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"Dandere" (JP) is a term for a character who is silent and expressionless most of the time, but will suddenly become cute, affectionate, and deredere when they are alone with their love interest. They will rarely speak and will usually keep to themselves and not go out of their way to talk with others. When others try to talk to them first they will either respond very quietly or not respond at all. They are also not great at expressing their emotions on their face so they can come off as emotionless. Because they both don't project emotions like other people and rarely speak it can make it very difficult to understand what they are truly thinking. Hwever, in truth they are actually very sweet inside and when they are alone with their love interest they will start to become more talkative and affectionate. Being with their love interest will help pull this more loving and emotional side out of them. After warming up to their love interest they will start to show their cute and affectionate lovey-dovey side towards them.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Dandere (ダンデレ) is a combination of "danmari" (ダンマリ), meaning "to remain silent (not speaking or making noise); to be reticent (not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily); to be calm (a state in which attitudes/words are calm and gentle)", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck (overly affectionate, lovey-dovey, not hiding one's romantic feelings)".[2][3][4] The term "danmari" refers to someone who is uncommunicative and no matter what asked is asked to them will usually keep silent and not answer.
Official media has described dandere as a heroine type for "a girl who is usually silent and expressionless (a lack of facial expression or a person who does not show emotion through their facial expressions)". They are someone who does not convey their feelings through speech or facial expressions, but over time grows to show more expression through their love.[5]
Origin
Ritsuka Yukihira from Succubus☆Note!
The exact origin of the term "dandere" is unclear but the earliest usage in the Western anime community can be traced back to April 2008, while the earliest known Japanese usage can be traced back to October 2008. However, as the Western blog appears to be referencing a Japanese source it is likely that the earlier Japanese source simply no longer exists.[4][2]
The first (and currently only) known use in an official media comes from the 2018 fantasy romance light novel Succubus☆Note! (JP). The series was originally published as an amateur web novel but later received an official light novel, manga, and anime PV release. In the fourth volume of the web novel, the main characters from the series discuss the different dere types that each of them are, with the character Ritsuka "Rikka" Yukihira being labeled as a dandere by her friends. Rikka herself was described as "a quiet, good-student girl who is poor at expressing her emotions" in her official character bio. She was a girl who almost never spoke or showed her emotions, with not even being toyed with by the S dere girl Kukurai being enough to get her to speak or react. Initially she doesn't speak to the protagonist Tsumugi Ayase, staying silent every time he asks her to date him, however, she slowly starts to open up to him and even cuddles with him in his bed later in the story.[1][5]
The series also referred to dandere as "the last of the four great dere", referring to its status as one of the most popular dere types.[1]
Other Meanings
Since the term "dandere" (ダンデレ) is not widely used in Japanese, many alternate meanings have also came into existence that have the same spelling.
The 2021 fantasy romance manga series Danjon ni Hisomu Yandere na Kanojo ni Ore wa Nando mo Korosareru (JP) is officially abbreviated as Dandere (JP). This "dandere" is a combination of the word "danjon" (ダンジョン), meaning "dungeon", and "yandere" (ヤンデレ), meaning "a character whose love, admiration, and devotion is so strong that it is expressed as an excessive obsession". In this series, the main protagonist is stuck in a dungeon with a yandere character.
The all-female J-pop band Dancing Cinderella (JP) formed in 2021 is more commonly known by their abbreviated name Dandere (JP).
Usage
While the term "dandere" is extremely popular in the Western community and is considered one of the main dere types, it is uncommon and is considered a minor dere type in Japan. It can occasionally be seen on Japanese social media, but the term has only been used once in official Japanese media and this was not until 10 years later in 2018. However, the Japanese light novel did refer to the term as one of the "four great dere", likely referring to its worldwide notoriety.[1] The term "ダンデレ" only has ~200 search results from Japanese websites on Google while the English term "dandere" has over 2,500,000 search results. This can be further seen with Japanese websites citing English sources when researching what "ダンデレ" means.[6]
Misuse
When the entry for dandere was first posted on NicoNico it was mistakenly added as the combination of "dandii" (だんでぃ), meaning "dandy" or "a man unduly devoted to style, neatness, and fashion in dress and appearance", and "deredere" (デレデレ).[2] However, there doesn't seem to be any evidence of this definition actually being used and the correct definition was also added later that same day. However, that hasn't stopped it from showing up in Western articles as an alternate meaning, referring to a man who is normally cool but does something unexpectedly cute.[7]
Additionally in the past few years the meaning of dandere in the Western community has gotten more and more muddied. Initially in the Western community the term was most commonly associated with the character of Yuki Nagato from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya series.[8] However, as it kept getting confused for kuudere where people could not tell who was "kuudere" and who was "dandere" as they are so similar, the term started to get used for different types of characters until it had completely changed meanings and lost its connection to the correct etymology. Most commonly in the Western community it is used to refer to "shy" characters, however, these types of characters instead fall under the unrelated archetype of "hajidere". This likely comes from a misunderstanding of early Japanese translations and a desire to make it more and more different from kuudere.[9][10]
The Japanese word "hajirau" refers to being shy, timid, bashful, and blushing a lot from embarrassment, whereas in comparison the Japanese word "danmari" refers to being reticent meaning they are silent and do not intentionally reveal their thoughts or feelings. A reticent person is someone who is reserved, quiet, not inclined to speak openly about their thoughts or feelings, unwilling to draw attention to themselves, and has a preference for silence. It is important to distinguish "reticence" from other words like "shy", as reticence implies a conscious decision to be quiet rather than a feeling of shyness or unwillingness. Shyness is linked to a strong feeling of social anxiety and is characterized by discomfort in social situations, while reticence is more of a general reluctance to communicate.
Personality
Dandere characters are silent and expressionless (dan) most of the time, but will suddenly become cute, talkative, and affectionate (deredere) when they are alone with their love interest.[1]
Dan Period
Eucliwood Hellscythe from Kore ha Zombie desu ka?
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Dandere characters appear silent and expressionless most of the time. They will usually not go out of their way to talk to anybody else so they are by themselves most of the time. Even if somebody else tries to talk to them first, they will either respond very quietly or more often than not, simply not respond at all and just remain silent.[1][3] Even if the person they love asks them out, they may not even respond to them at first.[5]
The reason that that dandere characters appear expressionless is because they are not good at expressing their emotions. So because of this they remain silent most of the time and can come across as emotionless. They tend to come off as distant because they don't project emotions like a lot of other people, but they're actually very sweet when you get to know them.[1][2] Because of their expressionless demeanor it is also nearly impossible to understand what they are actually thinking, which when combined with the fact that they rarely speak has led to these types of characters being referred to as "indecipherable".
They may choose to focus on their studies since they aren't distracted talking with other people and can often be found reading books.[1]
Almost Dere Period
Karuta Roromiya hugging Ririchiyo Shirakiin from Inu×Boku SS
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After they become close to their love interest they will start to open up and become more sweet and talkative when it's just the two of them alone together. Most often the only person they feel truly comfortable talking with is their love interest because they feel close to them, even if they still don't reveal their intimate feelings for them. They will generally talk in a very quiet and soft-spoken manner.
They may also just remain completely silent and just carefully listen to their love interest talk at first, but as the two continue to become closer they will talk more and they will start putting more emotion into their words and facial expressions. It is not uncommon for them to be affectionate with their love interest without actually saying anything or showing much emotion.
However, they may even not respond to their love interest if they try talking to them in public at first, but they will make an effort to at least say "hi" and over time the small talk in public will increase. This can lead to a huge amount of satisfaction when the dandere finally starts to show more emotion, which can also make their love interest very happy.
Dere Period
Izumi Miyamura smiling and being affectionate with Kyouko Hori from HoriMiya
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After enough time of being around their love interest, they will learn to express their emotions and become a lot more talkative and affectionate even in public. They will also usually have a lot more friends that they never would have been able to make had they not met their love interest who changed them for the better.
Eventually they will work up the courage to confess their love, which leads to a huge amount of satisfaction towards the character. Following this point they will start to show their affectionate and lovey-dovey deredere side and be more intimate and emotional with their love interest.[11]
Differences From Other Archetypes
Kuudere
- For more details see: Dandere vs Kuudere vs Sunao Cool
Dandere is considered to be a closely related archetype or variation of kuudere due to both types appearing as cool and expressionless on the surface.[2][11] However, the main difference mostly comes down to their 'reason' for acting that way and how they treat others. Kuudere characters are cool and expressionless by choice because they are very confident and intentionally keep their emotions in check, whereas dandere characters are cool and expressionless because they are simply not good at showing their emotions in the first place. Kuudere characters are also very uninterested and uncaring of others at first and choose to keep others at a distance, while dandere characters typically want to talk with others but they just can't because they are not good at communicating. When spoken to, a kuudere character is likely to make some blunt sharp-tongued comment and hurt the other person's feelings because of their overly honest nature, while a dandere character would either just not respond at all and remain in complete silence or very quietly and softly reply. A kuudere character is not afraid to tell others when they want to be left alone, while a dandere character doesn't act coldly. Another key difference is that even if both types are expressionless, a kuudere character will have a cold and unapproachable aura around them to keep others away, while a dandere character will either have a gentle presence or almost no presence and just blend into the crowd. It is also possible that a dandere character appears cool and confident on the surface, but is actually nervous on the inside.
Simply put, kuudere is a deliberate and forced attitude to keep a wall between themself and others, being far more similar to tsundere, while dandere is just genuinely how the character is. A kuudere character can easily become expressive if they chose to let down their guard and stop controlling their emotions to hide their feelings, while a dandere character might struggle with expressing themselves even in a place they feel comfortable. So with all of this in mind, dandere could be described as a "silent and gentle" variation of kuudere. It is also worth noting that neither archetype are for "emotionless characters", which can be considered its own separate unrelated archetype.[8][12][13][14]
Sunao Cool
- For more details see: Dandere vs Kuudere vs Sunao Cool
It also similarly has a lot in common with sunao cool characters who also have a cool and expressionless demeanor. Similar to dandere, sunao cool characters are not cold and sharp-tongued like a kuudere character, instead being gentle and polite. The only real difference is that sunao cool characters are not afraid to speak and they are incredibly straightforward with their love confessions. A dandere character may not be cold like a kuudere character, but they also won't confess their love at the start like a sunao cool character either. The main key factor is that a sunao cool character is never embarrassed by showing their love or confessing their feelings.
Hajidere
- For more details see: Dandere vs Hajidere
Hajidere characters can also be seen as similar to dandere characters since they also struggle with communicating, but they are far more shy and introverted. The biggest difference is how they appear on the outside. A dandere character will be silent and expressionless with a calm attitude, not responding most of the time when people talk to them or showing their emotions which is why they are often confused for kuudere characters, whereas in comparison hajidere characters can be seen visibly blushing from their embarrassment and becoming nervous. When they are not feeling shy, a hajidere character generally has a positive and happy look on their face in comparison to the stoic nature of a dandere character. A hajidere character is likely to stutter when talking to others, while a dandere character would either not speak at all or speak quietly. A dandere character also generally has no issue speaking to their love interest when they're alone together, while a hajidere character might faint from embarrassment.
Similar Archetypes
- Kuudere: A term for a character who appears expressionless and unapproachable at first glance, but becomes cute, loving, and deredere around their love interest.
- Hajidere: A term for a character who is normally very shy and too embarrassed to talk to their love interest, but eventually becomes deredere for them.
- Meganekko: A term for a cute and sweet female character who wears glasses.
- Sunao Cool: A term for a character who expresses their love and affection honestly and straightforwardly, but is always cool in their behavior because of their calm and expressionless personality.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Misha Necron from The Misfit of Demon King Academy  Mashiro Shiina from Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo  Shouko Komi from Komi-san wa, Komyushou desu.  Vanilla H from Galaxy Angel  Akira Oono from Hi Score Girl  Karuta Roromiya from Inu×Boku SS |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Succubus☆Note! Volume 4: Oara Cave ~ The Night Before Infiltration. Kakuyomu (2018/02/26). “And let's not forget Dandere Rikka! Another minor dere has appeared. Yuuya puts both hands on his head in exaggerated surprise at Ayumu's remark. What are you talking about? Dandere is now the last of the four great dere to compete for the spot! What are the other three great? What does the 'Dan' in 'Dandere' stand for? There are two theories, Dandy and Danmari, but they're pretty similar.”
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 What is Dandere. Nico Nico Pedia (2008/10/31). “A character who is silent and doesn't show their true feelings, but is dere deep down. A close relative of the silent type kuudere. danmari + dere.”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Definition of ダンデレ. JapanDict. “Staying silent and not expressing one's feelings while secretly lovestruck.”
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 ダンデレ [Dandere]. WordPress (2008/04/15). “Umm, I don’t think this is very different from クーデレ[coo-dere]. To get to the point, ダンデレ is an abbreviation of だんまりデレデレ[danmari deredere]. だんまり[danmari] means to be calm or to shut one’s mouth up all the time. She doesn't speak at all mostly, but when there's no one else but you two, she would be sweet to you. In other words, she would be in deredere-mode.”
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Succubus☆Note! Volume 4: Sadodere. Kakuyomu (2018/02/26). “"Tsumugi, are you dating Rikka?" Both Yuya and Ayumi, who is beside him waiting for my answer, look surprised. "That's not it! If that were the case, it would be weird to have Yuna-sensei with you too." "Rikka is Rikka, and she doesn't say anything when I ask her..." Even Kukurai, as expected, didn't get anything out of the dandere Rikka. "Dandere and Hajidere, Tsumugi? Do you like small breasts...?" "There's no connection between dandere and hajidere and small breasts!" "What? You mean, dandere and hajidere..." Kukurai reacts to the unfamiliar words Yuya says. "They're heroine traits. The ones who are usually silent (ダンマリ) and expressionless (無表情) are dandere, and the shy ones (恥ずかしがり屋) are hajidere."”
- ↑ Do You Know Dandere?. Haruhi Memo (2018/06/28).
- ↑ Tsundere: Understanding Anime's Obsessions With the Cold/Warm Archetype - Also Kuudere, Dandere, Yandere, and Every Other Type of Dere. ToFuGu (2015/11/24). “Dandere describes someone who is quiet but actually feels “deredere” in their hearts.”
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Kuudere vs Dandere: What's The Difference?. The Anime Man (2015/12/03).
- ↑ 10 Best Dandere Characters In Anime, Ranked. CBR (2019/12/08). “A Dandere is a character type that is timid, cold, and introverted and is usually not the type people like to associate with. However, when someone they actually enjoy being around is present, they open up and what you'll find is usually an intelligent, kind, and pure person.”
- ↑ 10 Best Dandere Boys In Anime, Ranked. CBR (2022/12/03). “Danderes are timid, unassertive lovers who don't have confidence in themselves. The most popular danderes tend to be girls, but some anime fans also love dandere boys. These anime boys aren't assertive and tough like Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star or Berserk's Guts, but plenty of fans adore these dandere boys for being cuddly, gentle lovers who don't try too hard to prove their manliness.”
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Dandere. Visual Novel Database (2014/04/22). “A dandere character is one who is normally quiet and silent, possibly to the point of coming across as emotionless at times, but will suddenly become talkative, sweet and cute when alone with the right person if they manage to push the right button to get them to pour their heart out.”
- ↑ Dandere Characters. Anime Planet (2024/10/11). “Like their Kuudere counterparts, these characters are calm and quiet on the outside, but on the inside they are often antisocial, and fear being embarrassed or judged negatively in social situations. Once their guard is down, they can let their love or other emotions show.”
- ↑ What is Dandere? - Silently Stares at You in Public and Might Say "Hey" When Everyone is Gone. Honey's Anime (2015/07/06). “A kuudere is cool and closed off for the sake of being cool. They are just closed off and have walls all around them. They are cool and/or cold for the sake of being cold. A dandere is someone who actually is committed to the role and is actually shy. A.K.A. this is not a forced role as is with the kuudere. A dandere most likely has a very awkward time expressing themselves.”
- ↑ The Real Difference Between a Kuudere and Dandere Character in Anime. CBR (2022/09/16). “A kuudere is confident in who they are and what they can do. Kuuderes have minimal internal conflicts and are rarely plagued by serious doubt, self-esteem issues or indecision. This means they have impressive focus as a lover -- unlike insecure danderes and vulnerable tsunderes -- and can take the initiative and express their love when they are good and ready. This makes a kuudere very in control of their love life. Inversely, a dandere's worst enemy is themselves. Such a character is defined not just by their outward shyness, but also an internal battle where they struggle with low self-esteem, insecurities and indecision.”