How does it feel to be significantly older than the Turtles?

*Prowler* · 03-06-2021, 08:55 PM

Most of us here are adults. Many are even edging closer to middle age. So I'm sure this thread applies to a large portion of the forum.

Well, like a lot of people, I grew up watching the 87 Toon when I was. A little kid. The Turtles were teenagers. No age specified, but they seemed to be about a decade older than me. I knew they weren't adults and thus found them relatable, but I viewed them as being miles ahead of me. Kinda like older siblings or the cool kids in school type of deal.

When I was a teenager I felt the Turtles had become my peers pretty much. And even when I was 18-19 I didn't feel like I was older than them yet. Probably because they always acted like older teens on the verge of turning 20 in the first couple of cartoon series, I guess.

But now, as a 30 year old man, I've come to a realisation that I'm quite older than them. And when I look back at the FW and 2k3 series there's times I find them a bit too immature. It's a strange feeling. It's almost like I could be their much older sibling, kinda like April is. And speaking of April... I'm older than both the 87 and 2k3 April by now as well. Now THAT's strange.

How do I personally feel? Well, I've sorta outgrown the TMNT franchise in the last 8 years or so. The fact that the Turtles regressed a bit in age in the Nick series didn't seem to help matters either. It's obvious I'm not part of the demographic they're targeting.

It would be one thing if the Turtles were simply teenagers in name like in Mirage, but they're also teenagers/kids in mentality and personality in their mainstream depictions. Makes them a bit harder to relate to as a 30 year old man.

But yeah, it's a strange feeling when you suddenly realise most popular cartoon and anime characters are a 10-15 years younger than you. Which makes sense, since most of that stuff is made for kids/teenagers.

I'm closer to Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson in age than to Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro. It's interesting...

*Andrew NDB* · 03-06-2021, 08:56 PM

I'm only a little older than the Turtles in vol. 4 right now, so I'm OK with that.

*Prowler* · 03-06-2021, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I'm only a little older than the Turtles in vol. 4 right now, so I'm OK with that.

Mirage is pretty much the only canon version of TMNT to you, so I guess you won't find the age difference funny for at least 5 more years.

*Leo656* · 03-06-2021, 09:20 PM

I generally try not to think about it.

Superman and Batman are supposed to be "eternally 35", too, and I've been older than them for a while now, also. It kinda screws with your head.

*Prowler* · 03-06-2021, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leo656

I generally try not to think about it.

Superman and Batman are supposed to be "eternally 35", too, and I've been older than them for a while now, also. It kinda screws with your head.

It's gonna be strange the day I realise I'm older than Calvin's parents.

How does it feel realising a lot of today's professional wrestlers are younger than you? It kinda screws with my head.

*CyberCubed* · 03-06-2021, 10:46 PM

Fun fact: Most of us are also now older than our favorites actors were when they were cast in movies. Most of us are now older than Arnold Schwarzeneggar was in his big movie roles. Hugh Jackman was only 31 years old when he was cast as Wolverine in the first X-men movie.

The realization all these actors were millionaires and famous when they were 25-30, and we're now all older than them and basically nothing in comparison, it's so odd to think about.

Last Ronin · 03-06-2021, 09:28 PM

Crap I'm old NOOOOOOOO

Last Ronin · 03-07-2021, 04:10 PM

Creepy uncle..... thats a deep cut.

Did your uncle hurt you bro?

Last Ronin · 03-07-2021, 09:14 PM

I want to be at CyberCubed's 40th birthday but I guess since he's gonna always be 30 I'll be dead by then.

PurpleMusic · 03-07-2021, 09:24 PM

I always considered Mirage to be the status quo, so I'm pretty much comfortable with picturing the turtles as early-30s right alongside me. Then in time I can just choose to identify with the older future turtles when I'm living alone in a swamp like Raph or something... (Also Sailor Mercury is clearly where it's at)

*Prowler* · 03-07-2021, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleMusic

I always considered Mirage to be the status quo, so I'm pretty much comfortable with picturing the turtles as early-30s right alongside me. Then in time I can just choose to identify with the older future turtles when I'm living alone in a swamp like Raph or something... (Also Sailor Mercury is clearly where it's at)

LOL nice mention of Mercury there.

When I first watched Sailor Moon as a kid, Mars clearly became my favourite and still is to this day. I also liked Jupiter and Mercury. Venus and Moon a little less because I found them a little too obnoxious and stupid at times. But Venus is fine in the manga and the PGSM live action series.

*Coola Yagami* · 03-07-2021, 11:46 PM

The funny thing though is, for being cowardly and crying all the time, Usagi does act pretty like any normal 14 year old would that is suddenly thrown into a world where she now has to fight monsters and such. It's the other girls that surprise me because other than being 14 (or 15? I always felt Usagi looked and acted a year younger than the others) they seem to somehow quickly embrace the superheroine role without much fear and whatnot.

But yeah Japan loves to make their main characters young. It always surprised me how Seiya and Ichigo are kids, especially Ichigo who seems to be considerably older as the series goes on, but it's more like art evolution and not that years have actually gone by.

Another thing I notice is that characters like Ichigo and Sailor Jupiter seem to look like young adults on their own until they're sharing the screen with actual adults, then you can see the difference.

Being in my 40's, I don't feel that different than when I was younger, except now I can actually afford the stuff I want and there's no one that can tell me what to do.

I guess the only downside is age is finally starting to catch up to me. While I might not look 40, I don't exactly look 25 like I used to. I do try to mind my own business and keep to myself. It only sucks back in the day when we were still in the building and the 20-somethings would start talking about anime or superheroes. Part of me holds back from jumping in cause I don't want to come off as the 'weird creepy old guy' or whatever.

*Powder* · 03-08-2021, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

It only sucks back in the day when we were still in the building and the 20-somethings would start talking about anime or superheroes. Part of me holds back from jumping in cause I don't want to come off as the 'weird creepy old guy' or whatever.

Don't worry, you were probably already coming off as weird & creepy when you were young.

*Zulithe* · 03-08-2021, 03:11 AM

It's weird to think about. But it's a lot weirder to think about how ages applies to other things, Like music for example.

Like how about Kurt Cobain had 3 solid studio albums, with a lot more live albums, countless concert performances and interviews, all of which I still listen to and feel are relevant and occasionally even glean more insight from... all while being in his 20s (died at 27) and yet I'm quite a bit older than that now.

You spend so much of your younger life looking up to things. As a kid, maybe it was TMNT. You get a little older, and maybe it's a band or some other artist. Eventually you get to an age where you're older than so many of your influences and heroes. Some might say, you are supposed to shed those skins and move on as you grow, but I haven't found it that simple.

*CyberCubed* · 03-08-2021, 07:00 AM

Eh, liking superheroes or anime or videogames is a lot more socially acceptable now than it was in the early 2000's or 90's. Back then the "comic book nerd" stereotype was true because it seemed most "normal people' did not read comics or watch cartoons, and most didn't play videogames. I remember back in the 90's if you were a teenager and still played videogames you were viewed as some sort of social outcast. It's so weird because nobody would ever say that today.

Nowadays it seems everyone, including females, are into anime, superheroes, videogames, etc. It definitely didn't used to be this way if you grew up in the 90's or even the very early 2000's. You used to be considered, "a loser with no life who lives in your parents basement" if you were say older than 17 and still did these things.

*sdp* · 03-08-2021, 08:43 AM

This is a 14 year old in anime

, artists just draw the characters as they want and give them arbitrary ages, I never think much of fictional character ages and find it creepy how people become obsessed about it.

03-06-2021, 08:55 PM	#1
Prowler Emperor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Portugal Posts: 8,909	How does it feel to be significantly older than the Turtles? Most of us here are adults. Many are even edging closer to middle age. So I'm sure this thread applies to a large portion of the forum. Well, like a lot of people, I grew up watching the 87 Toon when I was. A little kid. The Turtles were teenagers. No age specified, but they seemed to be about a decade older than me. I knew they weren't adults and thus found them relatable, but I viewed them as being miles ahead of me. Kinda like older siblings or the cool kids in school type of deal. When I was a teenager I felt the Turtles had become my peers pretty much. And even when I was 18-19 I didn't feel like I was older than them yet. Probably because they always acted like older teens on the verge of turning 20 in the first couple of cartoon series, I guess. But now, as a 30 year old man, I've come to a realisation that I'm quite older than them. And when I look back at the FW and 2k3 series there's times I find them a bit too immature. It's a strange feeling. It's almost like I could be their much older sibling, kinda like April is. And speaking of April... I'm older than both the 87 and 2k3 April by now as well. Now THAT's strange. How do I personally feel? Well, I've sorta outgrown the TMNT franchise in the last 8 years or so. The fact that the Turtles regressed a bit in age in the Nick series didn't seem to help matters either. It's obvious I'm not part of the demographic they're targeting. It would be one thing if the Turtles were simply teenagers in name like in Mirage, but they're also teenagers/kids in mentality and personality in their mainstream depictions. Makes them a bit harder to relate to as a 30 year old man. But yeah, it's a strange feeling when you suddenly realise most popular cartoon and anime characters are a 10-15 years younger than you. Which makes sense, since most of that stuff is made for kids/teenagers. I'm closer to Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson in age than to Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro. It's interesting...

03-06-2021, 08:56 PM	#2
Andrew NDB Weed Whacker Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 29,279	I'm only a little older than the Turtles in vol. 4 right now, so I'm OK with that. __________________ [ ODYSSEY \| ORIGIN \| THE IMAGE/VOL. 3 CONCLUSION \| THE SHELLSHOCKED PODCAST \| ON FACEBOOK ]

03-06-2021, 09:20 PM	#4
Leo656 The Franchise Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: nWo Country Posts: 27,696	I generally try not to think about it. Superman and Batman are supposed to be "eternally 35", too, and I've been older than them for a while now, also. It kinda screws with your head. __________________ "I left some words quite far from here to be a short reminder... I laid them out in stone, in case they need to last forever..." "But hey... I'm not telling you anything that you don't already know." nWo Tech: The Official Thread Poison of the Technodrome Forums https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxr...awnHgDz1ceDcfA https://theroxxshow.blogspot.com/

03-07-2021, 11:46 PM	#12
Coola Yagami Overlord Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 14,016	The funny thing though is, for being cowardly and crying all the time, Usagi does act pretty like any normal 14 year old would that is suddenly thrown into a world where she now has to fight monsters and such. It's the other girls that surprise me because other than being 14 (or 15? I always felt Usagi looked and acted a year younger than the others) they seem to somehow quickly embrace the superheroine role without much fear and whatnot. But yeah Japan loves to make their main characters young. It always surprised me how Seiya and Ichigo are kids, especially Ichigo who seems to be considerably older as the series goes on, but it's more like art evolution and not that years have actually gone by. Another thing I notice is that characters like Ichigo and Sailor Jupiter seem to look like young adults on their own until they're sharing the screen with actual adults, then you can see the difference. Being in my 40's, I don't feel that different than when I was younger, except now I can actually afford the stuff I want and there's no one that can tell me what to do. I guess the only downside is age is finally starting to catch up to me. While I might not look 40, I don't exactly look 25 like I used to. I do try to mind my own business and keep to myself. It only sucks back in the day when we were still in the building and the 20-somethings would start talking about anime or superheroes. Part of me holds back from jumping in cause I don't want to come off as the 'weird creepy old guy' or whatever. __________________ "I was down with TMNT once, but then they changed what TMNT was. Now what I was down with is no longer TMNT and what TMNT now is seems weird and scary. And it'll happen to YOU." Check out my blog for Comic Reviews and other things. https://markepicblogofrandomness.blogspot.com/ I also started The AEW Crew, the All Elite Wrestling Fan Club! https://www.facebook.com/groups/637508120044168/

03-08-2021, 03:11 AM	#14
Zulithe Ninjutsu Master Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: NorCal Posts: 6,008	It's weird to think about. But it's a lot weirder to think about how ages applies to other things, Like music for example. Like how about Kurt Cobain had 3 solid studio albums, with a lot more live albums, countless concert performances and interviews, all of which I still listen to and feel are relevant and occasionally even glean more insight from... all while being in his 20s (died at 27) and yet I'm quite a bit older than that now. You spend so much of your younger life looking up to things. As a kid, maybe it was TMNT. You get a little older, and maybe it's a band or some other artist. Eventually you get to an age where you're older than so many of your influences and heroes. Some might say, you are supposed to shed those skins and move on as you grow, but I haven't found it that simple. Last edited by Zulithe; 03-08-2021 at 03:18 AM.

03-06-2021, 10:46 PM	#6
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 41,057	Fun fact: Most of us are also now older than our favorites actors were when they were cast in movies. Most of us are now older than Arnold Schwarzeneggar was in his big movie roles. Hugh Jackman was only 31 years old when he was cast as Wolverine in the first X-men movie. The realization all these actors were millionaires and famous when they were 25-30, and we're now all older than them and basically nothing in comparison, it's so odd to think about.

03-06-2021, 09:28 PM	#7
Last Ronin Hench Mutant Join Date: Oct 2020 Posts: 415	Crap I'm old NOOOOOOOO

03-07-2021, 04:10 PM	#8
Last Ronin Hench Mutant Join Date: Oct 2020 Posts: 415	Creepy uncle..... thats a deep cut. Did your uncle hurt you bro?

03-07-2021, 09:14 PM	#9
Last Ronin Hench Mutant Join Date: Oct 2020 Posts: 415	I want to be at CyberCubed's 40th birthday but I guess since he's gonna always be 30 I'll be dead by then.

03-07-2021, 09:24 PM	#10
PurpleMusic Thug Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 50	I always considered Mirage to be the status quo, so I'm pretty much comfortable with picturing the turtles as early-30s right alongside me. Then in time I can just choose to identify with the older future turtles when I'm living alone in a swamp like Raph or something... (Also Sailor Mercury is clearly where it's at)

03-08-2021, 07:00 AM	#15
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 41,057	Eh, liking superheroes or anime or videogames is a lot more socially acceptable now than it was in the early 2000's or 90's. Back then the "comic book nerd" stereotype was true because it seemed most "normal people' did not read comics or watch cartoons, and most didn't play videogames. I remember back in the 90's if you were a teenager and still played videogames you were viewed as some sort of social outcast. It's so weird because nobody would ever say that today. Nowadays it seems everyone, including females, are into anime, superheroes, videogames, etc. It definitely didn't used to be this way if you grew up in the 90's or even the very early 2000's. You used to be considered, "a loser with no life who lives in your parents basement" if you were say older than 17 and still did these things.

03-08-2021, 08:43 AM	#16
sdp Megan Fox = April Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Tokio, Italy Posts: 9,999	This is a 14 year old in anime , artists just draw the characters as they want and give them arbitrary ages, I never think much of fictional character ages and find it creepy how people become obsessed about it. __________________ *Bye* *TMNT !!! I'm unaliving tonight* Click to join The Drome Discord server