Tsundere, Yandere and the personalities in anime

Tsundere

Love in the times of manga and anime is made up of various shades: we have the shy girl, the cheeky boy, the determined girl and the sweetish boy. The very character of the protagonists of the most disparate stories delineates a real stereotype. This is how nothing is left to chance in Japan and everything has a precise name, even the personalities of the characters. It will have happened, in fact, to read between the lines of a manga or some site here and there terms like Tsundere, Yandere, Kuude. You may have wondered if it was a particular Japanese dish or just a nickname that couples use, so to speak, very "sticky". But no, they are real Japanese stereotypes, words that identify a very precise characterization of a character, to the point of representing his behavior, the way of relating and his most secret intentions. Here is which and how many are these -dere in manga and anime, their history and the main faces that best represent them.



Miroku

What does Tsundere and the other-Dere mean? Personalities in anime and manga

What does Tsundere and Yandere mean? The characteristics and differences between i -dere I -Dere: their history The most famous Tsundere and Yandere

What do Tsundere and Yandere mean?

Tsundere comes from the union of the term -dere with "Tsuntsun" , which can be translated into Italian as "sulky" "irritable", while "Yandere" originates from "Yanderu", which means "sick".

The suffix -dere, which identifies all Japanese personalities, has originated from the word "deredere", which we could translate as "in love". In fact, all these terms are usually used within stories in which the characters have some kind of relationship between them, whether it is already in progress or has yet to be born. It is important to underline this aspect, because just as you can guess from the etymology, the various -dere are not random characterizations of the characters, but they necessarily need to connect to their feelings and what heart, head and hormones push them to do. br>

In this way you would perhaps be led to think that they are therefore exclusive manga terms with a strong romantic connotation. And (partially) you would be wrong: being a feature that identifies a series of behaviors, the badges can be attached to any character with a sentimental interest. We can identify -dere even in the most unlikely shonen, as in the protagonists of Bleach, One Piece or The Knights of the Zodiac. It all depends, of course, if they have some kind of affection and how they tend to show it. In fact, there are not only Tsundere and Yandere, on the contrary, there is a rich list of personalities in anime and manga. As many as their attitudes.

The characteristics and differences between the -dere

Kuude: a "Kuude" personality is that of a cold, straightforward and cynical character, who despite showing a ruthless calm and almost a profound insensitivity, in the end is capable of sincere and unsettling displays of affection. They are often pragmatic, intelligent and icy, almost inexpressive, devoid of emotions and stoic on the outside, but on the inside they have strong and sincere feelings. The etymology derives from the katakana "kuuru", which literally comes from the English "cool" and -Dere. The Kuudas are similar to the Tsundere: both tend to be linked to a certain character security, but just as the word of origin "cool" suggests, the Kuudas are not only intriguing, but calm and do not become easily irascible. These characters are also usually drawn with cool colors, white-haired, blue or piercing eyes of ice. However, over time, even their snow-covered hearts melts.



Dandere: just like a "Kuude", even the "Dandere" are reserved and detached people. But unlike the "cool" personality, they are inherently shy and insecure. The "dan" in dandere comes from the Japanese word "danmari" which means "to be silent". Normally, in fact, the Dandere are silent and antisocial, to the point that they too seem devoid of emotions like a "Kuude". But they suddenly turn out to be talkative and sweet when they are alone with the person they love, if made comfortable enough. On the contrary, they will continue to remain closed in on themselves. They don't like talking too much with people because of their insecurity, while a Kuude character will have no problem answering, keeping his calm or keeping silent because he simply found it necessary. A Dandere, on the other hand, will always prove agitated if he is asked to speak when he does not want to. Both of these types of -Dere distance themselves from the others for different reasons, often making them devoid of true friendships and similar to hikikomori.



Asuka by Evangelion Bokodere: they are the (strange) combination of one Tsundere and a Dandere. They are extremely shy towards those they are infatuated with, they get embarrassed by a trifle, but unlike a Dandere, when cornered, they prove violent and start throwing "punches". On the other hand, the origin of their term derives from "bokoru", which means "to hit someone". They are not aggressive characters, far from it, theirs is just an inability to control emotions: due to excessive shyness and embarrassment, when they find themselves in a compromising situation, they begin to blush and behave in an unruly and agitated way, often ending up hurting someone.

Hajidere: they are characters similar to a Dandere, but unlike these, they are nervous and embarrassed only with the people they have a secret crush on. They are usually sociable and outgoing, self-confident and likeable, but their shyness only becomes apparent when they interact with the person they love, to the point where they exhibit excessive behavior. They stutter, sweat, have difficulty breathing or even pass out. Their name is composed of the word "haji", which means shame, embarrassment.

Hiyakasude: they are among the "spicy" personalities of the various -Dere, also known in the West as "Teasedere" or "Smugdere". They are the cheeky characters, who love to make fun of others, provoke them and often flirt with those they like. They are mischievous, sarcastic and charming, self-confident and often even manage to make "their victims" blush. Their word originates from “hiyakasu”, which means “to joke”, “to make fun”. If they were to get serious, exaggerate and have decidedly more explicit attitudes, they are usually referred to as "Eroding".



Minoru Mineta from Boku no Hero Academia The list would not end here, but it would be still (too) long, so we limit ourselves to mentioning also the Mayadere, the characters who start as antagonists and then change for love, the Bocchandere, those who are linked to a dark secret, often a past like Yakuza or who are thugs, the Bakadere, clumsy, innocent and in a nutshell "stupid" (from the term "baka) and the Goudos, those who would do anything for the person they love. Literally, of everything.

I -dere: their story

The whole history of -Dere comes from Internet slang: in 1978 the organizer of Comiket, Koichi Ichikawa, described Ran of Lum as "a yandere", while "tsundere" seems to have made its first appearance around the 2000s, in video games. But the origin of the two terms has never been officially defined and in many cases the meaning of both can vary considerably, depending on the tastes and intentions of the author who is believed to assign the origins of the words.

What we know with certainty is that it is a stereotype that has existed in Japanese culture for decades at a culturally intrinsic and sometimes involuntary level, although there is no single term for it. The various -Dere began to appear in bishōjo games, or dating simulators (known as "dating sim") in which the main objective is to woo beautiful girls. Hence the terms -Dere spread more and more in the early 2000s. This is because the authors often need to differentiate as many types of characters as may be of interest to the user.



The more different characters there are, the more difficult the player or reader will find it to choose the character they want to woo, thus expanding the reach of the audience. The characters Tsundere and Yandere are among the typical line-up of these games, since they compensate for some wishes (or fears) of the user.

The idea of ​​a shy character who turns out to be an avid fan or, on the contrary, a grumpy character who shows a sweet and vulnerable soul, arouses a strong emotional and moralistic involvement, especially in a culture, like the Japanese one, which teaches since childhood to hide one's feelings.

In recent years these stereotypical personalities have received increasing attention and related merchandising, to the point of becoming a true cultural phenomenon, reaching other media such as maid cafes, anime, manga, and even novels.

The importance, today, of having characters with a recognizable characterization, can serve both male and female users: being able to recognize in a clear terminology, even girls (especially in Japan) feel more free than e express their feelings, using this media medium. Through the behaviors, jokes and puns of their favorite characters, they learn to overcome their fears or to understand the multifaceted and even more angular dynamics of a relationship.

The most famous Tsundere and Yandere

The time has come to showcase the most striking and famous examples of the respective terms. The most iconic personification of the Tsundere type is undoubtedly Toradora's Taiga Aisaka. The famous "portable tiger" is short-tempered, aggressive, carries a wooden sword and knows martial arts, but is also deeply clumsy when it comes to expressing his feelings: in the course of the anime, however, Taiga recognizes his fears. and ends up making a serious commitment to her relationship with Ryuuji.



Taiga by Toradora Another well-known Tsundere is Asuka Langley from the Evangelion saga, brave, enterprising, bold and decidedly energetic. Unlike Shinji and Rei, co-stars of the series, she is proud of her role, even if behind her excessive self-confidence, she hides a tormented and fragile soul.

As Yandere we can mention, instead, Yuno Gasai by Mirai Nikki or Misa Amane by Death Note: the facets of the Yandere personality are so many that it is intricate to be able to catalog them, also because often their loving devotion is transmuted into a real, worrying obsession. It is the personalities who become more dangerous than the aggressive Tsundere, turning into psychopaths, mean manipulators and cruel overprotective. In Yuno's case, her obsession turns into a truly murderous psychotic syndrome, as soon as her loved one is in danger or arouses someone's interest. In a similar way, Misa is protective of Kira, even if in her case her obsession leads her to be more victim of the plots of the famous murderer.



Yuno Gasai As a ruler of the genre Kuude , we bring to your attention Sesshoumaru of Inuyasha: cold, ruthless and devoid of compassion even towards his own brother, this canine demon will demonstrate a deep attachment to a little human.



Sesshoumaru Among the Dandere, on the other hand, deserves to ascend the throne Nagisa Furukawa, the sweet and fragile protagonist of Clannad, with whom the protagonist establishes a bond that will lead him to change his life.



Nagisa by Clannad Come Bokodere mention Mahiru Inami, from “Working !! “, Which gave birth to this term due to the reactions of this character towards men. Inami suffers from severe androphobia (fear of men) due to his father. But we cannot fail to mention Yor from Spy x Family in the list.



Mahiru Inami The princess of the Hajidere is undoubtedly Hinata from Naruto, while between the Hiyakasudos and the Herodere it is impossible not to mention Blair from Soul Eater, Holo from Spice and Wolf, Jiraya from Naruto, Miroku from Inuyasha and Minoru Mineta from Boku no Hero Academia.


Holo from Spice and Wolf