Following my recent review of the so-wrong-yet-so-right tsuncest (yes I just made that up) PSP game OreImo, this article from Otome Sugoren seems timely. Of course, I do not personally read what appears to be the Japanese equivalent of Cosmopolitan and was merely linked to this particular article. Please don’t judge me.

So anyway, here are the top eight classic tsundere lines chosen by Otome Sugoren’s highly scientific surveys (lol) for your guilt-ridden perusal.

So tsundere that she is used as the textbook example

Number 1: “hima datta kara!”
The girl calls you up saying, “I had nothing else to do!”

Girls who call you for no particular reasons to grace you with their company because they are “free”. The way they stubbornly stick to their excuse is cute. Guys sense a hint of affection behind such statements and feel happy.

“I guess your present is okay…”

Number 2: “tekitou ni oitoite yo”
Presented with a gift, the girl says, “Just leave it somewhere” and receives the gift haphazardly, but her face looks very happy.

Although they try to act like they do not care about the gift, their grinning expressions make you feel at ease. Girls who try to maintain a facade contrary to their true feelings can melt a guy’s heart.

She doesn’t need your help

Number 3: “hontou wa jibun de dekirun dakedo”
The girl asks for your help but stresses, “I could’ve done it myself.”

For example, smart and confident girls who have problems with electronics may try to hide their shortcomings when asking for help. Girls who try to hide their weakness but fail can be seen as adorable by guys.

She’s just encouraging you

Number 4: “darashiganai otoko dane! “
The girl complains, “You are such a slob!” but still helps you out.

The senpai at your part-time job who scolds you for messing up but covers up your mistakes perfectly. No matter how much they complain, these girls still can’t help but lend you a hand in the end. Guys love the maternal instinct.

>:|

Number 5: “bakka jyanai no!”
“Are you stupid?” The girl curses at you but still accepts you for who you are.

You quit your job without consulting her and she asks if you are an idiot, but in the end consoles you and says, “If you really can’t find a job, I’ll support you.” No matter how angry they get, these girls stand by you in the end. Their affection gives guys peace of mind.

The forgotten dark history

Number 6: “anta, douse hima desho!”
The girl says, “You are free anyway, right?” and asks you out on a date.

The girl is trying to make an underhand remark about how you have no one else to go on dates with, but nevertheless it makes you smile. Guys enjoy the back-and-forth process in establishing an “unspoken understanding” with such girls.

It’s no big deal.

Number 7: “arigataku omoinasai yo!”
The girl hands you a present and says, “You had better be grateful” while avoiding your glance.

Girls who try to hide their embarrassment by doing this are unbearably cute. Their snide contradictory remarks accentuate the importance of their actions and make their love for you stand out even more prominently.

Has this line ever been truthful in the course of human history?

Number 8: “tsuide ni tsukutta dake dayo!”
The girl prepares a bento filled with love for you, but says, “I just happened to make some extra!”

Even though she claims it wasn’t meant for you, the bento is for some reason full of your favourite food. A homemade bento alone is already a powerful item for winning a guy’s heart, but its effects are made even more powerful by the fact that it is inexplicably sumptuous despite being made “incidentally”.

She is not blushing

Tellingly, most of the statements end with an exclamation mark. Ah… who doesn’t love a tsundere girl?

Now you know enough lines to write your own light novel! Just repeat each one 500 times and you are all set. If you need more inspirations, you can try this CD.

It is surprisingly difficult to find pictures of tsundere girls looking tsun.

According to Nico Nico Pedia, ξﾟ⊿ﾟ)ξ is the official emoticon for tsundere. It depicts a twin-tail girl making an unhappy face.

And to end on a wtf note.

But episode 7 of Zero no Tsukaima has a lot of this:

“How did I end up here?”

I mean Siesta walks around in a maid costume all the time, but you don’t get to see Louise wearing a maid-waitress hybrid every episode…

:: Potentially spoilerish pictures after the jump ::

And neither do you see this happen everyday (mostly because Saito would be dead by now if it does):

Chuuuuuuuuuu~~~

Chuuuuuuuuuu~~~

Basically, Louise and Saito are tasked by the princess to go into town and investigate rumours of nobles oppressing the commoners (wow, how can that, like, ever happen?) and somehow Louise ends up working at a tavern that would look quite at home in the middle of Akihabara…

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!

…Wait a minute, haven’t I played this game before?

Black is nice too

And Jessica, the daughter of the tavern owner, is now my favourite Zero character! Even though this will probably be the last we see of her. Gao. She looks like Tsuruya…

This is Jessica

And just like Tsuruya, she’s really friendly…

So wrong but so good

In fact, she’s exactly like Tsuruya…

…except for her, uhmm, those…

Look at the nice… pendant

…I meant her teeth. She doesn’t have Tsuruya’s trademark fangs. What were you thinking? :P

Please make Jessica a recurring character! Kthxbye.

Zero no Tsukaima is like Maburaho with a tsunderekko instead of Yuuna. It’s nothing special, but the first two episodes are great fun so far.

P.S. I want the D.C.2 Vocal Album too…