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[–] Kaysic 0 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago  (edited ago)

I think my stance on the issue can be summed up in one phrase:

Tropes Are Tools.

Stereotypes don't happen in a vacuum; they're born of tried, tested, and successful literary patterns. When it comes to the -deres, they're really just character archetypes that are fairly common in all media, not just anime - if you look hard, and are honest, you can probably find a few deres scattered about. Off the top of my head, Hey Arnold has tsundere Helga; Sam from iCarly is also a tsundere; Littlefinger in ASoIaF is very much a yandere; even The Avengers' Black Widow could be argued to fit the kuudere archetype!

Problem is, as @TacoScrambler brought up, is when archetypes are exploited for fanservice. Popular characters are popular for a reason, and since anime - more so than a lot of industries - is driven by money, popular characters are reskinned to remain popular. I mean, hell, there's an entire trope dedicated to Rei Ayaname Clones. Which is ironic, because Rei Ayaname was herself supposed to be a satire of how otaku are obsessed with shy, mysterious, quiet girls and how those characters in actuality would be creepy and psychologically broken.

Of the three, I am the biggest fan of tsunderes, mainly because - when executed right - they offer the most opportunity for meaningful character interaction. Case in point? Holo mah waifu. No, seriously! While Holo defies the stereotypical tsundere qualities - such as the obvious "I'm not doing this for you or anything *blush*" or the rampant physical abuse - Holo does match the qualities of a tsundere when you consider how her rough, wolflike outer personality is very much a protective front for her much more vulnerable and lonely interior.

The realistic setup of Holo's character is precisely what allows for her to have meaningful interaction with Lawrence, who endures the harsh exterior thanks to his own qualities and eventually opens up the gentle side through natural plot and character development. There's a reason Holo is consistently rated very highly in popularity polls despite never having a lick of fanservice. (Okay, there was that one scene in episode 1, but that was like 30 seconds and not all that gaudy).

Yandere I find to be useful as a plot tool but generally very weak as a character archetype. They're good for introducing drama and tension to certain situations, but too often go over the top when it comes to balancing "ax-crazy" and "love;" like how all Kuuderes are essentially expies of Rei Ayaname, all Yanderes seem like they strive to be expies of Yuno Gasai - the problem being Yuno Gasai as a yandere worked specifically for her story and not at all anywhere else.

Kuuderes, though, are generally the most boring when played to the stereotype, primarily because they are almost always otaku-bait. A kuudere, played correctly, is normally an excellent opportunity to explore introverted characters and their interaction, but all too often it's just played as "girl is emotionless yet has an inexplicable attraction to the MC." There's rarely ever a true gap between the "sugar" and "ice," which leaves the character stagnant - they're always emotionless, even when expressing affection, which is both creepy and unrealistic, whereas good kuudere characters break that stoicness. Examples being CC and Lelouch (Code Geass), Lucy (Elfen Lied), and Homura.

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[–] FinestWeirdo 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Excellent analysis and is very true about the issue at hand. I...would follow you to the battlefield if you told me to...