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"Tsuntere" (JP) is a term for a tsundere character who acts dishonest with their feelings because they become shy and embarrassed around their love interest. They have difficulty expressing their feelings of affection due to their embarrassment so they verbally lash out at their love interest instead and might even run away after insulting them.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Tsuntere (ツン照れ) is a combination of "tsundere" (ツンデレ), meaning "a character who acts cold towards their love interest to hide their feelings of being lovestruck", and "tereru" (照れる), meaning "to be shy; to be bashful; to feel awkward; to feel embarrassed". Tere is the feeling of being both happy and embarrassed when someone draws attention to one's existence or actions. A tsuntere is the type of character who becomes shy when they are alone with their love interest and then starts acting "tsun" towards them to hide their embarrassment.[1]
Origin
The name originates from the 2007 audio drama CD series Good Night with Sheep (JP). In the series, many popular voice actors would act out popular character tropes, with volume eight of the series He~ Nemuritainda? (JP) having a "tsundere" theme.[2] In this volume, the voice actor Mamoru Miyano portrayed a bashful tsundere character named Taniyama Kisho who was referred to as a tsuntere. Taniyama Kisho was described as a character who is actually very timid and deliberately adopts a cold and indifferent tsun attitude to hide his embarrassment. He's actually honest with his feelings, but he acts tsun to hide his embarrassment. He's a tsundere type who is really cold before he opens up to you, but becomes gentle and kind with a passionate love once he does.[3]
History
Official Media
In the 2021 yuri manga series Umehara-san and Komomo-chan (JP), the character Komomo is introduced as a tsuntere.[4]
Personality
Tsun Period
Tomo Ebizuka from Girls Band Cry
Tsuntere are characters who become timid and embarrassed around their love interest and then act cold and indifferent to hide it. They are not as cold as a normal tsundere and are more likely to be honest about their feelings, they just become embarrassed by them and try to hide because of it. They have difficulty expressing their feelings towards their love interest due to their embarrassment, as opposed to pride or arrogance, which causes them to become distant and cold.
Dere Period
However, once they finally open up they will become extremely kind, gentle, and passionate about their love.
Similar Archetypes
- Bokodere: A character who despite being in love and having deredere feelings for their love interest, reflexively punches them with their fists when they become embarrassed by their love interest's affection in order to hide their shyness. It is much like what tsuntere characters do, however, bokodere characters resort to violent actions while tsuntere characters just use their words.
- Hajidere: A character who is normally very shy and blushes from embarrassement whenever they are near their love interest, but eventually overcomes their shyness and becomes deredere for them.. Tsuntere characters may be considered a combination of a hajidere and a tsundere.
- Tsundere: A character who has loving deredere feelings for their love interest but is unable to be honest with them so they end up acting distant, standoffish, and stuck-up to conceal them. Tsuntere characters are a variation of this trope.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Chiyo Sakura from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun  Maki Nishikino from Love Live! School idol project  Umi Sonoda from Love Live! School idol project  Mio Akiyama from K-ON!  Isaku Senagaki with Keiya Uto from Ojou to Banken-kun  Amu Hinamori from Shugo Chara! |
References
- ↑ Tsuntere. Japanese Slang Dictionary. “A tsuntere is a person who is usually tsuntsun, but becomes shy when they are alone with someone. Tsuntere is a derivative of tsundere, and refers to a woman who is usually tsuntsun, but becomes shy when they are alone. It can also refer to a woman who becomes embarrassed and runs away, or who uses abusive language to hide her embarrassment and runs away. For example, let's say a man is alone with a woman and says, "You have some cute sides to you." A tsundere would then approach the man with a deredere attitude. A tsuntere would turn bright red and run away, or leave after yelling an abusive word like, "You idiot." A tsundere would admit that they like someone when they are alone. A tsuntere would be someone who wants to admit it, but can't.”
- ↑ Hitsuji de Oyasumi Series Vol. 8 "He- Nemuritainda?". MyFigureCollection (11/30/2007).
- ↑ Good Night with Sheep - All Series Digest Edition. Mobile Suit League (2008/06/20).
- ↑ 【Yuri】Umehara-san and Komomo-chan. Shounen Jump (2021/02/02). “This is a yuri manga about Umehara-san, who is very expressive of her affections, and Momo-chan, who is a tsuntere girl.”