Tsundere (ツンデレ, pronounced[t͡sɯndeɾe]) is a
Japanese term for a character development process that depicts a character with an initially harsh personality who gradually reveals a warmer, friendlier side over time.
The word is derived from the terms tsun tsun (ツンツン) (adverb, 'morosely, aloofly, offputtingly')[1][2][3] and dere dere (でれでれ) (adverb, 'in a lovey-dovey or infatuated manner').[4][2][5] Originally found in Japanese
bishōjo games,[6] the word is now part of the otaku
moe phenomenon,[7] reaching into other media. The term was made popular in the visual novel Kimi ga Nozomu Eien.[8]
Another accepted definition of tsundere is someone who has a combative attitude towards others but is also kind on the inside.[citation needed]
Terminology
Manga author
Ken Akamatsu lists tsundere as one of the special cases in his definition of moe: "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 (like a maid)... (*Tsundere only: There will be times where the stronger and weaker role is reversed)."[9] The concept has received increasing attention in Japan, with a maid cafe named Nagomi in
Akihabara started having tsundere events in 2006[10][note 1] and tsundere-themed products released (like
Tomy Co.'s portable television set),[note 2] and the concept increasingly reflected in recent anime, from an extended discussion of the meaning of the concept and its origin on the Internet in Lucky Star's Lucky Channel segment classifying the characters according to tsundere-ness. They usually play out as having an attitude toward the main character, either a male or a female, and often criticizing them in one way or another, until they eventually warm up to them or fall in love with them as the series progresses, though they usually find it very hard to admit it or outright deny it in some cases.
Tsundere as a concept is not strictly limited to women, and is not strictly limited to manga or anime. The character
Germany from the series Hetalia: Axis Powers is portrayed as being tsundere, and is paired with a "
lovable loser",
Italy Veneziano.[7]Tsundere role-play has become a common theme in
maid cafés.[7]
See also
Look up tsundere in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
^"In Tokyo's Akihabara district there is reportedly a tsundere café, and the word tsunderera, better rendered in English as Tsunderella due to being highly evocative of
Cinderella, was nominated for a prize in the 2006 fashionable word awards, indicating that 'tsundere' culture may become more prominent in the future." February 2, 2007, "Toymaker introduces portable TV with harsh audio guidance that gradually gets kinder" in the Mainichi Times.
^"Toy manufacturer Tomy Co. has come up with the world's first tsundere portable television set, which gives audio guidance with a harsh voice that gradually becomes kinder as the user gets used to the set... Tsundere is a word for a type of feminine personality that is initially uptight and cold, and then kind and loving. It is well known among Japan's otaku community, and ranks in popularity with the word moe, which signifies an enthusiasm or fetish for something, especially in connection with anime." February 2, 2007, Mainichi
^
abKoshi, Rikdo (December 2006). Excel Saga, Volume 15. Viz Media. p. 2, translator's notes (Carl Gustav Horn).
ISBN978-1421508467. This is an attempt to translate the concept of tsundere (this illustration and the "tsundere?" slogan appeared on the back of the slipcover on the original Japanese Vol. 15...); a character description sometimes used in dating-sim games. Note that it has been demonstrated previously in Excel Saga that Matsuya has to be virtually be on the brink of death in order to display softness.
^Galbraith, Patrick W. (2009). The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan. Kodansha International. p. 44.
ISBN978-4-7700-3101-3. Lum-chan is the source of moe, the queen. She's the first tsundere character.
^Thompson, Jason (September 11, 2014).
"House of 1000 Manga – Kimagure Orange Road". Anime News Network. Archived from
the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2015. For historical value, yes: this is the root from which all modern shonen rom-coms grew. (Including the tsundere archetype, which Madoka basically embodies.)