The term ‘deredere’ is probably heard or seen by a lot of anime fans online. Some fans may also wonder what the term ‘deredere’ means when it comes to describing an anime character. At the same time, there are also fans who are already aware of the term.
However, deredere is often overlooked in comparison to its other tropes like tsundere or a yandere. This is because deredere is more vanilla – it is not extreme like a yandere, nor nearly as intriguing as a tsundere.
Etymology
To understand what deredere means, we will have to look into the word combinations too. The term ‘dere’ means loving, or being lovey-dovey. So if the term dere repeats itself, then it means that a character is very much an affectionate person.
However, their affections are not extreme to the point of being a yandere. Deredere refers to characters who are just plainly loving and wholesome.
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The Traits of the Deredere
Distinguishing a deredere is also quite easy. Look for the character who is just a ray of sunshine all throughout. Here are their traits:
- Openly Affectionate – Unlike the tsundere, the derederes do not hold themselves back from expressing their emotions. If they have a love interest, they will truly show what they feel. In other words, they do not feel any conflict about their feelings. They feel what they feel.
- Generally Loving – Unlike the yandere, derederes can also not be fixated on one person. They can be a loving person to everyone. They can get along with everyone too, and are just optimistic. They are usually happy pills, so people befriend them.
- Very Respectful – Considering their pleasant personality, they do not angry if they have rivals over their love interest. They can get jealous, but not to the point of wishing death on the rival (looking at you, yanderes). They also do not want to force their love interest into anything. They are happy to accept if their love interest has someone else. Just as long as their love interest is safe from harm, they are fine with it.
- Enthusiastic & Optimistic – Derederes usually have bright personalities. They are very energetic, which some reserved characters might find annoying. They also cling hard to their goals, and the obstacles they will face will not break them down.
In other words, a deredere is usually an emotionally mature character. But take note that they can also not embody the aforementioned traits all the time. They can still get angry or feel sad whenever a negative situation happens. If that happens, a deredere will not hesitate to express their negative feelings and letting everyone know they are hurt. A deredere is honest about their emotions.
And when they are coming to terms with a tough situation, they will also try to look at the bright side.
Difference With a Dandere
A deredere gets often confused with another trope, ‘dandere’. A dandere is very similar to a deredere, except that a dandere is shy and withdrawn. They are loving people, but it takes time for them to really express what they feel. While a deredere is confident about themselves, a dandere does not say anything out of fear it might be taken the wrong way.
Not As Popular As Tsundere & Yandere?
As mentioned before, there is a tendency to overlook deredere characters in comparison to tsunderes and yanderes. This is probably because derederes are too perfect. Fans and viewers alike may be drawn to characters who are more complex. Derederes may be perceived as too simple or too boring.
A deredere character can also be complex in their own right, because they can also feel different emotions other than being cheerful. A deredere character may also contemplate doing something extreme if they are in a very tough situation, but chose to do good instead. They can also do morally questionable actions if the situation calls for it, and this is what haunts them. They express these grievances honestly to people they trust.
Derederes are generally kind characters with a positive outlook in their life. Their determination to reach their goals is outstanding. They can also be an intriguing character if they have encountered certain circumstances.
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