Ehhh...I want to say you're right, but it looks like most Hetalia fans since 2009 are primarily anime watchers. On tumblr, compare the amount of notes anime scenes get compared to manga scenes, for example.

I too wish Hetalia weren't mostly known for the shitty anime adaptation. Funny how it toned down most of the gay and yet haters who think Hetalia is only an anime bitch about all the yaoi subtext.