|
|
Shundere (JP) is a term for a character who gets sad when their love interest doesn't pay attention to them, but is deredere when they do. They hate being alone and will make a really cute sad face that makes their love interest unable to refuse them.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Shundere (シュンデレ) is a combination of "shun" (シュン), an onomatopoeia for "becoming sad", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck and overly affectionate".[2]
Origin
While the exact origin is unclear, it appears to have been created on the Japanese internet sometime in early 2008.[2]
The first known use of the type in an official media comes from the 2011 erotic visual novel Otomimi ∞ Infinity (JP) for the character Kusahara Hanemi, who was described as the "speed-crazy shundere girl who hates loneliness". The series defined the archetype as "she becomes sad when [her love interest] doesn't pay attention to her or she is alone, which is what is known as a shundere type."[1]
Misuse
There is a common misconception in the Western community that a shundere is simply an "utsudere character who doesn't have a reason for being sad", however, this is not true. The common belief is that "sadness" is just an innate part of their personality and that they almost never smile. Although this meaning has gained popularity online, it is not how the type is used in official Japanese media where shundere characters are usually cheerful and lovey-dovey but only sometimes sad when they're not being paid attention to. [3]
Personality
Shundere characters are someone who if the person they love doesn't pay attention to them they become sad and visibly down (shun), but if they pay attention to them they become loving and overly affectionate (dere).[4]
Shun Side
Kusahara Hanemi when Sagawa Yamato starts to leave from Otomimi ∞ Infinity
|
|
If their love interest doesn't pay any attention to them they can feel so disappointed that they become sad, but the "shun" appearance and mannerisms are incredibly cute and draw people in which makes them a naturally charming character who simultaneously harbors deredere feelings for their love interest.[2]
They may also be more on the timid side and get anxious when they are alone or not being paid attention to so they become sad when their love interest isn't with them. They are someone who hates being alone.[1]
Dere Side
Kusahara Hanemi when Sagawa Yamato stays with her from Otomimi ∞ Infinity
However, whenever they are with their love interest they will act just like a normal deredere character, who is overly affectionate and loving towards their love interest. They will be very clingy towards their love interest and not care if someone sees them being affectionate with them.
Overtime they may even grow to be more independent from their love interest and not tear up when they're not together.
Differences From Other Archetypes
When compared with utsudere—characters who are depressed but becoming cheerful around their love interest—shundere is a lot more harmless type of sadness. So it could be said that while utsudere is more on the "tragic and depressed" side, shundere is more on the "cute and pouty" side. They are similar in that despite their sadness they both become deredere when they are with their love interest, but for utsudere characters it is more like a temporary band-aid since their depression is unrelated to their love interest while for shundere characters it is the cure for their problem, since their sadness is caused entirely by not being with their love interest.
It is also very similar to tsunshun in that they both want to spend time with their love interest and become sad when they can't, but the main difference is the reason for why their love interest doesn't give it to them. With a tsunshun character they 'push' their love interest away because 'they' can't be honest with their feelings, while a shundere is honest with the way they feel and seeks attention but their love interest doesn't give it to them. Rather than being pushed away, their love interest simply 'chooses' it themself or is otherwise unable to give it for whatever reason. So in that sense they are opposites. The crucial difference is that with tsundere the outcome depend on their own actions, while with shundere it depends on the love interest's actions.[2]
Similar Archetypes
- Tsunshun: A term for a tsundere character who acts standoffish and disinterested in their love interest and then becomes sad because they couldn't be honest with their feelings. This could be seen as a mix of a shundere with a tsundere.
- Utsudere: A term for a character who is normally depressed and gloomy all the time but becomes cheerful, loving, and deredere when around their love interest.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Holo from Ookami to Koushinryou  Kusahara Hanemi from Otomimi ∞ Infinity  Kusahara Hanemi from Otomimi ∞ Infinity  Kusahara Hanemi from Otomimi ∞ Infinity  Kusahara Hanemi from Otomimi ∞ Infinity  Kusahara Hanemi with Sagawa Yamato from Otomimi ∞ Infinity |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Otomimi ∞ Infinity First Edition. Getchu (2011/09/22). “I want your attention! A speed-crazed, shundere girl who hates loneliness. Kusahara Hanemi. She has a gentle, cheerful smile, and is a bit of a laid-back girl. She is a timid girl who is easily scared of many things. Despite her timid nature, she loves to be with other people and talk. She is lonely and feels anxious when she is left alone or not being paid attention to. She becomes sad when no one pays attention to her or she is alone, which is what is known as a shundere type.”
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Shundere. Uncyclopedia (2008/02/21). “Shundere is a complex personality type or character that combines the tendency to become sad (shun) when not given attention with the tendency to be deredere towards the opposite sex. Unusually for a moe term, it has many moe fans for both the shun and dere parts. If the opposite sex doesn't pay them any attention, they can become so disappointed that they become sad, and their sad appearance and behavior is super cute and attractive, but at the same time they have a deredere personality towards the opposite sex. A shundere becomes shun when their partner ignores them, and then transitions to a dere state when the other person forgives them or helps resolve the situation. This is the crucial difference from tsundere, which depends on the individual's own actions.”
- ↑ Shundere Characters Are Melancholic Loners With Introverted Personalities. CBR (2024/01/29). “Shundere characters are commonly portrayed to be sad or melancholic throughout the series. "Shun" refers to the Japanese onomatopoeia "shun...," which denotes a sense of melancholy and sadness. Shundere characters don't always need a reason to be sad, as being gloomy is typically enough to earn a character the shundere moniker.”
- ↑ List of Character Types and Classifications. Monogatari Movie (2021/06/29). “If the person they love doesn't pay attention to them, they become sad and visibly down, but if the other person pays attention to them as an apology, they become dere.”