The realm of romance anime is the perfect place to show off what the various -dere character types are really like. Tsunderes, danderes, and much more can appear in any anime series, but these -dere types are all based on how a character expresses their affection, so they truly shine in that context. Often, a -dere type will impact a romance anime’s plot in major ways not seen in any other genre.
Hotheaded tsunderes are popular, such as Nino Nakano and Taiga Aisaka, but romance anime also benefits greatly from the deredere archetype. Derederes are cheerful, friendly lovers who share their affection equally with everyone. Such characters lack the extremes of other -dere types in romance anime, and they may also be total goofballs or social butterflies who can get along with anyone.
10 Yotsuba Nakano Shares Her Love Freely
The Quintessential Quintuplets
The Quintessential Quintuplets focuses on the five identical Nakano sisters and their budding friendship and romance with their impoverished tutor, Futaro Uesugi. While Nino is a total tsundere and Miku is a classic dandere, the fourth sister, Yotsuba, is a tried-and-true deredere character.
Yotsuba is an energetic and openly affectionate girl who lacks Nino’s temper and Miku’s shyness. While Yotsuba still has her hangups and insecurities, she is still a lively, free-spirited person who’s quick to show her love and get involved in other people’s business.
9 Takumi Usui Is A Wacky But Very Helpful Young Man
Maid-Sama!
Maid-Sama!‘s female lead, Misaki Ayuzasa, is a strong-willed and responsible tsundere while her first serious boyfriend, the blond Takumi Usui, is a deredere. At times, Takumi feels almost like a hiyakasudere, or a teasing lover, but he does care deeply for everyone around them.
Takumi may tease Misaki and vice versa, but Takumi’s passion for her is fierce and only grows stronger each day. He often presents himself as a friendly, helpful, and generous boy who wants what’s best for others, even if it means getting mixed up in some serious drama.
8 Erika Amano Is A Vaguely Spoiled Deredere
A Couple Of Cuckoos
Erika Amano was accidentally switched with Nagi Umino at birth, so she was raised by wealthy parents who gave her everything she wanted. Now, as a 16-year-old, Erika is ready to embrace wealth of the heart and reconnect with her birth family at last.
Erika is a bit vain and spoiled at times, but overall, she’s a good-natured girl who is glad to help others when they need her. She quickly became a model big sister for Sachi, for example, and she easily befriended Nagi’s crush, Hiro Segawa, as well. She even coaches Nagi in matters of the heart while in costume.
7 Najimi Osana Makes Friends Practically By Reflex
Komi Can’t Communicate
Komi Can’t Communicate is a slow-burn, slice-of-life style romance that stars the gorgeous dandere Shoko Komi and her first real friend, the shy Hitohito Tadano. They’re both too timid to express their feelings, but their mutual Najimi Osana is a natural at making friends and expressing themselves.
Najimi is the ultimate social butterfly, easily befriending everyone around them and organizing groups of friends for any outing on a moment’s notice. Najimi may not have a particular love interest, but they do implicitly love everyone around them with the sheer power of friendship.
6 Nasa Yuzaki Promised To Be A Good Husband For Tsukasa
TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You
TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You is a charming little rom-com anime starring the hardworking, friendly boy Nasa Yuzaki and his new bride, the mysterious Tsukasa. One night, Tsukasa saved Nasa from Truck-kun, and they soon fell in love and married a few years later.
Nasa lacks any personality extremes but is a friendly and generous person, marking him as a deredere. He’s a responsible and caring boy who is happy to support his new wife without asking for much in return, and he also invited Tsukasa to meet his parents before long.
5 Chika Fujiwara Wants To Play Love Games
Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War
While Kaguya Shinomiya is a wealthy tsundere and Yu Ishigami is a total dandere, the lively Chika Fujiwara is a model deredere in Kaguya-Sama: Love is War. Chika is a friendly, compassionate girl who likes to form strong emotional bonds with everyone, and she rarely acts jealous, either.
Chika is especially fond of Miko Iino, who looks up to her, and Kaguya, who used to treat her rather coldly. Meanwhile, Chika tries to support Miyuki as well, but she often grows frustrated with his weak skills in singing and dancing. She also likes playing games to figure out everyone’s crushes.
4 Tohru Honda Has A Big Heart
Fruits Basket
Tohru Honda is an iconic shojo protagonist, and she spent much of Fruits Basket trying her best to support the troubled Sohma family’s members however she could. Even if it seemed Tohru was in over her head, she simply couldn’t abandon anyone who needed her.
Tohru is a naturally altruistic girl who learned vital lessons from her late mother Kyoko about giving other people another chance and empathizing with them no matter what. This allowed Tohru to befriend one wary Sohma after another, and she eventually found love with the tsundere Kyo Sohma in particular.
3 Shikimori Is Popular At School
Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie
Shikimori is a highly popular and well-respected student at her high school in Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie. She is athletic, gets good grades, and is friendly and helpful to everyone around her. Many of Shikimori’s classmates look up to her, most of all her accident-prone boyfriend, Izumi Yuu.
Shikimori is highly protective of her boyfriend, but she also has lots of love to share with her classmates and other friends, too. This even includes Kamiya, who felt guilty about developing a crush on Izumi. Instead of getting jealous or defensive, Shikimori supported Kamiya with all her heart.
2 Chiyo Sakura Is Inspired By True Love
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun
Chiyo Sakura got gently rejected by her crush, Umetaro Nozaki, but she managed to take it in stride. In fact, the dense Nozaki didn’t even recognize Chiyo’s love confession for what it was, but he did recruit her as his newest assistant for drawing shojo manga.
Chiyo spent much of her time in Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun being happy around her one-sided crush, and she also cheered on all her friends’ own love lives. Chiyo didn’t get her ultimate love story, but she still believes in the power of romance and friendship as a cheerful deredere.
1 Marin Kitagawa Is Always In A Good Mood
My Dress-Up Darling
My Dress-Up Darling is a romantic seinen anime starring the dandere boy Wakana Gojo and his lovely new friend, the genki girl and deredere, Marin Kitagawa. Marin is a cheerful, fun-loving girl who’s a skilled cosplayer, but she needs Wakana to actually sew up her costumes with a practiced hand.
Marin felt twinges of jealousy now and then, but otherwise, she was an ideal deredere friend for Wakana who soon fell in “wuv” with him. Everything about Marin is happy and innocent, and she can’t wait to show Wakana just how much she loves him when she is ready. She also makes friends easily, such as with the Inui sisters.
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