Why not let Goten and Trunks grow up?

[dbzfan7]

I don't really get it. What's holding them back from letting these two grow older? It's like they asked Shenlong to remain as children. Is there something they have planned for the two that they need to be kids? They're not exactly important or relevant characters, so why bother keeping them young? My only theory is it's because if they grow up, then there's no kid characters left. Goku was a kid for 90% of the first half of Dragon Ball, and then once he grew up, Gohan became the child character. Then when Gohan grew up, Goten and Trunks became the child characters. Now if they grow up I can only guess that means there won't be any child characters since Pan is too young to be active at this time, and Bra is in the void. I also kinda hate to say it, but since Dragon Ball is targeted at young boys, does that mean they wouldn't let Pan and Bra be the child characters because they're little girls, and may not appeal to the young boy demographic?

[EXBadguy]

Just have Bra and Pan do some "boy shit" then it'll keep the demographic intact.

[Lord Beerus]

I don't really get it. What's holding them back from letting these two grow older?

Bandai.

[voltlunok]

I don't really get it. What's holding them back from letting these two grow older?

Bandai.

Except that wouldn't make sense...even if Goten and Trunks grow up in the show, they can still sell figures of their kid versions. I mean...Gohan grew up and they are still selling Kid Gohan figures. Plus letting them grow up gives new designs for Bandai to sell. Bandai not letting the two grow up is just them throwing money away.

The issue is that we're kinda stuck forever in this space between the end of buu and EoZ. Sadly I don't think Dragon Ball will ever escape this little bubble since last I checked, Toriyama has stated he doesn't want to write in EoZ or anywhere past it since all the characters would be too old.

[Basaku]

Adults running companies that make products that aim to appeal to kids/teens are under illusion that kids care about kid characters and forgot they wanted to play as adult Batman/Super Sentai/Indiana Jones and not the kiddo 'helpers' when they were kids themselves. Nobody cares about kiddo characters on the playground.

Hence, we're stuck with cutesy Goten and Trunks even tho it makes no sense whatsoever

[Lord Beerus]

I don't really get it. What's holding them back from letting these two grow older?

Bandai.

Except that wouldn't make sense...even if Goten and Trunks grow up in the show, they can still sell figures of their kid versions. I mean...Gohan grew up and they are still selling Kid Gohan figures. Plus letting them grow up gives new designs for Bandai to sell. Bandai not letting the two grow up is just them throwing money away.

Well, I never saw a lot of GT Trunks, EOZ Goten or GT Goten figures in recent years. And IIRC, Bandai often have surveys asking consumers what kind of figures the would like to see in the future. So something tells me that perhaps the concept of Goten and Trunks growing up didn't sit well with the fanbase if figures of Goten and Trunks grown up weren't sold in frequency over the years.

[Metalwario64]

Adults running companies that make products that aim to appeal to kids/teens are under illusion that kids care about kid characters and forgot they wanted to play as adult Batman/Super Sentai/Indiana Jones and not the kiddo 'helpers' when they were kids themselves. Nobody cares about kiddo characters on the playground.

Yeah, it's a very narrow and shortsighted corporate viewpoint. When I was a kid, I always looked up to adults and overall older or teen characters, and I never really cared for the kid characters back then. It wasn't until I was older that I could more appreciate young Goku and Gohan in Dragon Ball.

Obviously I can't speak for everyone, but it's obvious that not everyone falls into Toei or whoever's mindset that all kids like the kid characters the most.

[Chuquita]

Adding to it, Super isn't even doing much with Goten and Trunks; making it even more frustrating that they won't age them up, even a little. @_@

If the reason is the merchandise, but the show isn't utilizing them, why not age them?

[kinisking]

I mean they already have krillin that looks like a kid and goku which acts like one so I don't know why they don't age them up

[Xeztin]

I mean they already have krillin that looks like a kid and goku which acts like one so I don't know why they don't age them up

Exactly ^ Sadly, I don't think we will ever see Goten/Trunks age till the EOZ. I'm surprised that they have changed Gohan's haircut so many times in Super, and changing Krillin's a few as well. I know it's hair against aging but either way, you'd still have to make new figures for both. If they can make multiple figures for Gohan and others just for their hair, I don't see why they can't for a grown up Trunks and Goten. Having said that, I love Super but it feels a bit "off" with the Goten and Trunks thing along with everyone else being so weak compared to Goku and Vegeta.

[MozillaVulpix]

I was also thinking target demographics and merchandising. If they grow up now, there are NO kids. Pan is still drawn as a baby, (and after GT, I'm sure Toei would be hesitant with the whole idea of Pan in general). Bra is in...timeline limbo. Uub has been mentioned as being too young. There's no one who can replace them at this very moment.

Once you age them up, you can never go back. And the only people who would consider them not aging an issue are...nitpickers like us, I suppose.

I mean, if it wasn't for Toriyama's insistence, it's likely Goku (and Krillin) would have remained children forever. Even Gohan being allowed to grow up was somewhat surprising.

Besides, no one wants to do anything with Goten and Trunks. Why would they redesign someone who isn't going to do anything later on?

[precita]

Trunks and Goten still being kids despite time passing I can sort of accept because look at kid Goku in Dragonball who was a teenager and still in a pint-sized body.

But why the heck isn't Maron getting older? She's still in a 3-4 year old kid body when she should be looking older.

[Chuquita]

Marron seems even younger in Super than she did in Z.
I could be wrong, but I feel like I remember her forming full sentences during the Buu arc.

[precita]

Marron seems even younger in Super than she did in Z.
I could be wrong, but I feel like I remember her forming full sentences during the Buu arc.

Nah she does look older in Super than in the Buu arc. Its probably because her hair is a bit longer now.

[Zephyr]

But why the heck isn't Maron getting older? She's still in a 3-4 year old kid body when she should be looking older.

Much like Goten and Trunks, I feel that her odd growth patterns can be explained by her father's DNA. Krillin's got all kinds of things going on, with his lack of a nose, breathing through his skin, and being short. The fact that Marron literally grows a fucking nose is all I need to know when to stop asking questions.

[JulieYBM]

Thanks to double-coding there isn't really a reason to age the younger characters. Japanese comics and cartoons prove kids can be main characters and do important things without the need for adults. Goten and Trunks likely haven't changed in design so that Toriyama can keep working within this era of 'the cast is still young' without having to deal with how he wound up drawing the last two chapters.

[emperior]

It really makes sense for Marron to be like that, considering she is Krillin's daughter.
It also makes sense Goten and Trunks still are kids for those who read Jaco, but they better explain in Super that Saiyans have this strange growth pattern.
Gohan is different as he was born with a tail, so he inherited the tail from Goku and normal humans growth patterns from Chi-Chi, while it is the opposite for Trunks and Goten (and maybe Future Trunks too)

[Basaku]

It really makes sense for Marron to be like that, considering she is Krillin's daughter.
It also makes sense Goten and Trunks still are kids for those who read Jaco, but they better explain in Super that Saiyans have this strange growth pattern.
Gohan is different as he was born with a tail, so he inherited the tail from Goku and normal humans growth patterns from Chi-Chi, while it is the opposite for Trunks and Goten (and maybe Future Trunks too)

It's not opposite for Future Trunks because we saw how he looks like at 13/14 and he was not potato-sized. We also know how tween/teen Pan & Bra look like, as per Toriyama's designs. All the hybrids have been shown to retain human growth pattern, it's only now that fans are trying to justify Goten/Trunks which is pointless, neither Toei or Toriyama were considering 'lore reasons' even for a second when deciding to keep Trunks and Goten potato-sized.

[Dotogam]

In universe explanation? Genes. Gohan probably received his father's tail but his mother's growth patterns. This may be contradictory to Goten and Trunks's appearance but I think your brother could have your father's eye's and mother's nose but for you it's reversed. (I dunno I am an only child) In Dragon Ball however, it's all about Tails and Growth patterns.

Out Universe explanation. Maybe for KtK and FnF Toriyama drew them how he remembered (and not how they looked in a few chapters or draw different designs) or maybe Toei wanted the token cute kid trope.

I want them to age so I can have a longer haired Gotenks.

[Zenith]

I don't get it either. Even with some of the time skips - 6 months from Boo to the start of Super and the time between Freeza's revival and when he comes to Earth - they still look the same age. At some point during Super's run, I would really love to see Goten and Trunks reach the age that they were in GT.