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"Tsunneko" (JP) is a term for a tsundere character who is a nekomimi and shows their affection in a cat-like way. They are dishonest with their feelings of love and will act standoffish and try to distance themselves from their love interest at first to hide their embarrassment, but when they are being affectionate they will do it in a cat-like way, such as by wagging their ears and tails when their love interest pats their head or when they are feeling lovestruck. They may be an actual nekomimi or they may just temporarily grow cat ears as a visual gag during their tsundere moments.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Tsunneko (ツンネコ) is a combination of "tsundere" (ツンデレ), meaning "a character who can't be honest with their feelings of love towards their love interest so they act distant, standoffish, and stuck-up to conceal them", and "nekomimi" (ネコミミ), meaning "a human character who has cat ears". The term refers to a character who is normally "tsun" but becomes affectionate like a cat when "dere".[3]
Origin
It originates from the 2012 song "Tsunneko no Waltz" (JP) by Rumi Ookubo from the anime series Acchi Kocchi (JP) to describe the main protagonist Tsumiki Miniwa. Tsumiki had a crush on her classmate Io Otonashi but confessing her feelings was impossible for her. However, whenever Io would be affectionate with her she would grow cat ears and a cat tail showing that she has become dere.[4][1][2]
History
Official Media
The term was also later used for the strategy game Shironeko Project (JP) to describe the character Suzu. In order to obtain Suzu the player must collect 250 "Runes of Tsunneko". She could also be further powered-up by collecting "Ruins of Dereneko" to make her affectionate towards the player. Additionally, unlike Tsumiki Miniwa the origin of this variation, Suzu was an actual nekomimi and did not only grow cat ears as a visual gag.[5][6]
Characteristics
Tsunneko are characters who are part-human and part-cat, or in other words they are a nekomimi. They may be an actual nekomimi who always has cat ears or they may simply appear as a visual gag during moments when the character is feeling lovestruck, even if they don't exist all the time.
Personality
Tsunneko are characters who act dishonest with their feelings of love (tsun), but become affectionately cat-like when they show their deredere side (neko).
Tsun Period
Tsumiki Miniwa after getting her head pat by Io Otonashi from Acchi Kocchi
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Like with a regular tsundere, they are embarrassed about their feelings of love toward their love interest so try to distance themselves from them and are dishonest with their feelings. They will act standoffish towards their love interest at first to hide their embarrassment. They will also have normal tsundere reactions saying things like "I-its not like I really wanted this" when their love interest gives them a stuffed animal while hiding their face in the stuffed animal to act like they aren't happy. They love their love interest deeply but act dishonest to hide their embarrassement.
They may even act pouty when their love interest pats their head to try to pretend like they don't enjoy it.
Dere Period
Tsumiki Miniwa placing Io Otonashi's hand on her head from Acchi Kocchi
After a while they will start to be more affectionate and honest about their feelings toward their love interest. While a regular tsundere will show a normal deredere side, when a tsunneko is being deredere they will show their affection in a cat-like way, such as by wagging their ears and tails when their love interest pats their head or when they are feeling lovestruck. They may also rub up against their love interest in an affectionate manner. This can also be a way to tell that the tsunnekko is dere because their cat ears will start wagging.
They love it greatly when their love interest pats their head. They love it so much that they will even immediately become lovestruck if their love interest touches their head while they are pretending like they don't have feelings for them. They may even go out of their way to place their love interest's hand on their head for them.
Similar Archetypes
- Nyandere: A nekomimi character who expresses their love for their love interest by getting intimate with them in the same way a cat does.
- Tsundere: A character who can't be honest with their feelings of love towards their love interest so they act distant, standoffish, and stuck-up to conceal them. Tsunneko is a variation of this type.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Tsumiki Miniwa with Io Otonashi from Acchi Kocchi  Tsumiki Miniwa with Io Otonashi from Acchi Kocchi  Tsumiki Miniwa from Acchi Kocchi  Tsumiki Miniwa from Acchi Kocchi  Tsumiki Miniwa with Io Otonashi from Acchi Kocchi  Tsumiki Miniwa with Io Otonashi from Acchi Kocchi |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tsunneko no Waltz. Spotify (2012/04/18).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 TV Anime "Acchi Kocchi" Music. Spotify (2017/11/01).
- ↑ What is Tsunneko. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2010/08/18).
- ↑ Tsunneko no Waltz - EP. iTunes (2012/04/18).
- ↑ Runes of Tsunneko. Shironeko Project Wiki (2018/02/26).
- ↑ Suzu's Rating and Required Runes. Shironeko Project Wiki (2024/08/05).