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"Osadere" (JP) is a term for a character who is deredere for their childhood friend. They are someone who has grown up with their love interest and been friends with them since elementary school, or sometimes even earlier. In some cases they may have been in love with their childhood friend since they were little, while in other cases they may only realize their feelings later in life. It's a story of unchanging friendship, turned into a deep romantic connection as lovers.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Osadere (おさデレ) is a combination of "osananajimi" (幼馴染), meaning "childhood friend", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck (overly affectionate, lovey-dovey, not hiding one's romantic feelings)".[1]
Origin
Osadere! by Boys Be Gakuen
It originates from the 2009 erotic visual novel Osadere! (JP), which had the subtitle Osananajimi Deredere! (JP). The game follows Nene Nakaooji, a "tsundere" type childhood friend, and Kanami Hiromoto, a "give all she has" type childhood friend, who both fell in love with their childhood friend, the unnamed protagonist. Nene fell in love with the protagonist very early on after he held her hand while she was crying, though she later became a bit tsundere when it came to properly confessing her love to him. She attempts to cook for him on a picnic date, but her cooking skills are apparently lacking so it didn't come across how she wanted. She later works up the courage to properly confess her feelings after seeing Kanami, who was a lot more straightforward in confessing her love, kissing him. In the end, both of them shared his love equally and become extremely affectionate and lovey-dovey towards him.[1][2]
An art collection book titled Osadere! Genga-shuu (JP) was also released later that same year.[3] In the book the author stated that the game only has one theme "unchanging friendship".[4]
Personality
Osadere characters are in love with and all lovey-dovey (deredere) for their childhood friend (osa).
Osananajimi Side
Ai Fuyuumi proposing to Eita Kidou in kindergarten from Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru
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Osadere characters met their love interest very early in life, generally in elementary school if not even earlier. Because they have been friends for a very long time and grew up together they have a very close bond. In some cases they may fall in love with their childhood friend friend while they're both still young, while in other cases they may not realize their feelings until the both of them are grown.[1]
Usually the osadere character is very close with the family of their childhood friend and they know a lot of personal secrets about them. They are someone that has a deep relationship with their childhood friend and can have an honest face-to-face moment with them. They are someone that will be there for them no matter what. It's an unchanging friendship.[4]
Osadere characters can have any other personality traits as long as in the end they inevitably become purely deredere for their childhood friend.[2]
Deredere Side
Tomo Aizawa embracing Junichirou Kubota from Tomo-chan Is a Girl!
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After an osadere character realizes their feelings, their attitude towards their childhood friend with change from "friendly" to "romantic" and they will start being deredere towards them. They will start trying to win the heart of their childhood friend, now turned love interest, by being overly affectionate and lovey-dovey towards them. They will start going on dates, hugging, kissing, and doing more intimate acts. In comparison to other romances, because they grew up as childhood friends they have an extremely close bond with each other.[2][1]
Differences From Other Archetypes
This is a dere type variation of osananajimi for characters who not only fall in love with their childhood friend, but also become deredere for them.
Similar Archetypes
- Deredere: A term for an overly affectionate character who is lovestruck and does not hide their romantic feelings towards their love interest.
- Osananajimi: A term for a character who is the early childhood friend of another character and grew up together.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Tomo Aizawa with Junichirou Kubota from Tomo-chan Is a Girl!  Mikasa Ackerman and Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan  Mikasa Ackerman with Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan  Yuki Nonaka and Kurumi Nonaka with Basara Toujo from Shinmai Maou no Testament  Ai Fuyuumi with Eita Kidou from Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru  Natsuyu Koga and Rei Nezu from Temptation of Shirogal & Kurogal |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Osadere! Osananajimi Deredere!. Boys Be Gakuen (2009/11/07). Archived on 2025/07/02.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Osadere Demo Movie. Boys Be Gakuen (2009/11/07). Archived on 2025/07/02.
- ↑ Osadere! Original Art Collection. Boys Be Gakuen (2009/12/31). Archived on 2025/07/02.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Osadere! Original Art Collection - Introduction. Boys Be Gakuen (2009/12/31). Archived on 2025/07/02. “Actually, this game has one theme. It's an unchanging friendship. Even if you can find a romantic partner, it's quite difficult to maintain a friendship. In fact, I think that friends with whom you have a deep relationship and can have a true face-to-face moment with are the ones that will give you the most out of life. I was so envious when I created the story of these three characters. Do you have a friendship where you can talk about anything? I think that the idea of people being able to honestly have a face-to-face moment with each other is something that only exists in fantasy... So, if you keep that in mind while playing, I think it might look different to you.”