History Main / BittersweetSeventeen

* ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'': follows a group of 17-year-old students of an all-male strict American board school in the late 50's, which learn to develop their Critical thinking and develop a thirst of freedom thanks to a new and unorthodox English teacher (played by the late Robin Williams), [[BittersweetEnding but at what cost....]]

* ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'' has a seventeen-year-old IllGirl as its protagonist, and the film is her ComingOfAgeStory as she realises [[spoiler: her father has been poisoning her to make her think she's sick when she isn't]]. She even gets a song called "Seventeen".

* The song "Maritime Memory" from ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' is a bittersweet ballad that is only supposed to be sung by seventeen year olds. This implies that the otherwise [[VagueAge vaguely aged]] {{Idol Singer}}s Callie and Marie were seventeen in the first game.

-->''"I used to be seventeen

* UpToEleven in ''Literature/DaughtersOfTheMoon'': On their seventeenth birthday, the titular divinely empowered teenagers have to choose whether to [[DePower lose their powers]] and [[LaserGuidedAmnesia memories of being Daughters]] or to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence as a guardian spirit. [[spoiler:The girls are heartbroken when they realize Jimena, their oldest member, has chosen the first option.]]

This trope to some extent relies upon an equating of [[EmotionalMaturityIsPhysicalMaturity physical with emotional maturity]]. Relevant plot tropes are the ComingOfAgeStory and both TookALevelInIdealism and [[TookALevelInCynic Cynicism]]. See also NostalgicNarrator.

* Harrow is seventeen in ''Literature/GideonTheNinth'', and deals with such ComingOfAge trials as: leaving home for the first time, growing closer to her first crush, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking trying to ascend to Lyctorhood to secure the future of her House]].

* In the UK, seventeen is the age at which one may legally learn to drive a motor-powered vehicle.
* In the US, it is the age at which one may rent/buy M-rated video games and R-rated movies.
* Likely trying to be invoked by the teenage magazine called ''seventeen''.

In their late teen years, [[EaglelandOsmosis at least in the USA]], kids become ''no longer kids''... but not quite adults.

* Music/MarinaAndTheDiamonds "Seventeen"

This trope to some extent relies upon an equating of [[EmotionalMaturityIsPhysicalMaturity physical with emotional maturity]], though [[TruthInTelevision typically accurate rather than fallacy]]. Relevant plot tropes are the ComingOfAgeStory and both TookALevelInIdealism and [[TookALevelInCynic Cynicism]]. See also NostalgicNarrator.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Lori, firstborn and eldest is 17, and several of the episodes focusing on her involve this trope:

* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun2001'': At age 14, Isaac's father and Jenna's parents and brother are lost, when thieves break into the village sanctum and set off a trap that causes a giant boulder to fall. Three years later, the thieves return, stealing the Elemental Stars and kidnapping Jenna (Felix now working with them). Isaac and his best friend Garet are sent out to retrieve them, leaving the village for possibly the first time.

* The song "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" in ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic'' revolves around this trope.

Trust this to be the age that people sigh dreamily back at when they turn on their NostalgiaFilter or sing their OdeToYouth. It may also be an important age in the relationship of HighSchoolSweethearts, considering that most teens go off to college around the age of eighteen. Characters that are presently this age, if fitting the trope, will likely be self-reflective about their life and experience some horrific AgeAppropriateAngst. It may be the {{best|YearsOfYourLife}} but also [[TearsOfRemorse most regretful]] age.

** In "Party Down," she only allows Leni, Luna and Luan to come to her sophisticated party. She tries to make it an elegant affair, eschewing what she thinks of as childish. The party flops and everyone leaves until Leni posts a photo of fun with the younger sibs. Lori's teen friends weren't ready for a sophisticated adult soiree.
** In "Driving Miss Hazy," Lori has been lording being eldest and the only licensed driver over the other kids so they band together to help ditzy Leni get her license. Lori becomes insecure that the kids won't need her anymore and sabotages Leni.
** Lori decides she needs her own space to get away from the chaos of 10 siblings. She realizes it's lonely and scary on her own and contrives to get back in the house without admitting her decision was hasty.
** In "The Loudest Mission: Relative Chaos," when she finds out that Bobby is not returning to Royal Woods, she has a FreakOut and drives Lincoln to demand answers. After several abortive attempts to trick or convince Bobby to come back, she gives up and breaks down into InelegantBlubbering. Bobby explains his plan, and Lori comes around, maturely realizing they'll only be apart for a year until university... and that his plan will let them be together long term.
** "Change of Heart" Lori is caught between hating Clyde's obsessive crush, and wanting the attention because it boosts her self-esteem.

* ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheBrokenSeal'': At age 14, Isaac's father and Jenna's parents and brother are lost, when thieves break into the village sanctum and set off a trap that causes a giant boulder to fall. Three years later, the thieves return, stealing the Elemental Stars and kidnapping Jenna (Felix now working with them). Isaac and his best friend Garet are sent out to retrieve them, leaving the village for possibly the first time.

* “But the moment that I first laid
eyes on him, all alone on the [[Music/StevieNicks edge of seventeen]]...”

** She only allows Leni, Luna and Luan to come to her sophisticated party. She tries to make it an elegant affair, eschewing what she thinks of as childish. The party flops and everyone leaves until Leni posts a photo of fun with the younger sibs. Lori's teen friends weren't ready for a sophisticated adult soiree.
** "Driving Miss Hazy" Lori has been lording being eldest and the only licensed driver over the other kids so they band together to help ditzy Leni get her license. Lori becomes insecure that the kids won't need her anymore and sabotages Leni.

** "The Loudest Mission: Relative Chaos" when she finds out that Bobby is not returning to Royal Woods, she has a FreakOut and drives Lincoln to demand answers. After several abortive attempts to trick or convince Bobby to come back, she gives up and breaks down into InelegantBlubbering. Bobby explains his plan, and Lori comes around, maturely realizing they'll only be apart for a year until university... and that his plan will let them be together long term.