I don't get irked by many things, but this issue is one of the ones that irk me the most. Undeserved amepan hate has been so prevalent lately, and I sincerely don't understand. I understand the problematic aspects of it, like the atomic bombings or the fear of being called racist or an imperialist apologist when, in reality, if you give enough respect to the material and history, things like these are not your biggest concern.
I wrote TFD because the significant lack of historical exploration of amepan was genuinely killing me. Back when I first joined this fandom, I was probably one of the only writers actually creating historical amepan content. Frankly, I got very little recognition for the stories I made and posted on here on my old account or my old ao3 account, which have been deleted.
I understand amepan can be a touchy subject depending on the context in which you enjoy it. Historically, it's very rich but also very tricky to navigate if you don't know much at all. If you're planning to write their history, I recommend building a stronger foundation in the relevant subjects (e.g., WWII) before deciding to write a fic about it. Historical insensitivity has been a cornerstone of this fandom for decades; no one wants to be the dumb fujo who writes apologia for the U.S. or Imperial Japan intentionally or unintentionally.
It's why I stress nuance and knowledge. You can write Nationverse amepan with relative ease, as the source material does not delve deeply into their history at all. However, with history, you must obtain a certain level of tone and maturity when concerning both the atrocities and generally crueler parts of their combined history. Anyone willing to do this can easily write a good historical fic without violating the necessary principles of maintaining tone and respect for the original topics.
I do believe, though, we get onto the wrong ships for being "problematic" (in the context in which this word is used). People are going to pick and choose which ships to hate on—this is common in every fandom. Hetalia is no different. In fact, I'd argue certain people will loathe amepan with every fiber of their soul for being "boring" but will not give the same energy to, say, more reactionary ships like caname. They do not give the same leeway, though, for ships like caname. Incestuous ships (whether biologically related or not) truly vary with every person, and the fandom can't reach a true consensus about those ships. Personally, I think incest, both in and out of shipping, is reprehensible and deserves a lot more intolerance than it receives, especially here where people will actively defend shipping sworn brothers.
Amepan can be problematic, but it doesn't deserve the hatred it elicits, especially when it exists in conjunction with rusame. I personally like rusame in certain contexts. However, what I do not like is shippers feeling the need to compare the two and claim one is better than the other. In their respective contexts, they are equally good ships worthy of praise and criticism.
In general, amepan shippers, I feel, are a little too comfortable with this ship. It's true, WWII and its tension were inevitable, and it disheartens me to know people still refuse to see that. They don't have to like it, of course, but acknowledging that, yes, amepan is a complex ship when people actually take the time to delve deeper, is important. Amepan shippers just don't feel the need to venture outside that comfort zone of fluff and smut when it could be so much more than that. I'd argue our haters do have one point—we are boring.
We don't give any new shippers a reason to believe amepan is any more interesting than the canon material, which captures the friendliness of modern-day JPUS relationships but not the tensions, the rivalries, and the atrocities both have committed in the names of their nations. So, of course, given we do not venture outside our comfort zones, we don't grow as a group—we remain stagnant, stuck in the past, dare I say. I can't tell if there is a real difference in the amepan fandom in 2014 vs. 2026, because there's not any worth noting.
I do believe that the hate this ship receives is made out of ignorance and not necessarily genuine dislike of the ship. If all haters see is mindless fluff and offensive smut, then all they see is mindless fluff and offensive smut. The shippers have also been criticized for fetishism in the past, so it's no wonder that many shippers nowadays view us as Orientalists or fetishists when it comes to Japan. None of us really make the effort to change that image, hence why I can't tell you a real difference between 2014 and 2026, except maybe a rising popularity in a less submissive Japan.
I wouldn't call us shippers lazy; we're far from it, actually, but we are certainly inactive in straying from the norms. Not to mention, we're sort of falling out of popularity, with many new shippers feeling more inclined to more exciting dynamics like rusame or fruk. My call to action? We can make more exciting content if we have people willing to do it. If I can do it long after my teenage years were over, then I know someone else can too.
Maybe then we'd actually garner some respect from other shippers, at least enough not to warrant hatred. People are quite reactive nowadays; sometimes they just hate without knowing the real reason as to why, except for singular, simple arguments like "it's boring" or "it's fetishy." Tbh, I can see why, but I don't believe it's a valid argument if you can't construct a substantial reason for disliking a ship. Not that you have to have a good reason to dislike any ship, it's all subjective at the end. Hatred, though, is crossing the line, and you definitely shouldn't harass or ban people from fandom spaces for simply enjoying a rather tame ship compared to some really terrible pairings both in canon and historically.
Anyway, I'mma end this shit, who up listening rn 💔
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