Man Child: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

{{quote|''"I don't think I'm ready to be a grown-up."''|'''[[Scott Pilgrim]]'''}}

 

 

 

In the vast majority of cases, the character is [[Always Male]]. This is (presumably) to contrast the differences between him and "normal men" with the normal responsibilities and wisdom of adulthood. The female version is usually split between [[The Ingenue]], the [[Genki Girl]], or other tropes which highlight an adult woman's child-like attributes rather than her grown-up persona. Manchild has many more negative connotations than [[The Ingenue]]; the manchild's immaturity and lack of outward adult behavior is emphasized as being a bad thing versu being and emphasized good thing like [[The Ingenue]]'s purity and idealism. On the [[Brain Chain]], the Man Child occupies a space between The [[Cloudcuckoolander]] and [[The Ditz]], but without necessarily becoming [[The Fool]]. He usually does not have [[The Fool]]'s [[Born Lucky|luck]], but he doesn't necessarily play the role of the [[Butt Monkey]] either. Although the Man Child is commonly portrayed as being mentally challenged he does not necessarily have to be.

 

 

[[One of the Kids]] is related, in where their childishness is caused by spending a lot of time around children.

 

 

{{examples}}

 

== Anime & Manga ==

* Doctor Tokita in ''[[Paprika]]''.

** They give the reason for his sitting position being that the brain gets the most oxygen from that posture. His liking of sugary foods has been explained is special material as being necessary for his brain, which burns calories like mad.

** Near is a classic example of this trope and even more-so than L. He's 17-18 in the post-timeskip(21 in the post-series one shot) and he's always seen playing with toys.

* Galactic ''otaku'' [[Keroro Gunsou]] is this - followed Pekopon anime as a child, then subjected to [[Training From Hell]] until he was assigned to Pekopon to lead the invasion... making it far easier to follow his old hobbies as a result. Just picking up where he left off in life.

* Figure skater Azusa Shiratori from [[Ranma One Half]] is a spoiled 16 year old girl who acts like a 5 year old, she'll steal anything she considers cute even if it's just a food item and she will give it a pet name, if the person who has the thing she wants won't hand it over she will attack them with anything she can find.

* Usagi from ''[[Junjou Romantica]]'' appears to be this. He's actually trying to simulate a child's environment because he wanted to "recreate what normal kids do in their childhood".

* ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]''; yes, new viewers, the character throwing a tantrum and beating a dragon with a [[Hello Kitty]] doll is a ''[[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|four-thousand-year-old]] [[Dude Looks Like a Lady|man]].''

* Brewster Rockit, from ''Brewster Rockit: Space Guy!'', is shown to be a manchild, even having book tapes on coloring books of all things, and being exceedingly stupid. It is implied that he originally had average human intelligence, but his intelligence and maturity decreased substantially due to the government overdosing him on memory wipes.

* [[Madman (Comic Book)|Madman]], due mostly to being killed and reanimated with new memories and a different personality. Mentally, he is only about ten years old (at least when his former life isn't poking through).

* [[Shazam|Captain Marvel]] often comes across this way, but for a different reason--he's ''literally'' a young boy ([[Comic Book Time|or sometimes teenager]]) named Billy who can [[Henshin Hero|transform]] into an adult superhero. Early on the two forms had [[Super-Powered Alter Ego|different personalities]], but most modern interpretations make them the same person, acting like a [[Cheerful Child]] in both forms (though Marvel gets a bit of maturity from having the Wisdom of Solomon as one of his powers).

* Similarly, Rage of Marvel's ''[[New Warriors]]'' was an immature young teen when he got his powers -- which mutated him into the form of a very large and muscular [[Scary Black Man]].

* In ''[[The Wrestler]]'', the main character is one, and it's shown in a tragic, negative light.

* Chance the Gardener in ''[[Being There]]''; in the movie version his maid Louise actually says "You're always gonna be a little boy, ain't cha?" when she leaves after the death of the master of the house. It's stated in the book and heavily implied in the film that he is mentally challenged; the twist is that most of the other characters don't recognize this, making the character a [[Trope Namer]] for similar mistaken identity situations. [[Peter Sellers]] played him in the film; he initiated its making because he identified with the character so strongly when he read the book. For better and worse, he was a [[Real Life]] example of this.

** Pee-wee's also had several love-interests (namely Dottie from "Big Adventure," Miss Yvonne on "Pee-wee's Playhouse," and Winnie and Gina from "Big Top Pee-wee"). And they're all pretty good-looking. However the heck he managed to pull that off...well, the world may never know.

* [[Adam Sandler]]'s entire career is built on this trope, most notably ''[[Billy Madison]].''

** The male lead in ''Knocked Up'' also has many Man Child traits.

* Buddy from ''[[Elf]]'' is over 35 years old and still acts like a six year old and has a very infantile view of the world; this is due to being raised by elves from infanthood.

* In ''[[Finding Neverland]]'', James Barrie is (mostly) capable of taking care of himself, but he has an air of immaturity and childlike wonder about him, and he clearly has much more fun playing make believe with the Llewelyn Davies boys than he does socializing with adults.

* Justin from ''[[Kickin It Old Skool]]'', this is justified as he was in a coma for 20 years.

* Both John and Dean Solomon from ''[[The Brothers Solomon]]''.

* Any character played by Harpo Marx.

* ''[[The Hot Chick]]''.

* In the American version of ''[[Fever Pitch]]'' [[Jimmy Fallon]]'s character is called a manchild by his girlfriend, but all-consuming passion for the Red Sox aside he's a comparatively mild example: he's good with women, has a job as a well-respected junior high math teacher, and he has his own apartment.

* When the two of them aren't killing gangsters, Connor and Murphy McManus, ''[[The Boondock Saints]]'', are prone to bickering and tussling like ten-year-old boys.

* This troper's surprised that nobody's mentioned [[Pirates of the Caribbean|Captain Jack Sparrow]].

* ''[[In Death]]'': Poor Alice Lingstrom from ''Ceremony In Death'' turns out to be a child in a woman's body. She was just exploring Satanism and got involved in a Satanic cult. The cult drugged her and then gang-raped her. She was pretty much made into the cult leaders' slave for a time, but she left when she witnessed the two leaders sacrifice and murder a young boy. She actually thinks a spell had been cast on her, and that one of the leaders is a shapeshifter. Considering that she is suffering from trauma and paranoia, it is safe to say that her status of Womanchild is being [[Played for Drama]].

* ''Sisterhood'' series by [[Fern Michaels]]: The Vigilantes seem to act like womenchildren a number of times. At least Myra Rutledge and Countess Anne "Annie" de Silva have the excuse of being rich 60-something-year-old ladies who may have never developed maturity...or they lost it as they got older! Cosmo Cricket, introduced in ''Final Justice'', could be considered this. However, he has wisdom and is quite responsible in his job as a lawyer!

* Lieutenant Wes Janson of the [[X Wing Series]] is a classic example, between his pranks, general irreverence towards everything in life, and his boundless sense of humor. He ''is'' capable of being serious, when actively shooting at things, but it's not his natural state. However, he explains that this is a deliberate part of his philosophy of living life to its fullest, given the mortality rate of his [[Ace Pilot|chosen profession]].

{{quote| '''Janson''': I want you to remember something very important: ''you can't look dignified when you're having fun''.<br />

* Tigger comes off as this compared to the other animals in ''[[Winnie the Pooh]]''. He's even sillier and more irresponsible than the other characters, he lives with [[Parental Substitute|Kanga]], and he's best friends with her infant son, Roo.

** He appears older, but [[Fridge Brilliance|when you consider]] that he "came to the woods" (i.e. [[Living Toys|was purchased]]) more recently than the other characters, he's technically younger even than Roo.

 

 

== Live-Action TV ==

* ''[[Bonanza]]'': Several episodes have featured characters who were mentally "slow" – some villians, some sympathetic characters, others one-off good guys the Cartwrights aim to help. One of the best-known examples was "The Ape," from the show's second season, where a large man named Arnie has traces of autism, is unable to read social cues and (more worrysome) has a fierce temper. His fierce determination to win over a barmaid that has no interest in him is what eventually leads to his downfall, despite Hoss' own determination to help focus Arnie and mentor him into a farmer.

** Has he though? "You've got ink on your forehead."

* Randy from ''[[My Name Is Earl]]''.

* Pretty much all six of the main characters on ''[[Friends]]'', but especially Joey.

* Vince in [[The Mighty Boosh]] is constantly eating sweets, writes in crayon and has an imaginary friend made out of bubble-gum called Charlie.

** His actor [[Noel Fielding]] is of course very similar - in interviews and panel shows he will sit smiling sweetly, making silly jokes about rainbows, pigeons and pencil cases and acting like a total [[Cloudcuckoolander]]. This often leads to people making fun of him, and learning the hard way that he's also [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass|a professional comedian with a truly acid wit]].

{{quote| '''Spencer''': "I hate that channel! They always make adults look like buffoons!"<br />

'''Carly''': "[[Hypocritical Humor|You forgot to wear pants again.]]" }}

* Burger, Ash and to a lesser extent Derek Jupiter of [[I'm in The Band]].

** Goren himself fit this trope in the early seasons. Witness, for example, his glee at discovering a synthesizer that says things like "Oh, baby!" when you hit the keys.

** Sometimes in later seasons, too, such as in 'Vanishing Act' when he reacts with similar glee at the various [[Buffy-Speak|magic trick thingies]].

* [[The Munsters|Herman Munster.]] He frequently throws foundation-shaking temper tantrums.

* [[Dollhouse]] has Topher Brink who, for his mid/late-20-somethingth birthday, creates a buddy to play video games and tag with him. He gets much, much more childlike post-series {{spoiler|tragically}}.

 

== Theater ==

* The clown in [[Cirque Du Soleil]]'s ''Saltimbanco'', Eddie, is quite childlike as he pulls pranks on others and engages an audience member in a pantomimed Wild West shootout. In fact, he might actually be the adult form of the Child seen early on, if a transitional scene is anything to go by.

* The Green Role from the Reduced Shakespeare Company's [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]]. Being the Man Child of the group is his defining characteristic.

== Video Games ==

* One interpretation of N's character in [[Pokémon Black and White]]. It's not played for laughs. {{spoiler|Indeed, it may actually be [[Foreshadowing]] of his... [[Abusive Parents|father issues]].}}

* ''[[Corpse Party]]'' has Yoshikazu Yanagihori, former [[Cool Teacher]]. As his mental illness progressed, he reverted to a childlike mental state, and eventually couldn't even convey his thoughts. People noted that he was still the same person he was before, so it was shocking when he apparently abducted four children and brutally killed three of them. {{spoiler|He didn't actually kill the children. He was manipulated into kidnapping them, but he was just an accomplice to the ''real'' killer...the surviving child, who was actually a malevolent spirit.}}

 

== Web Comics ==

* T-Rex, the protagonist of ''[[Dinosaur Comics]]'', is a [[Ditzy Genius]] Man Child.

* Parodied in the last issue of ''[[Mac Hall]]''. Ian recalls this phrase as he moves into his post-college life (and segues into ''[[Three Panel Soul]]'', ''[[Mac Hall]]'''s [[Spiritual Successor]]), but adds the rider, "But I unpacked most of them when I got there."

* [[Walkyverse|David Walkerton]] [[Invoked Trope|invokes]] this trope in order to avoid responsibility (and also partially due to a traumatic childhood event) and can actually be mature and insightful when the situation calls for it. However, even when the need for the facade ends along with the main plot, he continues to act the part, so it's also a legitimate part of his personality as well.

* There are a few of these traits in Kamina in ''[[Double K]]''. Quoth captainosaka:

* [[Henry VIII]] as portrayed by [[Brian Blessed]] in ''Henry 8.0''. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZl3BDtT5cA For example...]

* [[Half Life|Gordon Freeman]], as depicted in [[Freemans Mind]], was this the even before his mental breakdown, apparently acting immature the whole time he worked at Black Mesa and doing many childish things like playing racket ball in the anti-mass spectrometer and doing a cannonball into his bath tub. And, of course, there's the episode where he discovers a cart that goes around in circles at high speeds. He just spends a full minute sitting there pressing the button that sends it back and forth while screaming "Weeeeeeeeee!". Let it be known that there's an alien invasion the middle of all this.

* [[The Nostalgia Chick]]'s best friend, Nella, is repeatedly referred to (by herself and others) as a "wo-[[Man Child]]."

 

 

== Western Animation ==

** The new season reveals that Fry is 35. Adult Child, ho!

** Actually, he might be as old as 31 since in one episode, he and the Planet Express crew {{spoiler|were affected with chronotons that reversed their aging and then they negated the effects by going into the Fountain of Aging.}} And they, sans the Professor were {{spoiler|reborn in the series's revival.}}

** Also, Zap Branigan, though that's more disturbing as he is in a position of power, with the authority to get people killed in mass amounts.

* Peter Griffin from ''[[Family Guy]]''.

** Patrick Star [[Up to Eleven|even more so.]]

* Toki Wartooth from ''[[Metalocalypse]]''. He has a teddy bear, eats candy, collects model airplanes, says "Wowee", and has a childish naivety for certain subjects such as sex. He also drinks, swears, and {{spoiler|goes on the occasional murderous rampage}}.

* Kyösti Pöysti in ''[[Pasila]]''.

* Randy Marsh, Stan's father from ''[[South Park]]'', has become this in recent years.

* [[The Fairly Odd Parents|Timmy Turner]] will apparently become this in the future, according to his show's [[Live Action Adaptation]], as pictured above.

** Every adult in Dimmsdale is this.

** [[Adults Are Useless|Most of the adults are immature in some way]], to the point where ''[[The Ditz|Bobby]]'' snaps after his grandpa and step-grandma leave him to care for grandpa's infant son and Luanne and Lucky prove to be ridiculously irresponsible parents (I think Luanne is pregnant at this point).

** Hank's boss, Buck Strickland, is so childlike to the point where Hank always have to bail him out whatever trouble he gets into.

* [[Word of God]] on ''[[Madagascar]]'' and ''[[The Penguins of Madagascar]]'' is that [[Ridiculously Cute Critter]] Mort the mouse lemur, who looks and acts like a child, is [[Older Than They Look|the lemur equivalent of a thirty-five-year-old]]. Julien has tendencies this way as well; he's constantly demanding attention and throws tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants, but at the same time gets very upset and starts talking to his plush toys when he's lonely, and {{spoiler|it's revealed via the magic of the Golden Squirrel that his greatest desire is simply to have his friends near him}}.

* Dr. Doofenshmirtz from ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' is physically in his 40s, but mentally around 8.

{{quote| '''Debbie:''' "You'll be a big strong man-child, still lifting weights in your room when you're forty!"<br />

'''Duncan:''' "Cool! That way I can ''really'' buff up, and save some money!" }}

* Prince Charming from ''[[Shrek]] 2''.

* Glickenstein and King Malbert from ''[[Igor]]''.

** Rigby is this too. He may be 23, but he acts like an out of control teenager most of the time.

** Mordecai, to a lesser extent. He's a lot more level-headed and less impulsive than Rigby, but just as eager to slack off and do childish things.

* Humphrey from [[Alpha and Omega]] has signs of this.

** And on the other hand there's Flint himself, who put fake security equipment in his lab and pretends to use it when he comes and goes. Even the kids in the neighborhood think he's weird.

* Richard Waterson from ''[[The Amazing World of Gumball]]''. If anything, he's even ''more'' immature than his own offspring.

* ''[[Xiaolin Showdown]]'': Kimiko's Dad is a child on the inside. Or so she once told her friends.

 

*** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBFBp0VyEB4&feature=grec_index Another classic]

*** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DCOQl1FO-4&feature=channel_video_title What the House thinks of John]

* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

* According to anecdotes in Reginald Pound's book, "Surgeon Extraordinary", pioneering surgeon Harold Gillies frequently did things that were really childish, like standing on his head to "rest his feet" or at one time climbing onto a car and wiggling his foot in an unsuspecting passenger's face (it was all there in that book!). However, this trope is subverted in that otherwise, [[Bunny Ears Lawyer|he was a pretty smart guy]].