The world of anime features characters of all sorts, some of whom are typical shonen protagonists or shojo heroines, while others fall into more niche categories. There are a few "-dere" character types, for example, all pertaining to how these characters handle love and relationships. Tsunderes are the most common and popular of all.
Tsunderes are known for their fierce and prickly attitude at first, and they may be standoffish or even mean, even to their actual love interest. Soon, though, a tsundere will cool off and show their kinder side, especially to their lover, and prove that they are a complex being and not just a troublemaker or bully. These are some of the upsides to dating such a character.
10 HARSH REALITY: Tsunderes Are Impatient & Rash
Tsunderes split their personalities between their angry side, or tsun, and their caring side, or dere, and the tsun side is the source of most of the downsides of dating or loving a tsundere. Among other things, tsunderes are known for being rather impatient, reckless, and rash. They are typically total hotheads.
For some romantic partners, this rash and reckless streak isn't impressive - it's a source of trouble and annoyance, especially for a more patient or modest partner who doesn't like making a mess of things. But a tsundere will always make a mess.
9 PERK: Tsunderes Are Deeply Loyal
Tsunderes can be a real handful for their enemies and friends alike, but they are at least not liars or schemers. Tsunderes tend to be loyal to whomever captured their heart, and this makes them reliable and trustworthy partners.
It's not easy to get a tsundere to say "I love you," but if they do, that tsundere won't dare go back on their word, and they won't end the relationship without a good reason. Even if they haven't reached "I love you" yet, their loyalty is still impressive. Misaki Ayuzawa's loyalty is a good example of this.
8 HARSH REALITY: Tsunderes Might Still Antagonize Others
A tsundere will, as per their archetype, make an exception for their romantic partner and show their caring side to that partner. It's flattering to be such an exception, but the partner's friends and family might not get this benefit after all.
A tsundere may still be aggressive, standoffish, or downright mean to other characters, even if those characters are close to the tsundere's partner's heart. For the romantic partner, this can be rather awkward or simply unacceptable. Kyo Sohma is certainly like that, no matter how much he cares for Tohru Honda.
7 PERK: Seeing The -Dere Side Emerge Is Gratifying
It's not easy getting a tsundere to relax and show their affectionate side, and for some anime characters, it's not worth the trouble at all. But if the tsundere's partner is patient, their commitment will be richly rewarded when the -dere side shows itself at last.
Any anime lover will know what's coming when they start dating a tsundere, and they can look forward to seeing the tsundere's loving side emerge at last. For those characters, such as Ryuji Takasu, it's absolutely worth the effort to coax out a tsundere's kind side.
6 HARSH REALITY: Tsunderes Won't Easily Admit Their Faults
A tsundere will always have a fierce and hot personality, and they tend to have a lot of pride, too. They don't want to appear soft or "weak" in front of others, meaning they won't easily admit to their faults or acknowledge any mistake that they made.
That would be an issue in any friendship or romantic relationship, and a hot-blooded tsundere will not only deny their problems, but do so angrily, loudly, and even rudely. These characters can get rather defensive quite easily. Erina Nakiri, for example, is too proud to ask anyone for help or admit fault.
5 PERK: Tsunderes Put Great Effort Into Everything
Tsunderes may be reckless, rash, and annoying at times, but they are certainly not lazy or apathetic. They are strong-willed and enthusiastic people who put a lot of effort into their hobbies and, later, their relationships as well. Tsunderes never get tired, it seems.
If an anime character can coax out a tsundere's loving side, then that tsundere will be an active and hardworking partner, which makes all the effort worth it. Tsunderes might also put serious effort into gift-giving or making a serious romantic gesture, though they might overthink things.
4 HARSH REALITY: Tsunderes Take Awhile To Admit Their True Feelings
Tsunderes will definitely acknowledge their romantic feelings at one point or another, hence the -dere half, but it might take quite a while to get there. In fact, the tsundere character's entire character arc may be based on this mental journey, and it might be a long journey indeed.
In some extreme cases, the entire anime/manga series might be based on the tsundere's character arc, and the story may drag on or feel repetitive as the tsundere takes forever to actually open up to their love interest. It sure took a while for Chitoge Kirisaki to get cozy with Raku Ichijo, for example, and Futaba Igarashi is making rather slow progress with Harumi Takeda.
3 PERK: Tsunderes Are True To Themselves
Being true to oneself is a vital trait in any fictional character or real person, and it can lead to an assertive and stable personality. In turn, that can make a person reliable, honest, and dependable in the eyes of others, and confidence is often attractive.
A tsundere is stubborn and proud, but they are also honest to themselves, and they know exactly who they are and what they want, which makes them ideal lovers in many ways. The trick is getting the tsundere to admit all this to their partner and actually open up. Nino Nakano is like that.
2 HARSH REALITY: Tsunderes Are Often Immature
Not only are tsunderes hot-blooded and impatient, but they are also immature and tend to act like bratty children, no matter their actual age. In practice, these characters are often adolescents, and no matter the -dere type, love and relationships are tricky for adolescents.
The tsundere may antagonize or annoy their partner with such behavior, and even if the partner doesn't mind, their friends, classmates, and family members probably will. The lover may often end up apologizing to others on behalf of their wild tsundere partner.
1 PERK: Tsunderes Will Fiercely Defend Their Partner
At first, a tsundere will keep everyone else at arm's length to defend themselves and hide any insecurities they may have, but that will soon change. When the tsundere gets into a stable romantic relationship, the tsundere will start defending their partner, not themselves.
Thus, the tsundere will channel their ferocious energies more productively and shield their partner from verbal or even physical harm from others. A tsundere might get carried away in the process, but at least their heart is in the right place. This is especially helpful if the partner can't or won't easily defend themselves. Kyo was ready to take on Akito Sohma for real when he had Tohru backing him up, for example.