Definition: Loosely translated, it means the ideal Japanese Woman, or personification of Japanese womanhood.
What You Need To Know: First off, it needs to be established that every culture has its own ideals concerning femininity and masculinity and gender etiquette. This article is not meant to analyze cultural normative. The idea behind this column is to clarify aspects of international fiction. Nothing more, nothing less.
So what you’re saying is…”Please Don’t Send Me Hate Mail”
In anime, the character that exhibits the values of Yamato Nadeshiko is usually the main love interest, or at least one of the main love interests. A lot of times, this character is called “The Wife.”
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The values of Yamato Nadeshiko include loyalty, domestic ability, wisdom, maturity, and humility. Their characters help balance the often louder and brasher Tsundere.
I’m so not crazy that it’s crazy
That’s not to say that Yamato Nadeshiko are just push over house wives in training. A real Yamato Nadeshiko has tremendous inner strength that often makes her the emotional rock their friends and love interests. It would be quite foolish to underestimate her.
Western Translation: As noted above, every culture has their own ever evolving concepts of femininity. The west has a myriad of characters that share Yamato Nadeshiko values, including Marge Simpson, Jean Grey, Susan Storm, Leslie Knope, and most modern Doctor Who companions.
Special Note: Takumi Usui (ideal Japanese man, hell, ideal man period.)