User blog:ShonenChicoBoy/Shonen's Regimen and Tonic: May 2015

As the doctor prescribes: DOWN ALL THE BATTLESHIPS!!!



Tsundere, and No It’s Not a Fish

In last month’s blog I addressed a bacterial fungi growth character type that frequently and often inadvertently lurks amongst the fiction of fans and original creators alike, rotting away at the stories and devolving any semblance of reader empathy. In that same vein, I’m going to address another archetype for this month’s blog that I personally think is as insidious (and hideous!) and pervasive as Mary Sues, although most probably wouldn’t recognize them as such. That is to say, whenever I see these characters I get pissed off, and hopefully by the end of this blog you’ll see why I get pissed off, and maybe you will be too.

I’m talking about… BATTLESHIP GALACTICA.

Aka: '''The Tsundere. '''

Now, I’m going to lay down a caveat here before I start: no, this blog is not intended to be about feminism, or sexism, or any other “ism.” It’s just my observations and opinions on the subject of tsundere, so if I appear to be chauvinistic in anyway, I apologize beforehand and I assure you that it was not my intention. The only reason why all my examples are female is because I found them to be good examples. This archetype most certainly can apply to male characters, but more on that later. Second disclaimer is that, since this blog was originally intended to be part of last month’s blog, I’ve just copied the format from there to here (well, sort of). It’s not me being lazy, I swear! *ahem*

Now then, without further ado:

What Exactly IS a Tsundere?
The term tsundere (ツンデレ) itself is pretty easy to wrap your head around. It comes from two idiomatic terms, tsun tsun (ツンツン), meaning “to turn away in disgust,” and dere dere (デレデレ), meaning “to become ‘lovey dovey.'” It’s a character archetype that defines a person who is initially cold or hostile towards another (usually the romantic interest) before gradually “thawing” and showing their warm, soft, gooey inside over time. Typically, these two sides manifest as distinct moods, with the character in question alternating between an aloof or irritable (or irritating) mood and a love-struck mood, seemingly at random intervals or when comedic timing calls for such a reaction. While the term was originally very specific, it has over time come to mean a character who has a hair-trigger when it comes to flip-flopping between the two emotional states, usually due to the actions of one individual rather than as a sociability problem. Supposedly this is a result of the inner conflict between their feelings of affection, caring, and/or love towards another, and their uncertainty, doubt, and other such difficult reactions to having those feelings in the first place.

According to the internet, there are two types of tsundere: those whose default mode is “tsuntsun” and those whose default is “deredere.” Heck, I don’t really care about that. The classification isn’t as important as the characterization. Just be aware that a character can be both a “nice girl next door” and a tsundere, as well as a “psycho bitch” and a tsundere, what matters is that the two distinct modes are present. This stock characterization is what makes them popular in romantic comedies because the two facets of their personality can be easily used to create both drama and, well, comedy. One common way of showing that the tsundere has finally yielded to her feelings is to have a pretty overt (or maybe not-so) transition from harsh to sweet, or the final revelation of a true caring side or a confession of love, or something along those lines. Most likely however, if her motivations for this are questioned, she will deny it with very Moe-esque blushes and eye-evasion.

Other common tsundere traits include:
 * Tomboy Tsundere: Ah, school yard romance. The nostalgia. Generally speaking, (or traditionally or what-have-you), it’s the boys who have a hard time expressing their feelings to the girls they like, and instead try to annoy the heck out of them. (Admit it, you’re guilty of the pigtails in the inkwells too! No? Okay... nevermind then...) So when a girl acts in the same manner, acting aggressively towards a boy who has caught her interest, she might be labeled as both a tomboy and a tsundere.
 * Cold Shoulder: Otherwise known as “the deep freeze.” This is where the tsundere resolves not to give the other person the time of day. They pointedly ignore the romantic interest, give them disdainful looks, and generally try their best to pretend the other doesn’t exist. If this tactic is employed exclusively it is known as kuudere (“cool-dere”)
 * Excessive Violence: Things get physical, especially when the tsundere is in a bad mood, and all bets are off. Verbal abuse is punctuated by kicks, punches, slaps, and your general throw-downs. This one is also known as “thugdere” if the violence is routine as opposed to mood-based.
 * Constant Taunting: Includes the constant belittlement, put-downs, and criticisms doled out upon the love interest, but usually nothing too insulting (“baka!” and “urusai!” (shut up) are popular). On the other hand, this type often knows the guy’s point of pride and will exploit that knowledge to the upmost. If she treats his injuries, she’ll berate him for getting them in the first place, or tells him to “man up” at her less-than-gentle treatment. Volleys of insults between the two are usually included in the package, as well as a “shut up kiss” or equivalent method of ending the torrent.
 * Tyrannical Rule: This one is pretty much reserved for bossy characters, those who like to dominate their interest like a slave-owner.
 * Non-Giver: Gives gifts with romantic undertones to the interest, but usually delivered with an excuse, “I felt sorry for you,” etc.
 * Secret Helper: Sort of rare. The tsundere helps him with chores, cooking, etc., but without admitting to it. I like to call this one “tsunderella.”
 * Trainer: basically beats the interest in a session of “training from hell” or otherwise assists him in beating an enemy in a fight.
 * Defender: Protects the love interest but claims they had other motives in doing so, or didn’t care one way or the other.
 * “Wolf-Girl”: Can’t or won’t admit honestly to her feelings, is quick to judge the love interest and usually turns violent at the slightest provocation.
 * Senpai: Usually a fellow student in an authority role with strict enforcement of rules. Especially for the love interest, whom she tends to single-out for punishment.
 * Tragic Past/Delicate Flower: A dark and troubled past makes expressing and understanding her feelings extremely difficult for everyone involved. She must be approached with caution, and misunderstandings are to be expected.
 * Don’t You Dare Pity Me! Anger from worry, aloof ally, and Enraged By Idiocy: All tropes that are pretty self-explanatory, and fit easily with a tsundere archetype.

Of course, not all tsundere demonstrate all of these traits, but most have a mixture of a few. It should be noted that tsundere should not be confused with mood-swinging characters, who flip between all emotional states and can be somewhat schizophrenic, as this is more of an inherent mental problem. A tsundere should also not be confused with a character who is simply deliberately choosing to play hard to get.

Obviously, there are many, many variations of a tsundere. When taken to extremes they can even become Jerk Sues (Mary Sues who are jerks to the entire cast and still manage to be a Sue) or just stereotypical shallow and unbelievable stock characters. Male tsundere are usually more technically “Jerks with hearts of gold” or “cool-dere.” As with anything, it really depends on how they are portrayed.The tsundere stereotype can be done both successfully and unsuccessfully. Good, bad, or ugly.

(And sometimes the ugly is beautiful.)

Example A: Misaka Mikoto
Alright, I’ll be honest. It’s been a while since I saw, and since this gal was one of my non-favorites, I don’t really remember much about her. Apparently she placed as the most popular tsundere character in 2012, so if it wasn’t obvious from watching the show then it’s obvious in the way fans see her.

Misaka is supposedly considered to be a ‘proper lady,’ but in reality she’s short-tempered, prideful, and has an improper attitude with some slight insecurities. Now, I’m not exactly sure what an “improper attitude” is supposed to mean, but if dishing out violence at random to your crush is “improper,” then it definitely fits. While she at first seems to be friendly and easygoing, and doesn’t look down on those who are ranked beneath her, she is also incredible childish at times, selfish, and competitive. Allegedly she possesses many “cute” traits or has an inclination towards cute things, and is seen kicking vending machines to get free drinks as well as having a fear of bugs. And despite being (allegedly) one of the most powerful Espers of all time, she is down-to-earth and portrayed as a typical high school girl... until the romantic interest walks in...

And that would be Touma.

Wow, what a surprise. The protagonist himself! Anyway, after their initial encounter, Mikasa wastes no time in making him her rival. Supposedly, her initial interest in him came from his unique power, and as such she considered him a worthy opponent. However, after he refuses to fight her or reciprocate her challenges and threats, her interest quickly turns to more-than-slight obsession. And after he defeats her in their inevitable duel, she handles the loss in typical tsundere fashion. In other words, she falls in love with him. Of course, being a tsundere, she expresses this love through anger and derisiveness, which understandably puzzles Touma. Unfortunately for him, as the inherent source of her inner conflict he is also the prime target for her fits of rage, being slapped around quite a deal and even electrocuted. The part I don’t get is why she’s such a popular character. Granted, she’s determined and independent, but I mean... hasn’t Touma been abused enough? In reality, her character is rather shallow. She’s a literal sparkplug who serves to create false-tension in the story, and is more of a fan and/or plot service than an actual character. There’s probably a lot more to her than that, but I felt that the tsundere aspect was stressed to the degree where she just became annoying. It was like the creator set out to make her BA, but in the end sacrificed her potential as an original character in exchange for a popular stereotype.

Example B: Aoi from


Aoi Kunieda definitely fits the tsundere archetype. She’s a tough-as-nails gang leader and one of the four “big-bads” in the series’ high school for delinquents. Practically raised in the dojo, she’s got the skillz to back up her reputation, and isn’t afraid to deal serious damage to those who threaten her or her circle of friends.

Meet Oga “Ogre” Tatsumi. The protagonist (surprise!) and so-called “most heartless bastard” in the world. He even gets picked to raise the son of Satan himself. Cue countless shenanigans. (Okay, so the series is one of my favorites, I’ll admit I’m biased here). Anyway, Aoi first falls for Oga when she meets him in the park. She’s the main care-giver to her infant brother it seems, and Oga is stuck with, well, Satan Junior; so she seems to be naturally drawn to him. Oga, somewhat similar to Touma, is pretty clueless about it all. After he trashes a guy who was insulting her (for other reasons, it should be noted) she starts crushing on him (as she thought he did it to keep HER from trashing the guy) and eventually this turns into a tsundere type relationship. Considering her background, it makes sense for her to be somewhat naïve when it comes to the subject of love, and even blushy/fangirly when around Oga. This is kept strictly to comedy, however. The important thing is that she isn’t so lovesick as to not find flaws with him or criticize and question his motives. Plus (and this is key), she stands as her own character. Hers is one of the most interesting personalities in the series, and she has her own life and goals that doesn’t revolve entirely around her crush on Oga. The difference between her and Mikasa is that the fact that she is a tsundere is only one aspect about her character, whereas with Mikasa being tsundere IS her character. In my mind, Aoi is a tsundere done right, whereas Mikasa is uninteresting, annoying, unoriginal, and an example of what not to do.

The Controversial Stuff
Tsunderes are popular. There is no question about that. Otherwise, why would we see so many of them? Why would anime studios and manga publishers push the concept so far in their marketing campaigns? And why else would they have so many fans?

Well, for many individuals tsunderes are attractive as characters, for two main reasons: the first is that they tend to be independent, strong-willed, and determined to do things the right way. The other is that they often possess major “endearing” traits such as social or romantic awkwardness, a tomboyish streak, and other such aspects that are typically seen as “weaknesses.” But, for the tsundere, instead of throwing a pity-party over her short-comings, she just blushes and covers them up with aggression. The fact that a tsundere is less-than-doting also means she is perceived as less “feminine” and thus has more appeal to many. Plus there’s always the “tough girl with a soft heart” thing to consider. The trickiest part about this stereotype is that there are a lot of women in real life who could actually fit it, albeit in a FAR less exaggerated way.

Apparently there’s also some science behind it, although nothing too deep. Yoshihito Nautou, a psychologist, once ran an experiment gauging the reactions of 338 people who watched four videos of two people interacting. Basically they are as follows:
 * Video 1: Person A is pleasant to person B.
 * Video 2: Person A is initially pleasant to person B, but becomes more aloof or cold as the conversation continues.
 * Video 3: Person A is initially unpleasant to Person B, but opens up as the conversation continues.
 * Video 4: Person A acts like a raging fiery turd for the whole thing.

Obviously, the majority of the viewers chose number three as their favorite. Which apparently has to do with the gain-loss theory of attraction in psychology. Essentially, if someone is consistently critical or unpleasant towards you, it creates a “baseline” for your expectations of that person. In other words, you don’t expect much from them as-is, so if they finally DO become more pleasant, even by a tiny bit, it’s taken as progress, which is psychologically stimulating.

Yet another aspect as to why tsunderes are so popular is the idea of wish fulfillment. That is to say that a love interest who is standoffish and cold has a warm emotional core to be embraced after cracking the outer shell is appealing. Of course, the flip-side to all this is that sometimes it’s simply them tolerating or coping with the other person, and not everyone who treats someone like dirt is trying to hide deep romantic attraction that they can’t admit to. Some people just genuinely hate some people. Heh.

As a side note, psychologically speaking, tsundere-like behavior could be an example of, or “a maladaptive coping mechanism wherein a person alternately idealizes and undervalues others, including potential romantic partners.” This certainly could put an interesting side to a character, but the problem is that this level of depth is rarely, if ever explored.

The Musical Equivalent
There is something that resonates with us modern audiences that runs deeper than the Marianas Trench. Something we’ve all seen and are intimately familiar with, and yet something that probably lies unnoticed beneath the surface for 95% of the time. I’m talking about the “Sonata Form” as an archetype.

What is Sonata Form?

Well, basically, if you listen to a Sonata (say, Beethoven’s 9th, first movement) and you pay attention to the structure, you will notice that it has a certain form. This isn’t a music theory class, so here’s the summarized version:
 * 1. Exposition: We hear the two themes separately
 * Theme A
 * Transition
 * Theme B
 * Codetta (mini-end)
 * 2. Exposition Repeats: We hear the two themes again
 * 3. Development: both themes are developed. They interact, mix, grow, struggle, etc.
 * 4. Recapitulation: We hear the two themes separately again, but they are different now
 * Theme A
 * Transition
 * Theme B
 * 5. Coda: the conclusion

At this point you’re probably thinking two things: “Huh?” and “how the hell is this relevant?” Now hang on just a sec. Watch what happens when we overlay a typical romantic comedy plot over the structure laid out by a Sonata:


 * 1. We meet the two characters as they are introduced separately (exposition)
 * 2. We meet the two characters again (exposition repeats)
 * 3. The characters meet and interact, they mix, grow, struggle, change and mature, and eventually…
 * 4. We see the two characters separately again, but they are different now.
 * 5. Resolution and conclusion: they get back together.

Try doing this with an American football game. Or a horror movie. It works for so many things it’s insane.

But anyway, what am I rambling on about here? All I’m saying is that, perhaps we recognize a tsundere as part of this Sonata Form Archetype. Archetypes are structures that everyone understands naturally, after all. This could be part of the appeal. At any rate, I think that a tsundere could learn something from a Sonata. There should be interaction, a gradual evolution, and change over time. I’m not saying to make it a romantic comedy plot, hell no. What I am saying is that it is the development that adds depth. Tsundere CAN work, but should be seen as a story-type, not a stereotype. As Minoru Shiraishi so kindly illuminates for us:



Unidentified Flying Objects
Alright, finally I get to the point. Tsundere are popular. They are also problematic. As I mentioned above, tsundere can be done well, but it is rare. It is better, in my opinion, to incorporate elements of the archetype as opposed to the entire archetype itself. There are three main issues that I take with tsundere. While there might be more, I didn’t touch on them, so feel free to add your own two cents on what you find to be the problem with tsunderes. Anyway, here they are:

1. They’re overused

Or rather, more like abused, especially by the anime industry. Even if a character was not portrayed as such in the manga, they’ll often accentuate the tsundere aspects of a leading female character to give her more appeal. (Case in point, Aoi Kunieda from Beelzebub was a lot less tsundere-ish in the manga. I blame it on the temptation of coloring in a blush on the part of the animators.)

Honestly the constant recycling of the same character trope is old, unoriginal, and annoying. But it’s a popular stereotype, and popular stereotypes are soon seen in fanfiction or writing in general. Why is this? Well, the most probable reason is that the tried-and-true plot inherent to a tsundere character has worked in the past. Meaning, writers can create many situations for the tsundere and the protagonist with a built-in progression of events. For example, in one episode the tsundere and protagonist meet, in the next they undergo some trial or difficulty, and in the following the tsundere starts to reveal some of her softer side. Pretty basic, and seen frequently due to the “tension” of the scenario. Who knows? I guess people like girls who act harsh at first and soften up later, even when the characters are embarrassed by the revealing of their “dere” side. It could be that this is supposed to be seen as “cute,” and as such I suppose it could be considered an extension of the Moe phenomenon. At any rate, the anime industry obviously saw this as a business opportunity, thus the sudden influx and abuse of the archetype. Tsundere sells.

2. Story is sacrificed

Probably one of the main reasons as to why tsunderes originally became so popular was because of an attraction to the story. It wasn't the personality trait that was considered to be the main driving factor behind the work, but rather the work itself. Again I'll mention Beelzebub here. The fact that Aoi was a tsundere was integrated seamlessly into the rest of the plot. She might have had violent tendencies, sure, but so did the rest of the cast. Regardless she managed to stand out as her own character. Her sweet or caring side also didn’t just apply to Oga, but was also seen with her little brother. Most importantly, her tsundere-ness served to add an interesting, rather than annoying, dynamic between her and Oga that would not have otherwise existed. She wanted to be with him, but knew there were certain aspects of both her and Oga’s personalities that were incompatible with each other. In other words, development was still necessary.

With a classic tsundere story, it actually followed the Sonata Form pretty closely. Meaning it had a conclusion that involved change at the end. Tsun-tsun at the beginning, dere-dere at the end. While this arc may be old and worn out at this point, at least the character had an arc. As tsunderes became more popular, the focus shifted to having the actual characters stand out aside from the overall plot, which might not have been such a bad thing, except that the execution was not carried out effectively. This meant that the slow thawing of their personality over the course of the story was sacrificed in exchange for the highlighting of the rapid mood-switching in a state reminiscent of a bipolar disorder. And yet, story is about character. So what went wrong? The deeper meaning behind a tsundere character was swept aside as shallow stereotypes were thrust to the forefront. It cheapens the character, and thus cheapens the story.

3. It undervalues female characters

So this is where I may be treading into deep water, but please bear with me. The number one reason why I find tsundere characters to be so annoying is that I don’t find them realistic as female characters. As I mentioned earlier, there can be male tsundere, but by far the majority of them, at least in the anime and manga industries, are female. I started to wonder about this, so I did some research. Apparently, there is a sub-culture, or perhaps just a general culture, where “baka-onna” are preferred and seen as more attractive than smart women. Well, I know both smart girls and not-so smart girls, and this seems unfair to me. Just like here in our world where we push for achievement in all areas, regardless of whether the person in question actually wants to become a 4.0 student or an all-star athlete, the reverse seems to hold true in Japan, where a woman is not seen as attractive unless she is less intelligent as her male partner. Which means that even smart women will at times pretend to be stupid in order to be considered appealing. To each their own, but I find this trait interesting, and perhaps juxtaposed perfectly with the tsundere archetype. Wish-fulfillment here is, I think, a huge factor to be sure, but another is just lazy story writing. I also see it as the brushing over females as original, unique characters. “Tsundere sells” they say, “great we’ll add one,” but without actually paying much heed to the stereotype. Which means, yet again, female characters are portrayed and propped up when they are really very little more than stereotypes. This is not true to life, the characters are over-simplified, generalized, and as a result unrealistic and uninteresting as characters.

Probably the most important thing, and the most valuable piece of advice I myself have ever come across on the subject of writing female characters, is that a female character should be a character first, and a female second. What does this mean? Basically that she should be given actual character traits and development, as opposed to lobbing on traditionally-feminine characteristics willy-nilly without putting any thought behind it. These include the expectations of beauty (especially YOUR expectations of beauty), a love of cooking, a sweet demeanor or just “sexiness.” Hmm, wait a minute… you know who that actually sounds like?

Yep, Orihime. The number one female character in Bleach.



That all being said, how should one go about writing female characters? Well, obviously I’m no expert, but I can offer a few tips here if you find that you have trouble steering clear of the tsundere stereotype, and want to improve your own writing. Here they are:


 * 1. Goals and Motivations: What does she want? The stereotypical love interest and/or Cinderella goals? (Find true love, impress her mother, etc.) Or does she want more out of her life? And why does she want those things? Are they important to her? Keep in mind that it’s okay to have traditional goals, such as a girl who finds marriage important, but there should always be a believable and interesting motivation behind these goals. She should want something besides the main love interest. Also try to avoid circumventing the “issue” by just having her chase after the main goal of the story. There should be secondary goals and ulterior motives as well. Avoid cliché. Round her out and make her real.
 * 2. Interests: What does she care about? She should be into something, and as stated above not just blindly chase after one thing the entire time.
 * 3. Flaws: And no, “tsundere” is not a flaw since it’s seen as either cute, a plot-ploy, or simply an attractive character trait. I’m talking real flaws here. The dirt that hides in the corner of a person’s soul. Is she physically perfect? How many gals do you know in real life who are like this? Yeah, me neither. (Although I should just point out here that a person should not be judged by appearances... and I digress). Keep in mind that it’s okay to stick close to real life here. It makes them more relatable. Girls can feel self-conscious. They can be unhappy about the way they look. (Or at least I assume that’s why I see so many ladies with four inches of make-up plastered on... again I digress) They can be clumsy, afraid, socially awkward… but there should also be deep flaws here. What is the root of her insecurity? For example. Or maybe she has a flaw that’s not generally associated with females, such as feeling powerless because she couldn’t protect those she cares about.
 * 4. Relationships: Yes she can have them. Sheesh. I’m not some tyrannical and or obsessive/possessive father here... what KINDS of relationships does she have? “Love interest to the protagonist” doesn’t cut it. She should have mentors, maybe students, friends, coworkers, enemies, siblings and parents, just like any other character. Keep in mind that her friendships should be more than just shopping trips and petty gossip, if you want them to be meaningful, that is. Whatever you do, make sure that she isn’t just a trophy for the protagonist to win: she has to be able to stand on her own as a character.
 * 5. Stereotypes: Try to avoid them. Tsundere is one of them. Aside from the fact that many, many, many of them are male-oriented (or sexist, I suppose you could say, such as women being more gushy/emotional than men) the fact is that stereotypes are not characters. They are stereotypes. Flat, unoriginal, two-dimensional cardboard cutouts. You should try and make your characters, female or otherwise, as 3D as possible.




 * 6. Agency, relatability, and integrity: Meaning, they should be ABLE to do things, we should understand and emphasize with WHY they are doing things, and what they are doing should be true to the character and believable within the realms of the story. Essentially, if your one-sentence description of any character includes the words “love interest,” the character is not a character but a stereotype.

Wait Don’t Go I Have a Point!
So basically, I guess to sum things up. The reason why I am so irritated with the tsundere archetype is that it sacrifices actual character development for a trait, which results in shallow and uninteresting characters and relationships. Here’s what I do like about the concept, and that’s the idea that a girl (or guy) can experience doubt or denial about the feelings they have for someone else. That’s a pretty believable reaction, I’d say. But the thing that’s important is the execution. Do they reflect an actual, “lived” reality? Do they have interests, fears, a society to navigate? Do they have a multifaceted (not just multi-mood) personality? By this time, I’ve probably beaten this adage black and blue, but I’ll say it again for impact: make sure you are writing a person, not a stereotype. Unless it's not a person, I suppose...