Hetalia--Making WW2 Hilarious Since Tomato Boxes

Reader,

I watch a lot of anime and read manga in my spare time (lol. what spare time?). Earlier this year, a friend of mine got me into a show/manga called Hetalia (literally, "useless Italy").

Hetalia is a comedy that brings to life all the different countries. They all have personalities that most of the time stereotypically represent their country. For example, America is very self centered and eats fast food all the time. England is snobby and rude to the other countries (especially America). Italy is a scared wimp who runs to Germany for help whenever he can. The list goes on and on. The way the characters interact is absolutely hysterical. Nevertheless, Hetalia also offers some valuable information in the matters of World History.
In a sense, all this crazy running about and petty fights are actually teaching you something.
What? Really?
Yes, really. In fact, I am taking World History right now, and Hetalia has helped me study for my tests. I can relate a certain event to something silly America said or a reference Japan made. Linking the two together really strengthens your knowledge of history. For the kids and adults who are struggling with history or just do not know much about it, this show definitely helps.
I went to a panel recently at Anime Weekend Atlanta. I didn't stay for the entire duration of the panel, but one of the leaders showed confessions from high school students who have seen Hetalia that reveals an increase of interest and grade scores in World History. The world is becoming more engaged and knowledgeable about the countries around them. People want to know more because the characters have encouraged them to do so. I find it so amazing!
The fandom is brilliant as well when writing historical fan fiction (well, non fiction in this case). Events in history that are not covered in the manga or the anime are created by the fans. They role play different countries and make personalities of their own (like a country that has never been made in the show). This takes something in your history book and transforms it into a silly scenario that also teaches readers. It is such a wonderful way the fandom spreads their love for the series and connect with others! The fans are extremely passionate about the countries. I myself did not like being an American. I hated our country because of all of its negative traits. But somehow, Hetalia taught me how to be proud to be an American. Everything we have been through and what we have done to become a great nation (not to mention, the personified America is very nice to look at! Haha!). In all seriousness, this show has transformed how many people see history and learn about what has come to pass.
So, even if you don't care for anime, I would give this show a watch. You'll get tons of laughs, and you'll probably learn a thing or two about World History!

Homestuck. Stuck at home. LOL. NOPE.

Reader,

Let me teach you about the wonderful world of Homestuck. And by wonderful world, I mean crazy ass nonsense that is so amazing, you can't even honk your horn or look at your bro the same way again. Or astrological signs for that matter. Or Betty Crocker...or Nicolas Cage...
Okay, moving on.

So, Homestuck is an online web comic hosted by the website mspaintadventures.com. It was created in 2009 by a man named Andrew Hussie. The basic layout of Homestuck is in a second person game-like format. Even though you aren't really playing and this is just a comic, you can still interact with it at some points. You find out about the characters every time you happen to be in their point of view during the story. By learning about them more and more as you go, you grow on the characters and feel a part of the storyline.
Now, there are four types of characters:
The Kids (4)
The Trolls (12)
The Exiles (4)
aaand...characters I cannot reveal to you because of spoiler reasons!
The first and main Kid, John, is receiving a new game for his birthday. This game, however, is the main cause for the conflict in this story. It turns the Earth world into chaos. Now John and his friends must figure out how to survive this apocalypse by helping each other the best they can and figuring out the odd circumstances they are faced with (such as fighting off imps, Grannysprite, Trolls, Exiles, and freaky time travel).
Throughout the comic, you will find flash videos. These flashes are sometimes interactive. They play out a scene of events that are going on in the story. This could be a mash-up of all the characters at once or one particular scene. A common element in the beginning is "Strife." Each Kid has a Strife scene. It's like you are playing a video game within the comic when really you are just clicking the buttons they give you. The story is very confusing but somehow makes sense when it all comes together (you'll see as you read further and further).
Another feature that is sort of video game-esque is the way everyone stores different items and documents. They all have Captchalogue cards. Using these cards, they can carry around multiple objects and pull them out whenever needed. It's a fun little feature that definitely adds to the game-like quality of the comic. Most of the events are quite serious. However, they are not taken seriously in the least. Within the story, the characters refer to different people, movies, and books in pop culture. From that previous knowledge, the reader can find a good laugh.

The Trolls have orange to yellow horns, gray skin, black hair, and they wear a black t-shirt with a different astrological sign. In their own ways, the characters represent the different signs very well. The Trolls start as internet "trolls" by messing with the Kids here and there. They become more important as the acts go along. They are the most recognizable characters of the comic because of their unique look. They are a very complex and interesting race. We learn the different ways they love, their blood, and their personalities. 
Homestuck is currently on its sixth act (while I am on the third act). It has created a wide fan base and admiration. The characters, the story, and the atmosphere of Homestuck really pulls you in, and you fall in love with this chaotic mess of a comic. I highly recommend it to everyone. It will probably change your life at least a little!