Aging doesn’t seem to affect anime characters that much, unlike other mediums. While we age in real life, our favorite anime characters stay the same, and one popular example of this is none other than Pokemon’s Ash Ketchum. This makes us wonder: what could be the reasons anime characters never seem to age?
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Why Do Anime Characters Never Seem to Age?
There are numerous reasons anime characters appear to never age. Perhaps the anime's premise does not require it, or the makers prefer to keep their characters' designs recognized and consistent.
It depends on the requirements of the anime and how long it has been in the industry. It also has something to do with the educational setting and context, as most anime are set in high school or middle school.
Of course, we're not generalizing, as there are certainly a number of anime characters who have undergone noticeable changes after being around for a long period of time.
Naruto, Luffy, and Goku, the three shonen heroes, are significantly older as the story forces them to mature.
Time skips also play a significant role in the aging of characters. Some creators prefer to make subtle changes to their designs, while others would rather go all out and give their characters a whole new look.
Here are a few potential explanations for why anime characters never seem to get old!
Artistic Style Over Realism
There aren't a lot of manga and light novel series out there with realistic art styles.
Rather, the industry has an abundance of over-the-top and exaggerated character designs shown through their facial features, such as large expressive eyes, colorful, strikingly vibrant hairstyles, and youthful, visually appealing attire, regardless of age.
In other genres like isekai, fantasy, and adventure, anime characters are also drawn young despite claiming that they’re over 100 years old and more. They don’t even act their age, which makes it more interesting.
General Appeal to Target Audience
Young adults and teenagers are typically anime's target audience. It makes sense for anime characters to look young in order to attract and connect with this type of target audience.
Regardless of how much time has passed in the story, it is much simpler to communicate with the target population if they can identify with the characters.
They often find themselves in these characters, thus it makes sense that their favorite anime characters never seem to age.
Long-Running Series
Many long-running anime series include characters who seem to never grow older. In particular, Ash Ketchum has not aged a day since the story's introduction.
For continuity's sake and to maintain Ash's iconic status among viewers, the creators presumably desire that he remain and maintain his current age and appearance.
Conan Edogawa is another example; however, he is a unique case. He retains his younger look in the majority of Case Closed, even if the story suggests that he should have aged.
The Story Doesn’t Call For It
An anime’s story that doesn’t call for its characters to age is another reason behind this frequently asked question.
There may be an absence of time skips in the story, which maintains the youthful looks of the characters from beginning to end. Or perhaps the creators are only making minimal changes, which viewers can’t easily spot on their favorite characters.
A Form of Escape
Because of how challenging our world is, every day feels like a struggle. What better way to unwind than to watch anime and take pleasure in its lively, youthful characters that temporarily distract us from our concerns?
Watching anime allows viewers to escape from their everyday troubles. It makes sense that anime uses lively, youthful characters rather than somber, unhappy adults who constantly remind viewers of their own troubles.
Educational Settings
The majority of anime and manga series have a high school or middle school setting.
There’s not an anime season out there that lacks an anime with a youthful setting. Either viewers get a middle school or high school setting; there’s no in-between.
It’s pretty rare to get an anime with a workplace setting, but even so, the characters also look younger than their actual age.
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