THE ANIME AGING PROCESS I think it's quite obvious that Anime characters (AC) don't behave, live, act and sometimes even think the way normal humans do. But things don't stop just there. They even age differently. More impressively, there's even a pattern that can be followed concerning the aging process. You may find some exceptions to the rule, but this is how the majority tends to "mature": From day 1 to 3 years old: At this point there's not much difference between an Anime baby and a human baby. They're both small, adorable, they both wake you up in the middle of the night, get their dippers wet and look like living teddy bears. The only difference is that, unlike human babies, there are NO uncute Anime babies. From 4 years old to 8 years old: The "Ameba" stage has been reached. Even though the AC's head represents approximately 50% of the his/her body, he/she can now walk. The cuteness factor increases during this period as the AC learns a few words which easily turns him/her into the center of attraction. In 99% of all cases (except when they get lectured), the AC will always be happy all the time, except when he/she is asleep (in which case his/her cuteness factor increases even more). Some examples: Chibi-Chibi from Sailor Moon. From 9 to 13 years old: During this stage, the cuteness factor raises again. But only in female AC. Boys become little brats which you can barely stand. Their voices becomes painful to the ears and their presence is unwanted most of the time. Little girls, are a different story. They're nice to almost everyone and always look at the bright side of things. Some examples: Chibi Trunks from Dragon Ball Z, Sasami from Tenchi Muyo. From 14 to 18 years old: The "Golden era" is with no doubt the most important stage for all ACs. Puberty is extremely generous at this point. And that goes double for the girls since their bodies look more to be around 18 years old while being only 14. Interest in the opposite sex is also very common during this stage. Oddly though, the AC will never show interest in someone that is head over heels over him/her even if that someone is a major babe. Instead, the AC shows interest in someone who is either oblivious or uninterested in him/her. As you can see, it's a vicious circle. Still, what's probably more important during this stage is that the AC's life changes drastically. They start piloting Mechas, turning into magical girls, fighting against all sorts of dangerous creatures and most of the time facing opponents/situations which are way out of the normal human's league. Some examples: All the girls from Sailor Moon, half the cast of Ranma ½, Shinji, Asuka and Rei from Neon Genesis Evangelion, those kids from Gundam Wings, almost the entire cast of Tenchi Muyo and so on and so on... From 19 to 25 years old: The AC has settled down a bit. His/her physical attributes are now at their peek and they still keep their good looks (wrinkled faces are very rare). Relationship with the opposite sex isn't as frustrating as it was before and some AC have even become parents. Compared to the previous era, the AC still has a body to die for, although now it looks more mature. Some male individuals may find this stage not as sexy as the one in the "Golden era". This is probably due to the fact that female ACs don't wear a sailor fuku anymore. Some examples: Misato from Neon Genesis Evangelion. From 26 to 35 years old: As time progresses, the AC become less active. Most of them don't face monsters of pilot Mechas anymore. Or at least not as much as before. The ones taking care of that now are their children (figures!). As most of you might've noticed, in an Anime serie, the main character tends to be around 14 to 18 years old while his parents (usually between 26 to 35 years old) become secondary characters and are there mostly to give moral support to their children. In this stage, female AC still keep their good looks but are now full adults. That means you don't see them in flashy outfits anymore. Male AC feel the age a lot more, their look aren't the same and wrinkles aren't so rare anymore. Some examples: Genma and Nodoka from Ranma ½. From 36 to 50 years old: This is a very strange stage, you don't see many ACs reaching this age. Either they become extinct or they hide from society. Anyway, all ACs look like any normal human person going through the same aging stage. They don't do much now. Most of the time you'll see them just passing by. Impressively though, female AC are still the ones less affected by age, although now they obviously don't look like 20 years ago. From 51 to 70 years old: All AC are now considered "venerable" elders. They're all wrinkled and have gray hair. As a compensation for the lack of beauty, they have now become wiser and are usually the ones guiding younger AC through life. From 70+: Something strange has happened. The AC's body has shrunken in unexpected proportions and now has a cuteness factor equal to the ass of a baboon. Getting passed 4 feet tall is now considered as an impossibility. However, the most remarkable change is given in male AC. During this stage, they are completely driven by their hormones. Finding aging Anime men with perverted minds is incredibly common. Some examples: Happosai from Ranma ½, Kamesenin from Dragon Ball.