Glossary Term: Tsundere

Alright, we're pretty much reaching the final stretch for our lessons now. At this point, I'll be defining certain terms that I feel that anybody who reads manga or watch anime should know.

Today's term is tsundere, which refers to a character (usually female) who tends to alternate between two moods with regards to another character (the love interest). These moods are "tsuntsun" (irritable/cold) and "deredere" (love-struck) respectively, hence the term. The ways in which a tsundere acts can vary wildly; for example, "tsuntsun" behavior can range from simply ignoring the love interest to beating the guy up.

Indifference -> Shy Embarrassment

Tsunderes are most commonly found in romantic comedies as the conflicting personalities can be easily utilized to progress the story. It can be nice to see a character progress from being "tsuntsun" most of the time to being "deredere", though most tsunderes will always have both aspects of their personality.

Some examples of tsundere characters are: Shana of Shakugan no Shana (pictured above), Aisaka Taiga of Toradora!, and Asuka Langley Soryu of Neon Genesis Evangelion.