What does tsundere mean

Tsundere

Edit Locked

The Japanese term tsundere refers to an outwardly violent character who «runs hot and cold», alternating between two distinct moods: tsuntsun (aloof or irritable) and deredere (lovestruck).

The term was originally used to describe characters who began with a harsh outgoing personality, but slowly revealed a soft and vulnerable interior over time, which made this a plot trope as much as it is a character trope. Over the years the character archetype has become flanderized, and is now generically associated with a character who flips between the two emotional states at the slightest provocation, and usually at a specific person rather than a general sociability problem. The former is usually referred as Classic Tsundere and the latter as Modern Tsundere. A tsundere, especially a classic one, is usually a Tomboy with a Girly Streak.

The tsuntsun can range from the cold «silent treatment» to the hotheaded «kindergartener who pushes you into the sandbox.» The reasons behind a Tsundere’s behavior vary widely, but usually boil down to the conflict between their feelings of affection towards a love interest, and their reaction to having those feelings. Though in most examples the reason has something to do with a Madonna–Whore Complex or at least a fear of Slut-Shaming.

The Tsundere stock characterization is very popular with writers of Romantic Comedy because the conflicts between the two personality facets can be easily utilized to generate both drama and comedy. It also acts as a source of Wish-Fulfillment: specifically, the idea that every independent, hardened and just plain jerkish love interest (male or female) has a squishy emotional center that will embrace you after you crack the outer shell. Can be entirely Played for Laughs by pairing the Flanderized version with The Stoic or the Cloud Cuckoo Lander. Either both parties can’t admit their feelings for a bittersweet tale that might end with a Dying Declaration of Love or all of the Tsundere’s shenanigans are completely unnecessary.

Tsundere can be divided into two main categories, depending on their default mood:

Harsh types can overlap with a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, but usually not. The moods of a Tsundere tend to switch in reaction to the actions of select people or adverse scenarios; the deredere side usually only comes out when someone has acted in a way to trigger it. A Jerk with a Heart of Gold is jerkish in general regardless of whether the other person is mean or nice, and shows their Hidden Heart of Gold only when the situation warrants, regardless of how the other person had been acting. Male characters in particular should be considered for Jerk with a Heart of Gold status, as arguably because of Double Standards, men are generally that instead of tsundere, although the kuudere subtype is more equally split in gender. Oranyan is sometimes used to refer to a male tsundere character—incorrectly since it means the complete opposite.

Sweet types should also not be confused with a Yandere. If a Sweet Tsundere were really convinced that their Love Interest didn’t want them, they would revert back to the deredere side and probably enter an I Want My Beloved to Be Happy phase, while Yanderes are Not Good with Rejection at all and have been known to get downrightmurderous under such circumstances.

See also the Analysis page for more detailed information on common «strategies» employed by Tsundere characters, and other, related topics. This site has an explanation on the appeal of the Tsundere character.

A common way of showing that a Tsundere has mellowed or has had her heart won over by the Love Interest is to have her shift from Harsh to Sweet. If her motivations are inquired, she will often engage in a Suspiciously Specific Denial, complete with a Luminescent Blush and total evasion of eye contact (cue the squeaks of Moe).

When paired with a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, together they produce Belligerent Sexual Tension. If done poorly, the result is an Unintentionally Unsympathetic Jerk Sue. Compare with Well, Excuse Me, Princess!, Jerkass, Jerk with a Heart of Gold, and Bruiser with a Soft Center. Contrast with Sour Outside, Sad Inside, which shares the spiky exterior but has depression and self-doubt rather than kindness hiding underneath. When Flanderized tends to overlap with Mood-Swinger. Also see Don’t You Dare Pity Me! and Anger Born of Worry; both of them likely actions with this character type. The more benevolent examples are very likely to be Good Is Not Nice (or anti-heroes). Aloof Ally may show the same hot-and-cold behavior but for differing reasons. Shana Clone is a specific subtrope with a particular set of characteristics. Because of their low tolerance for stupidity, they are always Enraged by Idiocy. These character types can fit both variants of Jerkass to One (for the first variant, they only act harsh with their love interest while is gentle with everyone else, and for the second variant, they act harsher with their love interest more than they are with others.) Tsunderes, especially the first type, are often The Unapologetic; if they warm up to their love interest, don’t expect them to apologize for their hostile behavior towards them.

Please do not confuse this trope with a Mood-Swinger, who flips between all the emotional states (not just tsuntsun and deredere) and is more of an inherent mental problem encompassing more than just their romantic life. Also don’t confuse with Playing Hard to Get, where a love interest deliberately chooses not to reciprocate her pursuer’s interest until she’s sure he’s hooked, or Unknowingly in Love, where a character is unaware of their own romantic feelings.

There are a few male examples, but the tsundere is more likely to be female and interested in a male protagonist. This is likely due to the Unfortunate Implications of a male love interest constantly deriding and insulting a heroine because of his unspoken feelings for her. Male love interests with tsundere-like traits are more likely to have mutual Belligerent Sexual Tension with a girl equally as tsundere as he is, or act aloof and detached as more of a Kuudere type character. Can be a trait of a female Woobie, or other female character with an Hilariously Abusive Childhood. This way of using the trope is less likely to carry Unfortunate Implications.

Psychologically, tsundere-like behavior could be an example of «splitting», a maladaptive coping mechanism (and a feature of many personality disorders, including Borderline Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder wherein a person alternately idealizes and undervalues others, including potential romantic partners.

This trope is Older Than Dirt, dating back to at least ancient Mesopotamia.

Example subpages:

Other examples:

The Meaning of Tsundere: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of tsundere? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word tsundere, including its definition, etymology, usage, examples, and more!

Your writing, at its best

Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly’s AI-powered writing assistant

What does the word tsundere mean?

According to Dictionary, Definitions and Fandom, the word tsundere is a Japanese word that refers to a character who is outwardly violent, cold or hostile but gradually shows a warmer side over time. This type of character was originally used in Japanese bishōjo games, but is now part of the otaku moe phenomenon and found in maid cafe, anime, manga, visual novels, and more mass media. Tsundere is written as the Japanese ツンデレ in Japanese hiragana. Someone who is a part of the tsundere archetype goes through the character development process. Often, females turn from being a jerk or rude to showing a warmer, friendlier side to a love interest. The female character might be embarrassed by this lovey dovey behavior. Sometimes a male character or main character of another gender can be tsundere, but it is less common. The pronunciation of tsundere is tsɯndeɾe.

Someone who is tsundere can be described as sunao janai 素直じゃない, which means “not honest (about their feelings).” Lum Invader of Urusei Yatsura is the originator of the first tsundere, per Comiket organizer Koichi Ichikawa. The term began in the visual novel Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. In 2006, tsundere became popular in Japan when a maid cafe named Nagomi in Akihabara started having “Tsundere” events. Tsundere’s behavior can be described as “type A and type B” in which a person switches back and forth between very different personalities – a warm side, and a cold exterior. It takes a long time in the Japanese character development process for one to completely transition away from being tsundere.

The Japanese term tsundere comes from the terms tsun tsun/tsuntsun, or ツンツン in hiragana, which means to turn away in disgust or anger. This is combined with the word dere dere/deredere, デレデレ in hiragana, meaning to become affectionate. There are a couple of variations on the word tsundere – yan, kuu, gun, and dan. One is gundere/gandere ガンデレ, which is someone who expresses their love toward guns. There is also Yandere, who is someone who has a violent nature after being initially loving and caring. Yandere characters are the opposite, or antonym, of tsundere. There is Kuudere, who is a love interest who shows little emotion but hide their feelings deep down and Dandere, who is a love interest that is quiet, asocial, and afraid of speaking.

What are examples of tsundere?

There are many different examples of tsundere characters in anime and manga series. Below is a list of the top 30 tsundere characters in anime from Anime Impulse.

There are also a number of western cartoon characters that are considered tsundere. This may help give you a better context on these characters if you do not watch anime or read manga. This list is provided by Fandom.

Overall, the word tsundere refers to a Japanese anime and manga stereotype. A tsundere character is tough on the outside, but soft and sweet under their hard exterior.

Sources:

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do’s and don’ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.

What is Tsundere? Examples, Pros and Cons

Meaning of Tsundere

“Tsundere (ツンデレ)” is a Japanese term to explain someone who is acting cold in the beginning but gradually showing a warm, sweet, and lovely side over time.

Read the post below to learn more about “Tsundere”

What is Tsundere?

If you watch Anime you have probably heard the word “Tsundere” and wonder what that means? In this article, you will see the meaning of Tsundere, examples, and pros and cons. After reading this page, you will have a better understanding of what Tsundere is.

The word “Tsundere (ツンデレ)” is a combination of two Japanese words (onomatopoeias)

・Tsun tsun (ツンツン): acting cold, blunt, or curt.

・Dere dere (デレデレ): acting warm, sweet, and lovely.

The word “Tsun tsun (ツンツン)” is an onomatopoeia for pointing the nose away from people, which is an expression of cold behavior. On the other hand, “Dere dere (デレデレ)” is an onomatopoeia for being sweet and lovely.

Mostly, the word “Tsundere” is used to explain an Anime character with a shy personality or a huge ego, who struggles to show their honest feelings.

Examples of Tsundere

Now, you know what tsundere means. It’s time to see some examples of it.
There are some typical tsundere phrases such as,

When a Tsundere person is acting cold or shy but doing a nice thing, they use this phrase to make an excuse for why they are doing a nice thing. And that’s the typical Tsundere moment.

Here are the good examples.

Example 1

(Tsundere Girlfriend and College Assignment)

Example 2

(Tsundere girl gives her friend valentine’s chocolate.)

Isn’t tsundere really sweet?

Being Tsundere is typical character development in Anime from a long time ago, and still works best nowadays.

Is Tsundere Just for Anime?

The word “Tsundere” is commonly used when people talk about anime or anime characters but does tsundere people exist in real life?

Tsundere does exist in real life but not like the anime level of tsundere. There are people with qualities of tsundere, or people who are affected by anime and play tsundere on purpose. The tsundere tactic or similar tactics are used to build and develop relationships with others.

For example, there is the word in Japan “Gap moe (ギャップ 萌 （ も ） え)” which means affection by the inconsistency between different aspects of the character.

This “Gap moe” is a very common tactic to use among the Japanese young generation to impress others, and Tsundere is probably the most common example of “Gap moe”.

So, Tsundere is not just for anime but it is also not like the one you see in anime.

Pros and Cons of Tsundere

Do you find Tsundere people attractive? Here are the pros and cons of Tsundere

Other “Dere” Types

There are other types of Dere, they are not as well-known as Tsundere but they are also combinations of Japanese words with “Dere”.

・Yandere (ヤンデレ)

– Yan (病ん) = Sick
→ over protectiveness, violence, brutality, or all three combined.

・Kudere (クーデレ)

– Ku-ru (クール) = Cool
→ cool and unemotional but shows sweetness later on.

・Dandere (ダンデレ)

– Danmari (ダンマリ) = Quiet
→ anti-social and does not talk to anyone until the right person comes along.

Review: Tsundere Meaning

Meaning of Tsundere

“Tsundere (ツンデレ)” is a Japanese term to explain someone who is acting cold in the beginning but gradually showing a warm, sweet, and lovely side over time.

I hope this article helped your understanding of Tsundere. It is very typical in Anime where you will realize that many of the characters you have seen or will see are tsundere. Knowing the meaning of it helps your understanding of characters which helps your understanding of Anime!

Tsundere: Understanding Anime’s Obsessions with the Cold/Warm Archetype Also kuudere, dandere, yandere, and every other type of

If you’ve been cruising around the nerdy parts of the internet (ie. all of the internet) recently, you may have run into this Japanese word:

A Google search will bring a quick definition, but if you dig a little deeper you’ll find the tsundere meaning applies to a broad spectrum of personalities and behavior. On top of that, it has spawned a whole subset of words like yandere, dandere, kuudere, and more. It’s gotten so popular there are even products and events celebrating the tsundere idea (there are even tsundere sharks, wtf?). Suddenly understanding this word doesn’t seem so simple.

Lucky for you, Tofugu has done the heavy lifting and laid out the results below. Read on to learn what tsundere means, where it came from, and why it’s so attractive. But don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t write this for you or anything. Baka!

Tsundere Meaning

“What!? You don’t know what tsundere means? Are you stupid? Why don’t you look it up yourself?

“Well….since you came all the way to Tofugu…I could teach you…(blush)”

Both words describe different attitudes. Tsun tsun refers to someone who acts cold, blunt, or curt. The onomatopoeia itself is actually the sound of someone sticking their nose up in the air, or turning away in disgust.

On the other hand, dere dere describes someone who is affectionate or lovey-dovey. You may have seen dere dere people in a relationship. They’re cuddly and use pet names with each other.

So “tsundere” describes someone who is “tsun-tsun” at first, but eventually warms up and becomes “dere dere.” Don’t mistake this for some kind of split personality disorder. It’s usually a gradual change, or a change triggered by a specific person or event. Actually, it’s is applied broadly to any character who is sometimes icy and sometimes warm. In English you might call it “running hot or cold.”

If you’re trying to figure out the tsundere pronunciation, check out our guide to hiragana, which will teach you how to read and pronounce Japanese.

This broad application makes it tough to nail down the definition of tsundere. To make things a little easier, let’s break it down into four character description categories:

Beyond this, the terms has been applied to all sorts of characters with varying degrees of tsun tsun and dere dere attitudes. Some even use tsundere to describe dere dere characters who sometimes act harshly. This seems like a stretch to me, almost opposite. But it goes to show how popular the term has become and how easily people apply it to their favorite characters.

Where Did Tsundere Come From?

Tsundere as an idea and storytelling device has been around for centuries. Katherina from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is an example. Comiket organizer Koichi Ichikawa calls Lum from 1978’s Urusei Yatsura the first tsundere character in manga. Others give that title to Heckett from Osamu Tezuka’s 1963 manga Princess Knight. But the question isn’t where the idea came from, but the word.

Tsundere was initially used to describe female characters in gyaruge ギャルゲ （ ） (gal games), a type of dating simulator. In gal games, your obstacle is the sim girls’ attitude toward you (tsun tsun). The goal is to achieve their affection (dere dere).

In 2002, players were discussing one such gal game on a Japanese message board. According to Junichi Togashi from the Department of Japanese Literature at Daito Bunka University, the idea first appeared on an internet forum called ayashii waarudo @ zantei あやしい （ ） わーるど@ 暫定 （ ざんてい ） (ayashii world @ zantei). Forum users were discussing a gal game called Kimi ga Nozomu Eien which featured a character named Ayu Daikuuji ( 大空寺 （ だいくうじ ） あゆ). On August 29,2002, a user posted a message declaring how much he liked interacting with her personality saying, tsun tsun dere dere ga yoi ツンツン （ ） デレデレが 良 （ よ ） い, or “tsun tsun dere dere is good.” A few months later on December 26, 2002, a message board user posting about Haruhi Sakuma( 佐久間 （ さくま ） 晴姫 （ はるひ ） ) from Akizakura no Sorani ( 秋桜 （ あきざくら ） の 空 （ そら ） に) called her “tsundere.” And so the word was born. Soon after the word became common in the Japanese online dating sim community, eventually spilling over to popular non-dating sim message boards like nyuu soku VIP ita ニュー （ ） 速 （ そく ） VIP 板 （ いた ） (Breaking News VIP Board) in 2005. There was no going back. It began making its way through the Japanese online community.

In 2006, media outlets all over Japan started using tsundere and it was nominated Buzzword of the Year. It didn’t win, but the nomination cemented it in the Japanese lexicon.

And that’s how the modern term tsundere came about. All done. End of story.

In 2011, Kazuo Koike, famous manga writer of “Lone Wolf and Cub” and “Golgo 13,” sent a tweet claiming he created the word “tsundere.” According to the message, he used it in a manga called «koukousei burai hikae 高校生無頼控 （ こうこうせいぶらいひかえ ） » in 1972.

The tweet reads:

Certainly, “tsundere’ is the word I used in the manga called «koukousei burai hikae 高校生無頼控 （ こうこうせいぶらいひかえ ） » around 1972 (about 39 years ago). Then, that word is brought back to life again…characters are really interesting, aren’t they?

Kind of a vague statement, Mr. Koike. Apparently, someone on Twitter described one of his characters as tsundere, and he was responding to that while off-handedly implying he created the term. If this is true, then tsundere existed way longer than anyone thought. Let’s look at the manga in question:

Here’s a translation of the dialogue:

Why is Tsundere Attractive?

Now that tsundere as a word and idea are popular, this begs the question, why is it so attractive? Sure, in fiction it creates a fun dynamic for stories. But can people actually be attracted to this kind of personality? Amazingly, two research studies support the power of its mystique.

The first was conducted by Elliot Aronson and Darwyn Linder at the University of Minnesota in 1964. They had subjects meet with a confederate (someone secretly in on the experiment). The subjects and confederates interacted for a period of time. After the interaction, the subjects were allowed to listen in on a conversation between the researchers and their confederate partners. With the subject listening in, the confederate would talk about and evaluate the subject in 1 of 4 ways:

The subjects were then asked to evaluate their partners after hearing their opinions of them. Surprisingly, option number three was evaluated best. The subjects liked their partners best when they started out bad-mouthing them, but ended with kindness.

Over 10 years later, in 1975, Gerald Clore conducted a similar experiment at the University of Illinois. Clore showed video tapes to 180 female and 158 male college students. The tapes featured a woman (A) and a man (B) conversing without sound. The conversation played out four times, each time the woman (A) performing different non-verbal behaviors:

The students were then asked, of the four scenarios they witnessed, in which was the male (B) most attracted to the female? The overwhelming response was scenario 3, where the woman was initially cold, but warmed up over time.

These studies confirm our suspicions. Tsundere behavior is attractive! But why? The answer is the gain-loss principle.

The principle was first put forth by Aronson and Linder in their 1964 experiment. It states that a person feels more or less toward someone depending on their baseline expectations. If the baseline expectation is “this person hates me,” there will be more attraction when the normally ornery person gives a compliment. That’s because there’s been a “gain” in baseline expectation. And this gain feels psychologically rewarding. It’s as if the grumpy person has been “won over.”

How to Act Tsundere

Now that you’ve learned how effective tsundere behavior can be, why not try it yourself? Because it could potentially leave you alone and friendless, that’s why. Hot-and-cold behavior may work in the short term, but over time it can push people away if you don’t become dere dere and stay that way.

But if you want to try it anyway, you need to properly mix the mean with the sweet. It’s a tough balance to strike. Luckily, we’ve got a few things you can try when crafting your new tsundere personality. (Seriously though, don’t be this way on purpose.)

Acting Tsun Tsun

To properly become tsundere, you need to start with an egotistical mean streak. Try these actionable steps toward assholery.

Acting Dere Dere

Of course, acting tsun tsun is not enough. Without the dere dere, you’re just a jerk. Adding the dere dere makes you a misunderstood jerk. It gives your tsundere meaning.

Once you’ve degraded the person you love, it’s time to confuse the hell out of them with kindness, thus making them love you back.

Tsundere Products

As soon as something becomes popular, companies will be ready to make money off it. Here are a few tsundere products that are initially cold, but warm up as you use them. (Editor’s note: Icy/Hot, Hungry Man dinners, and car engines on a frosty Canadian morning are not considered tsundere products.)

SEGNITY Tsundere Mobile TV

Have you ever wished Siri treated you like crap? Or do you want the voice on your GPS to criticize your mistakes? Then you’re in luck! (and also insane) Defunct Japanese tech company e-Revolution has a product for you.

In 2006, a mobile audio/video broadcasting service called 1seg began transmissions in Japan. They sent out a special kind of television broadcast that could only be picked up by special mobile receivers. e-Revolution made one such mobile TV called the SEGNITY. But something set it apart from other TVs on the market. This was a tsundere TV. When you start using it, the voice speaks with tsun tsun arrogance. Of course, over time, it slowly changes to “dere dere.”

For example, if you turn on the SEGNITY TV, the voice will get upset and say, “You aren’t thinking of watching TV, are you?” or “It’s so noisy!” But the more you use the TV, the friendlier the voice becomes. Eventually, it will become cute and say, “Why don’t we watch TV together?” Congratulations! You’re dating a portable television.

Tsundere Karuta

Karuta is a traditional Japanese card game. And this is a tsundere version of that traditional game. On each card in these Karuta decks, there’s a hot/cold phrase. Each deck comes with an audio CD of all the phrases recorded by Rie Kugimiya, the voice actress considered the «Queen of Tsundere.»» Check out the video above for examples. Order the deck on Amazon with accompanying CD, if you like mixed signals with your traditional Japanese card playing experience.

Tsundere Moe Sake

This is a two pack of sake. One is dry (tsun) and the other is sweet (dere). You can blend them together to make the perfect tsundere sake. It also comes with a CD so you can fall in love with an invisible person while you get drunk. Available on Amazon.

COCOROBO Tsundere Talking Robot Vacuum Cleaner

And now, the crown jewel of tsundere products. A tsundere robot vacuum cleaner. Imagine a hot/cold-emotioned Roomba you can talk to. This one is more specific though. It’s a tsundere younger sister. So she’ll act cold/warm, she’s a vacuum cleaner, and she’s related to you. Take that for what you will. No matter what, I’d be mad if I got woken up by this thing (Watch the youtube video to see what I mean).

What makes this the ultimate tsundere product? The price is really tsun tsun: ¥148,000.

Tsundere Cafe

Japan has had maid cafes since as far back as 2003. But as the idea of this personality type became popular, the inevitable tsundere cafe opened.

In a normal maid cafe, the waitresses wear maid uniforms and treat you sweetly. The tsundere cafe is the same but the waitresses attitudes are tsun tsun. When you order, they may say things like mendokusai めんどくさい （ ） (what a pain in the ass). No matter what you order, they’ll bring whatever they want, like a jar full of coffee beans or plain tap water. And you still have to pay.

There’s tsun tsun, but where’s the dere dere? It comes at the end. When you pay and leave, the waitresses act clingy and ask where you’re going and if you’ll be back soon.

Right now, there aren’t any permanent tsundere themed cafes. Rather younger-sister themed maid cafes hold tsundere events, thus transforming temporarily. The event-holding cafe featured most on Japanese TV is Nagomi (see the video above). Comedians frequent these tsundere events because it makes for good material. Three comedians, Kazutoyo Koyabu, Kobayashi Kendo, and Messenger Aihara, visited Nagomi and got one of the maids to laugh. But best of all is when comedy legends Downtown and Yoiko visited:

Though there aren’t any permanent tsundere cafes yet, there probably will be soon. Between internet and TV coverage, the idea is getting a lot of exposure. For now, there are maid cafes that have tsun tsun treatment you can order, and they take it to the next level.

If verbal abuse at Nagomi isn’t enough for you, head over to Cute Room or Cafe and Kitchen Cos-Cha, both in Akihabara. These cafes offer a slap in the face, for a price. Cos-Cha’s slap comes with a twist. After you pay, the maid chooses what goes in your drink. If you don’t drink it all at once, she slaps you good.

If face slapping still leaves you craving more abuse, try Cafe CC Ocha in Nipponbashi. They have an ¥1800 butt kicking on their secret menu. The maid of your choice will command you to get on all fours and admit you’re a pervert. Then she’ll kick you in the ass. The menu item is called urutora tsundereedaa ウルトラツンデレーダー （ ） (Ultra Tsundereder).

The idea of tsundere cafes is getting so popular, there’s even a song about them called “tsundere cafe e youkoso ツンデレcafeへようこそ☆ （ ） ” meaning “Welcome to Tsundere Cafe.” Apparently, it’s a super difficult song to perform in Taiko Drum Master.

The Most Popular Tsundere Characters

Of course, people have begun debating the best tsundere characters. Most claim the best were those played by voice actress Rie Kugiyama. She was dubbed “Queen of Tsundere” by her fans for her portrayal of such stuck-up/tender roles as Louise from The Familiar of Zero, Nagi Sanzenin from Hayate the Combat Butler!, and Taiga Aisaka from Toradora!

But the ultimate list was compiled by Charapedia. They surveyed 1000 anime fans in Japan asking their favorite tsundere characters and came up with a list. Here are the top 10:

Wow, Rie Kugimiya is in the top 10 four times! But she didn’t break the top 5. Does that mean she’s not the Tsundere Queen anymore? Will she be considered for roles in anime in the future?

Tsundere in Real Life

Naturally Japanese people eventually began looking for tsundere in their daily lives. The popular Japanese news site Mynaviwoman asked 100 working men if they’d encountered real life women who had this hot/cold personality. According to the survey, only 8.5% of men said yes. Those who said yes, were asked what the women were like. Below is a selection of translated answers:

“She completely ignored me at work, but in private stuck to me all the time. I wasn’t offended, but I kept thinking ‘don’t ignore me.’ ” (35-year-old precision machine salesman)

“She told me she was not interested in me at all, but always took the seat beside me and got close when she talked to me.” (33-year-old precision engineer)

“She was a really strong woman, but I saw tears in her eyes one day. My heart fluttered. She normally wasn’t ‘dere dere’ at all. If you can be patient with a girl who is usually ‘tsun-tsun,’ I totally recommend a tsundere girl… especially if you’re a masochistic guy.” (22-year-old IT engineer)

Although some men said they liked “tsundere” girls, others said the tsun tsun treatment was awful. One guy described it like this:

“She barely ever changed her facial expression and her words and behavior were abrupt. She definitely gave me a bad first impression. If I had to pick something good about her, it would be she’s good at saying one thing and doing another. I mean, she was good at bluffing.”

Have you met «tsundere» women or men in your life? Did you like their behavior? All the behavior described here sounds extreme. But I suppose we all have our reasons for acting certain ways in certain situations. There are so many factors behind peoples’ behavior, it’s hard to say.

Other

Now that we’ve learned the meaning of tsundere and so much more, I think you’re ready to enter the vast landscape of “the other

dere words.” Tsundere is only the tip of the iceberg. After this word became popular, people in Japan started creating all new

dere words. There are a lot of labels for personality types that start out one way, but end dere dere.

Dandere ダンデレ （ ）

dandere だんでれ/ダンデレ （ ） is actually a Japanese homophone. This same word has two meanings.

The first “dandere” is made up of these two words:

Dandii comes from the English word “dandy.” Dandy may feel antiquated to westerners, but it’s still used in Japan to describe manly and sophisticated men. David Beckham and George Clooney are both considered “dandies by Japanese people. Dandies look cool and don’t seem like the type to become affectionate. So if George Clooney were to use baby talk to dote on a cute puppy, that would make him dandere.

The second “dandere” is made up of these two words:

“Danmari” is the noun form of the verb “damaru 黙 （ だま ） る”, which means to be quiet. So this dandere describes someone who is quiet but actually feels “dere dere” in their hearts. If you really liked someone in middle school, but never talked to them (or anyone), then you were dandere. Oh, middle school. The most secure and non-turbulent time of life.

Examples of Dandere:

Kuudere クーデレ （ ）

“Kuuru” comes from “cool” in English. This idea overlaps with both the “dandy” and “quiet” dandere types. A kuudere person is cool but also full of affection bottled up and stuffed deep inside. It describes a few different kinds of cool personalities:

Examples of Kuudere:

Yandere ヤンデレ （ ）

Have you ever been in love? Like crazy in love? Like so crazy in love you would kill anyonewhogetsinthewayofyourloveEVENTHELOVEITSELF.

Yanderu is written “ 病 （ や ） んでる” in kanji. It means “to be sick or depressed.” But in this case, “yanderu” means to be mentally ill. It usually describes someone deranged but still affectionate. But sometimes it can describe someone who fell in love so hard it made them crazy. Either way, a yandere person is usually dangerous. They’ll do anything (mostly killing) to keep other people away from their love. If they can’t keep people away, they’ll kill their love so no one else can have them. Makes sense, right?

Examples of Yandere:

Darudere ダルデレ （ ）

Darui means weary, sluggish, or tiresome. It describes the feeling of being too tired to do anything. You can’t be bothered. Thus darudere people are mostly lazy, but sometimes passionate. For example, here’s a conversation between a darudere girlfriend and normal boyfriend from the book tsukue no ue no darudere kanojou 机 （ つくえ ） の 上 （ うえ ） のダルデレ 彼女 （ かのじょう ） (My Darudere Girlfriend on the Desk).

Boy: 「 いや （ ） 、 歩 （ ある ） こうぜ？」

Girl:「………」

Boy:「…… わかった （ ） よ……」

Girl: Piggyback ride! (Asking him to put her on his back)

Boy: C’mon, let’s walk, okay?

Girl: …..

Boy: Alright…

Fun fact: Darudere is sometimes elongated into “darushimudere” referencing Dhalsim from Street Fighter II. Because why not?

Examples of Darudere:

Sadodere サドデレ （ ）

Sado comes from an English word “sadistic.” But Japanese people use it to describe someone who likes teasing others. Usually the term “esu エス （ ） ”, from the S in “sadistic” is used. So a person who is teasing someone incessantly is acting “S.” Thus a sadodere person loves to tease, but deep down they are bursting with dere dere love.

Examples of Sadodere:

Bakadere バカデレ （ ）

Of course, if you’ve read our article about the meaning and history of baka, you know it means stupid. So bakadere is someone prone to stupidity, but sometimes very lovey-dovey.

Examples of Bakadere:

Nyandere ニャンデレ （ ）

If you’re thinking “Dere Dere Garfield” you’re not too far off track. nyandere にゃんでれ/ニャンデレ （ ） is made up of two words:

Nyan nyan is a Japanese onomatopoeia for a cat’s meow. So when combined with

dere, it describes someone who snuggles up to their significant other using cat gestures. So there’s no dichotomy of personality like there is with other words in the

dere family. Just a description of how someone is dere dere. But this isn’t the only use for nyandere.

Nyandere can also be used for someone who is usually cool but becomes dere dere only in the presence of cats. It also extends to tsundere people with neko-mimi (cat ears), cat girls or guys who are dere dere, cats who are dere dere, or cats who are tsundere. Basically anything that sometimes exhibits cat traits and sometimes exhibits affection.

Examples of Nyandere:

I’m a dog person, so I might be “wandere” rather than nyandere. wan-wan!U^ｪ^U

Other

Technically you can make any

dere words you want. I’d like to make “okodere” or “pundere.” They both mean the same thing. The “oko” is from “okoru 怒 （ おこ ） る” meaning “to get angry.” The “pun pun プンプン （ ） ” is from the Japanese onomatopoeia for being angry. So both okodere and pundere mean a grumpy person who sometimes becomes dere dere.

dere word will you make? Tweet it at us with the hashtag #derelife. Who knows? You could make the next descriptor that affects all anime for years to come. ganbatte! がんばって！ （ ）

Discovering Something Deeper

“What? Are you done reading already? I just got started telling you about tsundere. Maybe we can talk about obscure Japanese internet slang again some time soon, okay?” (blush)

No matter how you feel about this new obsession with an age old social quirk, it’s a great example of how we categorize our storytelling habits. At the very least you’ll be able to ace that online tsundere quiz you’ve been putting off.

Even though we are labeling characters as one thing or the other, we are also showing our patience with difficult exteriors. Tsundere and all the

dere derivatives acknowledge our complexity as human beings. Whether someone is outwardly brash, quiet, cool, or stupid, inside they have a desire to give and receive love.

And if we’re able to practice this patience and understanding with anime characters, perhaps eventually we’ll do the same with the complicated people around us as well.

Tsundere

Trigger Warning!
This page contains mature content not suitable for all ages or information, language or images that can be sensitive to some people! Precaution is advised.

Content Warnings: Strong language and mentions of violence and aggressive behavior.

Tsundere

Japanese Name

Personality

F-Fall for me? This is hardly the time for that kind of thing! But if you want to keep going, I guess I could force myself to listen.
— Rin Toosaka, from Fate/stay night

«Tsundere» is a term for a character who acts rude, cold, and hostile towards their love interest in order to conceal their warm and caring feelings.

Contents

Meaning of the Name

Tsundere (ツンデレ) comes from the words «tsuntsun» (ツンツン), a mimetic word for «irritable» or «grumpy», and «deredere» (デレデレ), meaning «lovey dovey».

Tsundere Word Origin

Tsundere was originally a term to describe a character with a harsh exterior who reveals a softer side as the story progressed. As the trope became more popular and clichéd, it became oversimplified in it’s usage, being associated with any character who alternates between a harsh side and a soft side at the press of a button, even without any sort of character development. These two eras of tsundere characters are differentiated as «Classic Tsundere» and «Modern Tsundere», respectively.

Personality

Tsundere characters are characters who pretend not to be interested in someone, even though their liking is very obvious. They will do things for their love interest, such as making them lunch or buying them stuff, but will insist that they don’t like them and make up cheap excuses to try and save face.

Tsundere characters are not honest with themselves, or at the very least, will refuse to be honest with others so as to not damage their pride.

Tsundere characters refuse to hear what others have to say. They say «hmph!» or «tch!» and turn away, but they will eventually turn back, out of love for the other person.

A tsundere will often say things like:

Most tsundere characters will call their love interest «baka» (馬鹿), meaning «idiot», at some point in the story.

Tsundere characters are very prideful, carrying themselves with a «holier than thou» attitude at all times. A tsundere might act like this because they come from a legitimate place of power, such as being a part of a rich family or being a part of the student council, but many of them do not have a good reason for their ego.

From a psychological standpoint, a tsundere character’s behavior can be considered an example of «splitting», a coping mechanism in which someone idealizes and undervalues others.

A tsundere character is not a character who plays hard to get. Characters who act like that deliberately choose not to get with their love interest until they know for sure that they truly love them, whereas a tsundere character’s denial is about hiding their already existing feelings to protect their pride.

Tsundere is a similar term to himedere, oujidere, and kamidere, since they are all quite arrogant. However, himedere, oujidere, and kamidere characters are much more arrogant than tsundere characters, wanting to be treated like princesses, princes, and gods, respectively. Tsundere characters are more defensive than these more arrogant characters as well, being unable to brush off comments that they take offense to like they could.

Tsundere is a similar term to hinedere, since they are both quite arrogant. However, hinedere characters are less short-tempered and more arrogant than tsundere characters, not to mention more cynical. Hinedere characters want to be the best at everything, while tsundere characters just want to look good in front of people they care about.

Tsundere is a similar term to bokodere, since they both act aggressively towards their love interest. However, bokodere characters are much more shy than tsundere characters, only becoming aggressive when they feel embarrassed. Bokodere is considered to be a combination of tsundere and dandere.

Tsundere is a similar term to kitikudere, since they both act aggressively towards their love interest. However, kitikudere characters are much meaner than tsundere characters, genuinely bullying their love interest in order to keep their feelings hidden. They won’t just hurt their love interest, either, usually having a reputation as a bully or a delinquent among all of their peers.

Kiredere is another dere type that can be considered a variation of tsundere, with kiredere characters having an excess of both the «tsun» and «dere» sides of a tsundere, making them care deeply for their love interest, but exerting it in a very harsh way by trying to make their love interest improve themselves.

Moe Factor

Tsundere characters are typically tsundere for the sake of the show. If a tsundere confesses, they will still act harshly towards their love interest, even though they have nothing left to hide. This is done because of how popular the tsundere archetype is. If the tsundere character stopped being tsundere, they would lose what made them so attractive in the first place, so they cannot change.

In harem media, the author wants to include as many types of «moe» (萌え) characters, or characters who make the reader feel affection and adoration towards them, as possible so as to widen the scope of their audience. Tsundere characters are among the typical lineup of these characters, since the conflicts that arise from the tsundere character’s arrogance are good proponents for both comedic and dramatic moments.

The tsundere trope also acts as a source of wish fulfillment. The idea of a character who seems very rude at first, but becomes kind when you manage to crack their shell, can make someone feel satisfied, as if like they themselves had a hand in their personality change.[1]

Tsundere vs. BST

The western term «belligerent sexual tension» (BST), might be confused with tsundere, but the key difference between the two is that BST is a situation, while a tsundere is a character.

BST occurs when two characters like each other, but don’t realize it. They’ll act like they don’t like each other by insulting each other to try and alleviate the tension, since they don’t want to embarrass themselves by admitting their feelings and have the other party turn them down.

Tsundere characters are often put into BST situations, but not every character who is put in one automatically becomes a tsundere. Many characters in BST situations only act rude in that specific moment, acting much more agreeable in most other situations. A tsundere will act irritable in other situations where they feel embarrassed.

Acting Tsundere

Since the tsundere trope is so recognizable, there are many parodies of tsundere character’s stereotypical attitude and phrases. A character might say something along the lines of «it’s not like I like you or anything!» as a short bit, but the character will not act tsundere outside of that specific moment. These characters are not really tsundere, they are simply parodied for the joke.

Terminology

Mangaka Ken Akamatsu says that tsundere is a unique case for moe characters. «The person feeling it must be stronger: The object of ‘moe’ is weak and dependent (like a child) on the person, or is in a situation where she cannot oppose the person in charge (like a maid). (Tsundere only: There will be times where the stronger and weaker role is reversed).»

The concept of tsundere characters keeps increasing in popularity. A maid cafe called Nagomi started to have tsundere events all the way back in 2006 along with the release of tsundere themed products, even including a television in their lineup. Japanese media has capitalized on this popularity, with more in-depth discussions about the definition of the concept in Lucky☆Star’s Lucky Channel segment aiming to classify characters based on their tsundere-ness.

Another widely used definition of tsundere is a character who has an aggressive attitude towards others, but is really kind on the inside. This plays out as the tsundere character acting rudely towards the main character, being very critical towards them in some way. When they eventually fall in love or simply warm up to them, though, they will be unable to deny their feelings any longer.

Comiket organizer Koichi Ichikawa described Lum from the 1978 manga Urusei Yatsura as being the first tsundere character, as well as the first moe character. Figurine sculptor Bome has also credited Lum as being an inspiration in his designs. Manga critic Jason Thompson cited another character, Madoka Ayukawa of the 1984 manga Kimagure Orange☆Road, as being the root of the tsundere archetype.

The author of the manga Excel Saga, Rikdo Koshi, defines tsundere as «hard on the outside, soft on the inside», associating it with Misaki Matsuya, a character in said manga.

Although tsundere characters are usually depicted as being female, there are many male examples of the trope as well.

Variations and Similar Japanese Archetypes

Bokukko

Bokukko

Japanese Name

Personality

«Bokukko» is a term for a female character who is a tomboy and acts and looks boyish.

Meaning

Bokukko is a Japanese word for females who use vocabulary mostly used by males. «Boku» is primarily used by boys and young men, while «ko» means «girl».

Personality

Bokukko are females who have tastes and behaviors usually associated with boys. They speak and act in a boyish type of manner and are confident, competitive, and can be rough around the edges.

These characters have interests and skills which are usually considered «boyish» and «manly», and lack interest in what is seen as «girly». They will have interests seen as tomboyish or more common in males, like sports, vehicle mechanics or combat.

A lot of tsundere characters could also be Bokukko due to their tough behaviour when their «tsun» side acts up, which is sometimes seen as tomboyish. Despite this, not all Bokukko characters are tsundere and not all tsundere characters are tomboys, although this is a combination that is used frequently.

Deretsun

Deretsun

Japanese Name

Personality

«Deretsun», also known as «Tsundere Type B», is a term for a tsundere whose dere side is their default mood. They are sweet, kind and generous, but have a hidden irritable side that comes out around their love interest.

Meaning of the Name

Deretsun (デレツン) comes from the words «deredere» (デレデレ), meaning «lovey dovey», and «tsuntsun» (ツンツン), a mimetic word for «irritable».

Personality

Derestun characters are characters who are friendly with others, but around an individual person, usually their love interest, they act a little brash and rude or cold and aloof. This happens because that individual triggers their more irritable side.

Like a regular tsundere, deretsun characters become overwhelmed by their love interests and lash out becuase of it. However, they do not act this way towards others, since they do not have feelings towards them.

Kuutsundere

Kuutsundere

Japanese Name

Personality

A «Kuutsundere» is a cross between a kuudere and tsundere.

Meaning of the Name

Kuutsundere (クーツンデレ) takes the «kuu» (クー) from «kuuru» (クール), a katakanization of the English word «cool», a «tsun» (ツン) from «tsuntsun» (ツンツン), a mimetic word for «irritable», and the «dere» (デレ) from «deredere» (デレデレ), meaning «lovey dovey».

Personality

Kuutsundere[2] characters, unlike tsunderecharacters, do not hide their feelings behind a mask of sarcasm, but express their true feelings. They do not have as intense mood swings as a tsundere, being more collected like a kuudere.

There are 2 main types of kuutsundere characters, the «Temperic Type» and the «Apathetic Type».

The «Temperic Type» of kuutsundere is known for their temperic nature. Sometimes they are calm and cool head individuals, but there are times that they can be more hotheaded. It takes them a while to warm up to their love interest.

The «Apathetic Type», like the name suggests, are apathetic, abstracted, and often show little to no emotions. They can be very sarcastic and rude at times, much like a Kitikudere.

During the development of the plot, they may not reveal the dere-side at all, since they are often secondary characters.

Tsun’Aho

Tsun’Aho

Japanese Name

Personality

«Tsun’Aho» is a term for a character who acts so «tsun» that they become «aho».

Meaning of the Name

Tsun’Aho (ツンアホ) comes from the words «tsuntsun» (ツンツン), a mimetic word for «irritable», and «aho» (アホ), meaning «stupid».

Personality

Tsun’Aho characters are characters who try so hard to look uninterested with their love interest that they start acting like an idiot. When they talk with their love interest, they will start saying stupid nonsense to act they don’t like them.

Because tsun’aho characters say and do so many stupid things to hide their «secret» feelings that everyone already knows about, people will start to think that they’re an actual idiot.

Tsun’Aho can also refer to a character who was an idiot from the start. They are «tsun» on the outside and «aho» on the inside.

Tsundra

Tsundra

Japanese Name

Personality

«Tsundra», also known as «Tsundora», is like a tsundere who acts so uninterested that they sound serious.

Meaning of the Name

Tsundra (デレツン) comes from the words «tsuntsun» (ツンツン), a mimetic word for «irritable», and «tundora» (ツンドラ), meaning «tundra».

Origin

The term originated from the anime Bakemonogatari. In episode 1, Hitagi Senjougahara claims that she is like a tsundere. Koyomi Araragi retorts that someone like her should be called a tsundra instead. [3]

Personality

Tsundra characters are characters who act so irritable and rude towards their love interest that they come off as totally serious in their rejection of their own feelings.

A normal tsundere will call their love interest childish names in a flustered fashion, hinting at the fact that they don’t actually believe in their own words. A tsundra, on the other hand, will make brutal, ice-cold comments about their love interest, making it seem like they really do hate them, making it very difficult for their love interest to understand that they actually like them.

Tsunpure

Tsunpure

Japanese Name

Personality

«Tsunpure» is a term for a character who is brutally honest with others, but rarely honest with themself.

Meaning of the Name

Tsunpure (ツンプレ) comes from the words «tsuntsun» (ツンツン), a mimetic word for «irritable», and the English word «pure», meaning «uncontaminated» and «clean».

Personality

Tsunpure are characters who act sensitive and temperamental, but only end up expressing their true feelings when they explode. They will act rudely one moment, but act with honesty and kindness the next.

Tsunpure characters are kind, easily fooled, and pure-hearted people who truly want to protect those they love, even if they aren’t always honest about it.

Tsunshun

Tsunshun

Japanese Name

Personality

A «Tsunshun» is a character that goes «tsun», and then goes «shun».

Meaning of the Name

Tsunshun (ツンシュン) takes the «tsun» (ツン) from «tsuntsun» (ツンツン), a mimetic word for «irritable», and «shun» (シュン), a mimetic word for «sad.»

Personality

Like a tsundere, tsunshun characters will act grumpy and reject or act uninterested about something, but where as a tsundere would go «I’m doing it, but it’s not like I like you or anything!» and try to accept what the other person has to say while trying to keep their «I’m not interested» mask, a tsunshun will not try to find a way to make things work. Instead, they will say «no» and then get depressed because they couldn’t say «yes».

Example: «No, I’m not going to the festival» words out of their mouth = «Why didn’t I say yes and went to the festival! Why!» words inside their mind a few minutes later.

It doesn’t need to be a straight «no»; it can be any tsun or anti-social expression. A tsunshun will reject others and act like they are above the them, but then get mad at themselves for being rude and not being sincere.

Tsuntere

Tsuntere

Japanese Name

Personality

Tsuntere is a term for a shy tsundere in which the «tsun» side is more pronounced.

Meaning of the Name

Tsuntere (ツン照れ) comes from the words «tsuntsun» (ツンツン), a mimetic word for «irritable», and «tereru» (照れる), meaning «to be shy».

Personality

Tsuntere characters are characters who are shy, but act rude anyways. These characters are not as cold as a normal tsundere and are much more likely to betray their feelings.

Tsuntere characters are less aggressive than tsundere characters, limiting themselves to only using offensive words when their tsun side shows, refraining from most violent actions.

Tsungire

Trigger Warning!
This page contains mature content not suitable for all ages or information, language or images that can be sensitive to some people! Precaution is advised.

Content Warnings: Mentions of extreme violence and murder.

Tsungire

Japanese Name

Personality

«Tsungire» is a term for a character who is devoid of love and filled with rage.

Meaning of the Name

Tsungire (ツンギレ) comes from the words «tsuntsun» (ツンツン), a mimetic word for «irritable», and «gire» (ギレ), meaning «to snap».

Personality

Tsungire characters are characters who are incredibly irritable, snapping at anything that bothers them. These outbursts can range from simple verbal abuse to outright physical assault, sometimes even escalating to murder. Because of their unpredictability, they are pretty much unapproachable and very dangerous to be around.

Tsungire characters may have a dere side, but it is hidden very deep inside of them, being completely overshadowed by their intense anger.

What is Gire ギレ?

The suffix «gire» (ギレ) is sometimes added to these personality words instead of «dere» (デレ). Its meaning in words such as tsungire and yangire is that of «snapping» or «being mad» instead of dere types «being in love».

The word «gire» comes from the verb «kireru» (キレる), which means «to snap» or «to be mad [at someone or something].» To be at the end of your rope. To lose your patience. To be done with it. To have had the last drop. To explode with anger. To get the last string holding your temper is check cut. That’s what «kireru» means.

The gire versions of personalities often have nothing to do with love or romance at all. People often attribute «

gire» as more violent versions of «

dere», but these two words aren’t actually related. A character deemed «

gire» doesn’t even need to be in love or feel romantically towards somone. They just lean towards aggressive, abusive, and violent behavior.

The part of the word «kireru» that becomes the suffix is «kire», but it becomes «gire» instead because of a process called «rendaku» that changes the pronunciation of suffixes.

TsunTsun and DereDere

Different characters have different levels of «tsun» and «dere». Tsundere characters can, more often than not, be divided into two main categories, based off their default mood:

TsunTsun (ツンツン): Tsuntsun types of tsundere characters are harsh by default. These characters are very rude, calling others names and refusing to hear what they have to say. They can’t seem to control their temper, lashing out for any sort of reason. Only someone who is very close to them will be able to bring out their dere side. They are much more spontaneous than deredere types, which hurts them in the long run. Tsuntsun reactions can also be used as a one time gag.

DereDere (デレデレ): Deredere types of tsundere characters are sweet by default. They are kind and caring characters who have a suppressed violent side that only comes out when they are embarrassed. They just feel awkward around feelings and conversations about love, acting self-conscious about their own feelings. Deredere types may also just be overprotective of their partner, lashing out if they feel like their love interest or their relationship is threatened. They take the time to plan out their endeavors, unlike a tsuntsun, though their plans usually fall apart in the end.

A way to show that a tsundere character has accepted their feelings in spite of their pride is to have them shift from acting tsuntsun to acting deredere. They will still retain many typical tsundere traits, such as acting evasive about their newfound relationship with others, but in a more mellow way.

Analysis

Tsuntsun Strategies

Tsundere characters employ these strategies in different situations to be most effective to the story and characterization.

Deredere Strategies

A tsundere character’s attractiveness has two sides to their appeal. On one side, they are strong and independent characters who refuse to back down. On the other side, they are awkward and insecure about their relationships, hiding any weakness with aggressive language and actions. Tsuntsun types show that even the toughest characters have a soft side, while deredere types show that even kind characters can be hot-blooded, subverting expectations in a pleasing way.

Tsundere Classes

There are some common classes of tsundere characters in media.

Characters with this Personality

See Tsundere/Anime Characters to see characters from anime media
See Tsundere/Western Characters to see characters from western media