Act Tsundere

In Japanese media, most commonly anime and manga, a tsundere (pronounced "tsoohn-deh-reh") is someone (usually female) who acts like they don't care for another person, but actually has a softer side - protectiveness and loving kindness. The "meanness" of a tsundere in the beginning can range from egotistical aloofness to a violent and short temper. Both male and female tsunderes exist in Japanese media and sometimes, the trait is considered desirable. If you want to learn how to act like a tsundere, this is the article for you!

Steps

Looking Tsundere

Looking tsundere is optional, but many tsunderes, especially girls, have a distinctive look to them.

  1. Dress in expensive-looking clothing. Many tsunderes are spoiled and/or rich, and some of them just want a "prim-and-proper", clean-cut look to them. While there's no tsundere "dress code", so to speak, the best look would be something that looks expensive and classy, such as a neat sweater and jeans without holes, or a cute dress. Check out what kinds of clothes you can find that you think would match the tsundere archetype.
    • Some tsunderes dress typically, or for the girls, in a more tomboyish style. You don't have to wear super-expensive clothing just to look like a tsundere. Many of them actually look fairly normal.
  2. Care for your hair. Think about it - do you see a lot of tsunderes with less-than-stellar hair? Learning how to Healthy Hair Care is important for being a tsundere. Greasy, knotted hair just makes you look less like a tsundere, and more like a rabid otaku.
    • It's common for tsundere girls to have long hair, sometimes pinned up into "twintails" (ponytails on both sides of the head). It's not necessary to be a tsundere, but it's a nice touch.
  3. Consider dressing like a certain tsundere. If there's a tsundere in particular that you have a liking for, check out their clothing and hair styles, and consider mimicking them. You don't want to completely copy off of them - you're not a clone of them, after all - but many tsunderes have a very distinctive style that you could loosely follow. Maybe you could make your own tsundere style!
  4. Check out zettai ryouiki if you wear skirts or short shorts. A common trait of tsundere girls is to wear thigh-high stockings while wearing a short skirt or shorts; in Japan, this is referred to as zettai ryouiki. There are many "grades" of zettai ryouiki, tsundere girls wearing Grade A or Grade B most of the time (socks that extend up to the thigh, with short shorts or a short skirt). If you want to up the tsundere image, check out zettai ryouiki.
    • Zettai ryouiki is fairly sexualized, so if you're not comfortable with it, you don't have to wear it. It's a personal choice. You don't have to wear something you're not comfortable with in order to be a tsundere.
  5. Make your school uniform look good on you. A general anime staple is focusing on high-school-age protagonists, so it's common to see tsunderes that wear school uniforms. If your school has a uniform, do everything in your power to make sure that it looks the best it can. Do any pinning, rolling, tucking, or searching for similar clothes to make yourself look as good as possible.
    • If your school doesn't have a uniform, consider dressing in a uniform-style fashion. Not only does it help you look more tsundere, it's also bound to look more clean-cut than just a shirt and jeans.
  6. Consider carrying a signature item. Some tsunderes (though not all of them) carry around their own signature item. This could be something small, like a book or a piece of jewelry, or something huge and impossible to overlook. If you want to carry around a signature item, figure out what you like and consider carrying something like that. Get creative!
    • Don't carry a weapon! Though you might want to carry around a wooden katana like Taiga Aisaka from Toradora! does, carrying a weapon can get you in serious legal trouble. Stick with the stuff that won't be perceived as dangerous.

Acting Tsundere

  1. Develop an edge out in public. Obviously, don't be snarky to authority figures - that's just asking to get in trouble! However, being slightly aggressive and displaying a "don't mess with me" attitude will get the message across. Don't be arrogant, but act as though most people in general are below you, and as though your friends are the exception to that.
    • Don't be rude to people who don't know you - you shouldn't call someone an idiot just because they approached you and asked for directions. If the person is a stranger or barely an acquaintance, aim for being polite, but distant.
    • Common ways of showing an edge are to be sarcastic and being rude in a backhanded way.
  2. Be harsher towards your crush. A common trait among many tsunderes is that in an attempt to hide their feelings towards their love interest, they act even harsher towards them. They may play hard-to-get, which is a very common trait of tsunderes, and have a constant back-and-forth love-hate relationship. Imitate this! Give your crush some attitude (but not so much that they dislike you), and swap back and forth between love and hate. It's a classic trait of tsunderes.
    • If your crush likes someone else or has a partner, be especially harsh towards that person. Insulting them subtly is a great way of getting across your feelings without really revealing it.
    • If your friends ask you if you like that person, give them a harsh reprimand (e.g. "Idiot! As if I'd like [your crush's name]!").
  3. Show a softer side in private. Whether you're with your crush or your friends, when there aren't others around, drop the attitude a bit and show your kinder, softer side. Don't totally drop the attitude, of course, but definitely tone it down a notch (or two, or three). Show them your sweet side - that's a side of you that they'll be wanting to see. Be nice in these moments, and they'll be wanting even more.
    • If your friends or your crush are sensitive and don't like your cold side, take these private moments to apologize to them. Be sure to let them know that while you do actually care about them, you have a different approach to getting that across. Let them know that they have merit in your eyes, but be subtle (if not a bit backhanded).
  4. Take a passive-aggressive stance towards anything. Tsunderes are well-known for managing to take on a snarky attitude towards anything at all, whether it's something small or big. Being passive-aggressive and seeming like everything is merely a minor annoyance is a good way to act tsundere. Backhanded compliments and snarky remarks are the way to go.
    • Classic passive-aggressive lines dropped by tsunderes are "It's not like I [care about/like/think about] you or anything...", "I didn't do this for you! I did this because I wanted to!", "Idiot!", and "It's not like that!".
    • If you give someone a gift, a good comment to make is, "I suppose I should give you something... But I guess you deserve it".
  5. Dismiss your emotions in the presence of those you don't know well. If you're upset about anything, play it off as anger or frustration, or take an aloof, I-don't-care kind of attitude. Outwardly, blame it on someone else (e.g. "That teacher is so stupid."), and don't talk about how you feel to strangers. Remember, tsunderes are usually very barricaded by their rough, harsh exterior; you don't want to be an open book of emotions to people.
    • Of course, it's okay to have emotions; you're allowed to feel what you feel. Tsunderes just don't often show their vulnerable, more emotional side to strangers. If you need to cry, go to a close friend that you trust.
    • For your own emotional health, don't actually blame someone else for something or refuse to ever talk about your emotions. If you know you're in the wrong, own up to it, and find someone you can vent to.
  6. Take the edge off your act over time. Remember, if tsunderes don't show a kind side over time, they're no better than jerks. Tsunderes also really do value the people they feel deserve their time, so be nicer to people who spend a lot of time around you, such as your friendly acquaintances and your crush. It'll show them that you really do care about them, and that your attitude is nothing more than a façade or defense mechanism.
  7. React when someone pushes your buttons. When tsunderes are provoked, they really take the bait, and react with a vengeance. If somebody bumps into you, a "Hey, watch where you're going, you idiot!" and fuming can have a great effect. And if somebody is rude to you or bullies you, react to it strongly - you're a tsundere, after all. Take it up a notch further than you already have!
    • Never physically attack someone. The constant hitting and attacking that you'd see in anime and manga would land you in police custody. A light slap on the upper arm might work with some people, though, as long as they don't mind play-punching.
  8. Don't take the tsundere attitude too far. You're trying to be a tsundere, not verbally abusive towards anyone who says a word to you. Remember, tsunderes don't want to actually hurt people - they just want to take on an "I can do this without you, better than you" attitude. Don't bully or verbally attack people, especially if there's no justification for it. If you do, you'll just end up driving people away from you.
    • Never intentionally target someone's weak spots. If you know your friend or crush is sensitive about the fact that they're bad at socializing, don't attack their social skills. This can cause a serious hit to their self-esteem and will most likely drive them away from you. After all, who wants to be friends with a bully?
  9. Back off if you accidentally cross a boundary. An often-overlooked fact is that tsunderes do cause emotional pain at times, or overstep boundaries and attack things that others are sensitive about. In the real world, people will be much more vocal about you hurting their feelings than they will in anime or manga. If you do end up hurting someone, apologize immediately and back off. It's likely that all eyes will be on you, and you don't want to end up friendless. Tsunderes are capable of admitting they're in the wrong and being kind. After all, being a tsundere is all about revealing your kinder side to people.

Tips

  • If you want to reference the complex's namesake, watch such anime as Toradora!, Hayate no Gotoku, Sugar Sugar Rune (both male and female tsundere), and the classic Kaichou wa Maid-Sama. If you are a boy, watch Nagi no Asukara, as the tsundere is a boy.
  • Remember to be genuine. The point of what makes the tsundere complex so attractive is both the restraint against getting close to someone and the emotional payoff of having earned a tsundere's respect and affection.
  • Be powerful and confident, because you don't really need a partner to be happy. At least, that's the mentality you're going for. You are rude, crude, and full of attitude, and that's just the way you like it!
  • Be nice to your friends, but loudly tell them to shut up in a flustered state if they say something stupid or make an inappropriate joke. Try to blush and scowl, and ball your hands up into fists.

Warnings

  • Don't go overboard. Most tsunderes have friends; you don't want to drive people away from you.
  • Being tsundere is not about being mean or rude to another person. While on one hand, the person is competitive, on the other, they are really nice and want to get along. Tsundere is not to be confused with being shy, psychopathic, or arrogant.
  • Saying "baka" instead of "idiot" might seem cute, but to others, it makes you look like you have no life outside of anime (which is not viewed as a good thing).

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