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1%%
2%%
3%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
4%%
5%%
6%% Image moved here from OneOfTheKids per Image Pickin' thread:
7%% https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1383496051050255400
8%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
9%%
10[[quoteright:286:[[Film/{{Elf}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elf6_1177.jpg]]]]
11[[caption-width-right:286:Don't worry, he's eating according to the four elvish food groups.[[note]] Candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup.[[/note]]]]
12
13->''"Why can't my grandpa act his own age?"''
14-->-- '''Candace Flynn''', ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', "[[Recap/PhineasAndFerbGetThatBigfootOuttaMyFace Get That Bigfoot Outta My Face!]]"
15
16Sometimes people just fail to develop into social or intellectual maturity. Maybe it's due to a very loving but confining {{m|yBelovedSmother}}other or father, who don't suggest or won't let them 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 [[GildedCage 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, 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?
17
18Although the causes might not be clear, the effects are. The Man-Child, a term invented by Creator/WilliamFaulkner, is usually an adult who possesses a very childlike or (stereotypically) childish demeanor. He's emotionally both simple and fragile; he prefers (although does not always ''need'') to have a parent figure to look after him. He usually [[WideEyedIdealist isn't very worldly]] and is typically pretty [[TheIngenue gullible]]. The Man-Child's interests are usually what most people consider to be immature or childish, sometimes even in comparison to actual children.
19
20The 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]]. More contemporary works are increasingly likely to play female examples as unsympathetic (or, at the very least, deeply flawed), with a characterization that is fairly similar - irresponsible, unreliable, unable or unwilling to meet basic adult responsibilities on their own, and dependent on others. When portrayed unsympathetically, female examples are typically more dysfunctional than male examples, as their parasitism is typically aimed at partners (usually viewing them as meal tickets and lifestyle subsidizers, and often cheating on them when they grow bored with them or find a better provider), and they also tend to have more severe mental health issues and are more likely to have serious issues with substances.
21
22On 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 makes him seem creepy 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.
23
24In [[ComedyTropes comedic works]], he usually plays the role of TheDitz. In [[DramaTropes dramatic works]], he could be the JerkWithAHeartOfGold due to his simplicity or immaturity, or the sympathetic character we come to love. Sometimes the Man Child embarks on a late-in-the-day ComingOfAgeStory, which ushers him into true adulthood. Note that usually SexAsRiteOfPassage works only some of the time. In many instances, a Man Child is not necessarily a virgin, but [[AllMenArePerverts only sees sex as a tool of pleasure and does not recognize its emotional significance]]. If he ever gets married, it's likely that [[ParentingTheHusband his wife will end up being a mother-figure not only to their children but to him as well,]] doing all the "emotional labor" needed to keep the household afloat while he just coasts along and drags her into all sorts of wacky hijinks. If he doesn't, there's a good chance that he's a GlorifiedSpermDonor - he very likely knocked up an ex or casual sex partner, but plays no role in the child's life whatsoever, either because he can't or because he won't (quite often both).
25
26Some 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 and mentality of a spoiled child (or teenager). 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]].
27
28OneOfTheKids is related, in where their childishness is caused by spending a lot of time around children. When events will force him to be independent, he will be NotUsedToFreedom.
29
30Does not relate to NeverGrewUp, because they physically did grow up - but never outgrew being attached to immature or childish things or behavior. SisterTrope (perhaps) to AdultsDressedAsChildren, although that trope is almost always played for laughs or borders on the grotesque. Compare {{Keet}}, OneOfTheKids, KiddieKid. For a villainous version, see PsychopathicManchild. Compare BasementDweller. May form a NerdHoard out of items relating to their childish obsessions. Not related to ''Series/{{Manchild}}'', the British TV series, either. Compare and contrast TheThreeFacesOfAdam. Contrast with WiseBeyondTheirYears, where a child acts like an adult. Can overlap with OnlyOneFindsItFun for when the manchild is entertained by children's entertainment that fails to entertain the actual children.
31
32Adult women may reveal such tendencies with the use of the FeminineLegSwish.
33[[noreallife]]
34----
35!!Example subpages:
36
37[[index]]
38* Manchild/AnimeAndManga
39* Manchild/LiveActionFilms
40* Manchild/{{Literature}}
41* Manchild/LiveActionTV
42* Manchild/VideoGames
43* Manchild/WebOriginal
44* Manchild/{{Webcomics}}
45* Manchild/WesternAnimation
46[[/index]]
47
48!!Other examples:
49
50[[foldercontrol]]
51
52[[folder:Asian Animation]]
53* In ''Animation/BoonieBears'', despite being a grown adult, Bramble - the younger of the two bear brothers - acts naive and childish and is easily distracted by food.
54[[/folder]]
55
56[[folder:Comic Books]]
57* Jasmine's father, the sultan, from ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}''. At times he acts very childish, such as collecting toys and getting really excited when riding the carpet. To be fair, at times Jafar is magically controlling the sultan. Things get better when Aladdin breaks Jafar's staff.
58%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Humphrey from ''WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega'' has signs of this. Matures out of it by the sequel.
59* ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'': Milo Thatch is not stupid, but he does not know how to treat other commanders and scientists with high quality.
60* ''Franchise/{{Cars}}'': Tow Mater. Even though he's 60 years old, he literally has the emotional and mental capacity of a 7-year-old child. He has a lot of the traits of a child. He's enthusiastic, optimistic, cheerful, loyal to a fault, and very sweet, like a child. He's also incredibly playful and friendly, like a child. His emotions are those of a child because when he gets angry, his anger only lasts for a couple of seconds. All of his emotions last only for a couple of seconds, and he has genuine yet simple emotions. He's a very innocent person.
61* ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'':
62** "Baby Brent" certainly comes across as one. He's the same age as Flint, but he doesn't seem to be doing anything with his life besides being popular and still acts like a schoolyard bully. That he still reenacts the commercial he appeared in as a baby, diaper and all, seems to be a serious case of LampshadeHanging.
63** And on the other hand, there's Flint himself. He puts fake security equipment in his lab and pretends to use it when he comes and goes. Even the kids in the neighborhood think he's weird.
64* ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'': Princess Anna is a naïve young lady with no sense of regal etiquette and a fairytale-like view of romance. It makes sense due to being cooped up in the castle for so long. Downplayed as she's only eighteen.
65* Quasimodo from ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisney'' is also shares some of these traits as he plays with wooden toys, going as far as replicating a miniature version of medieval Paris out of wooden models. He even talks to gargoyles with others thinking that he is delusional in doing this and he is very enthusiastic on going to the festival of fools much like a child would. [[JustifiedTrope Unfortunately very justified]] given he was raised by an abusive and hypocritical judge who killed Quasimodo's mother and has his father arrested and he was forced to stay in the Norte Dame church for twenty years, preventing him from interacting with other people.
66* Sid from ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'', so very, very much! Remember the time he got worried about what Santa Claus thinks?
67* Po from ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' is one of those. He is in his 20s and is a master of Kung Fu, but he is very immature as he takes bubble baths and plays with action figures (granted, ones he made himself).
68* Batman from ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOBatmanMovie'' acts far more immature than his comics counterpart, such as throwing a fit when Alfred reminds him he has to attend Jim Gordon's retirement party and generally refusing to do anything that isn't completely centered around him. Alfred even reads a book on parenting spoiled children when dealing with Batman just to drive the point home.
69* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'': Implied of "The Man Upstairs" [[spoiler: a.k.a Finn's Dad, the owner of the LEGO sets the main characters originate]]. He's not a stereotypical depiction of the trope, but he does own a ''lot'' of LEGO and, when pressed that the age on the boxes indicates that they're children's toys suitable for those between the ages of 8 and 14, defensively responds thus:
70-->'''The Man Upstairs:''' That's a suggestion. They ''have'' to put that on there.
71* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'':
72** Pleakley has a very childish fascination with the cultures of earth as he reacts with childish glee over studying things such as rocks or holidays. In one episode of the series it is revealed that he eats sugary cereals for breakfast. His voice also sounds childish on occasion.
73** Gantu also has some traits of this. Despite being a hulking, authoritative brute, Gantu is revealed to enjoy bubble baths and he even plays with bath toys and reenacting battle scenes with the toys in a childish way.
74* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Scar is this to some extent, too, though at the beginning it's more subtle. However, as he becomes king, he acts like a toddler, as he continuously throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants or when the other animals upset him. He, in fact, starts to act even more immaturely than the hyenas, Timon & Pumbaa, and the actual kid characters do in the movie as he becomes king.
75%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** Timon & Pumbaa and the Hyenas act a lot like children most of the time.
76* ''Franchise/{{Madagascar}}'':
77** WordOfGod is that RidiculouslyCuteCritter Mort the mouse lemur, who looks and acts like a child, is [[OlderThanTheyLook the lemur equivalent of a 35-year-old]].
78** Julien has tendencies this way as well; he's constantly demanding attention and throws tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants, but at the same time gets very upset and starts talking to his plush toys when he's lonely, and [[spoiler:it's revealed via the magic of the Golden Squirrel that his greatest desire is simply to have his friends near him]].
79* Waffles, the horned toad from ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'', has a childlike personality and matching intelligence.
80* ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973'': Prince John is very whiny, often throws temper tantrums, constantly sucks his thumb and cries very easily.
81* ''WesternAnimation/Shrek2'': Prince Charming is an immature narcissist who is such a child that he still gets the kid's meal at Friar's Fat Boy. It's the result of being under the thumb of his domineering mother, the Fairy Godmother.
82* ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'': Dopey is an adult dwarf who looks and acts like a young child around 5- to 7-years-old.
83* ''WesternAnimation/SpiesInDisguise'': Walter Beckett is [[AdaptationalComicRelief comical]], [[IdiotHero inept]], and almost clumsy, but he's always building impressive gadgets, which are considered substitutes for weapons. In Audi advertising, Walter is also almost cowardly. He's initially scared of chasing.
84* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'', Spike is a grown-up with a Foreman job, but has the mentality of a schoolyard bully in mistreating his former employees Mario and Luigi when they worked at his job, and insulting them after that.
85* ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit'': Wallace is rather giddy and socially inept, shows disgust towards vegetables, plays with his inventions like toys, and fails to take most things seriously. Gromit the dog is shown to have far more emotional maturity (let alone common sense) than his master.
86* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': Benjamin Clawhauser is a police officer, yet he eats sugary cereals for breakfast, squeals like a little girl, and can be childishly oblivious at times.
87[[/folder]]
88
89[[folder:Fan Works]]
90* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': ZigZagged by [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonMonsterX 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.
91* ''Fanfic/AlwaysVisible'': Jordan Thurlow, who chose to work as a culturologist because he really dislikes work.
92* Serizawa in the ''Webcomic/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.
93* [[DownplayedTrope A downplayed example in]]'' {{FanFic/A Growing Affection}}'' with Naruto. Most evident when he's ''giddy'' at the prospect of building sand castles despite being 16 and a competant shinobi. Painfully justified since Naruto's [[DarkAndTroubledPast painful]] and [[AllTheOtherReindeer lonely]] past as a result of being the jinchuuriki means that he never got to experience such simple pleasures of childhood. After Ino actually asks him why he's excited, he does remind her of this, causing her to [[ShuttingUpNow promptly shut up.]]
94* In ''Fanfic/AceCombatTheEquestrianWar'' Cloud Kicker, one of main heroines, has a very childish personality most of the time.
95* In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8651221/1/Batshark Batshark]]'', a FusionFic combining a [[{{Crossover}} cartoon crossover]] with ''{{Franchise/Batman}}'', [[WesternAnimation/OpenSeason Elliot the deer]] plays Two-Face as a half-adult-half-manchild as opposed to a half-lawyer-half-criminal. And then there is the fusion of ComicBook/TheJoker and [[{{WesternAnimation/Superjail}} The Warden]]...
96* In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6506780/9/Death-s-Design-Fate-s-Plan Death's Design, Fate's Plan]]'' Hermione referred to Sirius as a "man child without the ability to grow up." Sirius replied that Harry's mother once said something very similar to him and Remus commented that every female he knew had said something similar at one time or another.
97* In ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkinHD,'' Boyfriend is 19-years-old, yet he still has fun visiting a MallSanta.
98* ''Fanfic/GuysBeingDudes'': Arlo is in his 20s and has the personality of an EmoTeen as well as enjoying making innuendos a bit too much. Spark acknowledges it, deciding that he, being a UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} man, "couldn't be a preteen boy when he was a preteen, so he's making up for lost time".
99* Likewise, in ''Fanfic/TheLifeOfTheLegendaries'', [[OlympusMons Legendaries]] Mew and Jirachi are ''extremely'' immature and have many, many childish habits.
100* The Grand Ruler from ''Fanfic/MyBravePonyStarfleetMagic''. He likes to play hopscotch.
101* In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6780275/1/The-Last-Casualties The Last Casualties]]'' Voldemort put Harry's parents into suspended animation in a pocket dimension for thirteen years instead of killing them outright. Lily called James a man child in exasperated affection when he gave Snape a "welcome back present" by turning his robe pink.
102** In a bit of FridgeLogic, James and Lily were both ''only 21'' when [[FridgeHorror they would've been killed]] and given how Fred and George are, the comment does not have the same effect. [[WordOfGod J.K. Rowling herself admitted she actually didn't realize how young the Potters were until much later.]]
103* In ''Fanfic/PokeWars'', [[OlympusMons Mew]] is depicted as being ''incredibly'' immature. As evidenced by his words upon meeting Latias.
104--> '''Mew:''' Hi. I'm Mew. Wanna play?
105* In ''The Power of the Mind'' Remus referred to Sirius as "special" while apologizing for his behavior to a Muggle salesclerk. Harry later asked if there was any truth to that because Sirius was the biggest man child he'd ever met.
106* Beelzebub from ''FanFic/SonicXDarkChaos'' is an immature drug-fueled hedonist that would easily be the poster for a man child if he wasn't also incredibly dangerous.
107* ''WebVideo/DragonBallAbridged'' portrays Nappa as this. In this story, he is a borderline disabled PsychopathicManchild whose dialogue mainly consists of [[CloudCuckooLander non-sequiturs]] and random annoyances to his partner [[TheComicallySerious Vegeta]] to the point that "Goddammit, Nappa!" has become his catchphrase.
108* ''Fanfic/PacificWorldWarIIUsNavyShipgirls'' has Chester, who treats other peoples' weapons like toys and throws them around without second thought, not to mention acting childish even during the middle of combat.
109* ''Fanfic/TheTyrantAndTheHero'' has Black Alice, who wears a "dress that wouldn’t have looked out of place on someone ten years younger" and owns a teddy bear. The plot is kicked off by her mother sending her on a journey around the world in order to gain some maturity.
110* In ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{ResurrectedMemories}}'': Ember is one of these. Despite having been a ghost for 30 years, she has not grown passed her rebellious teenage mentality.
111* ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfRemnant'': Weiss was hit with the Darkness the most of her siblings, and it caused her personality to regress to that of a young child. "Nice Weiss" specifically exists so that she can be more responsible when absolutely necessary.
112* ''Fanfic/CListers'': Killer Moth is basically a little kid trying to be a super villain and live out his childish fantasies of being "the anti-Batman", and he constantly whines about no one taking him seriously. As more of his darker side becomes apparent, he starts to border on being a PsychopathicManchild, but he's ultimately too much of a moron to make the leap.
113* Adrien in ''Fanfic/SpellboundLilafly'' is a teenager but gets easily excited about kindness, birthday parties, cake, and making friends. Partially because he's been socially isolated from just about everyone except his brother Félix and their friend Chloé, and partially because he's half faerie.
114* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/37447609/chapters/93453916 Frayed Edges]]'': Ennard acts like an innocent child, with a curious fascination for even the most mundane of things and an often simplistic sense of the world. It is deconstructed, as for all intents Ennard is a child who was kept isolated their entire life, with only their fellow animatronics and their abusive creator William Afton for company.
115* ''FanFic/WarOfRemnantARWBYAnthology'': Oobleck can be rather immature for a teacher, when he realized Cinder’s team was Team CMEN was pronounced Caiman, he was about to point out he thought it was pronounced some other way before Port interrupted him.
116[[/folder]]
117
118[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
119* Jasmine's father, the sultan, from ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}''. At times he acts very childish, such as collecting toys and getting really excited when riding the carpet. To be fair, at times Jafar is magically controlling the sultan. Things get better when Aladdin breaks Jafar's staff.
120%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Humphrey from ''WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega'' has signs of this. Matures out of it by the sequel.
121* ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'': Milo Thatch is not stupid, but he does not know how to treat other commanders and scientists with high quality.
122* ''Franchise/{{Cars}}'': Tow Mater. Even though he's 60 years old, he literally has the emotional and mental capacity of a 7-year-old child. He has a lot of the traits of a child. He's enthusiastic, optimistic, cheerful, loyal to a fault, and very sweet, like a child. He's also incredibly playful and friendly, like a child. His emotions are those of a child because when he gets angry, his anger only lasts for a couple of seconds. All of his emotions last only for a couple of seconds, and he has genuine yet simple emotions. He's a very innocent person.
123* ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'':
124** "Baby Brent" certainly comes across as one. He's the same age as Flint, but he doesn't seem to be doing anything with his life besides being popular and still acts like a schoolyard bully. That he still reenacts the commercial he appeared in as a baby, diaper and all, seems to be a serious case of LampshadeHanging.
125** And on the other hand, there's Flint himself. He puts fake security equipment in his lab and pretends to use it when he comes and goes. Even the kids in the neighborhood think he's weird.
126* ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'': Princess Anna is a naïve young lady with no sense of regal etiquette and a fairytale-like view of romance. It makes sense due to being cooped up in the castle for so long. Downplayed as she's only eighteen.
127* Quasimodo from ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisney'' is also shares some of these traits as he plays with wooden toys, going as far as replicating a miniature version of medieval Paris out of wooden models. He even talks to gargoyles with others thinking that he is delusional in doing this and he is very enthusiastic on going to the festival of fools much like a child would. [[JustifiedTrope Unfortunately very justified]] given he was raised by an abusive and hypocritical judge who killed Quasimodo's mother and has his father arrested and he was forced to stay in the Norte Dame church for twenty years, preventing him from interacting with other people.
128* Sid from ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'', so very, very much! Remember the time he got worried about what Santa Claus thinks?
129* Po from ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' is one of those. He is in his 20s and is a master of Kung Fu, but he is very immature as he takes bubble baths and plays with action figures (granted, ones he made himself).
130* Batman from ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOBatmanMovie'' acts far more immature than his comics counterpart, such as throwing a fit when Alfred reminds him he has to attend Jim Gordon's retirement party and generally refusing to do anything that isn't completely centered around him. Alfred even reads a book on parenting spoiled children when dealing with Batman just to drive the point home.
131* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'': Implied of "The Man Upstairs" [[spoiler: a.k.a Finn's Dad, the owner of the LEGO sets the main characters originate]]. He's not a stereotypical depiction of the trope, but he does own a ''lot'' of LEGO and, when pressed that the age on the boxes indicates that they're children's toys suitable for those between the ages of 8 and 14, defensively responds thus:
132-->'''The Man Upstairs:''' That's a suggestion. They ''have'' to put that on there.
133* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'':
134** Pleakley has a very childish fascination with the cultures of earth as he reacts with childish glee over studying things such as rocks or holidays. In one episode of the series it is revealed that he eats sugary cereals for breakfast. His voice also sounds childish on occasion.
135** Gantu also has some traits of this. Despite being a hulking, authoritative brute, Gantu is revealed to enjoy bubble baths and he even plays with bath toys and reenacting battle scenes with the toys in a childish way.
136* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Scar is this to some extent, too, though at the beginning it's more subtle. However, as he becomes king, he acts like a toddler, as he continuously throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants or when the other animals upset him. He, in fact, starts to act even more immaturely than the hyenas, Timon & Pumbaa, and the actual kid characters do in the movie as he becomes king.
137%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** Timon & Pumbaa and the Hyenas act a lot like children most of the time.
138* ''Franchise/{{Madagascar}}'':
139** WordOfGod is that RidiculouslyCuteCritter Mort the mouse lemur, who looks and acts like a child, is [[OlderThanTheyLook the lemur equivalent of a 35-year-old]].
140** Julien has tendencies this way as well; he's constantly demanding attention and throws tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants, but at the same time gets very upset and starts talking to his plush toys when he's lonely, and [[spoiler:it's revealed via the magic of the Golden Squirrel that his greatest desire is simply to have his friends near him]].
141* Waffles, the horned toad from ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'', has a childlike personality and matching intelligence.
142* ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973'': Prince John is very whiny, often throws temper tantrums, constantly sucks his thumb and cries very easily.
143* ''WesternAnimation/Shrek2'': Prince Charming is an immature narcissist who is such a child that he still gets the kid's meal at Friar's Fat Boy. It's the result of being under the thumb of his domineering mother, the Fairy Godmother.
144* ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'': Dopey is an adult dwarf who looks and acts like a young child around 5- to 7-years-old.
145* ''WesternAnimation/SpiesInDisguise'': Walter Beckett is [[AdaptationalComicRelief comical]], [[IdiotHero inept]], and almost clumsy, but he's always building impressive gadgets, which are considered substitutes for weapons. In Audi advertising, Walter is also almost cowardly. He's initially scared of chasing.
146* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'', Spike is a grown-up with a Foreman job, but has the mentality of a schoolyard bully in mistreating his former employees Mario and Luigi when they worked at his job, and insulting them after that.
147* ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit'': Wallace is rather giddy and socially inept, shows disgust towards vegetables, plays with his inventions like toys, and fails to take most things seriously. Gromit the dog is shown to have far more emotional maturity (let alone common sense) than his master.
148* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': Benjamin Clawhauser is a police officer, yet he eats sugary cereals for breakfast, squeals like a little girl, and can be childishly oblivious at times.
149[[/folder]]
150
151[[folder:Magazines]]
152* British lad-mag ''Magazine/{{Loaded}}'' was predicated on this trope and serviced the needs of Man-Children who were beginning to feel marginalized and scorned by a society and culture that no longer valued them as much. At its peak in UsefulNotes/TheNineties it had a circulation approaching half a million and spawned many imitators, including [[TransAtlanticEquivalent American equivalents]] like ''GQ'' and ''Maxim''.
153[[/folder]]
154
155[[folder:Music]]
156* Music/RingoStarr's persona in Music/TheBeatles. They generally gave him rather sweet, childish songs to sing, like "With a Little Help From My Friends", "Yellow Submarine", and "Octopus's Garden" (which he wrote himself).
157* Music/{{Blink182}}'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7l5ZeVVoCA&ob=av3e "What's My Age Again?"]] is about a 23-year old who is about to get laid, but he gets distracted by the TV, so the girl leaves, and he prank calls her mother in retaliation.
158* Music/DavidBowie's song "Uncle Arthur" whose protagonist runs a shop but demonstrates all the properties of a manchild.
159* {{Music/Devin Millar}} takes this up not to eleven, but ''12''. He dresses like a young girl with skirts and bows, has a girlish hairdo, and uses childish vocabulary. His animated characters also dress this way from the girls to [[WholesomeCrossdresser even the boys]].
160* Music/{{Buckethead}}, the stage persona of musician Brian Carroll, is generally built around being both childish and a little creepy. It's common for Buckethead to play with toys and trade them with the audience during his live performances. He'll also avoid talking or giving interviews in general, except in a few recorded ones where he uses his scary mask / puppet Herbie to "speak for him".
161* Music/CountingCrows' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAe3sCIakXo "Round Here"]], is about not having a conception of what being an adult means, "Round here we're never sent to bed early, no one makes us wait. Round here we stay up very, very, very, very late"
162* The Idle Race's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG7_S3nv7uY&feature=related "I Like My Toys"]], which deals with a thirty-one year old man's desire to play with his childhood toys instead of looking for a job, much to his parents' chagrin.
163* 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). His song "Childhood" illustrates his struggles.
164* In Music/BarryLouisPolisar's "I Don't Wanna go to School", Tommy hides under his covers, whines and pouts to his mother about not wanting to go to school, even though he's the Principal. His mother understandably tells him to grow up.
165--> ''Only little boys and girls''\
166''Ever act like you do''
167* In the movie ''Film/TheWall'', it's implied that Old Pink is one. For example, when a girl seduces him in his hotel room, he responds by trashing up the place; in "The Thin Ice" he's seen watching a Tom and Jerry cartoon on the TV; and, in "Is There Anybody Out There?" when he's building a mandala/replica of a military barracks/whatever it's supposed to be, a battery-powered toy robot is visible among the props.
168* {{Music/Weezer}}'s song "Dreamin'".
169* Music/JonathanRichman poses as one to boast his innocent songs.
170* "Manchild" by Music/{{Eels}} from their album ''Music/BeautifulFreak'' about his sister who committed suicide in a mental institution.
171* Music/JoniMitchell's song "A Strange Boy" from the album ''Music/{{Hejira}}'' is about a lover who shares some man child traits:
172-->''What a strange boy''\
173''He still lives with his family''\
174''Even the war and the navy''\
175''Could not bring him to maturity''.
176* Music/DanielAmos's "Baby Game" (from ''Music/{{Alarma}}'') is about a female example. It's a satire of Christians who never bother to learn anything about their faith and just keep believing exactly what they did as a child.
177-->Little birds are helpless, way up in the tree\
178They cry for mother almost constantly\
179But little birds must one day take their wing\
180I told her this, she threw her rattle at me
181* Music/TheLonelyIsland's "Threw It On The Ground" features the protagonist defiantly throwing a bunch of things on the ground for all sorts of stupid reasons, such as a hot dog because he's not "gonna be a part of your system", his "so-called girlfriend"'s cellphone because his dad's calling and "my dad's not a phone", and a kid's birthday cake to welcome him "to the real world, jackass" while insisting "I'M AN ADULT!"
182* Implied to be the case with the subject of the song ''Stiches'' by Orgy. At one point the singer angrily says "Unsatisfied? You little girl!"
183* "The Archer" by Music/TaylorSwift says, "I never grew up, it's getting so old."
184* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxx_NkXyS3A music video for "Free Will at Ease"]] by Music/SkatingPolly portrays this by showing Peyton dating a guy who flops between being portrayed by an adult actor and a literal little boy. He demonstrates both obnoxious man traits, like mansplaining music and groping Peyton's sister Kelli, and childish traits such as playing with his food and being a picky eater.
185* The Vocaloid song ''The Lost One's Weeping'' by Neru has this gem as it's WhamLine in it's final chorus:
186--> ''いつになりゃ大人になれますか'' (Why don't you grow up?)
187--> ''そもそも大人とは一体全体何ですか'' (What the hell is growing up?)
188 [[/folder]]
189
190[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
191* The Arbuckle brothers 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.
192* Darryl and Wanda from ''ComicStrip/BabyBlues'' aren't really that much more mature than their children (Zoe, Hammie and Wren) as Darryl can be seen engaging with childish activities with the kids and Wanda bawls like a baby when something goes really wrong for her.
193* ''ComicStrip/InSecurity'' has Sedine, a CloudCuckoolander GenkiGirl who is so childish she makes Sam seem more like her babysitter than her husband, then there's Sedine's cousin Roy...
194* Ted of ''ComicStrip/SallyForthHoward'' loves collecting geek memorabilia and trivia and is prone to being a SoreLoser. He's even referred to himself as such one time. There are some deconstructive elements with him, as his estranged relationship with his father is hinted to be why he regresses to childish demeanor as a coping mechanism and Sally has made it clear to him at least once that he has to become more of an adult if he wants to keep their relationship healthy.
195* The main character in ''The Norm'' is this. This is deconstructed many times, with Norm genuinely struggling at adulthood and him trying to be mature contributing to his depression.
196* The title character of ''ComicStrip/{{Luann}}'', after the cast's graduation from high school. Between her [[TrashOfTheTitans constantly messy room]], hitting up her parents for money, avoidance of schoolwork, hangups around sexuality, as well as her overall “head in the clouds” demeanor, it’s pretty easy to forget that she’s a grown adult attending college rather than a fourteen-year-old girl.
197[[/folder]]
198
199[[folder:Podcasts]]
200* The premise of ''Podcast/PodcastTheRide'' is the innate humor of "three childless men in their thirties" talking about ThemeParks for hours on end. Jason in particular is targeted for frequent jokes regarding how his height and love of sweets make him seem even more of a grown child.
201[[/folder]]
202
203[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
204* Wrestling/GeorgeSteele, after his face turn. Fans would instantly sympathize with "the Animal" as he tried to win over Wrestling/MissElizabeth, which sparked a legendary feud with Wrestling/RandySavage. Several vignettes were also filmed featuring Steele, such as at the Detroit Zoo and at an ice cream factory (one which made ice cream bars featuring wafers imprinted with a WWF superstar); still later, he was paired with a hand puppet named "Mine."
205* [[Wrestling/MickieJames Alexis Laree]] in Bad Boys Of Wrestling. She mistook birth control for candy.
206* Find an archive that houses Wrestling/{{Abyss}}'s career ([[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness at least starting]] with the Abyss [[TheGimmick gimmick]]) and marvel as he gradually transitions from a WrestlingMonster in Puerto Rico and Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA to asking if Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}} on his lap means he's no longer a virgin in Wrestling/{{TNA}}.
207* [[Wrestling/RonKillings R-Truth]] after being betrayed by Wrestling/JohnMorrison on Wrestling/WWERaw, rapidly descended into an [[PsychoPathicManchild madness]] and childlike behavior.
208* Wrestling/TheRock's criticism of Wrestling/JohnCena basically boiled down to The Rock seeing Cena as a giant child. Cena had a [[KidAppealCharacter counter argument]], though it didn't endear him anymore.
209* Wrestlers who frequently throw tantrums when things don't go their way, such as Wrestling/ChrisJericho when he's a heel, Wrestling/AliciaFox or Wrestling/KenAnderson.
210[[/folder]]
211
212[[folder:Radio]]
213* ''Radio/CabinPressure'' gives us Arthur Shappey, the relentlessly cheerful and optimistic steward of the aeroplane who is gullible to the point of idiocy, gets ridiculously excited over Christmas, [[MommasBoy still lives with his mother]], genuinely thinks it's possible for something to be [[CloudCuckoolander bigger than the box it's in]], has discovered the secret to true happiness, and thinks everything and everyone is utterly ''brilliant''. And who once killed a man.
214[[/folder]]
215
216[[folder:Theatre]]
217* Willy Wonka in the 2013 musical version of ''Theatre/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' is a downplayed version. He has a distinctly adult air of authority and elegance, but at the same time has childlike wonder, enthusiasm, impatience, creativity, and -- to a lesser extent -- innocence, rather AmbiguousInnocence at that.
218* In ''Theatre/{{Eurydice}}'', the lord of the underworld is childish and petulant, best shown when he rides in on a tricycle in his failed attempt to seduce Eurydice, eventually determining she'd like him more if he were taller.
219* Batman loves the circus in ''Theatre/HolyMusicalBatman'':
220--> '''Alfred''': You can't stay in your pillow fort and cry forever.
221* The Green Role from the Reduced Shakespeare Company's RagtagBunchOfMisfits. Being the Man Child of the group is his defining characteristic.
222* The clown in Creator/CirqueDuSoleil's ''Theatre/{{Saltimbanco}}'', Eddie, is quite childlike as he pulls pranks on others and engages an audience member in a pantomimed Wild West shootout. In fact, he might actually be the adult form of the Child seen early on, if a transitional scene is anything to go by.
223* Peter Pan is one in ''Theatre/ShrekTheMusical'':
224--> '''Peter:''' Maybe if we all close our eyes and clap really hard!\
225'''Pinocchio:''' Oh, grow up!\
226'''Peter:''' I won't grow up!\
227'''Pinocchio:''' You're thirty-four and need a shave!
228* Tobias Ragg from ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' can be played several ways, and this is one of them. Bonus points if he is still childish because of insanity and/or mental handicap, both common portrayals. TheMovie made him an actual pre-pubescent boy, a method that is much harder to pull off on-stage, mostly because labor laws require underage performers to be doubled.
229* ''Theatre/TheCompleteHistoryOfAmericaAbridged'' depicts UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan as an irresponsible overgrown lap-boy with an undersized puppet body who calls Nancy "Mommy."
230[[/folder]]
231
232[[folder:Visual Novels]]
233* ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'':
234** Sanae Furukawa, the mother of Nagisa. She is around 40 years old, yet she is often quite emotional and childlike. This doesn't make her any less adorable, though.
235** Fuuko Ibuko. As an adult in ''~After Story~'', she still acts rather childish and is more willing to play with children than interact with adults. Justified since [[spoiler:she had been in a coma for a number of years, so she wouldn't have aged much mentally]].
236** Nagisa herself is a mild example. Even in her 20s, she's still rather sensitive, playful, and eccentric. Much like her mom, this makes her all the more cute and lovable.
237* [[GadgeteerGenius Miu Iruma]] from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' has a penchant for making sex jokes, calling her classmates virgins while giving juvenile nicknames, and generally [[NoSocialSkills saying 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]].
238* 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.
239* ''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.
240* ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'':
241** ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': Saber is, we are told, not actually fifteen; after receiving her sword [[spoiler:and becoming Myth/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]].
242** At least Saber is reasonably mature, even if she's inexperienced and her wish is to childishly undo her mistakes. In ''Literature/FateApocrypha'' we meet Mordred ([[spoiler:Saber's child]]), who is not only [[YoungerThanTheyLook actually about ten years old]], but immature even for ''that'' age. She rarely listens when other people speak, spends a significant amount of time getting in fights with cats, and caused a rebellion against her father [[spoiler:because she knew being king was killing Saber]]. [[PoorCommunicationKills The entire myth of King Arthur would have gone very differently if she had any ability to have a mature conversation with her father]].
243* Ciel from ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' has a similar situation to [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Saber's]] going on, but in that case it's actually lampshaded in Kagetsu Tohya.
244** Arcueid is a textbook example after she opens up with Shiki.
245[[/folder]]
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