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Spoilers Ahead! |
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"Bakadere" (JP), also known as "Ahodere" (JP), is a term for a character who usually acts in a foolish and silly manner, but is also cute, lovey-dovey, and deredere towards their love interest. They are very innocent and sweet, but have a tendency to be carefree and rush into things without properly thinking them through which can lead to embarrassing or clumsy situations. They also have a tendency to be airheaded and can forget important things. They have a very goofy personality and tend to bring a smile to their love interest's face. They have a child-like sense of wonder and often have hobbies that most people consider weird or silly so it can take some time getting used to their quirks, but they are genuine and affectionate at heart. They will often do weird things to try to win the affection of their love interest or try to share their unusual hobbies with them. However, while they usually act carefree they can also be surprisingly romantic when they want to be and may surprise their love interest with a quick kiss or other acts of affection.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Bakadere (バカデレ) is a combination of "baka" (バカ), meaning "fool (a person who is incapable of making sound judgments and acts in a foolish manner)", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck (overly affectionate, lovey-dovey, not hiding one's romantic feelings)".[1]
Origin
Fuko Ibuki from Clannad ~After Story~
The term was created on the Japanese internet to describe the character Fuko Ibuki from the 2009 romance drama anime series Clannad ~After Story~ following a conversation she had with her love interest Tomoya Okazaki.[2] Fuko was a character who was in a coma for seven years following an accident at the age of fifteen. After a miraculous recovery, she finally awoke at the age of 22 but with the same personality as when she was fifteen years old. This leads to her being far more childish than a normal person her age.
Fuko was a very hyperactive and childish girl who was obsessed with starfish. She would spend all day making small wooden carvings of starfish with a carving knife to give to her friends as presents and would even daydream about starfish all the time. This hobby completely drains her concentration and awareness of the people around her leading to her acting very silly all the time. She also referred to herself exclusively in the third person when talking to other people. She was a kind and nice girl, but because of her unusual behavior she was often referred to by her friend Ushio as "the weird girl".
Alternate Name
Bakadere is also widely known on Japanese social media as ahodere (アホデレ), which has similarly been used since 2009. This uses the word "aho" (アホ) in place of "baka". Both of these words have the same meaning and are considered as synonyms by most Japanese dictionaries, however, use of the word "baka" is more widespread in standard Japanese while use of the word "aho" is more common in the Kansai dialect of Japanese.[3]
History
Official Media
The term was referenced as a featured topic in the 90th episode of the Maji Pon! (JP) radio show in 2013.[4]
It was used as the official dere type for V-Dere member Mozumi Pichi in 2023.[5] Mozumi is a wolf ranger who lives in a hollow redwood and as a result has some odd forest-related habits that may take some getting used to. She's strange, energetic, and always looking to entertain. Sure she may walk into door frames repeatedly and be goofy, but she's a genuine and affectionate type who will be walking into your heart before you know it.[6]
Characteristics
Moe Factor
The moe appeal of bakadere lies in the cuteness that cannot be imagined from their usual appearance which creates an incredible gap in their personality. Although they usually act quite foolish, when they show they can become serious for love and surprise their love interest with a quick kiss the sudden change in cuteness makes them irresistible.[1]
Personality
Baka Side
Mashiro Shiina from Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
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Bakadere characters are very innocent and sweet, but their cluelessness outshines their other attributes. They are basically a ditzy girl or boy in love. They also act like children who must be looked after and taught about life by their love interest.
Most tend to be overly carefree and optimistic due to their lack of awareness. Bakadere characters also act childish and air-headed, usually rushing into things without logically thinking them through first which often results in embarrassing or clumsy situations. They have a very goofy personality and tend to bring a smile to their love interest, though sometimes unintentionally.
They will often have weird or unusual hobbies, which they will want to share with their love interest and may take some time getting used to their quirks.
Deredere Side
Mashiro Shiina kissing Sorata Kanda from Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Although they usually act in a more silly manner, they are sometimes deredere and will show their affectionate amae side. They will behave in a more genuine and affectionate way towards their love interest, and may suddenly surprise them with a quick kiss or other acts of affection. They are someone who may walk into doors at first, but sooner or later they will be walking straight into their love interest's heart.
Differences From Other Archetypes
Bakadere is a dere type variation of ahonoko for characters who become deredere. Characters who act foolish but don't have a surprisingly cute deredere side only fall under ahonoko and not bakadere.
Bakadere are often described as moe due to their cute and child-like innocence.
It is also similar to dojikko—characters who are very clumsy in a cute way—since lack of awareness can sometimes cause a person to be clumsy, though many dojikko characters are highly intelligent and don't necessarily behave in a silly way outside of their clumsy moments. Bakadere characters are also not inherently clumsy, though many characters are both types.
Similar Archetypes
- Ahonoko: A term for a character who is foolish and doesn't think things through clearly.
- Dojikko: A term for characters who are cute and clumsy.
- Moe: A term for a character who is the embodiment of being "cute" and innocent.
- Tennen Boke: A term for a character who is a natural airhead, prone to making silly mistakes.
- Tsun-Aho: A term for tsundere characters who try so hard to look uninterested in their love interest that they just end up making themselves look like a fool.
- Tsunbaka: A term for tsundere characters who is extremely airheaded and forgetful. This could be seen as a tsundere variation of bakadere.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Yoshiko Hanabatake from Aho-Girl  Yui Hirasawa from K-ON!  Yasuna Oribe from Kill Me Baby  Fuko Ibuki from Clannad ~After Story ~  Usagi Tsukino from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon  Yuuko Yoshida from Machikado Mazoku |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 What is Bakadere. Nico Nico Pedia (2009/03/27). Archived on 2025/05/04. “Bakadere is a fool who acts dere. The ahonoko, who usually does foolish things, shows their dere every once in a while. The cuteness that cannot be imagined from her usual appearance creates an incredible gap moe. It may be that the more of a baka the girl, the cuter she is.”
- ↑ What does "Bakadere" mean?. Yahoo Answers (2009/10/21). Archived on 2025/05/04. “"Bakadere" is a new attribute that describes the occasional dere behavior among bakas. "Bakadere" characters have existed for a long time, but it is said that the term "bakadere" was first coined for the character Ibuki Fuko from Clannad. It was apparently born following a conversation with the main character Tomoya Okazaki in episode 20 of Clannad ~After Story~.”
- ↑ Ahodere Slime Girl. March Eel (2009/03/08). Archived on 2025/05/04. “When I heard the word "ahodere," this image immediately came to mind, so I drew it in one go, but after I finished, I wondered, "What is ahodere anyway?" I had no choice but to trace the origin of the word back. The many words currently in existence that indicate these attributes were originally derived from "tsundere." There may be more to it than "tsundere," but since "tsundere" is clear, this should be enough. "Tsundere" is a word that describes a person who has feelings for someone and is unable to be honest with them, so they end up acting standoffish and cold, but struggle to convey their feelings despite their inability to be honest. If we go by that tradition, "ahodere" would be someone who can't help but act foolish towards someone they like. Hmm, it's a bit tricky to interpret the nuance of aho, but perhaps it means acting like a comic relief.”
- ↑ Maji Pon! Public Radio Report. Gintamakaman (2013/21/12). Archived on 2025/05/04. “○○dere ⇒ bakadere”
- ↑ Mozumi Pichi. V-Dere (2023/09/05). Archived on 2025/06/30. “Dere Type: Bakadere. A wolf ranger who lives in a hollow redwood with a colony of termites named "Mozzumites"! Mozzu is strange, energetic, and always looking to entertain! Though her odd forest-raised habits may take some getting used to...”
- ↑ Bakadere - Mozumi Pichi. V-Dere Moe (2023/09/05). Archived on 2025/06/30. “Bakadere's are goofy, clumsy, but are genuine and affectionate types when they aren't so dense! Sure, she may walk into door frames repeatedly, but before you know it she'll be walking into your heart (and various other things)!”