Hidekaz Himaruya
Hidekaz Himaruya (日丸屋 秀和 Himaruya Hidekaz, born May 8th, 1985, in Koriyama, Fukushima) is the creator of the series Hetalia: Axis Powers (originally titled Axis Powers Hetalia in the webcomic run). He is sometimes affectionately called Papa Hima, by Hetalia fans.
Himaruya started the original Hetalia webcomic while he was attending Parsons School Of Design in New York City and continues the series in the present. He is currently an art design major and makes posts about his day-to-day life on his blog the Bamboo Thicket, along with the latest character designs and sketches.
Besides Hetalia, his website Kitayume (which started on June 19th, 2003) showcases his other manga projects and artwork. His latest series, Chibi-san Date, currently runs in the magazine Comic Birz by Gentosha Comics (which also published the printed versions of the Hetalia manga).
Himaruya lived in New York from late 2006 until some point in early 2009, when he moved back to Japan following the release of the Hetalia anime and his contract with Comic Birz.
In the earlier days of the Kitayume site (2003-2007), he used the name Kazuyoshi Himaruya (日丸屋 和良 Himaruya Kazuyoshi), which most notably appears in the credits of the Gakuen Hetalia demo.
Estonia's character design is based on his appearance, although his hair and eye color is different.
On his blog and update logs from the archived versions of Kitayume, Himaruya mentions that he is a fan of South Park and Happy Tree Friends. In some instances, he has referenced the song Let's Fighting Love (from the South Park episode Good Times With Weapons) by using the phrase and replacing "Fighting" with another word of his choice, such as: "Let's Flying Pan-ing Love" and "Let's Englanding Love".
He is also a fan of the horror visual novels Higurashi When They Cry and Umineko no Naku Koro ni by Ryukishi07, which coincidentally, both received animated adaptations by Studio DEEN.
Himaruya's hobbies (mentioned on the bio page at Kitayume) include photography, architecture, and collecting postcards.
The programs he uses to color and ink his artwork are: SAI Painter and Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.
He allows the usage of images from his site, show, and blog as long as no profit is involved, and encourages fans to create their own original characters, fan videos (MADs), or cosplay inspired by his works, though he actively discourages fans from copying CDs. Selling any of the downloadable site games for profit is also prohibited.
He's admitted to having a rather questionable naming sense, and encouraged the fans to call the gender flipped nations by whichever names they chose to.
“Italy: Germany, Germany. Germany is a really really nice place. Even though I'm your prisoner, you give me food, and it doesn't suck like English food. Sausages with cheeses always taste so good, it'd be heaven for a dog - yeah that's Germany. Tell me how is it you Germans are so robust? You're crushing me with your intimidation, my fragility causes me to openly weep out of fear, your women terrify me. Is it the norm to drink a barrel of beer and then bust it on somebody's head? Please don't come to my place in large mobs, German tourists are scary. Even the girls that are from Germany are more rugged than I am. Yahoo!”
“Germany:We've called this conference to solve the world's problems, not to fight about the problems of our past. And since I'm the only country who seems to know how to run a meeting we'll follow my rules from here on out. Eight minutes each for speeches, no chit chat about side deals and absolutely no going over the time limit. Now if you want to go, make sure you're prepared and raise your hand but do so in a way that does not mock any salute of my country's past.”
“Italy: It's been a while since I slept with you, Romano. Romano: Shut up! You should have at least two beds in your place! Italy: How weird... I usually sleep together with Germany and Japan. Romano: [Grabs Italy's throat] You still get along with them! [Repeatedly bashes his head into his brother's] Italy: Bro, I can't breathe. Bro, I can't breathe! [Cut to Germany's office; his phone is ringing. He picks it up] Italy: Germany, save me! I'm on my bed and my brother is- ow! Romano: Not there! Italy: It's stuck! OW! Romano: Put down the phone, you fool! Italy: TAKE IT OUT! Romano: Put it down! [Line goes dead] Germany: [Slightly disturbed] His brother's... stuck..."ow"... take it out... [Germany bursts into Italy's room] Italy: Italy, are you okay! What's going-! [He realizes the brothers' signature hair curls are merely tangled with each other] Italy: Germany, you're late!”
“I mean seriously, I'm a virgin! What do you think they get virgin olive oil? The point is you do not want to shoot a virgin. We're pathetic enough as it is! Please! I apologize for the lying and box thing, I really am a good Italy! I swear, you're Germany, right? (trails off)"-Italy's "I don't want to die" rant part 2”
“Ahhh-ahh! I'm so sorry! You were right! I am not the box of tomatoes fairies at all! It was all lies, lies, LIES! Please don't shoot me! I'm too young to die, and what if I don't die and but am just mortally wounded and forced to lie there in misery in a pool of my own blood?! Please, I'll do anything--well, I mean within reason-- I don't want to diiiiiiie!"-Italy's "I don't want to die" rant part one”
“Hello to you! I am the box of tomatoes fairy! I come in peace! Let us be friends and play with each other!" (Italy)"I think someone's inside here." (Germany)"You're wrong~! There's no one inside. Do not open the box!" (Italy)-Italy and Germany's first meeting”
“Oh, boy... it's hug time." (Italy)"Would you stop it with your hug-therapy already?!" (Romano)"I'll never understand Catholics..." (Germany)Germany, Italy, and Romano”
“Hey, Germany! Check it cool! This is my big brother Romano! Isn't he shizzy?"-Italy to Germany”
“This weather man is predicting a 99% chance of shit storm and it's comin' right at ya!"-Romano to Germany”
“Why won't the light just shut up...? I swear I'll never drink again... someone please kill me..."-Britain (he was hung-over)”
“You don't know me! I'm the United bloody Kingdom and I can held my locker better then you any day!"-England”
“Am I Catholic or Protestant...? God, I don't know..."-Britain (after having a little too much to drink)”
“Santo Rita Meata Mater Ringo Jonah Tito Marlin Jack Latoya Janet Michael Dumbledora the Explorer! Santo Rita Meata Mater Ringo Jonah Tito Marlin Jack Latoya Janet Michael Dumbledora the Explorer! I've summoned you from the depths of Hell. Show yourself!" (Britain)"You kolled?" (Russia)"I wasn't calling you!" (Britain)-Britain and Russia”
“Ahahaha! Listen to me and my awesome hero voice, guys! China! I choose you!"-America”
“When I look into all of your stupid faces, I think how fun it will be to pound them into dust."-Russia”
“Germany, Germany! I'm in North Africa right now and I can't tie my shoe laces!"-Italy”
“By any chance, do you serve pasta?""No, we don't."-Chibitalia and Mr. Austria”
“I say we hit Italy first because they can't drive and are usually drunk!"-America”
“So I captured Italy... but the only thing I hear from him is ze singing und ze laughing und vierd accents."-Germany”
“Germany, thanks for the water~ Now I can make pasta again~"-Italy”
“This could vork... friends. Uh... ve don't have to kiss, do ve?""Nope~ Unless you want to~"-Germany and Italy”
“If you're a soldier-- even if you're French-- you're supposed to try very hard to escape captivity!"-Germany”
“The Japanese are easily influenced,Italian's are infectious,And German's are German's wherever they go.”
“I wish Italy would stop being a crybaby. I wish he would kick his bad habit of wanting to eat pasta everywhere. I wish he would stop getting a stomachache every time he ate geleto. I wish he would learn to throw a grenade properly. I wish his older brother would stop trying to punch me. I wish-"*babble babble babble*"Germany . . . That's impossible . . .”
“In this world . . .It's Heaven when:The French are chefsThe British are policeThe Germans are engineersThe Swiss are bankersAnd the Italians are loversIt's Hell when:The English are chefsThe Germans are policeThe French are engineersThe Swiss are loversAnd the Italians are bankers.”
“Of course, my Christmas is (so much more) gorgeous and romantic (than Germany's)!! And unlike the rest of the world, we leave wine behind for Santa Claus!""So Santa-san is delivering gifts to children while driving under the influence . . . ?”
“China, you run in there and bust out some crazy Shaolin kung-fu, then I'll easily capture them when they're all tired and beat up. It will mean a fight to the death. . .for you!”
“Long hair will send you to hell!”
“It seems as if Americans like to be the center of attention even after they're dead.”
“If you watch a scary movie together, then the scariness is cut in half!”
“PASTA!!”
“If you lay a finger on our pirates again, I'm going to kick your ass!”
“Don't worry, I can hander it!”