s controlling the person, and Heiman proves that.” And that just bugged me. And I realized why.

Because Cartman WAS in a good relationship. And to start off with, it was a shaky foundation, sure, but nonetheless, he proved that he CAN be a kind, supportive person. 

In season 20 one of their biggest strengths as a couple was communication. They’d tell each other their plans, their hopes and dreams, even their worries. And it worked like a functional relationship. Cartman was relaxed. He hardly stressed out about anything. Hell, he didn’t even get mad when Kyle reminded him of the confrontation that alienated him from the group he was a part of. It was just so far out of his mind that he didn’t care. He was in a good place. And he would do anything to conserve that.

The Mars analogy in season 20 is symbolic of his relationship. A completely alien world to him, but one to make his own. He feels like he’s walking on air, and he’s mesmerized. 

And it’s not as if this relationship only benefited Cartman. Heidi was encouraged to realize how smart she was.

Whenever she was discouraged, Cartman told her it was unwarranted. To “get over” herself, which is a perfectly sound piece of advice. Her doubt was the only thing standing in her way. In the end she realized she was so smart that she could help a fucking space program create a massive amount of energy. 

It was a mutually beneficial relationship.

However, I do want to say that I personally believe this relationship was doomed to fail. simply because, as we see in Cartman’s Mars vision, Heidi is MILES away from Cartman. He doesn’t feel legitimately close to her, and that would’ve surfaced without anyone’s interference. 

 So let’s dive a little deeper in. Let’s ask the most obvious of questions.

What does Cartman think of relationships? 

 I’m sure most people would say “He thinks partners are supposed to be like Alexa.” 

But the answer is actually directly given to us, way back in season 16. 

In an earlier post I explain that Cupid Me is a manifestation of what Cartman considers love. 

Cartman tells cupid me that he believes in him, and that love can change everything. Very strong feelings about love.  

A bit surprising from Cartman, huh? But before the naysayers start insisting that “Cartman Finds Love was out of character!!!” I should tell you that Cartman has consistently admired the concept of love throughout other episodes

 In The Ring when Kenny gets with a girl named Tammy Warner, Cartman is invested in Kenny’s relationship and comments on how it’s “kind of beautiful.”

 In Tweek x Craig he is so invested in their relationship that he fantasizes about assisting them when they need it. In “Where My Country Gone?” he encourages Butters to pull a Lion King 2, while having an affectionate expression while Butters wooes Charlotte. 

 It’s entirely consistent that Cartman loves the concept of love and has specific ideals of what those should be. And it’s NOT an Alexa. Ironically he does ask Alexa what love is, which is sad to say the least. But he does understand at the end of that episode that what he has with Heidi isn’t love. 

But the point is, back when he thought he loved Heidi, he was pretty damn good at expressing it. 

Compliments.

Patience. 

Positivity, 

Support, 

Cooperation, 

and most of all, communication. 

 If Cartman is so incapable of showing love to anything unless he has complete control over it, how and why did he do that FOR AN ENTIRE SEASON? I mean seriously people. It’s not like he was possessed. He wasn’t being threatened. He genuinely believed he loved Heidi, and he had no problems spending time with her. Because he WANTED to.

And what he gave Heidi was probably one of the best relationships you can get as a 4th grader. I mean compare it to any other relationship we’ve seen on south park. Heiman – despite being obnoxious to those who know the “real Cartman,” – is easily the best a 4th grade boy has treated a 4th grade girl in this series. EASILY. It’s no wonder we see Heidi in the 21st season so desperately wanting her Cartman back.

That is – her reflection back. 

Because as cupid me says, “People who are the same belong together,” right? So that’s what Cartman did. Cartman and Heidi were polar opposites. So in order for Heidi and Cartman to work, Cartman became like her. 

Don’t get it twisted, this doesn’t mean he was lying about believing he liked her. It doesn’t mean he’s “faking” because he’s “manipulating her into liking him.” Everyone does this. Everyone in a relationship mimics their partner to some extent. Because the more we admire someone, the more we find ourselves taking on their qualities. Their laughs, their nervous habits, their interests, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Cartman’s reason for taking on her traits isn’t all involuntary though. You can see several times where Cartman gets shifty eyed, that he’s putting on a front. But the front is genuinely for the sake of conserving the relationship. 

And, for the record, the fact that when talking to Butters Cartman continues to put on his soft-spoken, well-mannered demeanor that he finds it admirable in Heidi. Note the shift in his voice. 

He wants that demeanor from Heidi because he believes it’s part of what makes her so likable. 

In this relationship, Heidi is the one being imitated because she’s the one being admired. She is the one making actions, and Cartman is the making reactions.  And in turn, she is functionally the one in control. Cartman takes control and pushes her to do things, it’s just in his nature to be assertive, but he too understands that when it’s all said and done, her whims are the deciding factor in the relationship.

And, he understands that if he wanted any semblance of a shot with this likable person, he couldn’t act like himself. When Kyle talks about “the old Cartman,” Cartman fidgets and takes a sip of his drink, subtly hiding his anxiousness that Kyle would even mention that in front of Heidi. Then he continuously changes the subject to distract Kyle. 

And this is where it all starts to go to shit.

Kyle is the first person to create/quicken the downfall of Cartman’s relationship (because of course he is.). When Kyle threatens to expose the meanest parts of Cartman’s personality, Cartman panics. 

We know now that if Heidi did see those things Cartman said their relationship could have easily recovered. Her patience with him is unmatched. It’s interesting that Cartman placed Heidi in such high regard that he thought her knowing he criticized a group of women would fuck him over. 

Shame is definitely not a new thing for Cartman, but shame towards his entire personality is. Cartman is so terrified of losing the relationship that he won’t risk being himself. He knows he’s lucky as fuck to have her, so much that he tries to go to a whole other god damn planet just to keep them together.

And what’s interesting about this is that the whole time, even though he’s lying, he still puts the care and effort into talking and expressing his feelings to Heidi. He doesn’t want her to worry, but to some extent, he can’t help but open up to her.

And this might seem like a minor thing, since he’s still lying to her and all, but it’s a polar opposite to his distance and refusal to communicate in season 21.

This is why I insist that the amount of heart that Cartman put into the relationship before shit hit the fan is praiseworthy. He’s putting effort and care into someone like he’s never done before. And it’s amazing.

And then Butters came along with a dialogue. 

The truth is girls hate us, Eric. They’re sick of our shit. And one day, they plan to make us obsolete, stick us underground where we just get milked for our semen. Boys’ only hope is to start over on Mars.

Which matched Cartman’s initial dialogue. 

The icing on the cake is, Butters also predicted that Heidi was doing all this to fuck him over.

That’s how it ends, Eric. Girls get you to feel for them, make you think they’re the best thing in the world, and then they leave, move on to the next thing; and you’re left there crying, with your heart covered in poop.

And for Cartman, who secretly glorifies and holds in such high regard – love – this resonates with him. Because his self-esteem is actually garbage. He knows he will never be with anyone, because he’s him.

In that sense, is it really so far fetched for Cartman to believe that Heidi was just playing an elaborate trick on him?

But Cartman, so genuinely enamored with Heidi, fights this initially. 

That is Cartman’s test. In order to prove to everybody (to himself) that Heidi is in fact, not tricking him, she must be smart and funny, which he believes she is. 

This of course, makes him nervous. He doesn’t want to believe that what he thinks about Heidi isn’t based in reality. Because to him, that would mean that Heidi is tricking him.

Cartman genuinely believes that Heidi is smart. You can see his two reactions here of what he thinks about both of those qualities in Heidi, respectively. 

When Heidi asks if Cartman believes she’s smart, Cartman doesn’t need any time to think about it. But when she asks about being funny, you can see his brain working, trying to search his memories of when she was ever funny. 

Because he’s so enamored with her, he laughs at whenever she says something mildly goofy. But when he looks back on it, it’s never funny. It’s so not funny that he can’t remember what the joke was.

But the concept of faulty memory is thrown out the window when he realizes that nothing she said would’ve been funny in real time. 

He genuinely thought she was funny. He equated his smiles and laughs of joy to her being funny. But with the rose colored glasses off, his claim of her not manipulating him falls apart in his eyes.

So by the end of the season, when all is said and done, we of course are left with a bitter, cold Cartman, who wants nothing to do with Heidi. 

In our first impression we might’ve said that he was buying into a conspiracy that Butters sold him, and is forcing the idea that she betrayed him because he wanted to believe the conspiracy.

But that’s not what this is. 

This is Cartman convinced that no one would ever genuinely like him. That of course after all he’s done, the only reason anyone would ever be with him, under any circumstance, would be doing it simply to trick him. And everything that Heidi made him feel, like the idea that she could make him laugh by saying anything, even though it wasn’t funny, was all part of her plan to bring him high up and watch him crash to the ground. 

Not because he actually believes that women want to milk men’s semen. The smart and funny test had nothing to do with that. 

His actions now aren’t him mistreating Heidi because he just can’t help himself. He proved for an entire season that he can. His actions are out of resentment.

In s21e01 he’s simply non-confrontational. He tries to make it work at minimum capacity – minimal communication, spending very little time with her, but her nagging makes him resentful. And yes, he places himself as the victim in this situation. In his paranoid mind, he is being unresponsive to not give her the pain she wants. Because he still feels for her. (I think that’s why he can’t decide whether or not he wants to break up with her.) 

But when she pushes, he lashes out. He hates talking about this relationship he once thought was great. But at the same time, he doesn’t want it to go away. Just the status of being in a relationship makes him feel good. He feels needed. He feels trapped, in that sense, and in turn even more angry that that “bitch” is trapping him.

But really it’s him struggling with his emotions, and she happens to be caught in the middle of it.

What Cartman does to Heidi is sad, and definitely sadistic. And to him it feels justified. But at the same time, I think he still believes the statement he blurted in the midst of his panic.

In his sadistic, projecting, paranoid little head, Heidi already accomplished what she sought out to do. Lift him up and knock him down.

For that brief moment in his life, he really experienced something beautiful.

And now it’s over. 

Because he destroyed it.