Post
by Arigatomina » Fri Apr 16, 2004 3:13 pm
It doesn't seem to be nearly as common as schoolkids or people in the same age group falling for each other. If I think through the main pairings in the anime I have seen, the age difference isn't usually that large.
Most pairings I've seen were kiddies in love - 15 average, found in any 'school' setting anime, including CCS, teenagers in love - usually under 20, this includde Toya from CCS since even Kaho wasn't more than 22 - student teacher, just graduated, young adults - mid 20s sometmines very early 30s, this would include most married couples in anime, though there are some that get older, and some rare babies in love at the other end - the 'romance' with Sakura and Li, or even her and Eriol - same babies under 12 - preadolescents.
The huge gaps usually only exist if the characters look like they're the same age. Kaoru and Kenshin look about the same age since he never looks over 20 (not including ovas). The girl and her teacher from CCS was one of thier infamous 'love' pairings - nothing physical, it's supposed to stand as "I have a crush on you and you're worth waiting for because it's true love" - when you get into adulthood, a 20 yr old and a 30 yr old isn't uncommon, and chances are they'll still look the same age.
There are exceptions - but then again, many characters are done to look far younger than they're touted to be. Take Please Teacher - the boy looks 14, but he's supposed to be 18 allowing the older woman affair. It's not much different from having 'odd couples' where there's a distinct height difference (Toguro & Genkai, YYH), or the old 'monster & girl' pairing with Inuyasha/Kagome (or Kikyo). People like opposites, but more often it's a matter of personality differences.
I haven't seen that many anime where the age difference is 'realistic' - like the preadolescent/teacher pairing - and even then it's platonic love so long as you're not watching a hentai anime. If the younger character is 15 or older (the usual 'okay for romance' age with anime), then a 10 yr age difference wouldn't be too strange. I think of Hikaru and Lantis (magic knight rayearth) - she's one of the 15 yr schoolgirl characters, and he's certainly in his early 20s (19 at the *very* youngest) and looks like he could be 27. As long as we're talking anime, anything's possible.
But I think pairings of 15/16 yr olds is more common than the 'odd pairings', outside of shoujo, yaoi, or hentai-ish anime.
Anyway, then I remembered Ruruoni Kenshin and how Kenshin and Kaoru had a large age difference between them (or so I'm told). Then, of coruse, there's Cardcaptor Sakura and the relationship between one of Sakura's foruth grade friends and their teacher. 
I'm sorry, but that's kinda...wrong. Er, anyway...my point is, is this a popular thing in anime? The huge age differences between couples, I mean. Just curious.
