There are a lot of tropes that can be discussed when it comes to Japanese popular culture but certainly some of the more popular ones are the four “Dere” archetypes found in these media. Admittedly, I was only familiar with two of these archetypes prior to researching topics for this article so I was quite surprised to learn that there were more than I was already aware of. Given that, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at and examine these archetypes.
First, let’s take a look at the general term “Dere”. Dere, written in Japanese as デレ, is a shortening of the word deredere which means lovestruck. Within Japanese popular culture, these dere archetypes are typically female although there are occasional male examples. It’s also important to note that, while dere is famously associated with Japanese media and has been named thusly, there are plenty of examples of characters from other cultures that fit into these archetypes.
Tsundere
Arguably the most famous of all the dere archetypes, tsundere, written as ツンデレ in Japanese, combines dere with tsun, part of the word tsuntsun which translates as irritable or turning away in disgust. Tsundere characters start out quite hostile to the person they like but generally become warmer and nicer over time. This isn’t necessarily a linear development as there are numerous examples of tsundere switching back and forth between hostile and kind quite rapidly although the end result is typically that they’re much more loving than they were before. Popular examples would be Asuka Langley from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Taiga Aisaka from Toradora!
Yandere
Yandere, written as ヤンデレ in Japanese, combines dere with yan, the first part of the word yanderu which refers to someone who is mentally sick or unwell. Yandere is an interesting archetype in that it represents a character who is so in love or obsessed with something that they end up becoming violent and not in the comedic way that a tsundere might resort to. Instead, the violence is much more malicious and can even end up resulting in physical injury and murder. Some examples would be Kotonoha Katsura from School Days and a non-anime example would be Alex Forrest from Fatal Attraction.
Kuudere
Kuudere, クーデレ in Japanese, incorporates kuu, part of the word クール which is the English word cool written in katakana. This refers to the fact that the character is emotionally reserved and quite often blunt with what they say. Eventually, they become more friendly as the series continues, shedding their cold exterior to become more warm and friendly although this may vary depending on the person they interact with. An interesting example would be Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
Dandere
Dandere, ダンデレ in Japanese, uses dan, the beginning of danmari which refers to being quiet. Dandere are quiet characters, often not speaking unless spoken to and sometimes displaying social awkwardness. They may warm up to other characters and become a little more communicative as the series progresses although, just like with a kuudere, they will probably only be so with specific individuals. The dandere that comes to my mind is Yuki Nagato from The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya.
While I was quite familiar with the terms “Tsundere” and “Yandere”, I confess that I had never heard the terms “Kuudere” or “Dandere” before although I can easily think of characters to whom those terms would apply. Let me know your thoughts on the four dere archetypes found in Japanese popular culture, your thoughts on these archetypes, whether you were familiar with these before and any additional information you might have on the topic.
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