Ep 18. Episode 18

In Hetalia: The Beautiful World season 1 episode 18, the show takes a comedic turn as it explores different cultural traditions and customs through the lens of the quirky and colorful personifications of various countries. The episode opens with Japan introducing a new holiday tradition "Setsubun" to his friends Italy, Germany, and Prussia. As Japan explains the tradition, he says that the holiday marks the beginning of spring with people celebrating by throwing beans to drive away evil spirits and welcoming good luck into their homes.

This holiday tradition confuses the Italian trio, who struggles to understand the connection between beans and the celebration of spring while Germany and Prussia, being more pragmatic, take a keen interest in using the beans for making soup. Confused and amused, Italy and Japan decide to visit Austria to learn more about European traditions around the same period while Germany and Prussia engaged in their bean soup experiment.

The scene then shifts to a flashback where Austria is revealed to have inherited a land from the former Holy Roman Empire, whose culture and traditions he continues to practice. He is shown to be deeply immersed in the celebration of Fasching - a European holiday that marks the beginning of lent. The trio learns that this holiday is celebrated nationwide in different ways, with Austria's version being particularly grand and auspicious.

Austria then takes it upon himself to guide the group, now joined by Hungary, through the festivities surrounding Fasching. They are taken to a parade where they encounter a variety of elaborate costumes depicting historical figures, pop culture references and other facets of the country's cultural heritage. Austria and Hungary explain the significance of the various costumes to Italy, who is fascinated by the idea of drawing inspiration from one's history to create art.

As Germany and Prussia return from their bean soup experiment, they are dismissive of the idea of a parade, a view that is vehemently opposed by Austria, who insists that it's a prized tradition in Europe. What follows is a hilarious sequence where the group scrambles to keep up with the ever-changing parade, leading them through different parts of the city and diverse cultural experiences.

The episode ends with a touching moment where each member of the group expresses gratitude for their friendship, with Austria thanking Japan for introducing them to Setsubun, and Hungary remarking on how much fun it was to participate in Fasching. The experience left Italy with an overwhelming appreciation for the beauty of cultural heritage, which he vows to capture in his own work, while Germany and Prussia find inspiration for a new recipe. The group ends up with a deep sense of respect and understanding for each other's cultures, a sentiment that ties in with the show's overarching message of celebrating diversity and embracing differences.