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Content Warning! Content Warnings: Strong language and vulgar behavior. |
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Spoilers Ahead! |
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"Gesudere" (JP) is a term for a character who usually talks and behaves in a very crude, offensive, vulgar, and cruel manner but becomes cute, gentle, affectionate, and deredere around their love interest. At first they lack any kind of morals and exhibit disrespectful speech and behavior that makes look like a lowlife. They will not hesitate to unleash a barrage of vulgar verbal abuse towards anyone who annoys them. When making these remarks they have a very nasty and vile, almost villainous, look on their face that can make others very uncomfortable just by looking at them. However, over time they will start to show more gentle lovey-dovey actions towards their love interest, such as kissing them in public or doing romantic gestures to show their love, which can seem out of character for them and surprise their love interest. When they are with their love interest they have a surprisingly gentle and affectionate personality. They are sweet, kind, considerate, and have a strong desire to make their love interest feel loved and taken care of. The love they have for their love interest will start to change them and make them a better person.
Etymology[]
Meaning of the Term[]
Gesudere (ゲスデレ) is a combination of "gesu" (下衆), meaning "vulgar person; lowlife; sleazebag; unsophisticated; vile; boorish", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck (overly affectionate, lovey-dovey, not hiding one's romantic feelings)".[2]
The term "gesu" refers to a person of low morals who exhibits disrespectful speech and behavior. It is a very nasty and vile personality. The related term "gesu face" (ゲス顔) refers to the hideous look that comes over someone's face when they are planning or actually saying something despicable. It is a face that looks as if it is up to something nasty. It can also be used to describe an expression of delight at inhumane acts, or an expression that makes someone feel physically uncomfortable. It is also sometimes called a "wicked face" or "dark face".[3] It is typically used as a full stop after an intentionally abusive statement or a statement that seems to have a hidden meaning.[4][5]
Gesudere characters have been described in official media as someone who has a very "egetsunai" (えげつない) personality, which refers to a behavior that is "crude; dirty; vulgar; nasty; vile; filthy; lowsy; offensive; disgusting".[1]
Origin[]
The first use of the term in official media comes from the 2014 romance comedy light novel series Life Alive! (JP) to describe the character Luna Shiratama. Luna was the student council vice-president and was said to have such a vulgar personality that she has been called a gesudere. She is in a relationship with the student council president Linda Chinatsu and they often flirt with one another, with Linda describing Luna's behavior as being very cute while hugging her. Luna plays a largely antagonistic role in the series, scheming to make sure Linda wins the student council re-election.[1][6][7]
History[]
Early Influences[]
Makoto Hanamiya from Kuroko's Basketball
The term "gesudere" itself appears to originate largely from fan doujinshi of Kuroko's Basketball which depicts the normally bad boy "gesu" character of Makoto Hanamiya as being romantic and "dere".[8] The first of these appears to be a 2014 web novel romance series titled simply Gesudere! (JP). In the series Makoto, who is normally fowl-mouthed and disrespectful, is lovers with his childhood friend who refers to him with the pet name "mako-tan". In the series he shows a surprisingly cute and lovey-dovey side around her. He is sweet, considerate, affectionate, romantic, and even kisses his girlfriend passionately.[9] While the character is often depicted as being "dere" in fan fiction, he does not exhibit these traits in the official series and therefore is not actually this type as this is more of a fantasy from his fanbase.[10]
Personality[]
Gesudere characters usually talk and behave in a very crude, offensive, vulgar, and cruel manner (gesu) but becomes cute, gentle and affectionate (deredere) around their love interest.[7]
Gesu Period[]
Gajeel Redfox from FAIRY TAIL
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Gesudere characters have a very disrespectful manner of speech and behavior which makes them appear like a lowlife. They lack any kind of morals and have a very crude and vulgar way of speaking.[7]
They are someone who is very cruel and will not hesitate to unleash a barrage of verbal abuse onto anyone who disrespects them, often speaking in a very despicable or degrading manner. When making these remarks they have a very nasty and vile, almost evil, look on their face that can make others feel physically uncomfortable just by looking at them. This is the face that they make when they are planning or actually saying something despicable.
Dere Period[]
Gajeel Redfox kissing Levy McGarden from FAIRY TAIL
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However, despite their usually cruel and vulgar personality when they are with their love interest they are surprisingly cute and affectionate.[7]
Although they don't often show it they have a gentle and considerate personality that cares a lot about their love interest and they have a strong desire to make them feel loved and taken care of. Because of they may feel uncomfortable about showing their more cute and sweet side in public at first, and may ask their love interest to stop hugging them or calling them "cute" when they're in public.[7][9]
However, over time they will start to show more lovey-dovey and romantic actions towards their love interest, such as passionately kissing them in public or doing sweet gestures of their love, which can seem out of character for them and surprise their love interest. The love they have for their love interest will start to change them and make them a better person.[9]
Differences From Other Archetypes[]
This type is most similar to kuzudere since characters who act like scum are often very crude and vulgar as well. The main difference is simply that not all kuzudere characters act in this manner and not all gesudere characters act in a scummy manner despite their boorish exterior.
This archetype is also very similar to the common misconception about the meaning of S dere, for characters who appear more generally sadistic as opposed to sadistic in a playful SM type manner. As opposed to being someone who shows a face of pleasure for toying with their love interest in intimate ways, they have an almost vile looking sadistic face and enjoy slinging verbal abuse at anyone who annoys them.
Because the "gesu face" is also sometimes referred to as the "villain face" this type can appear similar to the Western mayadere for villains who switch sides and become deredere. The main difference is simply that although they might look like it, gesudere characters are not necessarily villainous and they don't try to kill their love interest. Additionally, not all Western mayadere characters appear with a "gesu face" and they are often more serious or even expressionless while trying to kill their future lover.
It is also common for yandere characters to have a "gesu face" when they are feeling jealous.
Similar Archetypes[]
- Do-S: A term for a character who is extremely sadistic.
- Kuzudere: A term for a character who usually acts like scum, but becomes cute, selfless, and deredere after falling in love with their love interest.
- Mayadere (Western): A term for a character who started as a villain trying to kill their love interest, but switches sides after falling in love with them and becoming deredere.
- Otoko Masari: A term for a female character who has a stronger-willed and more masculine temperament than a man.
- Sukeban: A term for a female character who is part of a female-only juvenile delinquent girl gang in middle school or high school.
- Thugdere: A term for a character who often mistreats their love interest by harming them physically and emotionally to hide their true deredere feelings of affection.
- Yankii: A term for a character who is a juvenile delinquent.
- Yandere: A term for a character who at first is very sweet, loving, innocent, and overly affectionate like a normal deredere character, but over time begins exhibiting signs of being mentally sick as a result of having a too strong love.
List of Characters[]
Gallery[]
 Izumi Miyamura with Kyouko Hori from HoriMiya  Izumi Miyamura with Kyouko Hori from HoriMiya  Gajeel Redfox from FAIRY TAIL  Revy from BLACK LAGOON  Revy from BLACK LAGOON  Kazuma Satou from Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Syukufuku wo! |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Life Alive! 2 Onii-chan wa Imouto no Mono. Kadokawa (2014/11/25). “Hokuto and her friends barely made it through the first round of voting, but standing in their way was Luna Shiratama, the vice president of the student council and Chinatsu's right-hand man. Luna always wears a costume and has such an obscene personality that she's been called a gesudere...”
- ↑ Game Commentator Information: Ushizawa. Game Let's Play Info (2016/01/14). “He often behaves cruelly and sometimes hurls abuse at female characters, so at times viewers call him "Gesuzawa". However, he also has a gentle side, being considerate and grateful to female characters, which leads to comments like "Gesudere" and "Deresawa."”
- ↑ Please show me Your dark face! Kurosaki kun.. Ganma (2023/03/29). “"You shouldn't get close to Kurosaki..." Kurosaki is a high school boy who is surrounded by dark rumors about his relationships with women and violence. Is he really the bad guy that the rumors say he is? Or...? What is the real Kurosaki that Shirakawa, an innocent rich girl, sees?!”
- ↑ What is Gesugao. Pixiv Encyclopedia. “Gesu means "vile or lowly". Gesu face refers to a face that looks as if it is up to something nasty. It can also be used to describe an expression of delight at inhumane acts, or an expression that makes someone feel physically uncomfortable. It is also called a villain's face, but that term can be used to describe not only facial expressions but also facial features. It is also highly versatile, as it can be used as a full stop after an intentionally abusive statement or a statement that seems to have a hidden meaning.”
- ↑ Gesugao. Weblio. “It refers to the hideous look that comes over someone's face when they are planning or actually saying something despicable.”
- ↑ Life Alive! 2 Onii-chan wa Imouto no Mono. CMOA (2014/12/26). “Hokuto and her friends barely made it through the first round of voting, but standing in their way was Luna Shiratama, the vice president of the student council and Chinatsu's right-hand man. Luna always wears a costume and has such an obscene personality that she's been called a gesudere...”
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Life Alive! 2 Onii-chan wa Imouto no Mono. Amazon (2014/12/26). “Hokuto and Airi just barely made it through the first round of the student council general election. However, standing in their way was the other student council vice president, Luna Shiratama. "Lucchan, you're cute!" "Ah, stop it, boss, don't hug me like that, ha, no." Luna, Chinatsu's right-hand man, who always wears a costume, has such an obscene personality that she is called a gesudere... "I'll be the captain of the white team at this year's sports festival. So, Acchan, you can be the captain of the red team, right?" Due to Luna's scheme, Chinatsu and Airi will clash at the sports festival! ? What's more, there is a jinx that says that the candidate who wins the sports festival will definitely win the election... The second installment of the theatrical youth love comedy by Asano Hajime and Yugen!”
- ↑ Kirisaki + Kareshi. Chill Chill (2015/04/24). “"Would you like to be gesudere?" The first appearance of the School Boyfriends series. The long-awaited first volume is Kirisaki No. 1! A special book for you who love Kirisaki☆ The back cover features the usual gorgeous color illustration with scratch cards! The Kirisaki members are in tuxedos...!?”
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Gesudere! (2014/02/15). “This is a story about Kirisaki's life with the "gesudere" Hanamiya ^ - ^ The main character is a girl who really likes Makoto Hanamiya. If you want to be all clingy with Hanamiya, please read this ^o^ The main character calls Hanamiya, Mako-tan. They are childhood friends. The story starts with them already being lovers.”
- ↑ Hanakuro: The Reaction of the Flower Growing on Hanamiya-san's Head Is Too Gesudere. Pixiv (2014/02/21). “This is a story that visually gesudere-ifies Hanamiya-san's reactions.”