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Elegance is not just grace and restraint. It is also determination.
Oujodere is a term for a female character who has a strict dignified exterior and behaves with perfect ladylike manners like a true princess in public but turns cute and affectionate when alone with their love interest. They have a very prim and proper exterior and a lot of elegance and refined grace. They always keep a smile on their face and have a very gentle and calm demeanor. However, once they find someone they have fallen in love with they will feel more comfortable just being themselves and relaxing around them, no longer being worried about keeping up formal appearances. They will find themselves fawning over their love interest and behaving in cute ways when they are alone together, wanting to receive their affection and love.
In Japan, this dere type is known with a completely different meaning. For the original Japanese meaning see: ojoudere.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Oujodere comes from the words "oujo" (王女), meaning "daughter of a monarch" or "princess", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck".
Because of their high-class status, princesses are expected to behave with perfect manners and are therefore very prim, proper, elegant, and ladylike.
Origin
The origin of this type is unclear, but it is a misunderstanding of the Japanese ojoudere. The type likely came from a misunderstanding of what the true meaning of the Japanese word "ojou" meant because of its close spelling and pronunciation with the Japanese word "oujo". It was thought for a long time in the Western community that both spellings were interchangeable and made no difference, however, they both have distinctive meanings. The word "ojou" (お嬢) means "a young lady of high class" or "rich girl" while the word "oujo" (王女) means "princess". The prominence of the "princess" spelling seems to have led to this type drifting into "perfect princess" behavior and away from the still ladylike but slightly more selfish rich girl behavior of the Japanese version.
Personality
Oujodere are female characters who start out acting very formal and dignified (oujo), but eventually turn cutesy and lovestruck for a love interest (deredere).
Oujo Period
Tomoyo Daidouji acting formal and ladylike from Cardcaptor Sakura
Oujodere have a strict dignified exterior and will behave with perfect ladylike manners, as is expected of a true princess. They have a very prim and proper exterior and a lot of elegance and refined grace.
They are also those who will always keep a smile on their face and make others feel very welcomed. They are happy to help out and do what is expected of them. Because of their gentle behavior many people greatly look up to and admire them, with some even considering them as angelic due to their compassion, beauty, and innocence.
They have a more calm behavior and won't do things that are considered undignified or unclassy. They also speak in formal speech and as such tend to be on the quieter polite side and have a gentle demeanor. However, this can also create a wall between them and their love interest who may want to get to know the person behind the formal exterior. They may try to keep up this strict behavior in front of their love interest who may be more attracted to their more easygoing and fun side and want to get to know the real them. They may feel uncomfortable letting someone get close to them so they keep up the polite formal behavior.
Dere Period
Tomoyo Daidouji fawning over Sakura Kinomoto from Cardcaptor Sakura
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In comparison to their normally strict behavior, once an oujodere finds someone they fall in love with they will start to feel more comfortable relaxing around them and letting down their formal exterior. They won't feel pressured to keep up appearances around their love interest like they do in public, or when attending high-class establishments, and can just be themselves when alone with them. They will show a whole different side of themselves to their love interest, such as what they look like before getting their clothes and hair done that they would normally keep hidden.
They will find themselves fawning over their love interest and behaving in cute ways when around them, wanting to receive their affection and love. They will behave similarly to a more gentle deredere toward their love interest, but still keeping the core behavior of being completely and utterly lovestruck by them. They will also use their status to help their love interest in any way they can and will always try to make life better for both.
Differences From Other Archetypes
The archetype that is the most similar to oujodere is himedere. On the surface they appear to be the same because they both act highly dignified with prim and proper ladylike manners. The difference, however, comes from how they treat their love interest. A himedere lets their prim and proper behavior go to their head which causes them to think they deserve to always be the center of attention and will only do things they want to do. They will act very entitled and will constantly be seeking attention from their love interest because they think they deserve to be treated this way because of their status and they will get upset if they don't get it. A himedere could be thought of as an "entitled oujodere", since they can be quite similar once a himedere enters their dere period due to their demanding attitude being dropped but ladylike manners staying.
The difference between an oujodere and a rindere is that a rindere has a cool reserved attitude and will be harder to get to open up to a love interest. A rindere is not as openly cheerful as an oujodere and also does not necessarily have a strict prim and proper exterior, but rather just act mature and dignified, showing a lot of composure, confidence, and self-control. A rindere will be more likely to keep to themselves and not concern themselves with being conscientious of social situations.
Similar Japanese Archetypes
- Himedere: A term for a female character of noble status who starts out wanting their love interest to constantly give them lots of attention and to spoil them, but eventually starts fawning over them as well and doing nice things to make them also feel taken care of. Himedere can be thought of as an entitled oujodere.
- Kiridere: A term for a character who usually has a dignified, crisp, and sharp serious side in public, but suddenly becomes deredere and shows a more emotional and overly affectionate side when they are alone with their love interest. It is similar to a more serious and work-driven version of oujodere.
- Miko: A term for a female character who is a Japanese shrine maiden.
- Rindere: A term for a female character with a cool reserved exterior who is mature and dignified.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: A term for a female character who is a representation of the Japanese ideal of a perfect woman.
List of Characters
See Oujodere/Japanese Characters to see characters from Japanese media.
See Oujodere/Non-Japanese Characters to see characters from non-Japanese media.
Gallery
 Chizuru Ichinose from Kanojo, Okarishimasu  Tomoyo Daidouji from Cardcaptor Sakura  Alice Yotsuba from Dokidoki! Precure  Karen Kamishiro from Aikatsu Friends!  Elizabeth Midford from Kuroshitsuji  Nunnally Lamperouge from Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch |
References
| v • eDere Types | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Standard |
Bakadere ♥ Biridere ♥ Bokodere ♥ Butsudere ♥ Dandere ♥ Darudere ♥ Deredere ♥ Dorodere ♥ Erodere ♥ Gandere ♥ Goudere ♥ Gundere ♥ Hajidere ♥ Himedere ♥ Hinedere ♥ Kamidere ♥ Kichidere ♥ Kiridere ♥ Kuudere ♥ M Dere ♥ Nyandere ♥ Onidere ♥ Rindere ♥ Roshidere ♥ S Dere ♥ Shindere ♥ Shundere ♥ Tsundere ♥ Tsuyodere ♥ Undere ♥ Usodere ♥ Utsudere ♥ Uzadere ♥ Wandere ♥ Yandere (Yanderu) ♥ Yandere (Yankii) ♥ Yoidere ♥ Zondere ♥ | |
| Variations |
Deretsun ♥ Tsun-Aho ♥ Tsun-Ama ♥ Tsunbaka ♥ Tsundora ♥ Tsunneko ♥ Tsun-Pure ♥ Tsunpuri ♥ Tsunshun ♥ Tsuntere ♥ | ||
| Western | Standard |
Bocchandere ♥ Byoukidere ♥ Kanedere ♥ Kekkondere ♥ Nemuidere ♥ Oujidere ♥ Oujodere ♥ Smugdere ♥ Teasedere ♥ Thugdere ♥ | |
| Variations |
Ahodere (Western) ♥ Kamidere (Western) ♥ Kidere ♥ Mayadere (Western) ♥ Megadere (Western) ♥ | ||
| Other | |||