First of all, I’d have to say that I’m not a Tadamu fan… why? Because, for me, their personalities don’t seem to be compatible enough for them to be a couple. So this is a Tadase essay for people to understand him and not only think he “gets in the way”.

Yes, Tadase fits that character perfectly but there’s also more than meets the eye. The beginning of the first manga chapter shows him to be nearly royalty, the guy Amu liked but seemed so far from her reach. As the chapter progresses we see that he’s not only Amu’s crush but the person who made her had a character development (meaning, hatching Ran) and later, the one who saved her and treated her like a princess after rejecting her in front of the whole school. For him to have been there after Ikuto’s attack means that he did chase after her (How cute and romantic!!). He’s not the cool distant character anymore as he has proved that he can be gentle with her too (after a rejection).

The cute little king fighting the evil perverted neko cosplay guy!! And what makes fans like me squeal the most is that they seem to know each other from before. But let’s not go out of topic.  What’s showed next is Tadase explaining her about the Guardians and asking her to join them, which Amu refuses despite her need to spend more time with his prince. Tadase has become a bit closer (not unreachable anymore) but she still can’t show him her real self (poor Tadase has to stand Amu’s outer character's answers).

It’s in her quest to make him even more reachable that Amu decides to make him a birthday cake (the poor girl is too shy). Now, here is something that makes me think Tadase is really a nice and patient guy: Not only he opens the door to find an anonymous present (or like in the anime, he received the present from Amu but she rushed away after that leaving him alone) but he still has to find an intruder in his bedroom. In my opinion, that’s not something a normal person would let pass that easily. Tadase is a real sweetheart, he’s really patient with her, and not only he has those characteristics but it’s after how serious he got when was talking to Amu after finding her in his bedroom (so cool!!) that Amu realizes she’s really interested in him and that wants to help him.

 So now we have a prince-like character with a noble heart capable of inspiring our main character. Up until here, I’ve pointed Tadase’s good points and that, is what made me like him in the first place. I don’t think there’s a reason that’d make someone hate him except that that person doesn’t like the patient type. Let’s move on.

Tadase’s character then turns even more interesting, he’s not the every shoujo prince type with a noble personality I’ve pointed before but a unique character that has something that makes him different from other prince-like characters from other mangas. What is that something? Of course I’m talking about the Chara Change. He rejects his nature (of a prince) and substitutes his own (not such a small thing like a prince but a King!). 

Now he has what makes a character deeper and what I consider to be worth fangirling. He has a goal. And not only that but he handles what looks like top secret information between him and the First Generation King (aka Shodai king). He can be mysterious too. There’s something some people have to remember and that is that he was the first to sense Amu had eggs, and not only one but the three of them.

So now we have: prince-like type with a noble heart, capable of inspiring our main character, a deep character with a goal and yet a mysterious character that knows what’s going on even if we can’t see that there’s something going on.

We found that our little King is really shy in reality, yet Amu still likes him (she getting to know he had a goal made her like him more). The next arc we get is about how changing can be a good thing. Amu unlocks her heart and becomes Amulet Hearth leaving Tadase blushing at her cheerful character. Well, I don’t think Tadase falling in love with Amulet Heart is stupid. The ‘He doesn’t love Amu but a personality’ reason makes sense and shouldn’t be used against him. 

Tadase, being really shy, it’s natural for him to admire someone bright, cheerful and positive like Amulet Heart. And the keyword is “admire”. It’s really common for kids his age not to distinguish between admiration and love (or what could be seen as a crush). So, when he confesses to Amu at the beach (or the mountains in the anime), it shouldn’t be taken in the wrong sense. Tadase doesn’t use the word “love” or “like”, he says “the girl I’m interested in”; and when Amu asks if he liked her when she Chara Naried he says “uh… well, to like…”. He’s not sure himself and that proves my point, that Tadase only admires Amulet Heart.

After that Amu jumps on him after hearing something in the grave yard (what an awkward place to confess xD) and yet he shows his gentle side saying it was fine and not caring about it (Tadase you’re so cool!). So we solved that, Amulet Heart is the type Tadase admires, and maybe likes but of course, he knows it’s not Amu yet.

Nadeshiko transfers and Kuukai graduates, leaving Tadase and Yaya alone with Amu. Then is where most of the fans felt that those four former guardians were really important as a whole. I don’t know about how the rest of the fandom fell but, apart from sadness, I felt like it was up to Tadase and Yaya to fill up that emptiness, taking that Rima wasn’t very obliging and Kairi was the serious type. In fact, it’s Tadase the one that cheered Amu (and me) when the Dia saga began.

He also matures during this saga, at first it’s shown when worrying about Amu, when he asks Ikuto what are his intentions towards her; and the second time when he Chara Nari-ed, making him the first character that “Unlocks” his heart the way it has to be done (the second being Kairi). Here I’d like to stress something. I’ve already explained how I find his personality so appealing then, I don’t think he deserves all the critics he gets about his Chara Nari and how he is girly. He’s NOT girly. He’s shy with all the other characteristics I’ve already mentioned and I believe you’ve understood. Like Kiseki’d point, it’s because of his noble heart that he deserves to have the King Chair. And the ribbons? Well, he IS a king, what did you expect? Didn’t guys used to dress like that two centuries ago? Or did you expect Kiseski’s cape? Besides, in Japanese culture, the more delicate a guy looks, the more attractive he is. And if you’re going to critic a Chara Nari then let’s critic everyone’s (Ikuto showing his belly?). Tadase is nice enough to deserve respect towards his persona. 

I don’t know if there’s any other fan apart from me that melts every time she hears Tadase calling Ikuto using his whole name. And it’s because of his past with the most mysterious character of the series that makes you get even more interested in Tadase’s part in the story. We still have to learn the WHOLE story, but from what has been already revealed, Tadase was an important person that Ikuto wanted to protect.

We’ve arrived to an important part of this Tadase’s character analysis. Up until now, I have explained his personality, in case you’ve failed to notice him; his relevance to the story and how he has grown as a character. And it’s because of his character development that fans cannot bash him for him starting to clear up his feelings, and that includes his resent feelings for real Amu. 

Some Amuto fans seem to forget that Amu actually liked Tadase at first, and I think the bashing comes from their insecurity over Ikuto’s ability to make Amu fall in love with him, the one I think it’s making a little progress. She has just discovered she cares about him that much to the point of crying over his tough childhood, and that’s even because of Tadase. 

Tadase’s character development is not only shown in the way he thinks about Amu but Ikuto too, entrusting him to Amu so she can save him like she did with Utau. Because, if you remember, it was after Tadase telling her about Utau’s first songs that she was able to help her. Tadase really is an important piece in this arc.

On the other hand, Amu is the one still discovering her feelings, so instead of getting angry at Tadase for being liked by Amu, fans should be angry at Amu for not believing Ikuto when he says he loves her!