I spent way too much time scrolling through hetalia ship tags last month, so I guess I have some thoughts. Denmark/Norway seems to be the default pairing for Norway in a lot of Western fan spaces. There’s this historical weight they play with—the whole union thing—that gives writers a lot of material for angst or complicated domesticity. It’s often written as a sort of grumpy/sunshine dynamic, with Denmark as the persistently affectionate one and Norway being quietly tolerant. The fanworks range from surprisingly deep political metaphors to pure, tooth-rotting fluff.
You also see a fair amount of Sweden/Norway, but it feels more niche? It has a quieter, more ‘brooding understanding’ vibe compared to DenNor’s energy. The community reaction to it is usually very calm and artsy; I’ve seen some stunning moodboards for it. It doesn’t generate as much discourse, which might be why its fans are so devoted—it’s their little corner of the fandom.
The real divide, though, is with Iceland/Norway. Now that’s a pairing that splits the room. Some people adore the found family, older brother/younger brother dynamic, seeing it as protective and sweet. Others side-eye it because of the power imbalance and historical context, even when it’s kept platonic. The tags for that one are always a mix of ‘this is so soft’ and ‘is this okay?’ comments. It’s never boring, that’s for sure.