This page should best be read in the voice of Rie Kugimiya (Japanese) or Brittney Karbowski (English). After all, they're both typecast as this kind of character.
Hmph. I'll describe this topic... since it figures that you wouldn't know what a Tsundere is. Look, if you really must know, I suppose I'll tell you. Just... consider yourself lucky that I even have an article handy, o-okay?! blush
Baka.
...ahem...
So. The Japanese term tsundere refers to a 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. 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. Are you paying attention?!
The tsuntsun can range from the "silent treatment" to "lovestruck 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—which is usually...not that mature when seen from an outside perspective...because that's cute, I suppose.
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 centre that will embrace you after you crack the outer shell. I will kill you if you try that on me, got it?
Tsundere can be divided into two main categories, depending on their default mood:
- Harsh (or Tsun): These Tsundere have tsuntsun (pronounced soon-soon) as their default mood. It takes someone special to trigger their deredere side. The intensity of the tsuntsun can range from "I must glare and fight my way through life" (Louise of The Familiar of Zero) to grumpy pessimism (Kagami of Lucky Star). It's about which part of the tsundere personality is the public face and which the hidden. If the Tsundere is The Rival, she is more likely to be Harsh. Helping a rival out is usually accompanied by a line like "Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this for you."
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 (or Dere): These Tsundere have deredere (pronounced day-ray) as their default mood. They are sweet, kind and generous, but just happen to have a hidden violent side as well. In this case, temper is almost always triggered by someone or something else, usually a Love Interest. Either they have Belligerent Sexual Tension, are an Accidental Pervert, or just have no idea how to handle feelings of love and attraction. May also overlap with Violently Protective Girlfriend if her Love Interest is threatened or in danger.
Sweet types should 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 downright murderous under such circumstances.
Go and see the Analysis page if you want 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.
Now...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).
In addition, there appear to be three major subtypes which while more common with which while more common with Harsh may sometimes fit with Sweet.
"Wolf-Girl" Tsundere who can't or won't be honest about her feelings, is quick to judge her love interest (or the main character in a harem comedy) badly, pelting him with violence at the slightest provocation, whether real or imagined. Bonus points if she calls him an idiot for not understanding her feelings outside his earshot. Prime examples are Nana from To Love Ru, Fumino from Mayoi Neko Overrun!, Naru Narugesawa from Love Hina.
Discipline Tsundere: Usually a fellow student assigned some role of authority, hall monitor, school president, wiki page, etc. who is rather strict in rules enforcement. She is quick to blame the love interest for breaches of etiquette and tries to punish him for it. This usually surprises him in that he's getting singled out for attention over others. Romantic interest seldom comes to mind as the reason (at least until he gets wind of further evidence). Prime examples: Yui of To Love Ru, Asuna of Oreshura.
Tragic Past Tsundere: This poor girl has a Dark and Troubled Past that makes understanding her feelings, let alone expressing them highly problematic for everyone, including herself. As such, approaching her is rather delicate, and if she approaches someone else, expect many misunderstandings good or bad. While violence towards the Love Interest is not required, it often occurs. Prime Examples: Stella Satellizer of Freezing. Yami of To Love Ru. (Rito has not one or two, but THREE Tsundere in his Unwanted Harem.)
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, and Jerk with a Heart of Gold. 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. Aloof Ally may show the same hot-and-cold behavior but for differing reasons. Because of their low tolerance for stupidity, they are always Enraged by Idiocy.
Now! Do not confuse this trope with a Mood-Swinger, who flips between all the emotional states (not just tsuntsun and deredere) and has 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. And god damn it, don't assume that a girl or guy is merely tsundere if they're expressing signs that they aren't interested in or don't like you, and you just need to "break their outer shell".
Looking at it psychologically, tsundere-like behavior could be an example of "splitting," which is a maladaptive coping mechanism wherein a person alternately idealizes and undervalues others, including potential romantic partners.
This is very obviously Truth in Television, so No Real Life Examples, Please! - But you're such an idiot that I just had to remind you of that. For invoked examples (ex. Tsundere Cafes), those can go to the "Other" category.
You can leave me and go back to the main page here, but don't get the wrong idea! I-i-it's not like I'm leaving this link here for your sake or anything, baka!
Example subpages:
- Anime & Manga
- Comic Books
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- Folklore
- Literature
- Live-Action TV
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Other examples:
- Wolnie from Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf is of the "harsh" type. She tends to be a jerk to her husband Wolffy and will even whack him with her Frying Pan of Doom whenever he winds up unable to capture the goats, but she genuinely loves and cares for him and shows this every once in a while whenever she's actually nice and romantic towards him for a change.
Huh? Did you really read through the whole thing? Even the Analysis page?
You're really determined... aren't you?
Ah! N-not that I noticed, or anything. I'm just impressed by your attention span. Maybe. A little.
[Beat]
