Can't have kids entering adulthood with any ideas about changing or helping the world. Much better for business if they give up all those hopes and just get a job.
They'd better get a job, caring for a walrus isn't cheap.
The smiles are priceless, but the wall repair bill for tusk marks is higher than you’d expect.
Which stories are being criticized here? I can't think of any examples of this kind of coming of age story.
I can't come up with examples from modern popular culture, but I do remember the C.S. Lewis novels in the Narnia series often ending that way, as though the battles in Narnia were somehow less real. But those stories are a bit niche at this point.
Didn't they age into adults in Narnia and ruled there? Then they went home and it was only a few minutes and then they all died as kids at the end, so they didn't so much "lose their powers" as they just straight up died lol. Been a long time since I've read the books though.
Pretty clear that Digimon is one. Which links it to childhood and seems to have a sad/bittersweet ending multiple times. (though averted/retconned for 2 incarnations.)
Not entirely about lost powers but see the Growing Up Sucks trope (and the example subpages)
The concept of "childhood's end" will probably be clearly illustrated, with the now-grown-up character losing something that was fundamental to their happiness as a child.
The child may lose his guardians, Mons, or even his powers, if these all come with a time limit or are directly linked to his status as a child. For example, children are assumed to be wide-eyed, curious, innocent and trusting; adults are usually portrayed as pragmatic, cynical and set in their ways.
A recurring theme in Hayao Miyazaki's films
Sometimes it might be subtle, and sometimes the time limit is an open/common reminder such as Fairly Odd Parents (lose+forget fairies after turning 18, though it being a long-running show I don't know if they even actually ended on that note).
Most magic stories about getting your powers before adulthood hits. Wednesday, Harry Potter, magic school, almost any magic series you search in both Netflix and prime, If you don’t start sensing it before you hit x age you’re not magical just ordinary. It really overplays on the crushing potential older people put on younger people too. This is pretty much all YA formula in books and what has been converted from YA books
Locke & Key has the forgetting magic when becoming an adult trope.
The Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place has all the kids competing to keep their magic powers when they enter adulthood
The web serial "Worm" (Parahumans) is an interesting take on this. Powers tend to show up around teens, but stay forever. A lot of hero teams have a "youth" team as well. They handle low stakes stuff, to get some practice in, while the adult teams take the bigger risks.
God I fucking love worm, so glad to see people talking about it
Do the oldest parahumans take the biggest risks? Because that would be ideal.
The job of old people is to clear the way for the young! It's how humanity is supposed to move forward.
I find it interesting that this is the opposite of how finance works: When you're young you're supposed to take the most risks while the old are supposed to play it safe.
Yes, the young parahumans (wards) work in big groups and deal with smaller crime. Usually a ward will never encounter or will be told to let someone else handle a really really powerful or brutal villain but sometimes they don't have a choice like in the case of sh9
There also another exception; when fighting endbringers ever hero and villain is allowed to fight
When I was a kid I always told myself I'll never become like most of the dumb adults around me.
I'm 26 now and I think I'm on the right path.
Always relevant.
Way to brag about still living at home with your parents. Living the good life at someone else's expense 👍
I'm kidding, of course. I bet you still watch animated shows, read comics, and play video games!
…or worse yet becoming evil in some way because you grew up.
Or worthless to everyone
'Lockwood & Co." on Netflix is a good example of this idea. Only a small number of teens can fight the baddies.
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' assumes that the Slayer won't make it past 25...
Can't think of that many more.
I was thinking about this a while ago. Back in the day, there were a lot of middle-aged superheroes. Dr. Strange, Col. Nick Fury, Reed Richards, Professor X, and The Chief of the Doom Patrol were all over 40.
The Watcher Council all but treats slayers as disposable assets, until that turns out to be a bad idea that is.
...and absolutely nothing pervy about a bunch of old men secretly watching nubile teenage girls.
Batman is often straight up old.
I can do two hours on the Caped Crusader and still have material left over...
The Batman animated version is supposed to be him in Year One, about 25 years old. In Batman Beyond he's supposed to be over 70. According to the last DC comic's fact sheet, they are currently portraying him as having been active for about 15 years.
Locke and Key had the premise that only kids could remember magic.
Kids Next Door is all about kids good, adults evil.
YA novels are all this.
They're in a good mood.
I was looking for the source, but from what I see on this Reddit post, this is OC, right?
That is correct. Thanks for asking!
I’m increasingly seeing the importance of stories with heroes in a variety of ages for this reason. Yeah sometimes a coming of age story where the hero learns to be an adult is great. And sometimes I want to see the coming of age story of Waxillium Ladrian and the age he’s coming of is one where his body hurts even when he doesn’t do stupid heroics and he has to learn to keep in mind that it can be heroic to make sure that he’s not hurting people with irresponsibility.
More than all that though I think kids need to see stories of how the real sources of power: knowledge, ethics, courage… stick with you as long as you foster them and can just keep increasing.
Also do love RWBY’s take on the coming of age. A bunch of teenagers becoming monster hunters getting traumatized while many adults keep doing the job but others stop do to the physical and mental damage it took on them. The adults don’t brush the pain off but rather understand.
What stories are you watching?!
Also, childhood is hard compared to being an adult?! Give me a break.
The entire point of the comic is trying to draw parallels, not dividers. Growing up has hardships, just like being grown up does. Trying to make one or the other seem easier or harder is a foolish and/or selfish endeavor. Theyre as different as they are similar, so trying to weigh them against each other is nothing but an ego-stroking contest.
