Details to come in Comic Birz mag, Hetalia.com; 3rd manga volume next spring

Gentosha Comics has announced on its website that a theatrical anime film adaptation of Hidekaz Himaruya's Hetalia - Axis Powers manga has been green-lit for 2010. More details will be provided in the November issue of Monthly Comic Birz magazine on September 30 and on the anime's official website, Hetalia.com. The November issue will also have a special feature to mark the green-lighting of the film.

The "cynical gag" manga and anime take the archetypal characteristics of about 20 countries and regions, and anthropomorphize them as (mostly) bishōnen characters. The story re-imagines various historical eras including World War I and II. More than 700,000 copies have been sold of the first two published manga volumes since 2008.

Update: More background information added.

Update 2: According to the updated website, the third volume of the manga will ship this spring. The first two volumes have sold over 900,000 copies so far. Himaruya's other manga, Chibi-san Date, will ship its first compiled book volume on November 24.

Image © Hidekaz Himaruya/Gentosha Comics, Inc.
© 2008 Hidekaz Himaruya, Gentosha Comics/Hetalia Production Committee.

from: [link]