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"Zondere" (JP) is a term for a zombie character who is deredere. Despite being turned into a zombie, they are still lovey-dovey and overly affectionate.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Zondere♡ by Hatten Tojounin
Zondere (ゾンデレ) is a combination of "zonbi/zombi" (ゾンビ), meaning "zombie," and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck (overly affectionate, lovey-dovey, not hiding one's romantic feelings)".
Origin
The archetype comes from the 2020 erotic web doujin series Zondere♡ (JP) which followed the romance story of a cute zombie girl named Furan. In the series, Furan is depicted as being very clingy and lovey-dovey with her boyfriend. When he smiled at her for the time she felt the kind of affection that she'd never experienced before and love enveloped her body.[1][2]
Characteristics
Appearance
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Zondere characters typically have elements of body horror applied to them, such as being able to remove their limbs or even their heads and still be able to survive.
Moe Factor
The appeal of this archetype is in the gap moe between a character who 'looks' like a horrifying monster, but is 'actually' extremely cute and loving.
History
Early Mentions
Early mentions of a possible "zondere" archetype were created on the Japanese wiki site Nico Nico as a joke dere type for tsundere zombies who become deredere after the release of the 2008 video game Dead Rising. It described a feature where if you are rescuing someone then the zombies will be less likely to attack you. Presumably this was their way of showing their "affection" towards the player (though in reality this was just a way to balance the game difficulty). This was described as zombies who "have lost their lives, but not their souls." This version of the archetype is not considered to be official or related to the current archetype, however.[3]
Early Inspirations
The most notable instance of a zombie character being depicted as cute and deredere is the character of Zombina from the 2013 harem romance manga series Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls. Zombina was depicted as a very easy-going and confident zombie monster girl, but has also shown a very shy and embarrassed side during her date with Kimihito Kurusu. While Zombina may not appear like it at first, she has a hidden, more vulnerable and emphatic side. Under Zombina's outer shell there is a sincere caring person who will always stand by her friend Manako like an older sister, for example when Manako is depressed about her complexes. She also always protects Manako from anyone she believes might hurt her or make fun of her.
Personality
Zombina from Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou
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Zondere are zombie characters who are deredere. Despite being having been turned into a zombie, they are still cute and lovey-dovey towards their love interest.
Unlike typical mindless zombies, zondere still have full intelligence and control over their actions which they can use to win over the affection of their love interest. They may be insecure about the fact that they are a zombie and try to hide it until they discover someone who will accept them despite their outward appearance.
Differences From Other Archetypes
Zondere is similar to shindere, since they are both dere types who have been revived. However, shindere characters are brought back as ghosts or regular humans, while zondere characters are brought back as zombies.
Zondere is also quite similar to mayadere, someone who puts on a scary act to hide their loving and affectionate side, but the main difference is that zondere are visually scary rather than metaphorically scary. They also don't have any control over looking this way and look scary even when being deredere, unlike mayadere who drop the scary facade when being affectionate.
Similar Archetypes
- Mayadere: A term for a someone who puts up a scary act in order to conceal their warm and loving side.
- Monster Danshi: A term for a beautiful male character who share traits with a monster.
- Monster Musume: A term for a beautiful female character who share traits with a monster.
- Shindere: A term for a character who has died and become a ghost, but still has a love interest.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Zombina from Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou  Zombina from Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou  Zombina from Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou  Lily Hoshikawa from Zombie Land Saga  Rottytops with Shantae from Shantae  Vinegar from First Kiss at a Spooky Soiree |
References
- ↑ Zondere♡. DiGiket (2020/05/03). “I remember when you looked at me and smiled. At that moment, a shock I'd never felt before ran through my body, and I realized that this is what love is. Oh, it's so wonderful. Love envelopes my body with such happiness and fills my world. Come on, my soulmate. From now on, let's spend every day together in happiness.”
- ↑ Zondere♡ 2. DiGiket (2020/05/04). “Today zombie girl's corpse, Furan, appears before her loved one.”
- ↑ What is Zondere. Nico Nico Pedia (2008/07/15). “Zondere is when a zombie is deredere.”