Characters' ages: setting the record straight
Moderator: FuguTabetai
Characters' ages: setting the record straight
Alright. I've heard and seen a lot of opinions on this matter. @How old is everybody?" And since there are a couple of misconceptions (in my opinion) about the subject, I though we could summarize the things we know in this topic. Please, feel free to point out, if this was already discussed.
The characters, whose ages we know for certain are Tawara (20) and the duo of Bob and Nagi. The latter are definitely 16(!), not 15, as some have said.
If you take a look at volume 8, chapter 48, where Nagi douses Mitsuomi with gasoline, it specifically says that Nagi and Bob are "16 year old high school students". There is even a roman character for "16".
Thus, if we add grades, we now see that Aya is 16 as well, Masataka is 17, while Mitsuomi, Maya and Emi are 18, not 17, as everybody I've talked to seems to think.
Am I wrong somewhere? Please share your thoughts
The characters, whose ages we know for certain are Tawara (20) and the duo of Bob and Nagi. The latter are definitely 16(!), not 15, as some have said.
If you take a look at volume 8, chapter 48, where Nagi douses Mitsuomi with gasoline, it specifically says that Nagi and Bob are "16 year old high school students". There is even a roman character for "16".
Thus, if we add grades, we now see that Aya is 16 as well, Masataka is 17, while Mitsuomi, Maya and Emi are 18, not 17, as everybody I've talked to seems to think.
Am I wrong somewhere? Please share your thoughts
Freshmen at a fictional Japanese high school. Japanese compulory education ends before "high school" and most people are 15 when they finish. This means they are 15 years old, minimum. Keep in mind that both are severe disciplinary problems, and neither has demonstrated interest or aptitude for academics... but as Mr Prophet points out, they are 16.jacko wrote:Well, Nagi and Bob are supposed to be 15, because they are freshman. So is Aya.
I think they just made a typo.
Maya could be 15, Masataka is at least 16, and Maya, Isuzu, and such (the third year students other than Bunshichi) are at least 17.
But we really only know the ages of three characters: Bob, Nagi, and Bunshichi.
Yeah, I know. After all, it's just the start of a new school year. But I was just wondering...how many times has Bunshichi repeated the senior year? 3 times right? I was just assuming that Maya's 17 years old based also on that. Or am I wrong?
Last edited by kujoe on Tue Apr 27, 2004 8:53 am, edited 3 times in total.
Nothing wrong with it, but there are other possibilities too. Bunshichi flunked twice in one grade, why not once in another? He also could have been born earlier in the year or later....kujoe wrote:Yeah, I know. After all, it's just the start of a new school year. But I was just wondering...how many times has Bunshichi repeated the senior year? 3 times right? I was just assuming that she's 17 years old based also on that. Or am I wrong?
Anyhow, I wouldn't be suprized in Maya was mentioned as 17 for the sole reason that big-breasted heroines tend to be exactly 16 years old in anime, and Maya is Aya's older sister, so having them be the same age would just seem odd and require an explanation for nitpicky fans like us.
I've been waiting for this thread :-p Been wondering about the ages - hard to keep track of so many characters. Aya is 15, the boys are 16, Maya is 17, Bunshichi is 20...would Shin have been 19? Mitsuomi would be 17/18? I wonder if there is ever any additional information about Chiaki - I guess she's really important, except as the damsel in distress and the obligatory good cook. Are the other Enforcer squad members seniors like Maya?
Is it customary for students to start high school at 15?
As for Tawara, his motive to stay beyond his 3rd year probably came from his desire to be by Mitsuomi's side and keep him cool. What would be the reason for him to flunk out one year before that? Any speculation? Unless it was simply bad grades.
But hey, Maya came to classes about one time, slept through it AND she went from 1st year to 3rd year just fine.
So unless Tawara had some personal reason, I don't know how would he flunk out. But we don't know that reason, and it probably doesn't matter anyway.
As for Tawara, his motive to stay beyond his 3rd year probably came from his desire to be by Mitsuomi's side and keep him cool. What would be the reason for him to flunk out one year before that? Any speculation? Unless it was simply bad grades.
But hey, Maya came to classes about one time, slept through it AND she went from 1st year to 3rd year just fine.
So unless Tawara had some personal reason, I don't know how would he flunk out. But we don't know that reason, and it probably doesn't matter anyway.
According to the Japanese educational system, yes. Not always of course, but just like burrowowl pointed out, 15 years old is usually the mininum.MrProphet wrote:Is it customary for students to start high school at 15?
elementary: 6 years
jr. high school: 3 years
high school: 3 years
university: normally 4 years
As far we've established, the most likely possibility is:Tachibana wrote:so wait, maya's 17, but turning 18? masa's 16 going 17 and nagi, aya, and bob's 15 going 16? damn this age thing is confusing..
Bob & Nagi - 16
Maya - 17, going on 18.
Aya - 15 OR 16 (probably 15, since she's such a goody-two-shoes)
Masataka - 16 OR 17 (same as Aya, could be both)
Mitsuomi - 17, going on 18 (same as Maya).
Bunshichi - 20.
The rest is speculatory, since we don't know their exact birthdays.
I always thought of it like this:
Freshman 15
Sophomore 16
Junior 17
Senior 18
however I am a senior and 18 but my other friend, also a senior, is 17.
give or take, Maya could easily be a seventeen year old senior and Mitsuomi could still be 18. Nagi, Bob and Aya are a little tough to pinpoint. I thought Nagi was 15, as was Bob, but since the manga said 16 I believe it. It's not a typo. Aya could still be 15, slightly younger than them, maybe.
Freshman 15
Sophomore 16
Junior 17
Senior 18
however I am a senior and 18 but my other friend, also a senior, is 17.
give or take, Maya could easily be a seventeen year old senior and Mitsuomi could still be 18. Nagi, Bob and Aya are a little tough to pinpoint. I thought Nagi was 15, as was Bob, but since the manga said 16 I believe it. It's not a typo. Aya could still be 15, slightly younger than them, maybe.
The problem is, they don't have birthdays the same day they start school. So, in any given schoolyear, they can be either x years old, or x+1 years old.
So, if Maya, or Mits, were born somewhere mid-school year, they could be either 17, or very close to 18, if not over 18. That's the logic. Same for Masataka, except that he's in his 2nd year, so he's either 16, or very close to, or over, 17.
Anyway, this is getting too detailed.
So, if Maya, or Mits, were born somewhere mid-school year, they could be either 17, or very close to 18, if not over 18. That's the logic. Same for Masataka, except that he's in his 2nd year, so he's either 16, or very close to, or over, 17.
Anyway, this is getting too detailed.
Oh, that's easy.burrowowl wrote:But dammit, I need to chart out Masataka's astrological chart to figure out if he'll end up with Madoka or Aya or Kurei.MrProphet wrote:Anyway, this is getting too detailed.
Oh, and their blood types. Such things are very important.
Masataka will go for Madoka, Aya, being a possesive dominatrix that she is, tries to get him back, setting up an Aya-Masa-Madoka triangle, while Nagi goes back to finish off his fight with Mitsuomi over Maya. Everyone is pleased.
In Japan, as far as I know, High School is only 3 years. As such, the systems we use (1st, 2nd 3rd year) and (freshman, sophomore, etc) don't exactly apply the same way.
Based on the way Fugu-san and the anime fansubbers are subbing it...
10th Grade = Freshman = 1st Year Students (Souichirou, Bob, Aya)
11th Grade = Junior = 2nd Year Students (Masataka)
12th Grade = Senior = 3rd Year Students (Maya, Mitsuomi, etc)
I think...
One big issue is what time in the school year the story starts at. Nagi and Bob are freshman, but if they've already gone through 99 schools, it seems unlikely that it's still the beginning of their fall semester, or whatever system they use. Thus...it's likely that people will already have had their birthdays unless they're born REALLY late in the year, or even early the next year. Makes perfect sense that Nagi and Bob are 16...it is also possible that the Natsume family sends their girls to school earlier...to make them mature faster, etc...just a thought.
*edit*
On a side note, Maya and Ayukawa should duke it out...man, that would be cool...
Based on the way Fugu-san and the anime fansubbers are subbing it...
10th Grade = Freshman = 1st Year Students (Souichirou, Bob, Aya)
11th Grade = Junior = 2nd Year Students (Masataka)
12th Grade = Senior = 3rd Year Students (Maya, Mitsuomi, etc)
I think...
One big issue is what time in the school year the story starts at. Nagi and Bob are freshman, but if they've already gone through 99 schools, it seems unlikely that it's still the beginning of their fall semester, or whatever system they use. Thus...it's likely that people will already have had their birthdays unless they're born REALLY late in the year, or even early the next year. Makes perfect sense that Nagi and Bob are 16...it is also possible that the Natsume family sends their girls to school earlier...to make them mature faster, etc...just a thought.
*edit*
On a side note, Maya and Ayukawa should duke it out...man, that would be cool...
OK, here's the thing.
Japanese school starts in April. This is when Bob and Nagi come to Todou Gakuen.
Fast forward 2 months till Bowling Alley, and some more time since then, we have June, which is now in TenTen universe. Now, we know that we are in the summetime right now (Aya and Nagi commented on that when they went to Kyushuu).
The Tournament starts at the end of the first trimester in July, that is 3 months after the beginning of the year. That fits into what's been going on: 2 months for the initial training (Nagi's words) + 1 month till the Tournament from now on.
So, according to these calculations, Bob and Nagi stated their 1st year at the very beginning.
PS This Madoka is Mawari, not Ayukawa. Ayukawa Madoka is from KOR.
Althouhg, on a side note.... KOR's Madoka vs. Maya would've been super cool.
Japanese school starts in April. This is when Bob and Nagi come to Todou Gakuen.
Fast forward 2 months till Bowling Alley, and some more time since then, we have June, which is now in TenTen universe. Now, we know that we are in the summetime right now (Aya and Nagi commented on that when they went to Kyushuu).
The Tournament starts at the end of the first trimester in July, that is 3 months after the beginning of the year. That fits into what's been going on: 2 months for the initial training (Nagi's words) + 1 month till the Tournament from now on.
So, according to these calculations, Bob and Nagi stated their 1st year at the very beginning.
PS This Madoka is Mawari, not Ayukawa. Ayukawa Madoka is from KOR.
Althouhg, on a side note.... KOR's Madoka vs. Maya would've been super cool.
Seeing how both main characters admitted of being deliquents and dumbasses, I would not be surprised that their age may be a little older than most people of their class. Standard age calculation might not even work here, heh.
Hell, since Maya's rarely attends classes, there is a good chance that she is repeating herself.
After all, you've got a 20 year old in the school repeating courses...
Hell, since Maya's rarely attends classes, there is a good chance that she is repeating herself.
After all, you've got a 20 year old in the school repeating courses...
"Lo, there do I see my father. Lo, there do I see my mother, my sisters, and my brothers. Lo, there do I see the line of my people. They do call to me. They bid me take my place among them. In the halls of Valhalla. Where the brave, may live, forever."
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- Bushi
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Maya is 17, born on 20 August.MrProphet wrote:The rest is speculatory, since we don't know their exact birthdays.
Aya is 15, born on 10 March.
Maya: Bburrowowl wrote:Oh, and their blood types. Such things are very important.
Aya: AB
Natsume Danjou Maya.
http://natsumemaya.net/ (new website address)
http://natsumemaya.net/ (new website address)
Heh, anime character ages are just arbitrary. How often do we even see a character that acts his/her age... heh
"Lo, there do I see my father. Lo, there do I see my mother, my sisters, and my brothers. Lo, there do I see the line of my people. They do call to me. They bid me take my place among them. In the halls of Valhalla. Where the brave, may live, forever."
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- Bushi
- Posts: 162
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2003 4:01 pm
- Location: Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo
- Contact:
Sorry for the late reply. Extremely busy at the moment. Unfortunately I don't know any other characters' birthdates. No time to check materials either. I've seen blood type for a few other characters, but am not sure of the source of that information.MrProphet wrote:By any chance you know others' birthdays as well. Nagi, Mitsuomi, Emi, Masataka?
I don't recall it being expressly stated that the special TenTen issue of Ultrajump will include information such as ages and birthdates. Doesn't mean that it won't, but I haven't seen any statement that it will.pv82 wrote:I think the May limited edition of Ultra Jump says that it will include all this info (ages, family secrets, etc..) I'm still looking for a place to preorder
As to where to preorder, it's available for preorder at Mangaoh Club:
www.mangaoh.co.jp
Natsume Danjou Maya.
http://natsumemaya.net/ (new website address)
http://natsumemaya.net/ (new website address)
Sorry about that , I sort of assumed Character data covered some of that. I already preordered it along with a vol12 w/ statue. I love that site. Thanks for the guide you set up to shop thereSpawn wrote:http://natsumemaya.terminus.net.au
- Ultrajump magazine has announced that a special Tenjou Tenge issue of Ultrajump will be published on 21 May 2004 containing the entire Dark Side Story (past arc) of Tenjou Tenge as well as info on the anime, character data, "secrets" of the 12 families. The cover will be a new illustration by Oh!great. The issue will come with a TenTen (anime version) clear file. 796 pages, B5 size, 700 yen (including tax).
- Volume 12 of Tenjou Tenge will be published on 19 August 2004. The first limited edition version with Natsume Aya figure will cost 2,980 yen (including tax) while the regular edition will cost 530 yen (including tax). Pre-order cutoff date for the limited edition version is 1 June 2004. To have a look at the figure by Miyagawa Takeshi, download this Quicktime movie - basically a pic which you can rotate left and right and up and down. I think Miyagawa's done better with the Aya figure than the Maya one. So the dragon was included.
- sales of Tenten in Japan : 5 000 000 sales for 10 volume
"Its weird how Nagi and Bob are both called 16 when Freshman don't normally turn 16 until the summer... "
That is because the East Asian equavalent of a Freshmen in highschool is 10th grade in the United States.
You get 3 years of middle school education and 3 years of high school education (the situation may change though, depending on which of the 3 east asian country you are from, for example, I don't know about Korea).
You'd already be 16 when you entered high school.
That is because the East Asian equavalent of a Freshmen in highschool is 10th grade in the United States.
You get 3 years of middle school education and 3 years of high school education (the situation may change though, depending on which of the 3 east asian country you are from, for example, I don't know about Korea).
You'd already be 16 when you entered high school.
"Lo, there do I see my father. Lo, there do I see my mother, my sisters, and my brothers. Lo, there do I see the line of my people. They do call to me. They bid me take my place among them. In the halls of Valhalla. Where the brave, may live, forever."
I suppose this confusion about Bob & Souichiro's age is based upon the Standardized Birth Practices laws in Japan. All Japanese children are required to be born on July 15, but apparently these two didn't get the memo. This normally ensures that all schoolkids are the exact same age as their classmates. How iconoclastic of them!