Netherlands

2012-04-22T21:09:54Z

24.220.176.29: /* Spain */

{{Nation
| name = Netherlands オランダ
| continent = EUROPE
| image = Netherlands-miltuni.jpg
| country = [[File:NetherlandsFlag.png]] [[wikipedia:Netherlands|Kingdom of the Netherlands (Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)]]
| human =
| spellings =
| age =
| gender = Male
| birthday =
| hair = Blond (early art, anime) Light Brown
| eyes = Green (early art, anime) Amber (sketch) Blue (sketch)
| height =

| volume = [[Volume 3]]
| strip = ''The Battle for America'' (silhouette) ''Netherlands and Japan’s Isolation'' (formal debut)
| game =
| dramacd =
| anime = [[Episode 39: The Battle For America, Part 1]] (silhouette) [[Episode 94]] (formal debut)

| japanese = [[Nobuya Mine]] [[Hiroki Yasumoto]] (silhouette in [[Episode 39: The Battle For America, Part 1|Episode 39]])
| english = [[Michael Sinterniklaas]]
}}
'''Netherlands''' (オランダ, ''Oranda'') is a supporting character in the series '''Hetalia: Axis Powers'''. He is the older brother of [[Belgium|Belgium]] and [[List of minor characters in Hetalia: Axis Powers#Luxembourg|Luxembourg]].<ref>http://himaruya.blog61.fc2.com/blog-entry-1368.html</ref>

==Attributes==
[[File:NetherlandsChibi.png|thumb|left|170px|A 'chibi' version of Netherlands.]]
===Appearance===
Netherlands has somewhat short, spiky dirty blond or light brown hair with sideburns, and eyes that have varied between being amber, green, or blue depending on the artwork. His hair is styled and naturally appears limp. A flashback strip during the ''Christmas 2011'' event indicates that, as a child, Netherlands kept his hair down. Netherlands is shown to be quite muscular and about the same height as [[Denmark]] and [[Germany]], and has a small vertical scar on his forehead. He often wears a long, blue and white striped scarf, shown in his formal debut in the series as well as a uniform sketch.

===Personality and Interests===
Initially, Netherlands was said to be a strong strategist and world-dominating type of man who likes very young women and thinks nothing of using some types of shady drugs. In several appearances, including his debut, he is smoking a pipe. In [[volume 3]] of the manga, Netherlands' profile characterizes him as a "solemn, neat freak, downer, Hokuriku-dialect speaking, scheming older brother", with Hokuriku being region west of Tokyo on the Japan Sea-side of Japan. Furthermore, he "goes Dutch" when it is convenient for him, buys cooking supplies from Germany, and has flawless "kitchen and garden maintenance." Later on in the book, he is described as "a neurotic, solemn, free older brother" who "hates tied things and messy gardens." Netherlands is also particularly fond of rabbits and owns a [[Creatures of Hetalia#Netherlands' Rabbit|pet rabbit]]. According to Belgium, he enjoys reading romantic poems.

In the ''Christmas Rampage 2007'', Netherlands is mentioned as having once fought with [[Turkey]] over the title of "The Tulip Country." In the ''Battle For America'' strip, he is mentioned to have attacked both [[Sweden]] and [[Finland]] after they built a villa ([[wikipedia:New Sweden|New Sweden]]) in the new world. Finland proceeds to worry about what would happen if Netherlands found the baby America.

His appreciation for money is further explained in [[volume 4]] of the published manga. He appears buying a large amount of fish from Poland and Lithuania, would pickle it with salt, and then sell it for a higher price. Additionally, Netherlands would sell weapons to Spain, despite being at war with him at the time. During Christmas, he promised Belgium that he would bring [[wikipedia:Sinterklaas|Sinterklaas]] to his house; instead of spending money, he merely brought a Spain dressed as Santa. A flashback strip during the ''Christmas 2011'' event reveals that, as a child, Netherlands' land had little wealth in comparison to Belgium, and he was stunned when he witnessed her lifestyle. Belgium states that she may have influenced her brother's business habits, though Netherlands states it was always his nature.

==Relationships==
===Belgium===
''Main article: [[Belgium]]''

Netherlands and Belgium are said to have had difficult relations, stemming from when they were both under [[Spain]]'s control. When Netherlands left to become independent, he fought against both her and Spain in the [[wikipedia:Dutch Revolt|Dutch Revolt]] and the [[wikipedia:Eighty Years' War|Eighty Years' War]].

He later tried to reconcile with Belgium so they could both form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but due to their irreconcilable differences (Netherlands being better with trade and mainly Protestant versus Belgium being better with farming and mostly Catholic) it failed to happen and Belgium declared her independence. Currently, they appear to have reconciled, and spend time together.

===Japan===
''Main article: [[Japan]]''

Though Netherlands acted aggressive towards most others, he refrained from acting this way towards Japan to convince him to open trade with foreigners, due to having had a companionship with him for years before. In the ''Netherlands and Isolationist Japan'' comic, Netherlands is visibly bothered that Japan chose to sign a peace treaty with America. Also in the Christmas 2011 strip he is shown preventing others such as Denmark from going to Japan's house with a seemingly murderous aura and never let his guard down.

===Spain===
''Main article: [[Spain]]''

Netherlands became a member of Spain's household when the Burgundian-Hapsburgs acquired the crown of Spain. Their relationship became very difficult up until the point where Spain believed Netherlands hated him. Netherlands eventually left and defeated Spain to be recognized as an independent country. During the ''Christmas 2010'' event, they are seen together, though Netherlands continually tells Spain to go home. When a shadowy figure appears, Netherlands again orders Spain to leave. When the nation falls, Spain confronts the figure.

==Appearances==
[[File:SilhouetteNetherlands.jpg|right|thumb|130px|Netherlands as a monstrous silhouette, his first appearance within the anime]]
===Manga===
Netherlands' design was first revealed in a sketch for the FIFA World Cup 2010. Since then, he formally debuted in "Isolationist Japan" strips and has appeared sporadically in strips and sketches on Himaruya's blog. Netherlands officially debuted in the published manga in volume 3. Preceding the reveal of his design, Netherlands was drawn as a silhouette in the ''Battle for America'' strips.
[[File:Netherlands_anime.png‎|left|thumb|Netherlands first formal appearence in the anime]]
===Anime===
The silhouette version of Netherlands briefly appeared in [[Episode 39: The Battle For America, Part 1]], where he was drawn slightly more "monster-like" than how he appeared in the manga strip. He is voiced by [[Hiroki Yasumoto]] in this cameo. He also makes a silhouette appearance in [[Episode 64]], on a war relations list.

In December 2010, [[Nobuya Mine]] was announced as his seiyuu for an upcoming episode in ''Hetalia: World Series'', slated to be released in Japan in late January. Netherlands makes his formal debut in [[Episode 94]] broadcasted on January 28, 2011, wherein he refuses to eat with Belgium if Spain will be joining them. He appears with his trademark scar although in the strip the episode adapts he doesn't have it yet.

==Trivia==
[[File:HairDownNeth.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Netherlands with his hair down]]
*Though notes on Netherlands were given as early as 2007, his actual appearance remained shrouded in mystery until Hidekaz Himaruya drew an illustration to commemorate Group E in the [[wikipedia:2010 FIFA World Cup|2010 FIFA World Cup]]. Before the illustration, all that was known of his appearance was that he had blond hair and green eyes (though he appeared with somewhat different colors in the FIFA group shot). His silhouetted form also briefly appeared in both ''The Battle For America''' and an illustration in the webcomic version of '''The War Of Austrian Succession'''.
*An early answer to a question in 2007 described Netherlands as a ''tsundere'' type of character who loves to fight and that was xenophobic. However, it is unknown if Himaruya kept these characteristics.
*In a recent blog post, Himaruya has mentioned fan-suggested options for his human name, including '''Tim''', '''Govert''', '''Abel''', and '''Mogens'''.<ref>http://himaruya.blog61.fc2.com/blog-entry-946.html</ref>
*Due to both the Netherlands and Holland being referred to as ''Oranda'' in Japanese, his name is commonly translated as "Holland" rather than "Netherlands" (which would be the more technically-correct term as Holland only refers to two of its provinces). However, both names are sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably for the entire Netherlands, similar to the tendency to refer to the United Kingdom as "England". It should be noted that sometimes the Dutch people refer to their own country as Holland.
*Himaruya states that his official name is "Kingdom of the Netherlands/Koninkrijk der Nederlanden," which designates the [[wikipedia:Kingdom of the Netherlands|sovereign state]] formed by the four equal countries of Aruba, Curaçao, The Netherlands, and Sint Maarten.
*In Dutch "De Nederlanden" (plural with an article) refers to either the Kingdom of the Netherlands or former constructions. The modern European country is referred to as "Nederland" (singular without an article).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{CharacterIndex|continent=EUROPE}}
[[Category:Male Characters]]
[[Category:European Characters]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Anime Characters]]
[[Category:Manga Characters]]

Hetalia Archives - User contributions [en]

Netherlands