Why are tsunderes popular?

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I'm legitimately wondering why they gained popularity (especially with Asuka being the perfect archetype) when irl they'd be insufferable to manage.

I know that they can show some sweeter side but I think I'd rather have a tomboyish female friend character to the MC that has some sentiment towards them (or just only see him as a friend) over what is basically a female bully.

 

[Deleted member 884]

I'm legitimately wondering why they gained popularity (especially with Asuka being the perfect archetype) when irl they'd be insufferable to manage.

I know that they can show some sweeter side but I think I'd rather have a tomboyish female friend character to the MC that has some sentiment towards them (or just only see him as a friend) over what is basically a female bully.

This could be said to any kind of anime character.

None of them can be support, it would be a nightmare to have to do with them in real life.

 

[jon2]

To OP: two words

Gap Moe

This could be said to any kind of anime character.

None of them can be support, it would be a nightmare to have to do with them in real life.

I know of the top 5, but none of the bottom 5 (the terms, I mean). Are they new?

 

[fake-kun]

The idea that the person who's always being mean to you secretly likes you is highly appealing.

 

[Prism_Red]

Personally as someone who like Asuka (not because she is being a tsundere) and tsundere characters, is because if I see through their intent, despite their demeanor and mean attitude and layers of fake hostility, I can truly see who they are as a person. Their only problem is their unwillingness to be honest with themselves. To put it into wild analogy, there is something shining hidden inside a pile of shit, you can easily pick it out due to their stark differences.

Rather, I don't like kuudere for the exact same reason, there is something shining hidden inside a pile of fake diamonds, it blinds you to the point you can't differentiate between one and another.

 

[Lee__Kanker]

I'm legitimately wondering why they gained popularity (especially with Asuka being the perfect archetype) when irl they'd be insufferable to manage.

I know that they can show some sweeter side but I think I'd rather have a tomboyish female friend character to the MC that has some sentiment towards them (or just only see him as a friend) over what is basically a female bully.

My gf is a tsundere tomboy
Theres many

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

The idea that the person who's always being mean to you secretly likes you is highly appealing.

Appealing in a show but in real life it isn't jarring on the long term? Arnold's Helga is really a character I hated for that.

For a kid/preteen like her I understand but an adult acting like that is immature and they're clearly afraid of being honest.

 

[fake-kun]

Appealing in a show but in real life it isn't jarring on the long term? Arnold's Helga is really a character I hated for that.

For a kid/preteen like her I understand but an adult acting like that is immature and they're clearly afraid of being honest.

Fiction is not a real life. We can enjoy things in a fictional context that we'd hate IRL.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

Personally as someone who like Asuka (not because she is being a tsundere) and tsundere characters, is because if I see through their intent, despite their demeanor and mean attitude and layers of fake hostility, I can truly see who they are as a person. Their only problem is their unwillingness to be honest with themselves. To put it into wild analogy, there is something shining hidden inside a pile of shit, you can easily pick it out due to their stark differences.

Asuka has an interesting backstory. Although I feel that The End Of Evangelion kinda ruined her character but I digress.

Rather, I don't like Kuudere for the exact same reason, there is something shining hidden inside a pile of fake diamonds, it blinds you to the point you can't differentiate between one and another.

I mean a kuudere can just see you as a friend so you cannot be sure I agree.

Dandere and Coodere look more interesting.

 

[Zerpina]

I Think it's the whole "I Can fix her" mentality some people have
Or, they like Dommy-Mommy types

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I Think it's the whole "I Can fix her" mentality some people have

I think it's unhealthy to get attracted to female characters that are legitimately malicious.

Or, they like Dommy-Mommy types
View attachment 28411

"Mommy" as in more mature?

 

[Pi-Man]

Tsundere or not, rule #1 is:

"She's cute, so it's okay!"

 

[Antilocal123]

They mirror the average weeb’s experience in high school without the “actually attracted to you part” /j

Jk, I think it’s because they usually have pretty well-written character development, relatability in hiding your true personality for your crush, the gap between vulnerability.

Some see the bully character at first before seeing their true motivation and go “awwww”

Also, hentai.

 

[Yousef]

I like them.

 

[trickybus]

People enjoy vicariously experiencing relationship drama. Think about people who go to watch horror movies. Being scared is generally a negative experience but when you can experience it safely (e.g. fear without an actual threat), it becomes a fun activity.

 

[Num]

the tsundere is just an armor that protects purity she an iron virgin. she might be fortified with some heavy armor but inside shes delicate and even more purer than normal theres a lot of appeal in that so long as you can break that armor. think of normal affection like a faucet its a predictable flow it remains a constant that you could grow numb to. the weight of a tsundere's love isnt diluted by needing to constantly affirm it its compressed and stored under pressure it only leaks out in moments of weakness. saying idiot instead of i love you hits harder because it comes with the implicit understanding that it wasnt meant to be seen. theres already weight in that implication but also every once in a blue moon when she does speak her feelings its always special and irreplacable. it makes the game of winning her over more rewarding, theres tension in the conflict between the push and pull between you two, strong willed characters in general tend to be more interesting especially girls. theres really a lot of reasons that tsundere are popular. oh and also in terms of fantasizing about the actual possibility of having her as your partner then tsun characters are perfect. most people dont want some always agreeable lovey dovey slave they want someone who challenges them. someone who will keep your ego in check as she constantly calls you slurs but then secretly feed you lunch because she had leftovers (she didnt)

 

[Antilocal123]

the tsundere is just an armor that protects purity she an iron virgin. she might be fortified with some heavy armor but inside shes delicate and even more purer than normal theres a lot of appeal in that so long as you can break that armor. think of normal affection like a faucet its a predictable flow it remains a constant that you could grow numb to. the weight of a tsundere's love isnt diluted by needing to constantly affirm it its compressed and stored under pressure it only leaks out in moments of weakness. saying idiot instead of i love you hits harder because it comes with the implicit understanding that it wasnt meant to be seen. theres already weight in that implication but also every once in a blue moon when she does speak her feelings its always special and irreplacable. it makes the game of winning her over more rewarding, theres tension in the conflict between the push and pull between you two, strong willed characters in general tend to be more interesting especially girls. theres really a lot of reasons that tsundere are popular. oh and also in terms of fantasizing about the actual possibility of having her as your partner then tsun characters are perfect. most people dont want some always agreeable lovey dovey slave they want someone who challenges them. someone who will keep your ego in check as she constantly calls you slurs but then secretly feed you lunch because she had leftovers (she didnt)

She’s calling you slurs?! You sure she isn’t an old lady. /j

 

[suzakuryuu]

The trend has changed to Gal that are kind to Otaku...

 

[Jeanfranc]

This could be said to any kind of anime character.

None of them can be support, it would be a nightmare to have to do with them in real life.

Ah, I remember the good old days when these classifications where actually used unironically in the anime community

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

The trend has changed to Gal that are kind to Otaku...

Honestly I don't know the current trend is going on aside from the typical harem isekai.

 

[Jeanfranc]

Honestly I don't know the current trend is going on aside from the typical harem isekai.

that was 10 years ago at least. These days It's all about the self insert that's either an otaku loser or a "nice guy" with almost no personality that's somehow loved by the hottest and most popular anime girl in his high school.
The archetypical example of this trope would be shit like "my dress up darling"

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

that was 10 years ago at least. These days It's all about the self insert that's either an otaku loser or a "nice guy" with almost no personality that's somehow loved by the hottest and most popular anime girl in his high school.
The archetypical example of this trope would be shit like "my dress up darling"

At least Isekais had interesting worlds. Now they have the negative aspects of the isekai while having the most boring mundane real world?

 

[Jeanfranc]

At least Isekais had interesting worlds. Now they have the negative aspects of the isekai while having the most boring mundane real world?

Precisely. At least there are a couple of "good" isekais but It's hard to to find anything worth watching out there for anything but fetish reasons, like a friend of mine who's obsessed with Nagatoro for reasons you can probably guess

 

[Prism_Red]

To be fair, tsunderes and loser harem hero has been around for a good while, I mean Shinji is one if you think about it, and on romcom genre we have Keitaro from Love Hina for example.

Let's not kid ourselves, I think it's because anime is getting mainstream that people starting to notice these tropes, despite their presence and relevance in the past. For now Isekai has been a trend these past decade but it will died out eventually, anyone remember the imouto genre boom before 2010s? No? Exactly.

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

irl they'd be insufferable to manage.

That's the thing though: it's not irl. It's fiction.

I think the reason is more to do with a handful of characters who followed that archetype becoming popular and then other writers copying those characters. Another great example of this is the emotionless character who talks in a monotone. First it was Rei from Evangelion, and then in the late 90s and all the way up to the modern day we've had so many clones of Rei. Tsundere is probably the same thing, but maybe it's less obvious that it's based on a single character.