Dandere are incredibly shy and soft-spoken in anime, but their deep love resonates from afar. The Japanese term "Dandere" is used to label characters who suffer from social anxiety and are often too afraid to express their love. Given their reserved and quiet nature, fans feel rewarded when dandere muster up the courage to confess their true feelings. Here are five anime to watch if you're a fan of this shy yet loving archetype.
Naruto (Hinata Hyuga)
Hinata Hyuga from Naruto, soft-spoken and maintaining a low profile during her time in the academy, is commonly regarded as the ideal embodiment of the dandere archetype. When Naruto defends her from bullies during their early childhood, Hinata's impressed by his courageous and selfless behavior. Her admiration for the titular protagonist quickly morphs into everlasting love that grows as Naruto progresses.
As a dandere, Hinata spends most her childhood staring at Naruto from afar and nervously stuttering whenever she talks to him. She exhibits the typical dandere attributes of becoming easily embarrassed and flustered, which causes her to blush and revert her gaze to avoid eye contact. While Hinata safeguards her love for Naruto, her true feelings are revealed through her actions whenever it's needed the most.
Tokyo Ghoul (Ken Kaneki)
Tokyo Ghoul protagonist Ken Kaneki is probably not the first character who comes to mind when discussing dandere, yet he belonged to the archetype before being forcibly turned into a ghoul. Kaneki is initially a shy and loving college student studying Japanese literature before transforming into a one-eyed ghoul. He tries to come to terms with his unique half-ghoul state and ultimately wishes for peace between humans and ghouls.
However, Kaneki goes through various transformations and becomes known as the Black Reaper by killing those who threaten him and his interests. Tokyo Ghoul is perfect for any fan wondering what would happen to a dandere when their personality is suddenly reversed and they become consumed by darkness.
Clannad (Nagisa Okazaki)
Nagisa Okazaki from Clannad is always kind and loving toward those she meets, even assisting complete strangers when they need help. She overcomes her natural shyness when the situation calls for it, always prioritizing others first. Her selflessness can sometimes slip into self-deprecation given her lack of confidence, but Nagisa remains positive and sees the best in others even when she doesn't see it in herself.
Despite being a sensitive introvert who struggles to connect with her classmates, Nagisa falls deeply for Tomoya Okazaki. The pair first meet when going to school, where Tomoya catches Nagisa talking to herself to build up her social confidence. While maintaining her helpful and polite character, she tries to overcome her insecurities so she can get closer to Tomoya. With a lovable female protagonist who perfectly represents the archetype, Clannad is a must-watch for any dandere fan.
Food Wars! (Megumi Tadokoro)
As one of the female leads in Food Wars!, Megumi Tadokoro is a reserved dandere who lacks confidence in her cooking abilities despite proving her abilities time and again. Not only is she polite and timid like most dandere, but she also tends to be clumsy around the kitchen to emphasize how easily flustered and overwhelmed she becomes.
She constantly admires protagonist Sōma Yukihira's creative and inspiring cooking abilities, making it a point to learn what she can from him. Her respect and admiration for Sōma gradually morphs into love as he continues to help and encourage Megumi to grow her confidence as a chef.
Kimi no Todoke (Sawako Kuronuma)
Sawako Kuronuma is the dandere protagonist of Kimi no Todoke who ironically looks like a popular horror character. Despite her soft and modest nature, Sawako finds it difficult to befriend her classmates who associate her with a scary lookalike. Lacking social skills, she's unable to change the misguided public opinion that causes people to avoid her. Shouta Kazehaya becomes the first person to genuinely talk to Sawako, allowing her to finally reveal her purely positive and kind personality. Sawako soon works on communicating her true thoughts and feelings to others, which allows her to form close friendships and experience love.