Together We'll Move On

Hey! Guess what's finally done?! 8D About time, huh? How long have I been working on this? ...I dunno, but it was a long time. Some of these took several hours to pose, and others had to be done and redone based on whatever ideas came to me at the time. The image cropping in PS was done more than once, too. The only one that stayed the same throughout was the one for the Italies. XD That one worked so nicely. The Soviets had a snowflake around them at one point, but alas, that chopped poor Ukraine's head off. Also, the diamond was originally Switzy and Liechtenstein, but it made them look too tiny in comparison to everyone else. Germany and Prussia originally had a cross and Norway and Icy were in an oval, but I didn't like how those looked at all. China and Hong Kong were always in a flower...it was just a matter of choosing which flower to use. This one actually had a stem, but I adjusted it so only the flower part was around them and then used the eraser tool to touch it up. I think that worked fine. The only thing I'm not totally happy with is how England and Chibimerica's diamond is faded...I forgot to adjust the fading after doing the Soviets, and I didn't want to have to redo this entire thing for something as silly as that.

Anyway, since I have a crap ton of credits to do, and I know that isn't what you guys are here for, I'm going to be nice and do the explanations before the credits this time. If by some chance you are here for the credits, just scroll to the bottom. They'll be there.

Keep in mind that these are in no particular order. I don't rank these like I do characters or pairings. To me, all these siblings have really great things about them and nothing puts one above the other for me...Except the Italies, but I'll get to that in a minute. Also, there aren't the only siblings I love, I just wanted to keep it to one sibling per character so I didn't crowd the image too much. So if a favorite of yours isn't on here, don't worry. I probably love them, too. They just couldn't fit on here. Anyway, here are my explanations:

China and Hong Kong:

Some of you may be surprised that it was these two who made it on my list after all the ranting I've done about Japan and China. Well, I do love Japan and China very much. They have a really complex relationship that absolutely fascinates me. However, given their current relations and some things that have happened between them, I can't say that they're my #1 favorite out of the Asian siblings. (Consider them #2 I guess.) That spot definitely goes to Hong Kong and China. They don't have as many interactions as some of the other siblings on this list, but China's both my favorite character and an amazing older brother, so that alone could get any of the Asian siblings on the list. China took in who knows how many little territories and nations without hesitation and without asking for much in return. And he didn't get them by conquest or custody battles, either. He just found them all alone, took them in without a second thought, and then pretty much made them his whole world. I mean, in the brief bits when we see him raising Japan, we see that he basically taught them everything they know, and he seemed to enjoy every moment of it. Even in modern times, when most of his siblings outright reject him, he tries so hard just to spend time with them.

The reason these two were the ones who made it on is mostly because of Hong Kong. My goodness, Hong Kong, bless your heart! His relationship with China may not reflect the relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China in real life, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. Contrary to what a lot of fan works would lead you to believe, Hong Kong wasn't always so stone faced and sarcastic. As a child, he was like a mini-China, and it seems like he was also the closest to him. He was cheerful, friendly, hardworking, had an adorable ponytail (just like China), and always got piggy back rides from China. (He changed after England took him away, and China seems to blame England for everything Hong Kong does wrong. XD) What really gets me is that Hong Kong believes that he hasn't changed in the slightest, and part of that seems to be reflected in his feelings toward China. He's, like, the only one of the Asians who seems to be genuinely fond of China. Sure, he enjoys teasing him to no end just like any younger brother, but he also worries about China and sort of sticks up for him against the other Asians. He also claims that there's no one who knows China better than he does, which is surprising considering how much time the spent apart. (China's reaction to seeing grown up Hong Kong in one strip can suggest that they hadn't seen each other once since England took him.)

My favorite strip of the two of them is the one where Hong Kong says he wants to move out. It's really understandable, actually. After all, China is extremely overbearing, prideful, and censored everything yellow in Hong Kong's room (including his rubber ducky!) It's like an 18-year-old stuck in their overbearing and meddling mother's house just because she doesn't want you to move out. I think it's pretty admirable that he stuck around as long as he did, and really can't blame him for wanting some freedom. Hong Kong was pretty stubborn about it, too, and China about had a fit over his last sibling wanting to leave him. In the end, though, all it took was one seriously pleading look from China, and Hong Kong had to give in and stay. He made China dress up in a cat suit for it, but really, I think it's unbelievably sweet that Hong Kong's willing to put up with all the stuff China does just because it makes him happy. He really does seem to have a real soft spot for his big brother, and the latter doesn't even seem to realize it.

Wow...this is getting really long already, and I still haven't talked about Hong Kong's separation and identity issues that make him one of my favorite characters...Well, here. That doujinshi explains it perfectly, even if you don't understand a lick of Japanese. It's also one of the things that really cemented China and Hong Kong as two of my favorite siblings in Hetalia. It's really touching, and I was really impressed that they kept romance out of it entirely. It's just a sweet story, and it really helps you to get a different look at Hong Kong's character. I just love it. ;w;

Italy Veneziano and Romano:

Ho boy...If that's how long my explanation of Hong Kong and China was, I worry about what this explanation is going to look like when it's done. Ahem, anyway...I just freaking adore the Italies so much. ;7; How could I not? They're something that really no other pair of siblings are, and that is two halves of a whole. They're both Italy, so they share a bond that's probably deeper than most other siblings. The thing that makes this really ironic is that they actually didn't know each other at first. They were born apart, and Veneziano didn't so much as know Romano's name as a child. They knew of each other, of course, and they both wanted to meet each other, but that's about it. When they did finally meet, it wasn't actually in the best conditions. They both immediately started getting ruthlessly picked on by everyone around them, including their older brothers, and when the dust settled, the two of them were split apart again. Veneziano went to live in Holy Rome's house, and Romano was handed over to Spain.

Now, as sweet, adorable, and loving as I think Veneziano is, I have to admit that these two are on the list mainly because of Romano. Like, seriously. Romano seems to absolutely adore his little brother. Even when he was under Spain's rule, after such a short time of knowing him, Veneziano became just the greatest person ever in his eyes. To Romano, Veneziano's not useless, wimpy, or a crybaby. To him, Veneziano's talented and artistic, cute, cheerful, and friendly, a great cook, and basically everything Romano wishes he could be. Because of that, he developed an inferiority complex to Veneziano at a very early age. Despite that, though, I've yet to see Romano actually blame Veneziano for any of that. He sure beats up on himself a lot, but there was never any bitterness towards his younger brother. (Actually, he only seems to blame Veneziano for situations that go wrong when Romano's trying to help him, such as teaching him what to do when he's cornered by the enemy or trying to beat up Germany for something he said about Veneziano.)

When they finally were reunited, keeping it that way seemed to become Romano's top priority. One of the times he started dissing on Germany (as usual), he actually outright said that he'd only just gotten his brother back and that things were falling apart all because of Germany. He gets angry if someone says something about Veneziano he doesn't like, and while he's really grumpy pretty much all the time, he does have his moments of showing a real softness for his brother. I mean, come on. How sad was it when he asked Veneziano to praise him like he does Germany only to get completely shot down? Granted he snapped right back into angry mode after that, but that brief look of hurt before is still pretty darn sad.

I'm not saying it's all one sided, though. I mean, Veneziano's made it pretty clear that he thinks England is one of the scariest people in the world, but he didn't even hesitate to start yelling at England when it looked like he was picking on Romano (he was really just feeding him, but isn't that kind of the same thing? *shot*) For the most part, Veneziano is also usually completely unfazed by Romano's yelling and harsh words. Despite all the time they spent apart, he really seems to know his big brother well. He can tell when Romano's genuinely angry or when he's just being, well...Romano. And when it's the latter, Veneziano doesn't have a problem with ignoring all the grumpiness and showering him with affection anyway. XD It's probably part of why he was able to warm up to Germany so fast. He might seem like a scaredy-cat a lot of the time, but grumpiness isn't something that can chase him off.

Without a doubt, though, the best depiction of the two of them ever is in HetaOni. I cried an awful lot during that game, but the first time I cried was when Romano showed up. I just loved how they were depicted. Absolutely perfect! I love when people use Romano's harsh words as his way of showing he cares rather than just making him mean. Not only that, just how far Romano was willing to go for his brother in this, and Veneziano in turn, was unbelievable. Not only that, it's one of the few times when I've seen their really deep connections explored to the level that they could be. I don't want to spoil too much for those who haven't played it yet, but basically they share a special connection in that game that no other character possibly can. It makes such a simple thing as Romano's "say my name" line become one of the most empowering scenes in the game.

And I think I can cut off there...I don't know a whole lot about their history (though I do know it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows to get where they are now), so I can't say much else about them. Moving on!

Germany and Prussia:

Gosh, these two...I don't even know. About two years ago, I just thought it was cute when Germany actually called Prussia his big brother (because that's surprisingly not that common in Hetalia -_-), but now I think they're two of the most complex characters in the whole anime. I mean, you've got Prussia...just...Prussia. I really can't explain myself how he's such a complex character. It's just there are so many sides to him, most of which are kept hidden behind him shouting "I'm awesome!" all the time. At first glance, that may seem to be all there is to him, but one thing that's stuck in the back of my mind whenever I see him is that he is, in fact, dying. That's some pretty heavy stuff. I mean, he used to be this ultra powerful nation (that frequently picked on Russia and various others), and now he's just a loner spending hours on his blog, waiting to die. That alone is pretty depressing, even without all his fascinating history being taken into account. (Also, his character song "Mein Gott" is seriously my second favorite right after "Aiyah 4000 Years." That's pretty impressive.) Sometimes he strikes me as...kinda villainous in his early years, but that makes me like him even more. In my eyes, I think Prussia might know he screwed up a lot in his past, and while he isn't willing to outright admit it (and he even still goes along with the act sometimes), I feel like he almost entrusted the nation he once was to Germany.

And then you have Germany...you know, even though Italy's the title character, Germany seems to be the one narrating most of the "main storyline" (or what there is of it.) We never really hear Italy's thoughts on situations. Only Germany's. And yet, we know next to nothing about Germany. We haven't seen any scenes of him that took place before he met Italy during WWI. We don't know what he was like as a child or anything. Or rather, we don't if for some reason he turns out to not be Holy Roman Empire reincarnated or whatever it is (I kinda think it's been just about proven, but some still aren't convinced, so I'll just keep it as a possibility.) Actually, whether he is Holy Rome or not, that's a testament to Germany's character. If he is, then we have all the questions about what really happened, how it is he changed, why he doesn't seem to recognize or know Italy from the past, and so on. If he's not, then he's just completely shrouded in mystery, and I get the feeling either way there's going to eventually be some big reveal about Germany.

So, yeah. You could say the main reason they're on here is because of how complex they are individually. That's not the only reason, though. In contrast to what they are individually, when the two of them are together, they really are, without a doubt, brothers. I can't quite explain it since I'm a girl, but when I see Prussia freaking out about Germany not drinking beer or laughing at him for talking like an American, or when I see the two of them working out together and folding their clothes in the same impeccable way, I just get this strong sense of "yup. Those are brothers alright." I wouldn't say their relationship's typical or anything, just really realistic and believable. Any serious issues they had in the past like other nations have, they've put behind them. They're brothers in a way any humans would be. It's probably because Prussia's not a nation anymore, but their time together seems to be a lot more down time than most others, and it's something you can really appreciate when compared to sibling relationships like, say, Japan and China. They're both characters surrounded by a lot of questions, but when you put them together they're a real breath of fresh air.

Switzerland and Liechtenstein:

I'll be honest. When Himaruya dedicates an entire side story to a pair of siblings, that pretty much guarantees them a spot on this list. Unlike the last three pairs, these two actually aren't related by blood. It's the strong bond they formed all on their own that makes these two really special.

It's pretty surprising how close these two became, considering what a trigger-happy hermit Switzerland is. Someone who didn't know Switzerland really well probably would've thought it impossible for someone like him to take a stranger into his home willingly, but that's just what he did. He not only took Liechtenstein in when she was literally on the verge of death, but he also nursed her back to health even though that meant he wouldn't have enough means to feed himself, and once she was fully healthy again, he didn't turn her out. He kept her under his wing and made it his job to see to it that she was properly cared for and protected for the rest of her life. He might not be the easiest guy to handle, but you can really tell he cares about Liechtenstein. There's no distaste or shock when he opens a gift from Liechtenstein to find a frilly pink nightgown. He just shrugs and puts the thing on. It's a gift that Liechtenstein made for him with her own two hands, so he's going to appreciate it.

It's really no wonder Liechtenstein adores him so much. To her, he's the greatest thing in the world, and it seems like nothing he says or does is about to change that. She always seems to know what he means to say, even if he has trouble saying it, and she sees all his sweet and kind gestures for exactly what they are. I actually envy the tranquil life they have together. Even though Switzerland can be a bit gruff at times, the two of them seem really happy.

Norway and Iceland:

So...I'm Norwegian by decent. =w= I was seriously the most excited person in the world when the episode with the Nordics came out, and whenever I see anything else with them in it, I get excited all over again. One thing I've picked up on while reading or watching these bits about the Nordics is that Norway and Iceland are...surprisingly close. o3o That might not seem surprising to some, but from what I know about Nordic history, things were not always peachy between the two countries. Seeing how much importance Norway puts on being Iceland's older brother (from the "onii-chan" incident to him needlessly worrying about whether or not Iceland's lonely), and how hard Iceland tries to not give a darn (even though it's clear that he does) is a lot of fun. Not to mention how personal this is to me when I consider my heritage. They're certainly an odd pair of siblings, but they both seem to be really genuine, and that makes my Nordic heart very happy.

That's about all I really have to say about these two...they may have made it on the list purely out of personal attachment, but I don't care. =w= If something really clicks with me, regardless of the reason I'm going to embrace it!

Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus:

I actually threw these three in the mix as an afterthought. I originally intended to only do pairs of siblings, and these three were kind of at the back of my mind. When I'd finished with everyone else, though, I realized I should probably do one more picture to round everything out nicely, and I couldn't think of anyone better than these guys.

I seriously love every one of these characters. Russia's my second favorite character in the series, Ukraine's my favorite female character, and Belarus...well, I can't tell you because of reasons. You'll understand my love for her eventually. Mwahahahaha. =w=

The interesting thing about these three is that they're not as heartwarming as anyone else on this list. All three of them have been through terrible things through the years, and each of their individual trials have driven them apart over the years. Even as children they seemed to struggle to maintain healthy relationships with one another. Why do I love them so much, then? Well, what I've noticed is that no matter how mentally or emotionally broken each of them may have become, no matter what struggles they've gone through, no matter how much they've actually hurt each other, you can't deny that they all genuinely love each other. Despite what her boss says or what things have been done to her, Ukraine is constantly reaching out to her siblings as a loving older sister. Even though she might be mentally unstable and frightening, Belarus sees the good in her older brother when no one else does, and has even fallen in love with him because of it. And as for Russia, even though his sisters both abandoned him along with everyone else and even though they still make him sad nowadays (particularly Belarus...), he desperately longs for the days when things were simple and the three of them lived together in kind of peace. It's obvious that the three of them really and truly want to be a happy family, they just truly don't have any idea how to do that. You can't really blame them, given all they've gone through, but seeing how hard each of them really tries and completely fails makes me really want to root for each of them to somehow find a peaceful, happy place where the three of them don't have to struggle anymore.

England and America:

Okay, seriously, do I need to talk about these guys? I mean, I think just about anyone would agree with me on this. They were adorable! England really took his role as an older brother...parent figure...type thing very seriously, and little America was such an innocent sweetie. The funny thing about these two, actually, is how their story flows. They started out really close and, then there was the falling out during the American Revolution, and then they just...became close again. Sure, their relationship is far from being the same as it was then America was little, but that's one of the great things about it. Their relationship...grew up, so to speak. There's not a whole lot I can say about these two that I haven't ranted endlessly about before, but I doubt anyone needs a reminder.  Let's just suffice it to say that I, like anyone else, just love these two and really wish it were a lot easier to find brotherly pictures of them without trudging through all the USUK *coughcough*. Anyway, this has gone on long enough, so I'll leave it at that. If anyone has a question or two about anything, feel free to ask! I'll probably feel like ranting more about these guys after a good break. XD

And so...Credits:

Hong Kong model (c) Akkii
China, Norway, Iceland, and Russia models (c) roco-55 (China's clothes (c) namimaA. Edit by me.)
North and South Italy models (c) Nachi Akira
Prussia model (c) UniDX
Germany model (c) Hana
Switzerland and Liechtenstein models (c) scrollybksn/Yakisoba-n
Ukraine and Belarus models (c) Q-Ku-mmd
England model (c) JP_Orca
Chibimerica model (c) Aoringo
Effects: SoftAndHardLightHLShaderV2, GotaSh, HyperShader, AdultShader, GreenerShader_ES_NEUTRAL, GreenerShader, Figure_その他, SelfOverlay_Blur, DOF, ObjectLuminous, toPaleProcColor, Bleach-bypass, SSAO, SSAO_Lite, PixelEdgeBlur, ShadowFrame

Background Image: www.upphotos.net/background-pa…
Foreground Image: www.upphotos.net/background-sp…
Edited in Photoshop Elements

All poses, other effects, and editing done by me.

(If anyone wants the full images, I have them all in wallpaper size, so just ask. Also, if you'd like any of the poses used, I have all those saved. Just let me know if you want anything.)