Tsunderes: sick of them yet?

[MFauli]

I just think there's a problem with new shows :\

Now THAT i can definitely agree with

*still waiting for an anime that is as fantastic as important to its culture as NGE was*

These days, all we get are moe-anime and unoriginal-action-anime with moe-content. Seriously, if it proceeds like that, one day all we´ll get a straight forward hentai-anime >_<

Btw. i want to heavily agree that Taiga was a REALLY annoying example of a tsundere. Actually, you could also include the blue haired girl, too (whats her name, lol). Toradora was so cring-worthy for so many episodes because of Taiga´s behavior. Actually, now that i try to remember it, that went on until the very end, lol. Non-developing tsundere at its best (worst).

But i wouldnt count Sakura from Naruto as a "bad" example...thats just kishimoto´s inability to write a good script (remembers a certain love confession that was forgotten a chapter later).

[Ryllharu]

can't get enough of them, because it's always a fun moment when they show their more caring side.

"real" tsundere are fine... (Misaka, Rin, Asuka, Haruhi, Eri, Kannagi, C.C. Hitagi Senjōgahara (!!!!!) to name a few of them)

but these days a lot of tsundere roles get taken waaaay too far, and it's just annoying..

and plus there's hardly any of the original meaning in the archtype anymore. a girl seriously just has to be shy and blush around the dude she likes, while being out-going around others.. people just see the blush and they're like "that's adorable!".

I can't get enough of real tsunderes. But of course, that is the problem, the overwhelming majority of heroines labeled as "tsundere," aren't. The term has been completely tarnished, probably irrevocably, and a large part of this probably is the English speaking world falling in love with the term itself. They know what a Japanese made-up word is, and somehow that makes them so much more of an anime fan than someone who goes into Borders and reads manga on the floor. It's elitism at its finest, and of course I myself have been a part of it. I guarantee that the large majority of Western anime fandom didn't even know the term prior to Fate/Stay Night or possibly a later Rie Kugimiya-starring series. The character archetype has been around forever, the oldest I've seen so far is Madoka from Kimagure Orange Road (but she is a lot more than just a cookie-cutter tsundere).

I'm not going to single out anyone here, and I don't have to. People all over the place are completely mislabeling tomboys, random violent girls, stereotype American girls, and damn near everything as a tsundere. Just like Panadice said, a girl suddenly blushes, boom, she must be a tsundere.

They're in love with the term, any real character development be damned.

Actually, you could also include the blue haired girl [from Toradora], too (whats her name, lol). Toradora was so cring-worthy for so many episodes because of Taiga´s behavior. Actually, now that i try to remember it, that went on until the very end, lol. Non-developing tsundere at its best (worst).

I would actually say that Ami, the blue haired girl, was the real tsundere of Toradora, and Taiga the fake. Ami is the one who slowly develops into caring for Ryuuji, turning from caring absolutely nothing about him, to even spoilers[provoking fights because she's so upset about all the indecision, jealous that she has nothing while the others string him along. ] Taiga just goes back and forth, not doing anything, making no real noteworthy progress. Ami has real development, shows some legitimate emotions, and of course...isn't the real lead, and not the one who gets all the attention as a tsundere, even if she is the only actual one in the series.

[shinta|hikari]

Yes, I agree with your assessment on Taiga and Ami from Toradora, which also means that I nod to your analysis of Tsundere in general. I couldn't have said it better myself.

The thing is, it is not only western fans that have butchered the term. Even Japanese viewers consider Taiga and her type (which I really dislike, sorry Rie) to be Tsundere. Instead of Tsundere being a narrative element tied into a character, it has become definitive of someone who simply isn't honest with their feelings. The earliest example that I can remember of this can be found in Doujin Work, where Najimi works at a maid cafe and says to her childhood friend who visits "I am not serving you because I want to! (blush)" or something along those lines, and everyone in the cafe goes, "Whoa, Tsundere."

Due to this, I find it difficult to simply lay blame on ignorant otaku wannabes in the western world, since the Japanese themselves, along with other Asian countries, buy into the currently degraded stereotype.

EDIT: Yeah, I miss Madoka too. The good old days...

@Krayz - Tsunderes can be moe characters too.

[KrayZ33]

@Krayz - Tsunderes can be moe characters too.

being tsundere is considered a "moe character" but thats not what I meant.

I was referring to the girls which wear glasses (most of the time), have big boobs and a *very* high voice plus a shy attitude... they do nothing and fail whenever they try to do something

[shinta|hikari]

While I think the term you used is a bit inaccurate, I completely agree with your dislike for those types.