Random Flavors of Pocky #15: Before There Was Moe, There Was…?
Not Curly.
First, my apologies for the lack of posting recently. Holidays, being sick, and work all prevented me from having the time to think of a good post.
Then my fellow poster, Mr. Win-Myun Kim, gave me something to build on.
Tsundere is one of my favorite moe, as some of you may remember. But before tsundere became a standard moe, and heck, even before the idea of moe was unified, as it were, there was the idea of ‘takabi’.
Takabi, short for ‘takabisha’, is a term used for ‘princess types’. In anime, this would be the rich girls, the actual princesses, the women (and sometimes men) who were or felt that they were socially superior to you/the main character. (Some more uncouth people might call this archetype the ‘rich bitch’)
Good of examples of this kind of character are Kuriko Kazetsubaki from Maburaho, Mira Kagami from Tokimeki Memorial, and Aeka from the Tenchi Muyo series.
How is takabi a predecessor to tsundere? Here’s a comparison:
Tsundere
- Cold/mean in public to the main character
- Eventually grows to like the character, but often only in private
Takabi
- Cold/mean/commanding in public to the main character
- Eventually grows to like the character
- Often rich or socially higher than the others in her group
Admittedly, there’s not much to the archetype. But still, that’s the kind of character that was prevalent in anime and such until the tsundere archetype came about.
So, do any of you like tsundere and/or takabi girls/boys? Who? And why do you like the archetype?
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January 16th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
oh thank you “rich bitch” is the only thing I could think to call them until now lol
I don’t think I have ever come across a takabi I didn’t like. It is hard to recall them since I think the shows I’ve watched recently don’t really have a place for them, but Eri from School Rumble is the most memorable to me at the moment. Oh, and of course Nene from Potemayo, though I’m not sure if she actually likes that guy lol. Even Iori from The Idolm@ster, although I don’t know if she’s actually rich. I think sometimes a character can make you assume she’s rich just by being tsundere.
As for tsundere types Kagami from Lucky Star is my wife the end. That poop-head from Minamike might give her a run for her money if I watch more of it, though.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
kouotsu: The fine line between takabi and tsundere is tenuous indeed. Like you, I tend to like both. Though I sometimes find my love of meganekko overrides my love of takabi and tsundere.
A meganekko that’s takabi or tsundere? Double win.