History Main / ManChild

* Kyousuke from ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters'' is a benevolent, more subtle example: because he's so obsessed with finding fun things to do, tends to be overdramatic and switch between extreme emotions, and doesn't always possess the greatest amounts of common sense (though that's not unusual in this game) he's commonly compared with a child.
* ''VisualNovel/MinotaurHotel'': Storm tends to be pretty naive about most things, and would end up sounding like a child if it wasn't for the fact that he's a Minotaur with a deep voice at the age of 21. This is because he had a sheltered life, having neglectful parents, and a hostile environment in which no one approached him friendly. This is the reason why P is so hesitant on starting a relationship with him even though he's attracted to him, because he sees it as an UnequalPairing.

Some will agree that this is TruthInTelevision for certain people, as there do exist many immature adults out there who refuse to grow up. Sometimes it's just people who are capable of engaging in adult responsibilities but have childlike interests and personalities in their free time, other times it's adults who somehow have all the knowledge capable of living independently yet the emotional maturity of a spoiled child. The likeliest cause of the man-child is a sheltered upbringing or mental illness, particularly [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan_Syndrome Peter Pan Syndrome]].

* [[GadgeteerGenius Miu Iruma]] from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' has a penchant for making sex jokes, calling her classmates virgins while giving juvenile nicknames, and generally [[NoSocialSkills says whatever comes to mind without filtering herself]], not that she seems to realise that [[InnocentlyInsensitive she is acting in terrible taste]]. In addition to her childish behaviour, her report card shows that she likes watching [[{{Kodomomuke}} TV shows for kids]].

* Adrien in ''Fanfic/{{Spellbound}}'' is a teenager but gets easily excited about kindness, birthday parties, cake, and making friends. Partially because he's been socially isolated besides his brother Felix and their friend Chloe, and partially because he's half faerie.

Sometimes people just fail to develop into social or intellectual maturity. Maybe it's due to a very loving but confining {{m|yBelovedSmother}}other or [[OverprotectiveDad father]], who don't suggest or won't let them to get a job and move out, enabling their laziness or dependence instead. Maybe they were never taught any responsibility growing up, and now that they're adults, it's too late and they're set in their ways. Maybe they're a SpoiledBrat who's learned to manipulate their parents into doing what they want, and the parents came to the conclusion that it's just easier to indulge them than to fight about it. Or maybe they just didn't want to [[MommasBoy leave the nest]]. Maybe they've been [[MeddlingParents intentionally secluded]] from learning about the world. Or they grew up as a neglected orphan without a proper education or any guidance towards adult life. Maybe their parents or legal guardians simply failed to teach them how to do things like cook for themselves, keep their home clean, balance the checkbook, make and stick to a budget, pay bills and taxes, [[DoomItYourself do minor home repairs]], or change a tire. Maybe they were ''literally'' RaisedByWolves. Maybe it's the result of brain damage, [[AmbiguousDisorder an intellectual disability or developmental disorder]], or something [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil sinister]]. Perhaps they just never had [[InnocenceLost a life-changing moment]] involving [[DeathByNewberyMedal a shotgun and a beloved pet]]. Maybe it's just a form of MarsAndVenusGenderContrast, or they live in a society with certain gender roles, where one sex is expected to be [[CloserToEarth the responsible one]], and the other is not expected to be (and is not always ''taught'' to be). Who can say?

Sometimes people just fail to develop into social or intellectual maturity. Maybe it's due to a very loving but confining {{m|yBelovedSmother}}other or [[OverprotectiveDad father]], who don't suggest or won't let them to get a job and move out, enabling their laziness or dependence instead. Maybe they were never taught any responsibility growing up, and now that they're adults, it's too late and they're set in their ways. Maybe they're a SpoiledBrat who's learned to manipulate their parents into doing what they want, and the parents came to the conclusion that it's just easier to indulge them than to fight about it. Or maybe they just didn't want to [[MommasBoy leave the nest]]. Maybe they've been [[MeddlingParents intentionally secluded]] from learning about the world. Or they grew up as a neglected orphan without a proper education or any guidance towards adult life. Maybe their parents simply failed to teach them how to do things like cook for themselves, keep their home clean, balance the checkbook, make and stick to a budget, pay bills and taxes, [[DoomItYourself do minor home repairs]], or change a tire. Maybe they were ''literally'' RaisedByWolves. Maybe it's the result of brain damage, [[AmbiguousDisorder an intellectual disability or developmental disorder]], or something [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil sinister]]. Perhaps they just never had [[InnocenceLost a life-changing moment]] involving [[DeathByNewberyMedal a shotgun and a beloved pet]]. Maybe it's just a form of MarsAndVenusGenderContrast, or they live in a society with certain gender roles, where one sex is expected to be [[CloserToEarth the responsible one]], and the other is not expected to be (and is not always ''taught'' to be). Who can say?

Sometimes people just fail to develop into social or intellectual maturity. Maybe it's due to a very loving but confining {{m|yBelovedSmother}}other or [[OverprotectiveDad father]], who don't suggest or won't let them to get a job and move out, enabling their laziness or dependence instead. Maybe they were never taught any responsibility growing up, and now that they're adults, it's too late and they're set in their ways. Maybe they're a SpoiledBrat who's learned to manipulate their parents into doing what they want, and the parents came to the conclusion that it's just easier to indulge them than to fight about it. Or maybe they just didn't want to [[MommasBoy leave the nest]]. Maybe they've been [[MeddlingParents intentionally secluded]] from learning about the world. Or they grew up as a neglected orphan without a proper education or any guidance towards adult life. Maybe their parents simply failed to teach them how to do things like cook for themselves, keep their home clean, balance the checkbook, make and stick to a budget, [[DoomItYourself do minor home repairs]], or change a tire. Maybe they were ''literally'' RaisedByWolves. Maybe it's the result of brain damage, [[AmbiguousDisorder an intellectual disability or developmental disorder]], or something [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil sinister]]. Perhaps they just never had [[InnocenceLost a life-changing moment]] involving [[DeathByNewberyMedal a shotgun and a beloved pet]]. Maybe it's just a form of MarsAndVenusGenderContrast, or they live in a society with certain gender roles, where one sex is expected to be [[CloserToEarth the responsible one]], and the other is not expected to be (and is not always ''taught'' to be). Who can say?

The character is almost AlwaysMale. 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 TheIngenue, the GenkiGirl, 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 TheIngenue; the manchild's immaturity and lack of outward adult behavior is emphasized as being a bad thing versus being an emphasized good thing like TheIngenue's purity and idealism. This is also because of the DoubleStandard most societies have, which exist for various reasons, where they [[MenAreTheExpendableGender expect more from men]] than [[MenActWomenAre they do from women]]. On the BrainChain, the Man Child occupies a space between The CloudCuckoolander and TheDitz, but without necessarily becoming TheFool. He usually does not have TheFool's [[BornLucky luck]], but he doesn't necessarily play the role of the ButtMonkey either. Although the Man-Child is commonly portrayed as being mentally challenged, he does not necessarily have to be. In many cases, the character may be very intelligent, and even leave the [[WideEyedIdealist idealism]] aside and be very shrewd in business or career, but this only throws him deep in the UncannyValley when others [[PsychopathicManchild find out his emotional immaturity]]. Alternatively, his childlike qualities/way of thinking, when intelligently applied, can be a ''basis'' for his success as a businessman, in which case he's also TheWonka.

* In Music/BarryLouisPolisar's "I Don't Wanna go to School", a certain Tommy hides under his covers and whines to his mother about not wanting to go to school, even though he's the Principal. His mother understandably tells him to grow up.

* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': ZigZagged by [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonTitansAndOtherCreatures San]], true to his rather childlike behavior among Ghidorah's three heads in ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019''. He's genuinely inquisitive and can often be very childlike even though he's an eons-old former piece of a DraconicAbomination, but besides being cute, this also highlights San's DarkAndTroubledPast of being abused and starved of affection by his brothers (Ghidorah's other two heads) for billions of years. On the other hand, when San isn't being playful and childlike, he's very much capable of being serious and responsible.

* The late Music/MichaelJackson is often said to be one. As a child, he was unable to participate in normal childhood activities due to having a demanding [[StageMom Stage Dad]]. As an adult, he engaged in childish pursuits like building a personal amusement park in his home, Neverland Ranch (whose name also connotes this trope).

* Serizawa in the ''Manga/MobPsycho100'' fanfic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/19325998/chapters/45971371 Man Child]]'' He doesn't have the first clue how to take care of himself after breaking free from Claw...or so it seems. It's revealed later on that this has all been an act to get closer to Reigen.

** ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': Saber is, we are told, not actually fifteen; after receiving her sword [[spoiler:and becoming KingArthur]], she didn't age over the next ten years, and she's really in her twenties. Not only does nobody mention how strange it is for her to have a romance with the seventeen year old main character, but she's as naive emotionally as a real fifteen year old, which is {{Hand Wave}}d by claiming that [[spoiler:as the king]] she had no personal life, or more specifically, she spent so much time [[TheStoic keeping her emotions bottled away for the greater good]] that being put into a situation where she actually uses them leaves her vulnerable, not helped by the fact that her romance with the main character is one of the first times [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove she legitimately felt romantic love for somebody else]].

** Taiga pretty much epitomizes this being irresponsibility, lazy and rude. Her life goal is to just laze around and mooch off Shirou.

* The brothers Arbuckle in ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' both have problems with this. Jon sometimes regresses to thumb-sucking and tantrum-throwing when he gets emotionally vulnerable. Doc Boy still needs his SecurityBlanket to sleep, childishly teased Jon when the latter got a girlfriend and was shown in the Christmas special to get a toy airplane as a present. Both also show childish happiness at hearing the same Christmas story read to them every year and opening presents. There seems to be an element of nurture to their behavior, as their mother still sees them as her little boys and treats them as such. In his more self-aware moments, Jon makes attempts to grow out of this, but StatusQuoIsGod dooms his efforts.