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Gou-dere (JP) is a term for a character who acts as an overpowering force to give their love interest everything they want even if it means inconveniencing others, but is cute, lovey-dovey, and deredere to their love interest. They have an idealized notion of their love interest, often viewing them as their master, and believe that they are more important than others and deserves to have everything their heart desires no matter the cost. They are fiercely loyal and will stop at absolutely nothing to obtain whatever they want their love interest to have purely out of love for them, even if it means using violence or forcing others to bend to their master's will. Due to their extreme devotion, they will go to unimaginable lengths to give to their love interest whatever they believe is the best for them, often creating uncomfortable and comical situations that can even put the love interest in trouble. They are brazen and unconstrained, never understanding the consequences of their actions, and will do things such as trying to force girls to be in their love interest's harem, overpreparing for basic situations, encouraging their master to take what their heart desires, or using violence to incapacitate anyone who tries to harm their love interest.
However, in contrast to their fierce behavior towards others, when dealing with their love interest directly they act like a regular cute deredere character who loves to cling onto their love interest and be all lovey-dovey and intimate with them. They are someone who is completely open with their feelings and regularly tells their love interest that they love them.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Gou-dere (豪デレ) is a combination of "gou" (豪), meaning "overpowering; great; a fierce person of extraordinary powers; bold and unconstrained", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck (overly affectionate, lovey-dovey, not hiding one's romantic feelings)".
They have been described in official media as "violent, brazen, brutal" girls who couldn't be described with words like "sweet" or "demure".[2]
Origin
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Gou-dere Bishoujo Sora Nagihara by Suu Minazuki
The term originates from the 2008 ecchi romance comedy manga series Gou-dere Bishoujo Nagihara Sora (JP) by Suu Minazuki to describe the titular character Sora Nagihara.[1][4][5]
The story follows the character of Shota Yamakawa, a nijikon who is in love with 2-D girls. His favorite character by far is Sora Nagihara from the romance manga Tama×Kiss, a sweet girl who is fatally sick but wears cat ears to make herself happy. Although she is ill, she manages to fall in love with the protagonist which brings Shota to tears. However, one day when he's re-reading the manga, suddenly Sora Nagihara pops out of the book and falls into his bed. When he tries to check on her she to make sure she's okay, suddenly she calls him a creep for trying to take advantage of her and gives him a squeeze. Sora then explains that she used her powers to transfer dimensions to ask him why he's okay with just watching 2-D girls all day. When Shota passionately explains that he's just a shy timid nerd who doesn't have any chances with girls so he founds joy in watching the growth of Sora Nagihara's journey, she starts to blush. Sora tells him that she was so touched by his speech that she fell in love with him and decided that he was fit to be the ruler of the world. She then decides right then and there that she will become his concubine and help him take over the world so she begins referring to him as master, much to the shock of Shota. Shouta then comes to the realization that she has the complete opposite personality of the original Sora. Rather than a sweet demure girl, she was a violent "gou-dere".[6][7]
As part of her missions, she tells Shota that she's going to go out and capture him some presents. When she returns she explains that she kidnapped three girls so that Shota can impregnate them and create lots of heirs since something as magnificent as him wouldn't be satisfied with only one wife, however, Shota lets them go. When they are caught by the student council president and she asks what they are doing, Sora brazenly states that she thought Shota had said he was going to do every girl in the dorm at least once to create many heirs. Sora then grabs the girl to assess whether she'd make a good wife for Shota, which results in her calling the police and having Shota arrested for the night.
Sora Nagihara from Gou-dere Bishoujo Sora Nagihara
Because Sora is a 2-dimensional character she possesses many extremely powerful abilities, which she uses to help Shota in any way she can. Sora can effortlessly defeat even martial arts masters with ease and has absolutely no shame. She knows that Shota loves big breasts, so she uses her powers to make the flat-chested martial arts girl grow a larger chest so she'd make a better wife for Shota. Sora has a very forceful personality and any time she sees Shota having a cute romantic moment with another girl she immediately jumps in and tells him to impregnate her, which almost always leads to Shota being arrested for sexual harassment (something he gets very used to).
Contrary to her overpowering personality when accomplishing her mission, she acts very cutely and lovey-dovey around Sora, which makes him believe the original Sora from the manga is still part of her. At the same time, however, it appears that she is hiding her true feelings towards him through her overly helpful "gou" side and avoids letting herself get emotionally close. Her insistence on Shota forming a harem seems to stem from the belief that she alone isn't good with to satisfy him, which is why she always avoids the subject when he brings it up.
Over the course of the story, Sora slowly starts to realize her own feelings which she tried to run away from. While at the start of the series she was insistent on just being a concubine who helped her master form a harem, she slowly starts to feel a little jealous over some of the girls. Nonetheless she continues her mission to make Shota marry of all the girls she's set up for him. When Shota tells her that she's the only one he wants she starts to avoid the question saying she can't answer his feelings. When Shota gets serious and makes a proper love confession and firmly tells that he's in love with her she starts to cry from overwhelming happiness. At first she tried to run away from her true feelings again by saying it's "just a metaphor" and he's "acting weird again", but when he doubles down again she finally accepts her own true feelings and kisses Shota on the lips. Sora then says that she thinks it's wonderful that he truly feels that way.
Localization
The term was officially romanized in English as "gou-dere" for the English release which was localized as Gou-dere Sora Nagihara by Yen Press.[2] The term was also officially romanized as "go-dere" on the cover of the fourth volume of the Japanese version.[3]
Characteristics
Abilities
Tohru uppercutting someone who put Kobayashi in harm from Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon
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As the name suggests, gou-dere characters are extremely fierce and powerful beings, which helps them with their mission to give their love interest everything their heart desires. If they feel someone is a threat to their love interest they will have no issues taking care of that person by using physical force. Their immense power also helps them in other ways as well, such as being able to easily carry girls to try to make them join their love interest's harem.
They may also have other magical abilities which they can use to appease their love interest, such as being able to make a girl's breasts grow if their love interest prefers a large chest. If the girl objects and demands to be changed back they are sure to be met with an "sorry, but you belong to master now".
Personality
Gou-dere character act as an overpowering force to give their love interest everything they want even if it means inconveniencing others (gou), but are cute, affectionate, and lovey-dovey to their love interest (deredere).
Gou Period
Sora Nagihara stepping on a man's face for threatening Shota Yamakawa from Gou-Dere Bishoujo Sora Nagihara
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Gou-dere characters are overpowering forces that will try to get all they think their love interest wants or deserves; even forcing everyone who crosses their path to give or contribute to what they believe is the perfection and happiness for their master.
Without their love interest even saying anything or misinterpreting an innocent comment, they will decide on their own what their love interest would appreciate to have in their lives. Normally, they will go to extreme cases and transform something simple into a monumentous goal. For example, their love interest expressing that they have difficulties talking with women may drive them to take it upon themselves to create a harem just for their love interest. To this extent they will even kidnap women just to present them as a present to their love interest, regardless of whether the love interest really wants that—which they usually don't.
They do not necessarily take the wishes of their love interest into account, rather, they decide for the love interest what they want. This makes for sometimes awkward and uncomfortable situations. Even if their master tries to convince them not to do it, they will probably do it anyway.
They are someone with powerful and violent personality. They have great confidence in their beliefs and in their own advantage in power and strength, which are supernatural. They will use said abilities to please and help their master. They can also be overprotective towards their love interest, taking control of the situation most of the time.
Almost Dere Period
Tohru clinging to Kobayashi from Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon
However, in contrast to their overbearing attitude towards everybody else when it comes to their love interest they are cute and lovey-dovey, acting the same as a regular deredere character who is completely open with their romantic affections and loves be affectionately clingy with their love interest. They are very touched by their love interest so they often blush when looking at them and are constantly hugging on them or attenting to kiss them.
However, the underlying truth is that they are hiding their true feelings. The reason they go to such things to impress their love interest is often because of insecurity and they don't feel like they are enough simply by themself. While they don't hide their love in general, they do hide the true depth of it and will often avoid the subject when it comes up and try to resume their mission. They will do grand gestures because they don't want to hear the truth and be told they weren't good enough, so they avoid the conversation and pretend like their love interest is just being weird when they start talking about serious romantic topics.
Dere Period
Sora Nagihara finally accepting her true feelings and kissing Shota Yamakawa from Gou-dere Bishoujo Sora Nagihara
While at the start of the relationship they may seem like they need to form a harem for their love interest and are completely okay with sharing, after all someone as great as their love interest couldn't have any less, if their love interest reaffirms that they are the only person they desire then they will start to change. They can feel more confident that their love alone is enough and can be more upfront with their true feelings of love.
Differences From Other Archetypes
This type has a lot in common with onidere due to both types being powerful, violent, and brutal characters who are cute and lovey-dovey with their love interest. The main difference is simply the way they show their deredere side and how they behave when acting powerful. A gou-dere character will openly and publicly show their affection, while an onidere will try to hide their cute side out of fear of looking weak. Additionally, gou-dere are far more unrestrained and don't think about social consequences when boldly giving their love interest what they desire, while onidere characters generally only act aggressively when provoked or getting into a fight.
It is also very similar to mega deredere since both types have an idealized notion of their love interest. The main difference is simply that while a mega deredere character sees their love interest as absolute perfection, they do not behave negatively towards others. While a gou-dere character is often violent and forceful, a mega deredere character is more focused on fangirling over their love interest and performing large acts to show their love. Also while a gou-dere character does see their love interest as greater than they actually are, they do not necessarily have over the top lovey-dovey moments and show their affection closer to the regular base deredere type.
Simply put, take the extremely powerful brutal nature of an onidere character, combine it with the over the top public displays of love from a mega deredere character, give them a brazen unconstrained personality and that is a gou-dere character.
It is also very similar to megadere since both types are characters who possess supernatural abilities which they use to help their love interest, are violent towards third parties, and are purely deredere towards their love interest. The main difference, aside from being a goddess, is simply that megadere characters aren't overbearing in trying to help their love interest conquer the world, and are a bit more demure when showing their love. Megadere characters also tend to be more reactive, than proactive, when it comes to being violent. Reacting out of anger or annoyance than because of a driven mission to assist their love interest. While megadere characters can use their powers to do things such as showing their love interest a beautiful sky, they generally don't do anything that would inconvenience their love interest, whereas gou-dere characters don't take that into consideration when choosing to act out.
They could also be seen as somewhat similar to a worship-type yandere due to their extreme devotion towards their love interest. The main difference is simply that it is not necessary for a yandere character to be extremely powerful, and gou-dere characters are not mentally sick. Additionally, worship-type yandere generally obey everything their love interest tells them without failure even if it means inconveniencing themself, while gou-dere will ignore their love interest's wishes and inconvenience them if they personally believe their love interest would want something. It is also very common, but not necessarily required, for yandere characters to be extremely jealous whereas gou-dere characters believe with certainty that their love interest is too important to not have a harem of girls. Gou-dere also does not have the other negative aspects often associated with yandere, such as harming those close to their love interest or trying to monopolize them, since it's actually quite the opposite. Rather than monopolizing, gou-dere characters sometimes create harems for their love interest even when their love interest says they don't want one. While gou-dere characters may harm third parties using violence, they will only do so if they feel they are a genuine threat to their love interest, and since they are not sick like yandere characters their judgement is more accurate and they are far less prone to attacking innocent people.
Similar Archetypes
- Megadere (Goddess): A term for a female goddess character who is initially cold, hostile, violent, and feared by others as an angel of death or goddess of destruction, but is actually a very innocent girl and becomes purely deredere for their love interest.
- Megadere (Mega): A term for a deredere character who has a strong adoration for their love interest and will not be afraid to give them large displays of affection and tell them how much they love them.
- Onidere: A term for a character with monstrous strength who puts on an act and pretends to hate and be cruel to their love interest around other people to maintain a reputation of being feared, but will be extremely cute, lovey-dovey, and deredere to them when others are not looking.
- Tsuyodere: A term for a female otoko masari character who is normally very strong-willed, tough, and masculine, but becomes cute, delicate, and girly when they are deredere for their love interest.
- 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
 Albedo from Overlord  Albedo from Overlord  Tohru from Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon  Tohru from Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon  Tohru from Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon  Ikaros with Tomoki Sakurai from Sora no Otoshimono |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gou-dere Bishoujo Nagihara Sora. Hakusensha (2011/01/28).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gou-dere Sora Nagihara. Yen Press (2014/11/18). “2-D art of death, secret technique!! Sora Nagihara, the girl of Shouta Yamakawa's dreams, is sweet, demure, and downright cute. The only problem is that she's two-dimensional...literally. But when Sora miraculously comes to life from the pages of Shouta's manga, he can't believe his luck. That is, until he realizes that "sweet" and "demure" are the last words anyone would pick to describe this brazen, brutal babe!”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Go-dere Bisyo-jo Nagihara Sora - Volume 4. Hakusensha (2011/01/28).
- ↑ Gou-dere Bishoujo Nagihara Sora. Cmoa (2013/10/04).
- ↑ Gou-dere Bishoujo Nagihara Sora. Amazon (2011/01/28).
- ↑ Gou-dere Bishoujo Nagihara Sora. Wikipedia JP (2010/03/02).
- ↑ Gou-dere Sora Nagihara. AnimeNewsNetwork (2015/01/17). “Shouta Yamakawa isn't very good with girls, so he sticks to the 2D variety as a major otaku. He wishes that he could be with his dream girl, Sora Nagihara, from the manga Tama x Kiss, who is sweetness and light personified. And then one day she bursts from his book, landing on his bed and in his real life. Only...she's a little different. “Sweetness and light" somehow don't seem to fit her anymore... If you know what a “gou-dere" is, as opposed to a “tsundere" or a “yandere," you're already halfway to knowing what's so funny about this manga. If you are unfamiliar with that particular character type, however, she is basically someone who will stop at nothing to procure whatever she wants her master to have, be that chocolate or more girls for his harem. Notice where the emphasis is: the gou-dere does not necessarily take his wishes into account. That makes for sometimes awkward and uncomfortable situations, but Suu Minazuki, the man behind Heaven's Lost Property, manages to make things more funny than not, even when the content of the story crosses the line.”