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Do these anime character archetypes "exist" in any meaningful way? I've watched a few animes. Every tsundere I can think of is a ridiculously two-dimensional caricature who is less "female opponent placed in opposition to the main character who can't help falling for him anyways" and more "woman who falls for MC immediately but occasionally is mad about it." Seriously the character writing in these shows is absolutely atrocious.
"Anime did it already" Yeah? Where? Is its execution completely embarrassing? Do the women act like 4-year-olds in adult bodies or like actual people?
Looking at reddit's favorite tsunderes, the two I recognize are Kurisu Makise and Vegeta (lol). Kurisu is like a 4/10 character at best, vaguely human in a show otherwise populated by caricatures but mostly uninteresting. If that's the #2 I have no interest in what Japan has to say about character archetypes generally. We may as well be coming up with this archetype from scratch.
I'm the furthest thing from a feminist btw, just hate bad writing.
Anime is often fun exactly because the emotions and characters are exaggerated. I personally think Vegeta works quite well in the context of the story he is a part of. But there are Tsunderes who act more normal, or have well-written reasons for acting standoffish.
Senjougahara from "Bakemonogatari" is one such. Her aggression is part of the initial mystery and her character is explored well in later episodes.
Fern from "Frieren" is much more subtle and "realistic" in her tsun. She is simply young, proper, and inexperienced. She doesn't know what to do or how to categorize her feelings and so she unwittingly ends up hurting the boy she loves.
"Kaguya Sama Love is War" satirizes the trope but also uses it very well as the story goes on. All the caracters start out as 2-dimensional parodies then slowly become more fleshed out as the story progresses.
All that to say: If you think all anime is surface level slop, you haven't given it the chance it deserves. There is some great storytelling mixed in with all the surface level wish fulfillment.
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It's a real thing, I could link you a wikipedia article, tvtropes page with hundreds of examples, or find one of countless discussions of it online, but you can probably find those yourself easily.
Looking at the list, Asuka Langley is the ur-tsundere who codified the archetype (in the same way the Rei Ayanami is the ur-kuudere) and is easily the best character in Neon Genesis Evangelion. I'd say Rin Tohsaka from Fate is also great.
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Damn, what is this slander. Love is War is a great anime with decent multi-dimensional characters, both the protagonist and the deuteragonist are Tsundere's. I'm glad this list included Damien Desmond form Spy x Family, who is a great rare male tsundere. Idk if I'd consider Eris Greyrat to be a tsundere.
Yeah some tsundere's are bad caricatures because some writers are bad writers who depend on tropes to be entertaining. It does not make the character archetype nonexistent or poor.
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