Live action cartoon. Intentionally?
581360
Awesome effects, costumes, scenery, and stunts. Possibly the silliest story line ever. And therefore some pretty hammy acting.
1140580
If this is "the best of comics unleashed," then they should have kept them on the leash, or at least tried to clean up their messes.  I like dogs, but this could give dogs a bad name.

Seriously, this is an example of why most comedy shows are carefully-written and carefully-scripted.  They may have been hoping for spontaneity, but the ugly little secret is that good comedians don't just ad lib.  They have carefully planned "routines."  Yes, there are a few like Robin Williams who appears to ad lib, but in most cases it is material he has carefully thought through, and filed away for an opportunity to use it "on the spot" as an apparent ad lib.

These comedians are mostly nice people--good when their material has been written and practiced.  It must have been as embarrassing for them to see this video as it would be for us to have paid for it.  Keep these dogs out of your house.
4056877
Wow, you have Ralph Bakshi, Bruce Timm and John K. all working on the same show. While some of this is sloppy and doesn't quite work, a lot of the episodes are groundbreaking and re-vitalized the animation industry which at the time was dull and tired. For animation historians, this is a valiant effort indeed.
4144699
Adult cartoon , different look at the family guy cartoon creator's abilities of anamation.  I'd rate it a C .
4044110
An Obligatory Disclaimer:
I'll begin with an overly lengthy disclaimer: this show was NOT intended for those that are easily offended or upset by stereotyping, historical inaccuracies, or the trivialization of major historic events (also, homophobics beware: this show is laden with innuendo).  Now, let me just say, to all the people that fall into these aforementioned categories but purchased the show anyway and now are complaining vehemently about it via review, this show is exactly what it makes itself out to be: a CARTOON.  If you were looking for something serious, then good god what were you doing browsing through animated TV shows?  Would you go to Spongebob for life lessons?  No.  Likewise, if you're looking for an accurate portrayal of historic events, go buy a historical reenactment.  It's not rocket science.

That said, I'm going to attempt to answer some basic questions you might have as someone that is considering purchasing Hetalia: Axis Powers.

1.) I watched the Japanese version with English subs.  What's new?
Aside from the fact that you can now listen to the English dub, the dialogue seems to have been edited rather severely while still maintaining the basic personalities of the characters.  The English voice actors have also attempted to take on the accents of their respective countries, some more successfully than others.  Happily, this version contains both language tracks, so if you get fed up with the English dub you can always switch back to the Japanese track.

2.) I'm new to Hetalia.  It sounds interesting, but how do I know if it's for me?
Short answer?  Google it.  Just type in something along the lines of, "hetalia english dub episode 1."  Watch the first episode, posted by Funimation, and you should get the gist of the show fairly quickly.  Google the English sub version for an interesting comparison.

3.) What age group is Hetalia targeting?
Time for an annoyingly vague answer.  While this show is not particularly serious, it is also not intended for 5 year olds.  Sexual innuendo is very definitely present, and my best guess for a show rating would be something like PG13, though I can't say for certain.  (Though, in actuality, if you were to show this series to a 5 year old the innuendo would probably go right over his/her head.  It's not always particularly overt.)

4.) Do I have to be a history buff to enjoy/understand this?
Definitely not.  Though I personally love history, this show is largely character driven with only a very light dusting of plot (ie. historic events).

5.) I'm studying WW1/WW2 in history, will this help me?
While it may help you to differentiate between the different countries, it probably won't give you an accurate understanding of what transpired during the World Wars.  That said, if you find history dull, this will almost certainly make it more interesting for you, and thus help you memorize various historical events and the motivations behind them.

My View:
This is a wonderful show, that in my mind promotes cultural understanding by not pointing the finger of blame at any one country for any of the bloody events of the past, instead choosing to simply make each country lovable in its own quirky way.  In my opinion, we need more shows like Hetalia that force us to step back and not take ourselves so seriously for five minutes.  In summary, this is easily one of my favorite shows and is in fact one of the only animes I'll watch.  It's definitely worth checking out.  Five stars.
348700
This show is what Batman: The Animated Series would have looked like if it was written for adults. It represents a significant step forward in terms of pushing the boundaries of maturity and style in western animation  but flounders a bit in execution. I was hoping for more action from the series named after the iconic 90's anti-hero but there's too much introspective brooding and the ending ties up no loose ends. Still, what might have been?
2262147
This has gotta be a bootleg. There's no info on it as to brand and it's has the really random characters of Charmy and Blaze to pair with Sonic. It made me laugh cause it's silly, and it looks pretty good--- suits it's purpose. For the price I don't mind that it's a fake.
3962100
I'd say they "hit their target audience." It's a little like "Home Alone" with two dogs as the heroes! Silly, slapstick fun.
There is a kidnapping as the inciting incident for the plot, so be forewarned your child will be exposed/introduced to that.
288424
I am working with children in Norway on a daily basis: Love this cartoon version. Kids like it too. And now that I have it, let's see how it works for my kids and their choises from now :-) Gry.
678817
Probably would have had a sale here if they published them in English too.  This cartoon is blowing up stateside.  The plot of the book is probably all intellectual with no action though.
2770319
Animation connoisseurs love to beat up these early 60s made-for-TV Popeye cartoons as predictably, though perhaps with less cause, than Popeye himself loves to beat up anyone messing around with his sweetie Olive Oyl. It's true that the post-UPA graphic styles and limited animation do not really suit an action-oriented series (often, when Popeye threw punches, only his arm moved). Still, considering the bargain-basement budgets given these cartoons and the lightning deadlines the artists had to work under, it's a bit surprising that the cartoons are as good as they are. And speaking of the artists: some of the best animators in the field at the time had hands in the production. Producer-Director Jack Kinney assembled a team of Disney and UPA veterans who a year before were working on "Sleeping Beauty" and the Magoo feature "1001 Arabian Nights" (which Kinney directed). Other studios, in New York, Los Angeles, and Europe (under Gene Dietch, at the time considered the great white hope of contemporary animation, who also was producing the Tom and Jerry series), made a number of the cartoons; the diverse styles give these cartoons as a collection added interest. Not surprisingly, the slickest of these Popeyes came from the Fleischer/Famous Studio artists who had produced the theatrical shorts for 25 years. The actual saving grace of these cartoons is the wide range of storylines--unlike the better animated but rigidly formulaic theatrical Popeyes--and the use of so many of the Thimble Theatre characters sadly ignored by Fleischer and Famous (or underused, as in the case of Wimpy and the Jeep). Best of all, Jack Mercer, Mae Questel, and Jackson Beck were back on hand to lend their incomparable vocal talents. In sum, these are cheap cartoons cheaply prices, and worthy of a look-in (or a re-look-in). Many Boomers grew up on these cartoons; I bet Don Draper's (of TV's "Mad Men") kids watched them!
1691552
My two sons (ages 13 & 6) love this show. I have to admit it really is a well thought out cartoon. Interesting story line, lots of fighting (nothing gory), and a good bit of humor.
2886138
This was not at all what I expected.  Based on their past shows, I was disappointed because I wanted to showcase how good the characters & animation were in other movies an short episodes.  Since I was trying to impress a friend with how great those creators are, I felt your recommending it was only to make a sale, not to provide me with a quality product.
4953141
its stupid but its supposed to be. not that many people relies this is a satire. but i loved the choreography,characters, and action!

  but that plot sucked satire or not.
4572704
It is a motion comic movie.

If you like that, this is ok.  Personally, I feel UDON's art doesn't lend itself to be cut up and moved around.  The comic style is very dynamic but in a static form.

Honestly, I thought it was a fully animated movie.  I didn't get past the Cammy section.
2800344
this cartoon does not make any sense at all.

the setting is really just a devastated earth, and the only habitable place is (gasp!) Japan.

mix in some Bibilcal references, which I worry many may find disagreeable, women in tight-fitting clothes, and you get this.

Did I mention a lot of fighting and violence?

There is no sense and logic in all this. And definitely no educational value. Yet a second season has been made. A tragedy for kids of America in my view.

This cartoon is definitely banned from my home.
493718
If you want the cartoon version of this movie, I really liked the live action!