16? Seriously?

[Sen Vaez]

On a whim, I was looking at some fan pages of New Century and noticed that many listed Bit and Leena's age as 16. Brad was 17.

I did a double-take on this because it just seemed so improbable. I know anime has a habit of making teenagers look older, but when I look at the character designs and the roles they perform, I always pictured the NC cast as being around 20 or so.

So I want to see what everyone else has to say. Does the 16-17 age range seem plausible, or did you think of the cast as older?

[adamassc]

those ages do seem too young for them. It might explain their general immaturity, but not their overall personalities.

[Tilly]

Those ages are real, the old official site had them (and I think some of the games too). Jamie's 14, I believe, and that actually works for him.

But in my opinion Fuzors does a better job of having its teenagers act like teenagers, some of the early characterization wobbles aside. I'll buy RD being 16 before Bit :p. (And it had people IN THEIR TWENTIES and older. What is this.)

I'm more forgiving of some of the you're HOW old moments in the battle story, since it's in a setting where 15-17ish being considered an adult capable of doing war things (especially if you were raised to fight) isn't improbable.

I STILL FEEL OLD.

[adamassc]

I'm ten years older than Brad. I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SO LITTLE BY COMPARISON.

[Sen Vaez]

May 15, 2011 22:23:22 GMT -5 Tilly said:

Those ages are real, the old official site had them (and I think some of the games too).

I don't doubt what you're telling me is true, but it just feels wrong. Knowing their "official" age just makes the whole storyline more improbable. Planet Zi has the worst parents! They let their kids pilot death machines and hardly ever show up!

But thanks for confirming this. It removes some confusion over the age range.

But in my opinion Fuzors does a better job of having its teenagers act like teenagers, some of the early characterization wobbles aside. I'll buy RD being 16 before Bit

Agreed. This is another example of why I think Fuzors could have surpassed NC if not for marketing schemes taking top priority instead of stronger writing.

I just don't like it when animes in general present an age group that is clearly acting (and looking) older. It's like they don't trust that people will identify or take the characters seriously unless they fit a particular image. They're young, but they show no hesitation, uncertainty, nor pettiness beyond stolen treats. Hence, there is no character growth.

I'd still like to hear if other people thought the cast was older than early-to-mid-teens.

[gurenseven]

Those may be the official ages...BUT, although I can concur with Bit/Leena/Jamie being younger, I'm just not buying Brad(or Jack or Irvine, for that matter) as 17 year olds

[Zzgashi]

May 16, 2011 2:35:33 GMT -5 Sen Vaez said:

May 15, 2011 22:23:22 GMT -5 Tilly said:

Those ages are real, the old official site had them (and I think some of the games too).

I don't doubt what you're telling me is true, but it just feels wrong. Knowing their "official" age just makes the whole storyline more improbable. Planet Zi has the worst parents! They let their kids pilot death machines and hardly ever show up!

Welcome to the world of anime, its been happening for who knows how long (at least the time of Gundam but probably earlier). Plus Zoids as never really been about the day by day workings of the pilots its mainly about showing giant animal mecha fighting each other with some minor insight to the day to day workings on the side (fuzors I think did it a bit better); also consider that their seems to be war going on almost constantly (weather it be the world powers or corporations) who knows maybe bit, brad and the others are orphans, or don't like to converse with their parents, and becoming a junk dealer or zoid pilots is just their way of trying to get by, a kids got to eat right?