#I just think the internet has a tendency to blow some age gaps completely and utterly out of proportion

[elbdot]

After a few years, and reading your lovely comics, I'm currently rewatching the pokemon sun and moon anime! :>>

Oh men, I remember I used to have a crush on Kiawe.. maybe I still do? I try looking up google and sources online how old he actually is— I'm trying not to catch a case here. 😭💀 (I'm 18)

So far, all I see he's either between 12-19(?). He looks 16-17 to me, but who knows? What do you think El? 🤔

I was always under the impression that Kiawe was one of the older trial captains - like you said, definitely at LEAST 16. Given that he works at a supermarket (well. He got fired in the end) to earn enough money to study dance abroad, he may even be a year older, as he seems to actively save up for a future he seeks out once his time as a trial captain comes to an end.

So don't worry, I think you're "in the clear" 😂 Also I think there's a significant difference between having a crush as a kid/teen on a fictional character and being reminded of those feelings years later - and adults who clearly prey on child-coded characters from an adult-age on and are into Loli and all that stuff, ya know - ACTUAL pedophilia and infantilisation 🤢

But you had a crush from the start at a young age!! Trust me, that's DIFFERENT 😂 And unfortunately fictional characters have the tendency of - well. Staying the same age forever 😂 We grow up, but they always stay the same. That can make things complicated for us when we're being reminded of those feelings and are being thrown BACK into our teenage-self. Some artists deal with this by aging up their old favorite characters and I think that's an acceptable solution.

The world of fiction can be a complicated and confusing one - But if we can separate fiction from reality and we have real and healthy relationships and friendships outside of the internet, that's all that matters! :D