Hajidere

"Hajidere" , also known as "Teredere" , is a term for a character who is normally very shy and blushes from embarrassement whenever they are near their love interest, but eventually overcomes their shyness and becomes deredere for them. They are very introverted and are so shy that they blush just when the person they like comes near them. Their bashfulness may intensify even more if they are complimented by their love interest which can cause them to become self-conscious of themselves due to the feelings they have towards their love interest. If something goes wrong, they might even faint from embarrassment. However, despite their shyness they will start to make efforts to talk to their love interest and slowly work up the courage to become closer to them. While it may not seem like it at first, they are someone who can become very proactive in a relationship and as they overcome their shyness they will start to show their affectionate and doting side towards their love interest.
== Etymology ==
=== Meaning of the Term ===
Hajidere (ハジデレ) is a combination of "hajirau" (恥じらう), meaning "to feel shy and embarrassed; to be bashful; to blush", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck".
=== Origin ===
While the exact origin is unknown, mentions of a "hajidere" as a possible archetype can be seen as far back as 2007 on Japanese social media, though it did not become widely used until much later.
The first (and currently only) known use in an official media comes from the 2018 light novel Succubus☆Note! . The series was originally published as an amateur web novel but later received an official light novel and manga release. In the fourth volume of the web novel the main characters from the series discuss the different dere types that each of them are, with the character Hatsumi Kurosaki being labeled as a hajidere by her friends. Hatsumi was described as someone who is normally a shy girl on the outside but who is surprisingly a carnivorous woman on the inside, something her other friend couldn't imagine. The term "nikushoku-kei no joshi" (肉食系の女性) translates to "carnivorous women" and refers to women who are more assertive and proactive towards men. This shows that although Hatsumi is shy at first, she can be assertive and direct when showing her deredere side.
=== Alternate Name ===
This type is also sometimes known as teredere (照れデレ). This name comes from "tereru" (照れる), meaning "to be shy; to be bashful; to feel awkward; to feel embarrassed". Tere is the feeling of being both happy and embarrassed when someone draws attention to one's existence or actions. When a teredere character is around their love interest they are both happy to be near them or to be complimented by them, but also extremely embarrassed by it at the same time.
The term comes from the 2013 erotic manga Teredere♡Santa Claus by Kazuki Hiro, which was published as part of the manga collection Oshiete Sensei♡ . It was described as "a collection of shy and innocent girls who want to do romantic things with the person they love." The story follows the romance of a shy girl named Ryou who dressed in a Santa Claus outfit for Christmas and gets really embarrassed in front of her love interest Jun. While at first she was too shy to admit she wanted affection, she eventually works up the courage to tell Jun directly.
== Personality ==
=== Haji Period ===
Hajidere characters are very shy and introverted. They are so shy that they start blushing and becoming nervous (such as sweating, stuttering, being timid, and having trouble breathing) just when the person they like comes near them, and if something goes wrong they might even faint from the embarrassment.
Some hajidere will avoid being in close proximity with their love interest and keep any conversations with them very short. They will usually always make an effort to at least say "hi" to them every time they see them. Some may even watch their love interest from afar without them noticing.
Some characters may not even behave like a hajidere in front of their love interest at first, but may became more bashful around them as they start falling more in love with them. It's also possible that getting a sudden compliment or confession from their love interest can make them become very bashful and start having difficulty looking them in the face when they didn't have this problem before.
=== Dere Period ===
They will start to make efforts to overcome their shyness by talking to their love interest and as they overcome their shyness they will start to show their affectionate and doting deredere side. In some cases, they can even turn out to be surprisingly proactive and assertive in their relationship.
== Differences From Other Archetypes ==
Hajidere characters can also be seen as similar to dandere characters since they also struggle with communicating, but they are far more shy and introverted. The biggest difference is how they appear on the outside. A dandere character will be silent and expressionless, not responding most of the time when people talk to them or showing their emotions which is why they are often confused for kuudere characters, whereas in comparison hajidere characters can be seen visibly blushing from their embarrassment and becoming nervous. When they are not feeling shy, a hajidere character generally has a positive and happy look on their face in comparison to the stoic nature of a dandere character. A hajidere character is likely to stutter when talking to others, while a dandere character would either not speak at all or speak quietly. A dandere character also generally has no issue speaking to their love interest when they're alone together, while a hajidere might faint from embarrassment.
== Similar Japanese Archetypes ==
* Bokodere: A term for a character who gets very embarrassed around their love interest and then lashes out by punching them to hide it. This could be considered a more extreme and violent version of hajidere.
* Dandere: A term for a character who is silent and expressionless most of the time, but will suddenly become cute, talkative, and deredere when they are alone with their love interest.
* Tsundere: A term for a character who can't be honest with their feelings of love towards their love interest so they act distant, standoffish, and stuck-up to conceal them. Tsundere characters often get extremely embarrassed from being around around their love interest when they are still in their denial phase, though they would never admit it.
* Tsuntere: A term for a character who gets very embarrassed around their love interest and then acts standoffish towards them because of it. While a regular teredere will try to "physically" hide from their love interest when they become embarrassed, a tsuntere will become cold as a way to hide it. This could be thought of as a mix of teredere and tsundere.
== List of Characters ==
See Hajidere/Japanese Characters to see characters from anime media
See Hajidere/Non-Japanese Characters to see characters from non-Japanese media.
== Gallery ==
Hajidere Gallery.png|link=Hajidere/Gallery
Maon Sakurada from Tamayura.gif|Maon Sakurada from Tamayura
Saint Cecila from Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence 2.png|Saint Cecila from Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence
Mizuki Usami Hajidere.gif|Mizuki Usami from Kono Bijutsu-bu ni wa Mondai ga Aru!
Miku Nakano from The Quintessential Quintuplets haji 1.gif|Miku Nakano from 5-Toubun no Hanayome
Haruna Sairenji from To LOVE-Ru.gif|Haruna Sairenji from To LOVE-Ru
Ebina Nana Dandere.gif|Nana Ebina from Himouto! Umaru-chan
== References ==
Category:Shy
Category:Kind