Line #160 Main/AdorablyPrecociousChild


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11	This kid may not have even hit puberty yet, but acts as if always preoccupied with responsibility. They work hard at whatever they do and treat things seriously, [[PingPongNaivete but every once in a while they do indeed act like a kid (and hate the subsequent teasing)]]. Usually not taken too seriously by anyone and hate being treated like a kid by adults, even if they secretly like the attention.
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13	Often their family situation is problematic. They might be a [[OnlyChildSyndrome lonely only child]], although they could also have a [[CoolBigSis big]] [[OneeSama sister]] [[AloofBigBrother or]] [[BigBrotherMentor brother]] they respect and admire. The Adorably Precocious Child can attach to the closest adult who lets them, creating an IntergenerationalFriendship, and often finding a ParentalSubstitute. This is especially common if they're also a BrattyHalfPint. Sometimes this works in reverse, and the adult character may have to defend themselves against [[MistakenForPedophile unwholesome comments]] by other characters by insisting they're LikeBrotherAndSister, or, more often, explain that the child is LikeASonToMe, or even a ReplacementGoldfish for a dead relative.
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15	Compare with CheerfulChild, InnocentProdigy or WiseBeyondTheirYears; contrast TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior. Sometimes also a TokenMiniMoe. See also KidsRaidingTheWineCabinet and EntertainmentAboveTheirAge.
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17	%% NOTE: This trope was [[Administrivia/FormerTropeNamer formerly named]] "Cute [[Anime/{{Gigantor}} Shotaro]] Boy", but was changed due to widespread misuse as any "[[{{Moe}} cute little boy]]". If you find any of this, edit immediately.
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19	!!Examples
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21	[[foldercontrol]]
22
23	[[folder:Animation]]
24	* Masha from ''Animation/MashaAndTheBear'' is said to be ''3 years old'' and yet she can perform daunting tasks and speak properly.
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
28	%%* ''Manga/AngelSanctuary'' has Metatron as this. Yes, [[Literature/TheBible that Metatron]].
29	* Chiyo Mihama from ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh''. She's always in a good mood, very childish and cute as a button...yet also always knows the answers, helps her (high school) classmates, and is more mature than many of them. She definitely fits the "precocious" part, since she's a ChildProdigy who was smart enough to [[GradeSkipper skip several grades]] and start high school at 10 years old.
30	* ''Manga/BlackButler'': Ciel Phantomhive is a more dark take on the trope. The reason he acts serious and mature is the trauma he endured through losing his parents, and being kidnapped and tortured by cultists. He's now a driven, if jaded, Earl and owner of his own toy and candy company while he searches for the culprits in said torture.
31	* Hitsugaya Toshirou of ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' also seems to suffer from this, except that a lot of people in the story do treat him seriously, because he's in a position of authority. Although he's ReallySevenHundredYearsOld, he still suffers from this because the rest of the characters he works with are even ''older''.
32	* Though he's 13 (and then 14), Riku from ''Anime/BloodPlus'' looks younger. He also acts much older, too.
33	* Yukio from ''Manga/BlueExorcist'' has forced himself into this to protect his brother. Though he is now a teen, he still qualifies as he is way more mature than the other characters of his age and in a higher position. [[spoiler: Recent revelations has turned this into a SubvertedTrope as Yukio is in no way actually mature or, to say the least, [[{{Jerkass}} cute]] either.]]
34	* Syaoran Li from ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'', the 10[=/=]11-year-old rival-turned-love-interest who tries so hard to be serious and no-nonsense and mature (and for the most part does passably, keeping pace with Sakura in the capturing of Clow Cards in the earlier seasons and even living on his own in the manga continuity), but is still too small and cute for this to be truly effective, especially since he breaks out in [[LuminescentBlush a bright blush]] the second he's complimented or shown affection.
35	* ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' has the Platelets. As actual platelet cells are far smaller than most other cells, they are depicted as a team of small children that reconstruct areas of the town after injury. Although their small size can be an inconvenience, they are otherwise both highly-committed to and highly-skilled at their job.
36	* In ''Manga/DNAngel'', there's the main character, Daisuke, and his rival, TroubledButCute Satoshi. Daisuke acts closer to the typical version, whereas Satoshi is a [[WiseBeyondTheirYears Wise Beyond His Years]] college graduate (despite being only 14).
37	* As a kid, Goku from ''Franchise/DragonBall'' as well as his sons Gohan and Goten. Trunks from the main timeline also counts.
38	* Naota from ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'', an entire ''series'' based around him trying to act adult (to be a good ReplacementGoldfish for his big brother) and being mocked for lapsing into childish behavior.
39	* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'': Hiro Sohma, being an actual middle schooler (Momiji is a high-schooler who looks like a middle schooler) who is clearly much more responsible than his mother and gets extremely offended any time he thinks someone is treating him like a child.
40	%%* ''Anime/{{Gigantor}} / Tetsujin-28 go'' Shotaro Kaneda
41	* Protagonist Niina from ''Manga/HajimariNoNiina'': only 10, but with a very mature outlook on life as a result of being the reincarnation of a 16-year-old girl.
42	* ''Manga/HanaukyoMaidTeam''. Taro is only 14 years old but tries his best to act in a responsible manner as head of the Hanaukyo family, including looking after the maids' welfare. Although the maids technically are under his orders, they at least influence what he does most of the time and sometimes (as in head Security maid Konoe Tsurugi's case) try to order him around.
43	* ''Manga/HareGuu'': Haré has to take care of his [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl drunken partying mom]] ([[AbsurdlyYouthfulMother who is only in her 20s]]) and as the straight man ends up being driven crazy by Guu's craziness.
44	* 13-year-old Wataru from ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'' fits both the acting hard-working and responsible (he does pretty much run the head branch of his family's video rental franchise) and MouthyKid aspects of the trope. He doesn't have a big sister, although his maid [[CuteClumsyGirl Saki]] does fill the role.
45	** If Hayate wasn't just a bit too old to qualify, he would probably be the poster-child of this trope. The levels of {{Moe}} that boy radiates are ''staggering''.
46	* Shippo in ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'' is the equivalent age for a young kitsune and, despite being a crybaby at times, often takes delight in being more emotionally mature than Inuyasha himself.
47	* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'': BarrierWarrior Yuuno Scrya is a 9 years old archeologist and magic prodigy, the latter to the point of not even requiring a device to ''[[ExcuseMeWhileIMultitask fend off Vita while he's analysing the magic prison spell they're in to find a way out]]''.
48	* Usso Evin in ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam '', who is the second youngest Franchise/{{Gundam}} protagonist at the tender age of 13 but also lived mostly alone and takes care of/is friends with the even younger 11 year old shakti. He [[GrandTheftPrototype hijacks]] a mobile suit mid-air singlehandedly for himself, and has to be blackmailed (in a way) to pilot the titular Gundam. In a aversion of this trope, people only make fun of him when he's being childish since whenever he's being serious... well, [[DarkerAndEdgier it's not funny.]]
49	* Negi Springfield of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' was the basic polite version earlier on in the manga, while Kotaro Inugami is more of a MouthyKid. Both of them, however, are extremely capable on their own. Due to GenreShift and liberal use of magical age-up pills, Negi has this trope more or less [[BreakTheCutie beaten out of him]] by various physical and emotional trauma by the midpoint of the story, although he hasn't been broken of the habit entirely.
50	* 11-year old Takashi from ''Manga/{{Nicoichi}}'' is not only adorable but as a result of his fine upbringing, also very responsible and can easily lead an independent life by himself.
51	* [[spoiler:Ebisu]]'s reincarnation in ''Manga/{{Noragami}}'' is this to a tee, having a strong understanding of Japan's economy and be empathetic to the needs of humanity while still being incredibly innocent and naive. Being a God of Fortune (specifically merchants) and have his Shinkis at his disposal, this shouldn't be hard for him.
52	* Boo from ''Anime/NowAndThenHereAndThere'' is adorable, loyal, protective, loving, responsible, mature, kind, innocent (but not for long), and realistic. He's also a child soldier, forced to fight in a mad king's army. The responsibility on his shoulders is staggering. Doesn't have a CoolBigSis, but latches onto the series' EnsembleDarkHorse, even [[spoiler: taking a bullet for him]].
53	* Rebecca "Becky" Miyamoto, the protagonist of the wacky series ''Anime/PaniPoniDash'' is the adorable homeroom teacher of Class 1-C, who somehow graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (whose name she's barely able to pronounce, no less.) at the age of 10 and somehow received a job at Japanese high school soon after, and also has long multi-colored hair, an adorable cry when she's scared or hurt, and often teaches her students in a lab coat that goes all the way to her ankles[[note]]after failing to be taken seriously in a gothic lolita dress in episode 2[[/note]].
54	* ''Anime/PanzerWorldGalient'': TheHero Jordy Volder is a surprisingly focused and capable fighter, considering the fact that he's merely ''[[KidHero 12 years-old]]''.
55	* Mamoru Shimesu in ''Anime/PhantomQuestCorp''. He actually runs the company, the contacts, the finances, etc. while his boss Ayaka spends their funds on booze. He has a very stressful job.
56	* ''Manga/PokemonHorizon'': Mana is an 8 year old trainer who can fight with her Rowlett.
57	** Raiha Uesugi of ''Manga/TheQuintessentialQuintuplets''. She's well aware of her family's financial state, and she handles the cooking and housework (despite her young age, she's actually very good a it). Her brother Fuutarou comments that she often holds back on asking for things she wants, and he actually spends his first tutoring paycheck on taking her to an arcade simply so she can act like a child for once.
58	* Ken in ''Anime/PowerpuffGirlsZ'' is one of these kids, and swings from being a ChildProdigy to being plain dorky, and the three Powerpuff Girls will often treat him like their cute younger brother (though they are not related to each other). Ken is an only child, living with his father (Professor Utonium) in Tokyo Laboratory, while his mother is an astronaut on the International Space Station.
59	* Jim Hawkings in ''Manga/OutlawStar'', who is clearly the more mature of the group between him and his "aniki" Gene.
60	* ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'''s Mitsuru Tsuwabuki, who is constantly bending to Nanami's every whim and taking care of her business, takes the desire to be treated like an adult to extremes -- [[spoiler:his rants during the Mikage Seminar and his duel with Utena border on the AxCrazy. "I want to become an adult and wreck the whole world! Wreck it!" "You become an adult by destroying other adults!" Or something to that effect.]]
61	* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'': Yahiko. Turns into more of a CuteBruiser by the end of the series, to the point that he gets his own sakabato and a lot more responsibility in the epilogue.
62	* An oddly disturbing example is found in the titular protagonist of ''Literature/TheSagaOfTanyaTheEvil'', who is a ruthless [[ItsAllAboutMe self-serving]] BloodKnight and a ''very'' CreepyChild... and is also an adorable 10-year-old girl with blonde hair, azure eyes, and porcelain skin, who so happens to be a natural leader and powerful mage. Tanya sometimes uses this to ''her advantage'', to get rival commanders to underestimate her, among any other uses she may need to act cute for, even if she loathes every second of it. On one memorable occasion, she wanted to attack an enemy munitions factory, but ethical guidelines required her to first announce on an international channel her intention of attacking the factory so civilian workers would have time to evacuate... but she broadcast her warning in the ''cutest'' voice she could muster, so everyone would think it was some kind of prank, and nobody evacuated, and she went ahead and blew up the factory with everyone still inside.
63	* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'':
64	** Shingo Tsukino is like this (when he's not slipping into AnnoyingYoungerSibling mode). He's highly intelligent, much more mature than his sister, and manages to charm quite a few ladies over the course of the series (both older and younger than him).
65	** Chibiusa (Rini) is a sad version of this (when she's not acting like a BrattyHalfPint); due to circumstances in her future, she has to grow up fast and act mature for her age.
66	* ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' has Majiru, Nozomu's nephew, who looks to be around 7-9 and sorta looks like a mini version of Nozomu. A bit snarky/mouthy, but still cute. He's not actually responsible for anything, but he acts very mature and sophisticated for his age. And he & [[{{Hikikomori}} Kiri Komori]] seem to be developing [[NoYay feelings for each other]].
67	* While not part of one of the three main stories, ''Manga/SekaiichiHatsukoi'' has Hiyori from the spin-off novel "Yokozawa Takafumi no Baai". Multiple characters, but especially Yokozawa himself point out several times that she is pretty mature for a ten year old. Justified since her dad is busy with work and a total clutz at home, so she is mostly responsible for the household. She has instances where she is a normal kid though (even though she greatly dislikes when people point it out).
68	* Ryuu from ''Manga/SnowWhiteWithTheRedHair'' is 12 years old, and a full-fledged court pharmacist at the royal palace the story mostly takes place in. He takes helping his patients fairly seriously, though they [[IntelligenceEqualsIsolation tend to see him as a]] CreepyChild.
69	* Sui Takishima, from ''Manga/SpecialA''. Seeing as his big brother is basically perfect, it takes some persuasion by Hikari before Sui decides to actually do something. Once he ''does'', however, he's almost as stuck up as Kei.
70	* Makoto from ''Manga/WanderingSon'' is only around 10 at the start of the story but is remarkably mature for her age, even compared to the other characters.
71	* Deconstructed in ''Anime/YokaiWatch'' with a yo-kai that makes a bunch of fifth graders put on airs. No one finds this behavior cute. It's considered annoying when kids try to act grown-up.
72	* Mokuba Kaiba from the (second) ''Anime/YuGiOh'' anime. A clear case of {{Bowdlerization}}, since in the [[Manga/YuGiOh original manga]] he qualifies more as an EnfantTerrible (but responsible, for that). His big sister is a big brother.
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Comic Books]]
76	* Gabby of ''ComicBook/AllNewWolverine''. She's the 13-year-old clone of ComicBook/{{X 23}}, a mutant like her with a HealingFactor and WolverineClaws, trained to be a killer, and is ridiculously intelligent and very adult in how she reacts to the world. And then she turns around and gushes about making a costume for her pet wolverine both to protect his identity ''and'' because it's adorable. She also does her hair in barrettes, and wears big, chunky pink tennis shoes.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
80	* In an early comic strip from ''ComicStrip/TheBoondocks'', Huey Freeman, a little black boy who is also a radical leftist activist, encounters a little old white lady. The old woman calls him adorable, but Huey is offended by this remark, and tries to rant about how he's not cute. But she ignores all of his points.
81	[[/folder]]
82
83	[[folder:Fan Works]]
84	* ''Roleplay/ProjectionQuest'' gives us Mem, a Shikigami/Youkai made from [[WebAnimation/RWBY Long Memory]]. She often reminds people that she is a thousands-year-old cane, but appears as (and acts like) a ten-year-old child who happens to know a lot about magic.
85	* In [[https://www.deviantart.com/slifofinadragon SlifofinaDragon]]'s ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' fanfics, UsefulNotes/DateMasamune and [[UsefulNotes/SanadaYukimura Sanada]] [[MisterSeahorse Yukimura]]'s seven year old grandson Tsukitora (mothered by their son Masa and fathered by the [[PosthumousCharacter late]] Oyamada Nobushige) has memorized some magic by [[HotWitch Kyogoku Maria]] and is ungoing through some ninja training from [[BigBrotherMentor Sarutobi]] [[UsefulNotes/SarutobiSasuke Sasuke]], and is shown to be quite cute in [[https://www.deviantart.com/misakiyu misakiyu]]'s illustrations.
86	* [[PlayerCharacter Chara]] in ''VideoGame/TSUnderswap''. They have a dry and sometimes [[LittleMissSnarker sassy]] running commentary, take notes in their journal on the monsters they encounter along with illustrating the monsters with crayon drawings, and their sprite has open eyes but a neutral expression like the Human Child's, giving them an earnest, serious look at all times, even when sitting on a bench and childishly swinging their legs back and forth. It gets extra adorable if you equip the Cowboy Hat that Chara is under the impression makes them "look tough", since they wear it in the overworld too and make a point of carefully taking it off for naps and putting it back on when it gets knocked off their head.
87	* ''Fanfic/FateRevelationOnline'':
88	** The avatar that Ilya originally made for Shirou, deliberately designed to match his real life appearance when younger, makes him seem like this while it lasts.
89	** Agatha, the NPC on the fifth-floor quest. [[spoiler:She's based on Sakura Matou as a child and Kirito [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom hands her over to Zolgen, who's based on Zouken]]. "Ellis Bell" brings her along when he gives Shirou a quest to move them to the 25th floor.]]
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91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
94	* In ''WesternAnimation/FrozenII'', when Elsa conjures ice toys for the kids in Arendelle, a little girl asks Elsa for a sextant (Elsa is surprised but manages to do it).
95	* ''WesternAnimation/TheBossBabyFamilyBusiness'' has Tim Templeton's daughter, Tabitha, who is naturally smart and gifted and which is emphasized even further by her attending an ultra-advanced school.
96	* Tip from ''WesternAnimation/Home2015'' is quite mature for a young teen and often acts as the adult between her and her mother.
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
100	* Morgan Stark from ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' is heavily implied to be a prodigious tech genius as, while most girls her age are playing with dolls and stumbling through a jumbo puzzle, Morgan explores the garage, plays with her mother's high tech battle helmet and enjoys watching her father work and otherwise proves to be a bit more advanced than most 4 year-olds, all on top of being tooth-achingly cute. Then again she is a child of Tony Stark, one of the smartest people in the Marvel universe so it was going to be a given.
101	* Kevin in the first two ''Film/HomeAlone'' films is brilliant but not too wordy.
102	* ''Film/TheHunter'': Sass wears pink in most of her scenes and is an earnest and innocent CheerfulChild despite some WiseBeyondTheirYears moments.
103	* ''Film/JerryMaguire'': Ray Boyd, the bespectacled 5-year-old son of Jerry’s work colleague, Dorothy.
104	-> '''Ray''': Did you know the human head weighs eight pounds?
105	* The titular protagonist of ''Film/KidDetective2020'' had a detective agency as a child, which the adults around him thought was very cute.
106	* ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'': Cute? Young? Super-Serious? Doesn't like to be treated like a kid? Family problems? Relationship with an older girl? ''Anakin Skywalker!'' Only in the first prequel, since ''Attack of the Clones'' takes place around ten years later and he's grown, well, quite a bit, like at least three feet.
107	%%* Creator/MaraWilson made a career out of playing this character in the 1990s.
108	[[/folder]]
109
110	[[folder:Literature]]
111	* OlderThanTelevision: The trope goes at least as far back to the detective novels of Edogawa Rampo (1894-1965, real name Hirai Tarou), whose protagonist Kogoro Akechi was frequently aided by the "junior detective" Yoshio Kobayashi. According to Wikipedia: "Kobayashi was written as a perfect young teenager who, some might say, had a [[HoYay strong 'dependency']] on Mr. Akechi. Every time he appeared, he was either worried about Akechi's well-being or helping Akechi set the trap for criminals. On the numerous occasions that the boy was captured, Akechi swooped in for a timely rescue."
112	* Eoin Colfer's book ''Literature/TheSupernaturalist'' involved a 'kid' called Ditto who was ReallySevenHundredYearsOld -- okay, in his early twenties -- but as he was a naturally-immature adult he occasionally cracked.
113	* Eoin Colfer also brings us Literature/ArtemisFowl, who at the beginning of the series is a twelve-year-old evil genius who plans to rebuild the Fowl family fortune using fairy gold. Adults are always nonplussed at his mannerisms and speech patterns, and his mother wants him to act like a normal kid.
114	* Czeslaw Meyer of ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'' deliberately tries to cultivate this image, despite being ReallySevenHundredYearsOld. He claims he isn't used to being treated any other way.
115	* Markl from the movie of ''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle''. He's generally more mature than his mentor, Howl, and yet still young enough to freak when a girl threatens to clean his room.
116	** Better yet, [[spoiler:Howl's child disguise]] in the new sequel, ''House of Many Ways'', fits this trope to a tee, as ''not only'' does he speak with an exaggerated lisp, but also is described to be [[CheerfulChild ultimately cherubic with golden curls, adorable puppy-fat, and a lot of lace]]. It's even more ridiculous when [[spoiler:his reasoning for adopting a jailbait disguise is simply because he had a horrid childhood (or so he says, Sophie immediately denounces him as a liar) and he has every right to relive being six years old... only prettier.]] But [[spoiler:because it is only a ruse]], he manages to surprise the main character, Charmain, into speechlessness when he drops all pretenses and acts very adult and down-to-business.
117	* ''Literature/ThisSideOfParadise'': As a child, Amory Blaine has a taste for fashion and was quite insightful as seen when he completely understands his mother when she was stressed and recognize her flaws unlike most children and once talked in reminiscent detail about famous musicians such as Mozart and Beethoven. His mother would end up bragging about how sophisticated, charming, and delicate he is to a room full of women who were in awe of it.
118	* Olver from ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' fits this trope in-universe despite being described as downright ugly in the books. It probably has to do with when he follows his BigBrotherMentor Mat around to watch his back and tries to mimic the Warders.
119	%%* Otto in ''Literature/SomeoneElsesWar'' is this trope [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggerated]].
120	* In ''Literature/OneCoolFriend'', Elliot is a sharply dressed and bright little boy with impeccable manners, who's not interested in the exhibits at the aquarium that are popular (and crowded) with children, but he still has a childish innocence that excuses him from stealing an animal from an aquarium exhibit.
121	* ''Literature/LessonsInChemistry'': Madeline is humming Bach concertos and reading Dickens at the age of kindergarten, but she takes care not to stick out too much. She even takes it upon herself to dig up her late father's family history.
122	[[/folder]]
123
124	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
125	* Sheldon Cooper in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' was certainly a precocious child, skipping middle and high school practically altogether and going straight to university aged about twelve. From the recollections of his mother and others, ''adorable'' was, however, debatable and a matter of opinion. He would appear, in context, to have had a lot in common with Ruth Lawrence. (see ''Real Life'', below.) The spin-off series ''Series/YoungSheldon'' expands on this and gives us a picture of the life and family of Sheldon Cooper, aged nine.
126	--> The good Lord never gives you more than you can handle. My other two children were as dumb as soup.
127	* Nicki Reagan on ''Series/BlueBloods'' is in middle school when the series started, but dresses and behaves like a thirty-two year old. She isn't cowed by any of the Reagans, regardless of age, and seems to view herself as the matriarch of the family.
128	* Doctor Sweets of ''{{Series/Bones}}''. He's the youngest member of the team and cannot get himself taken seriously because of it, tends to lapse into SophisticatedAsHell mid psych-babble, looks up to the two main characters as [[ParentalSubstitute Parental Substitutes]], and is all around dorky but cute.
129	* Lyanna Mormont from ''Series/GameOfThrones''. Lyanna is the young Lady of Bear Island and has acted as [[AChildShallLeadThem the head of House Mormont]] of Bear Island ever since the death of her mother, Maege Mormont. Incredibly stern, stoic, and totally 100% adorable.
130	-->'''Lyanna Mormont:''' We are not a large house, but we are a proud one, and every man from Bear Island fights with the strength of ten mainlanders.\
131	'''Davos Seaworth:''' If they're half as ferocious as their lady, the Boltons are doomed.
132	* ''Series/Girls5eva'': Parodied with the concept of the "New York lonely boy": a young boy who, because he's [[OnlyChildSyndrome an only child]], makes friends with doormen, enjoys going to the bookstore, watches documentaries, listens to Creator/{{NPR}} every day, and gets niche hobbies.
133	* French sitcom ''Series/LesFillesDaCote'' gives us Wendy, the six year old daughter of central character [[TheDitz Fanny]], whose role in the series is to be precocious, adorable, and to Lampshade where Maman and her two adoptive ''tantes'' get it wrong.
134	* ''Series/LetTheRightOneIn'': Eleanor seems this way to people unaware of her true age, acting and speaking older than the girl of twelve she apparently is. That's because she's a vampire who's chronologically twenty two.
135	* Tim and Heather's youngest daughter Sophia astounds her parents with her intelligence in ''Series/LifeInPieces''. Tim has a hard time reconciling the fact that his daughter's so smart yet hadn't figured out that Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy weren't real until someone told her.
136	* ''Series/NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'': Claire, or, as she always introduces herself, "Claire Sawyer, Future Lawyer," is a middle school student who, as her name indicates, already has serious plans to become an attorney. She wears a pencil skirt and blazer (or, occasionally, a [[LadyInAPowerSuit power suit]]) to school every day, carries a briefcase, and has business cards, which she passes out as she represents her classmates in "cases" against each other or the faculty. Claire very much falls into TheComicallySerious, with her maturity and stoicism being both weird and endearing.
137	* ''Series/OddSquad'': Nearly every single employee of Odd Squad fits the trope to a T. They're children, but are more sane, more intelligent, and more reasonable than the idiotic and sometimes criminal adults of the world.
138	* ''Series/ResidentAlien'': Sahar is remarkably responsible and serious for her age, helping Max in his bid to expose Harry as being an alien. Though she does act like a kid as well, it's part of her charm.
139	* ''Series/ShakeItUp'':
140	** Flynn Jones. He handwaves that he's "the only responsible person around here", and even got a model to like him, saying he's adorable.
141	** Flynn's friend Henry Dillon: he's a ChildProdigy and InsufferableGenius but is much more naive than Flynn.
142	* ''Series/ShesGottaHaveIt'': Opal's daughter Sky is very well-spoken, sounding like a little adult although she's only seven or so. She [[LampshadeHanging lampshades it]], even using the word for herself. Nola finds her charming and is amused when she chides her mom over eating meat, as she's a vegan.
143	[[/folder]]
144
145	[[folder:Theatre]]
146	* ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'':
147	** Peggy Schuyler in "The Schuyler Sisters" who manages to bring up that the upcoming war isn't going to be a bed of roses; that strife will come to American shores and their father may end up in danger by wanting to join the fight. Angelica and Eliza override her with optimism about how the revolution means new ideas and excitement, but Peggy makes quite a good point.
148	** Philip Hamilton as well; he concocts a rather cute rhyme for his ninth birthday and is studying French and musical scales with his mother.
149	[[/folder]]
150
151	[[folder:Video Games]]
152	* The ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' character Pearl -- despite being eight -- speaks in a formal, verbose manner, and rarely takes anything lightly. This comes of spending her whole life in the archaic Fey compound, isolated from everyone but her (much older) family members[[spoiler:-one of whom was deliberately grooming Pearl to be the next Fey leader]]. Still, she has a child's changeable emotions, naivete, and tendency to {{Squee}}.
153	* Carl Clover from ''Franchise/BlazBlue'', despite being just a kid, is a {{vigilante\|Man}} that has captured many criminals with the help of Nirvana. He always talks in a very professional matter and dislikes being treated as a kid. His attitude does hide a rather vulnerable side of him, though.
154	* ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'':
155	** Taro of ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2\|Cursed Memories}}'' is a fairly straight example, though a bit of a CloudCuckoolander. He's sweet and more mature than one would expect and is absolutely adorable. He's not taken very seriously by anyone, though.
156	** There's also Emizel in ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 4\| A Promise Unforgotten}}'', although extremely young (for a demon), he's attempting to fill the role of GrimReaper for his father. People don't take him seriously at all, but that's more because he's terrible at his job than his age. He's also clearly being played for cute, thanks to his bow tie and shorts.
157	* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'': During the first act, the main character is a cute but serious, committed and responsible kid who has been travelling with his father all over the world to find his disappeared mother. His son Parry is only an eight-year-old kid, but he has to deal with the responsibilities of being a prince, looking for his disappeared parents, and being the Chosen One. Parry's twin sister Madchen tends to take her role as a princess even more seriously.
158	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
159	** Shinra from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2''. He's a kid genius and often the least emotional of the Gullwings. A bit unusual in that he is wearing a suit that covers him completely, including his face.
160	** Hope of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' becomes this with character development. Although played for cute all along, he's a BrattyHalfPint at game open, but he's become very mature for his age by the time the game ends.
161	* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
162	** Rolf from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' certainly qualifies often putting a tough front despite being very sensitive and sweet.
163	** Sothe qualifies once we learn his backstory: he's been looking after and protecting Micaiah for years despite being younger than her.
164	** Both genders of Kana qualify for this in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', though the Male qualifies for this slightly more. Due to growing up in the [[YearOutsideHourInside Deeprealms]], they hate being seen as a child and work to contribute to the army in the best way they can... while simultaneously still being a DaddysGirl / MommasBoy at the end of the day, with a major need for affection and huge imagination like other children.
165	** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' introduces Lysithea von Ordelia. The youngest student in the academy? Check. Incredible magic skill? Check. A hardworking, responsible personality? Check. Putting on a mask of maturity and outward sternness? Check. Occasionally indulging in kid-like antics such as [[GeniusSweetTooth stuffing herself with sweets]]? Check. Dislike of being called a child? ''Check.''
166	* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'':
167	** Another adorable and confusing nerd is Rief from ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn''. While his age is ambiguous, his appearance, [[VoiceGrunting voice squeaks]], and behavior all suggest that he is on the young side of ''Golden Sun'''s traditional {{Kid Hero}}es.
168	** Though [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter she didn't get much screentime or character development]], [[TokenMiniMoe Himi]] probably also qualifies due to her precognitive powers giving her a wealth of knowledge to draw from, and she's expressly described as "not much older" than the little kids playing in her hometown.
169	** Thirty years prior to them in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'', Eoleo was a dorky-looking toddler too young to talk, but not too young to fake crying to throw off attention, experiment with his new Psynergy powers, ''break his father out of prison'', and reason that Felix can solve the traps in Treasure Island that had the pirates stumped. And when addressed telepathically through Mind Read, he had a perplexing case of LittleProfessorDialogue.
170	* Pierre from ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' would be an almost archetypal example, between his cute, childish appearance, and his mature, sophisticated behavior... Except for that fact that no-one ever fails to take him seriously, even though he looks younger than every other character that's ''not'' explicitly a small child.
171	* Riku from ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' was extremely perceptive and insightful at five years old, able to immediately spot an off-worlder and give Sora outstanding advice about a complicated issue.
172	* Culotte of ''VideoGame/LaPucelle''. He's generally much more mature than his PromotedToParent big sister, and hates being treated like a child. He's also ''adorable.''
173	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
174	** Link definitely qualifies. None of his reincarnations are older than 16, some as young as 12, but he has no trouble taking the whole "fate of the world" thing in stride. Same goes for the younger Zeldas, who are always preoccupied with the protection of Hyrule even if they're not old enough to rule it yet.
175	** Pamela in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' is an adorable little girl with YouthfulFreckles who locks her father in the closet during his SlowTransformation into a [[{{Mummy}} Gibdo]] and refuses to open the door for anyone to prevent the Gibdos outside from taking him away. After Link returns him to normal, she says she'll try to convince him to leave the dangerous Ikana Canyon go back to Clock Town.
176	** [[AChildShallLeadThem Riju]] from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. Losing her mother and taking her place as Chief of the Gerudo at such a young age forced her to grow up fast, yet she does a remarkably good job of it, and she also displays a knowledge of the LostTechnology of the Sheikah almost as good as that of the Sheikah themselves. She still [[GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals plays with stuffed animals]], though, something she'll be embarrassed about if you catch her doing it.
177	* The professor's boy assistant Luke Triton from ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton.'' Acts mature? Check. Isn't always taken seriously? Check. Played for cute? So very much check.
178	* Laphicet from ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'', once he's allowed to break out of his shell and emote, is quite curious about the natural phenomenon of the world. The kid risks his life for a compass!
179	* Genis from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' qualifies very much. He's [[WiseBeyondTheirYears dang mature]] and can even be a DeadpanSnarker when he feels up to it.
180	* Ken Amada from ''VideoGame/Persona3'' seems like a typical one of these at first. He acts unusually mature and serious, and isn't taken all that seriously by the older party members. However, it's later revealed that [[spoiler:he joined SEES so he could exact revenge on his mother's killer]]. After which point, he becomes a retroactive Deconstruction, as all his earlier attempt to appear mature can be viewed as unhealthy coping mechanisms, and even by ''VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax'', where he's in his early teens, Ken laments that his trauma prevented him from having a real childhood.
181	* Bugsy from ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', one of the youngest Gym Leaders in the series, but also one very dedicated researcher. And while he's always deep into his research (bug Pokémon in the game, ruins in the manga), he sometimes shows a very child-like enthusiasm about what he likes. It also adds to his charm that he's [[ViewerGenderConfusion often confused for a girl]].
182	* Caillou from ''VideoGame/RecettearAnItemShopsTale'' is a good example of this trope. He's a powerful mage, running a serious investigation, but inside he's still just a kid who can't resist candy.
183	* Kiel from ''VideoGame/RuneFactory4'', though he's apparently old enough to marry and thus technically not a "child" in the strictest sense. He certainly looks it, though, and is a bit of a DitzyGenius, reading tons of books but still being naive enough to take everyone at face value, even people he ''knows'' are practical jokers.
184	* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': Silver the Hedgehog, despite being 14 years old, can be considered this too, as he's a young boy who is naive and cute-looking, but repeatedly tries to stop a BadFuture.
185	** Miles "Tails" Prower from Team Sonic, Cream the Rabbit from Team Rose, and Charmy Bee from Team Chaotix, where in the manuals of ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' list their ages to be younger than 10 years old. They however remain cheerful and idealistic in their adventures to stop Dr. Eggman, befitting their age.
186	* Alfred, the adorable younger brother to Maya and a member of the rival gang of Drifters in ''VideoGame/WildArms3''. He's clearly more mature and level-headed than his impulsive, treasure-seeking sister.
187	* Jr. from the ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' series plays with this trope. He's certainly set up to be a typical precocious child, acting far more mature than his tender years would suggest. However, he's generally taken seriously by everyone he meets, and we later learn he's actually pretty immature for his age, seeing as how he's chronologically in his thirties.
188	* ''VideoGame/YesYourGrace'': Princess Cedani is young enough to expect things to turn out like they do in fairytales, and spends the game adopting various animals to train them as agents to help her father in his job.
189	[[/folder]]
190
191	[[folder:Webcomics]]
192	* ''Webcomic/BramAndVlad'': Bram has alrady written four scientific monographs, and he is a precocious 13-years-old genius who inspires some respect. When he is not being a huge dork.
193	* The doctor that treats Shine in ''Webcomic/NextSoundOfTheFuture'' is a [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Kaai Yuki]], an android modelled after the appearance and mannerisms of a little girl, and she tries her hardest to be a stoic professional. She also happens to be a massive fan of [[Music/HatsuneMiku Miku]], with a scrapbook full of autographs and photos of her with some of the top Mikus in the industry, which moves her to waive Shine's medical bill and ask her to sign her book as well.
194	* ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'': Child Emperor is one of the world's top superheroes, and for a good reason: not only is he extremely intelligent, capable of creating all sorts of mechs, but he's also really skilled in hand-to-hand combat when it comes down to it. He's also a master strategist and, ironically, one of the most mature members of the association, despite being one of the youngest. All said, he still has his childish side: hates being treated like a child, can get cocky about his status, gets grumpy whenever he has to get out of school to do hero work, and he's constantly snacking on a lollipop, even in battle.
195	* ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'': Twenty-Fifth Bam is a cute young boy with a talent to befriend people and who '''really''' wants his [[GirlInTheTower best friend back]]. He is very diligent, honest and compassionate, extraordinarily humble and talented. [[spoiler:[[DarkerAndEdgier Jue]] [[TookALevelInBadass Viole]] [[AntiVillain Grace]] on the other hand…]]
196	[[/folder]]
197
198	[[folder:Web Videos]]
199	* ''WebVideo/TheAutobiographyOfJaneEyre'': Adele Rochester works all the time for her futile homework assignment (though she's fond of learning), knows all about art forms of the twentieth century, speaks French, uses Latin in her tweets, has ballet/fencing/opera lessons, plays puzzles competitively, frequents Advanced Marine Zoology courses, went to an Applied Physics boot camp and is a Scout girl. She's very responsible, knows what she wants, and Jane says she kind of tutors herself. As is typical for precocious children, her family situation is complicated, to put it mildly. She surely knows a lot, but sometimes she has troubles to contextualize it and can come off as a weird kid. She's very nice to Jane, who is concerned about her being lonely and neglected by her father.
200	* Both the titular cloud and the girl she befriends in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGdOwPYqQDk Cloud]].
201	[[/folder]]
202
203	[[folder:Western Animation]]
204	* Flip Chan in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingChanAndTheChanClan''. He acts responsible for Mimi, Nancy and Scooter when they're out on the case, and is quite a cute kid.
205	** Mimi and Scooter are no slouches in the cute department, either. Mimi usually pushes her authority on Scooter, who wants to launch head on into the episode's unsolved crime.
206	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': Powder, the girl who would become [[BombThrowingAnarchist Jinx]] years down the line, starts out as an adorably sweet, if somewhat naïve child.
207	* ''WesternAnimation/BadDog'' has Little Vic, the youngest member of the Potanski Family, and the one with whom Berkeley has the closest relationship.
208	* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'', Huey Freeman attends a garden party full of rich white guests. Huey tries to talk about his political conspiracy theories, hoping that it will offend their conservative sensibilities. But instead he gets praised for being such an intelligent and articulate child, which annoys him to no end.
209	* Penny Sanchez of ''WesternAnimation/ChalkZone'', a BespectacledCutie, CuteBookworm, and the hero's best friend. She has been known to give lectures on quantum physics, as well as being the best student in her class.
210	* Kam Chin from ''WesternAnimation/ClassOf3000'' tries to act mature and refined, but he's still the youngest of the kids (along with Kim, his twin sister) and is ultimately NotSoAboveItAll when it comes to the zanier aspects of the series.
211	* Dotty from Hanna-Barbera's 1976 series ''WesternAnimation/ClueClub'' is a pigtailed 13-year old cutie who is highly versed in forensics and technology. She operates from home base partly because she's needed there and team leader Larry says she's too young to join the others. Not that it's stopped her from doing so.
212	* Most of the male KND Operatives in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' ironically do quite a few things you'd expect adults to do (usually when non-villain adults aren't around to notice) and yet the show still maintains the fact they're kids, given the KND is a military organization consisting entirely of children (with some areas in science, politics, etc.) so that would in ways make sense. Oh, and the boy KND Operatives are really adorable, just ask their fangirls.
213	* Gilbert Troodon from ''WesternAnimation/DinosaurTrain'' is very responsible and sensible, despite being no more than eight years old. He often helps his uncle run the Dinosaur Train.
214	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'': Doug Funnie. He's very responsible, though still acts like the average eleven-year-old. He's also one of the so-dorky-they're-cute types.
215	* Amberley of ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'' has shades of this at times. She's noticeably more intelligent than Rufus and unlike him, seems to hold down her job rather competently. Most episodes have her act as a leader or strategist of the two. At times however, her bratty temper flares and she proves rather rambunctious.
216	* Edd "Double D" from ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'', to the point of cleaning his friends with napkins and occasionally scolding their immature behaviour as if he were [[TeamMom their mother.]]
217	%% * Timmy Turner, A.J., Chester and indeed much of the main cast of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' are this.
218	* Mac from ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends''. He's only 8 years old, but is intelligent, usually pretty mature for his age, has his childish moments, and is downright adorable.
219	* Dipper Pines from ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls.'' At twelve, he's the OnlySaneMan, already fancies himself a [[ParanormalInvestigation paranormal investigator]] and is repeatedly trying to befriend the cool older kids, particularly his [[PrecociousCrush crush]], [[CoolBigSis Wendy]]. A mild {{Deconstruction}}, as his arc near the end of the series is learning not to rush adulthood so much ([[{{Foil}} in contrast to]] his [[PolarOppositeTwins twin sister]] [[CloudCuckoolander Mabel]], who becomes afraid of growing up).
220	* [[Characters/HeyArnoldArnoldShortman The titular character]] of ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' OWNS this trope. Acts as if he's preoccupied with responsibility, once had a crush on an older girl (well, she was only two grades ahead), and one of the most adorable kids on the show.
221	* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' has Dib. Only eleven years old but is one of the smartest humans in the show. With feats like hacking government and alien networks with ease, being able to spell while still just a baby... list goes on. He's also one of the few heroic characters on the show and his natural fascination with space is adorable.
222	%% ** His younger sister, Gaz is smart and mature... but adorable wouldn't be a good way to describe her (for some people).
223	* Brainiac 5 in the ''[[WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes2006 Legion of Super Heroes]]'' cartoon was made into this kind of (pre-)TeenGenius for the first season, in contrast to his snarky InsufferableGenius characterization in recent comics.
224	* Orel Puppington of ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'', he's the only one in a corrupt town that has no ill intentions and genuinely loves God and (most) everyone in town.
225	* [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicSpike Spike]], the iconic baby dragon of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', is at least five years younger than the mane cast, but more often than not acts as a StraightMan to their antics, usually showing just as much (if not ''more'') maturity and understanding of a situation. However, he often acts his age, usually when [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E24OwlsWellThatEndsWell jealous]] or [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E10SpikeAtYourService overeager to show results]]. Then again, [[ManChild this is a franchise where the adult characters constantly jump between holding down jobs and excitedly playing Pin-the-Tail-On-the-Donkey]].
226	%% ** Twilight herself was one of these when she was younger.
227	* The eight-year-old Kate from ''WesternAnimation/{{Pelswick}}'' almost acts like the mom of the house, doing such things as trying to manage her father looking for a job and her older brother thinking about higher education.
228	%% * The titular characters of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', ''especially'' Phineas. Baljeet as well.
229	%% * The male members of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' gang. Especially T.J. and Gus. And the female ones. Gretchen is a child prodigy, rather level headed, but having most of the same impulses and naiveté as the rest of the group.
230	* A lot of characters from ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'' don't exactly act their age. Special mention goes to Mitchell Peterson, who is little but made an exact cake replica of Saturn V in one episode.
231	* The appropriately named Precocia Holiday from ''WesternAnimation/TheRomanHolidays''. Having Pamelyn Ferdin as a voice certainly doesn't hurt.
232	* Tricks from ''WesternAnimation/{{Scruff}}'' is a TalkingAnimal version of this trope, being a young Border Collie pup with an easygoing, smart, modest but playful personality.
233	* Peedee Fryman from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse.'' In his debut episode he's gotten a job in [[FamilyBusiness his family's restaurant]] to impress his father, only to [[TheEeyore get depressed]] that he's been stuck with the lame mascot position. In subsequent episodes he's been promoted to deep fryer and seems much happier. His older brother [[ConspiracyTheorist Ronaldo]], on the other hand, [[FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling slacks off and has Peedee cover for him]].
234	%% * Lance from ''WesternAnimation/SymBionicTitan'' was this as a child.
235	* ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' has Kit Cloudkicker, Baloo's right hand bear who, despite only being 12, is a very skilled navigator and has a vast knowledge of planes.
236	* BadassAdorable Omi from ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' acts very mature for his age and takes his job as a monk seriously. Still, he can be interested in fun things he never experienced, like video games and basketball and his lack of social skills makes him naive.
237	* Yugo from ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'' is one of the most emotionally mature, yet earnestly childish examples of this trope.
238	* ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'' has Chloe Park, a preteen girl who is already in college, studying biochemistry. And while she's very smart for her age, that makes her have an easier time making friends with the bears than with college kids. She's also prone to have lapses in judgement appropiate for a child her age.
239	* Robin from ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', though he's thirteen and technically ''juuust'' outside of the proper age range. But since he's the youngest ''and'' the most experienced crime fighter of the six main characters, the effect is pretty much the same. See also: [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Billy Batson]].
240
241	[[/folder]]
242

Context Main / AdorablyPrecociousChild