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"Tsuyodere" (JP) is 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. Although they normally have a very masculine personality and demeanor that is tough enough to easily beat up men and won't back down from a threat, they still desire for their love interest to treat them like a girl and be gentle with them so they let their guard down when they are alone together. They want to dress up in cute clothes and be told they look pretty or be hugged and comforted by their love interest. They are characters who might have a hard time finding love due to their manly strength and personality being intimidating, but when they do find someone they have fallen in love with they are surprisingly cute and feminine.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Tsuyodere (つよデレ) is a combination of "tsuyoki" (つよき), meaning "tough, strong-willed, confident", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck and overly affectionate".
They have been described in official media as "saikyo kanojo" (最強彼女), meaning "the strongest girlfriend".[1]
Origin
TsuyoDere! ~Saikyo Kanojo Kosupure Otona Henge☆~
It comes from the 2015 erotic manga series TsuyoDere! ~Saikyo Kanojo Kosupure Otona Henge☆~ (JP). The story follows the character of Senba Maede who, despite being tall and a model-like bishoujo with black hair, has never had a romantic relationship due to her otoko masari personality and strength. She was known as the strongest girl in the school and had no problem beating up guys who annoyed her so most guys were intimidated and scared by her. She was frustrated by the fact that nobody would treat her as a woman and had just gotten used to being seen as a man or a "gorilla woman" as she was often called by others.[2][1]
This was until she met her love interest Ryoji Yanagisawa who she saved by beating up a group of thugs who were harrassing him. After meeting up with him again at his job later that day Ryoji confessed that he had fallen in love with her at first sight. Although she was hesitant and thought he was just making fun of her because she had thought there was no way someone would fall in love with someone who was as rough and unfeminine as her, Ryoji assured her he loved strong cool girls. The sudden confession caught her off guard and made her heart start fluttering so she agreed to go on a date with him. After spending the entire day going around looking at different otaku stores, they went back to his house and she tried on different cosplays. Although she was initially embarrassed and was hesitant because she thought the frilly and girly outfits wouldn't fit her, after Ryoji called her cute she was so happy to hear those words for the first time that she agreed to wear the clothes.[2]
While most people treated her as a man and were afraid of her, Ryoji saw her as and treated her like a woman which she found attractive. He made her feel small and cute for the first time in her life. When she becomes embarrassed he quickly hugs her to comfort her, which caused her to let out a girly shriek. Even though she is significantly stronger than he is, both physically and mentally, she still wants to be cuddled and made to feel protected by him.[2]
Characteristics
Otoko Masari
Senba Maede beating up a group of thugs from TsuyoDere! ~Saikyo Kanojo Kosupure Otona Henge☆~
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As the name suggests, tsuyodere are female characters who are very physically strong. They have what is known as an "otoko masari", or "male dominating", strength and personality for female characters with a masculine attitude that is more manly than most men. There is often a stereotype that "men are strong and rough" and "women are delicate and gentle", but otoko masari refers to a woman who deviates from such an image and has a personality that is "stronger than a man".[2]
They are not the kind of girl who will back down because they have a stronger-willed temperament than a man and have no problem besting men in a fight, often multiple men at the same time. They may even know some form of martial arts, such as karate, which they use when they fight.[2]
Moe Factor
This dere type creates a very large gap moe effect. Going from a character who on the surface seems extremely masculine and tough but who actually desires to be seen as cute and feminine and treated gently like a girl so she makes herself weaker and let's her guard down when alone with her love interest creates a large amount of satisfaction. It can be surprising to see a strong-willed manly girl show a delicate feminine side, and them showing an insecure side that likes cute things but doesn't know how to express it just make them seem even cuter.[2]
Personality
Tsuyodere characters are normally very strong-willed, tough, and masculine (tsuyo), but become cute, delicate, and girly when they fall in love with their love interest (deredere).
Tsuyo Period
Senba Maede from TsuyoDere! ~Saikyo Kanojo Kosupure Otona Henge☆~
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Tsuyodere characters have very strong personalities. They are rough, strong, unfeminine, and are very intimidating. They won't be afraid to verbally or physically deal with people who try to mess with them so people will usually be scared of interacting with them. Even when confronting a man, they are a woman who will not back down because they know they are tougher than them. Although they are not violent toward their love interest, they will have no problem taking care of random guys if they try to mess with or make fun of them.[2]
Tsuyodere characters will also speak like a man as well, so it's common for them to also be orekko and refer to themselves with the more masculine "ore" pronoun.[2]
They are characters who have been told their entire lives that they are a "man-woman" or a "gorilla woman", so nobody will treat them as a regular woman, which is something they might be insecure about. They might question why their love interest wants to be with them or why they like someone like them who's not cute and feminine.[2]
Dere Period
Tomo Aizawa from Tomo-chan Is a Girl!
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While a normal otoko masari character only has the more manly "strong and rough" demeanor, a tsuyodere has both the more unfeminine "strong and rough" demeanor as well as the more feminine "delicate and gentle" demeanor, but only for their love interest.[2]
Despite being strong enough to easily best a man, they are characters who want to be treated gently and like a woman when they show their amae side to their love interest so they let their guard down and let themselves become vulnerable when alone with them. They want their love interest to treat them as a woman and gently spoil them with affection. Even though they are usually significantly stronger than their love interest is, both physically and mentally, they still want to be cuddled and made to feel protected by him. If they are feeling embarrassed, they want their love interest to hug them and make them feel better. Their love interest is the only person that can make them feel small, weak, and girly.[2]
Despite normally dressing in more simple or masculine clothing, they secretly enjoy cute and girly things but are insecure about expressing it because everyone sees them as masculine. They may say things like "this cute outfit wouldn't fit someone like me...", so this is something their love interest will have to comfort them on. If their love interest tells them that they look 'cute' it can give them the courage to finally wear the girly outfits they've always liked and always dreamt of being able to wear in public. They will wear cuter and more feminine clothes to show a different side of themselves to their love interest, even if they find it embarrassing at first.[2]
Often they won't know how to react if someone calls them cute since it's not generally something they've been told before. They might be caught so off guard that they start blushing and stuttering "C-Cute??? Me??? Oh, are you sure???".[2]
Differences From Other Archetypes
Tsuyodere is a dere type variation of otoko masari for those characters who fall in love and show a weaker and cuter girly side to their love interest. Otoko masari characters who remain strong-willed and masculine or who take on the more dominant traditionally male role in the relationship, like is generally the case with ikemen joshi characters, do not fall under this type.
It is somewhat similar to tsundere in that tsundere characters also put up a strong-willed guard, but the main difference is that a tsundere character's guard is nothing more than a front because they 'act' tough to hide their feelings while a tsuyodere is just legitimately tough. Additionally, just because a tsundere character acts tough doesn't mean they are actually capable of beating up men in a fight since the majority of the time it's just a pretend attitude. Tsuyodere are also not immature or dishonest with their feelings like a tsundere is. Though it is a common combination for some tsundere to also have the physical strength and mental will-power to be considered a tsuyodere.
Similar Archetypes
- Gou-dere: 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.
- Ikemen Joshi: A term for a female character who possesses traits typically considered attractive in cool men, including handsome facial features, a cool masculine demeanor, simple clean fashion, and a moderately muscular toned body, while also having the appearance of a beautiful woman and having a feminine charm that makes them popular with both men and women. Similar to tsuyodere they are female characters who have both masculine and feminine traits.
- Oranyan: A term for a male character who usually acts strong-willed and manly, but shows a cute spoiled side when he's alone with his love interest.
- Orekko: A term for a female character who refers to herself as "ore". Tsuyodere characters very often fall under this type.
- Otoko Masari: A term for a female character who has a stronger-willed temperament than a man. Tsuyodere is a variation of this type.
- Tsundere: A term for 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.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Senba Maede from TsuyoDere! ~Saikyo Kanojo Kosupure Otona Henge☆~  Erza Scarlet from FAIRY TAIL  Erza Scarlet from FAIRY TAIL  Tomo Aizawa from Tomo-chan Is a Girl!  Kusunoki Kasuga from Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai  Ryuunosuke Fujinami from Urusei Yatsura |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 TsuyoDere! ~Saikyo Kanojo Kosupure Otona Henge☆~. CMOA (2015/12/26). Archived on 2025/08/01.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 TsuyoDere! ~Saikyo Kanojo Cosplay Otona Henge☆~. Mangazenkan (2016/02/19). Archived on 2025/08/01. “Although Senba is a tall, black-haired bishoujo who looks like a model, she has never been able to find love because of her manly otoko masari personality and strong arms. One day, Senba suddenly gets a chance to fall in love!? A delightfully embarrassing cosplay sex session with a cool, beautiful heroine☆ The heroine loses herself in forbidden pleasure, and you can't help but get excited by the gap moe and fall in love!!!”