What is Tsundere?
Tsundere, (Japanese: ツンデレ) is a personalized behavior pattern of alternating hostile and affectionate love to an individual mostly used by Japanese characters in manga, anime, visual novels and other works. Tsundere literally translates to “Getting Hot and Cold”, referring to a person whose personality shifts between being hostile and loving depending on their mood. It’s an expression of a character’s snarky attitude and inner turmoil, which has become an undeniable phenomenon in pop culture.
If you’ve ever watched a romance series and found yourself drawn to characters who seem to alternate between being mean and caring – that’s tsundere. Examples of such characters could be Oikawa from Haikyuu, Taiga from Toradora or even Sakata Gintoki from Gintama.
The Origins of Tsundere
Back in the 80s and 90s, shoujo manga featuring romantically involved couples began to become more and more popular. As a result, writers started to come up with new and unique character archetypes in order to differentiate their works from that of their competitors. Cue the rise of tsundere, a girl with a literal love-hate relationship with her love interest. With the publication of Ranma ½ in 1987, tsundere would eventually become popularized in Japan and go on to become a widespread phenomenon in media.
Tsundere Traits
Tsundere characters are usually introverted, cold and aloof towards the object of their affections. They hide their true emotions behind a veil of rudeness and harshness, which gives them a sense of superiority and control. Tsundere will usually respond to positive or romantic gestures by coldly denying their affection and instead attempt to push away any potential partners. However, they will invariably melt and reveal their true feelings over time.
The Power of Tsundere
Tsunderes are beloved “anti-heroines” – a favourite among anime fans. In a show full of one-dimensional characters, tsundere often stand out as they are more dimensional, vulnerable, and realistic. It’s the very complexity of the tsundere character type that makes them so appealing: they tap into a range of familiar human emotions that people can connect to, ranging from love and affection to anger and frustration. As a result, tsundere characters are some of the most enduring and beloved characters in anime.
Despite being a common trope, no two tsunderes are alike. Every tsundere has a unique way of expressing (or hiding) their emotions and dealing with the situations they are presented with. That’s why, no matter how many times you’ve seen them before, tsundere never get old.