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'''Cordelia''': [[Lampshade Hanging|Tell me]] we don't live in a soap opera.|''[[Angel]]'', "A New World"}}
SORAS (Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome (or SORAS) is the device by which writers -- possibly frustrated with a [[Cousin Oliver]] -- send a young child off in order to get back someone old enough to remember lines ''and'' have hot and steamy romances. (Not to mention the avoidance of all those [http://www.sag.org/content/coogan-law pesky child labor laws] aimed at protecting children in show business, and [http://www.nyspcc.org/nyspcc/ the public and private agencies] that investigate abuses.)
On daytime soaps, pregnancy is a staple storyline. However, the resulting child is rarely seen after his paternity and/or baby switch has been resolved. When a few years have passed, he returns as a teenager old enough to have a summer romance.
Different from [[Plot-Relevant Age-Up]] in that the latter is at least explained via magic/[[Applied Phlebotinum]]/[[Bizarre Alien Biology]], or the transformation is actually shown on-screen. [[I Thought It Meant|Do not confuse the two]] when adding examples. ▼
Stephen King referred to this as the "Kid Trick" in ''Danse Macabre'', his text on American horror media in the 20th century.
▲DifferentSORAS is [[I Thought It Meant|a distinct trope]] from [[Plot-Relevant Age-Up]] ; in that the latter , rapid aging is shown on-screen, or at least explainedstated viato be the result of some fantastic element (e.g. magic /, [[Applied Phlebotinum]] /, [[Bizarre Alien Biology]] ,) or the transformation is actually shown on-screen . [[I Thought It Meant|Do not confuse the two]] when adding examples.
Not to be confused with a certain character from ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]''<ref> (although there ''has'' been an instance of [[Kingdom Hearts 3D|multiple Soras appearing at once]] recently)</ref>, nor with certain characters from ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'' or ''[[Naruto]]''. Contrast with [[Not Allowed to Grow Up]] and [[Comic Book Time]].
Contrast with [[Not Allowed to Grow Up]] and [[Comic Book Time]].
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