Okay was I the only one thrown off when the mangaka finally said their ages? 16 seems so y...

I was thrown off too! I thought maybe 18..

Well American teens mature later. Most other countries you're graduating HS at 16/17.

Well, I don't know. I know that at that age I was pretty mature. But that as well ostracised me from the rest as a that is not the norm. And my upbringing was such as to me being able to be independent since I was 14.
And my sister graduated at 17. In my country you graduate at 17-18 years old.

When I was a teen I had a huge crush on someone in their late twenties, and saw nothing wrong with wanting a relationship with them, but now that I'm in my late twenties I find the idea of dating a teen disturbing. So yeah it's a believable scenario, but not necessarily ethical...

At 15 I was dating a man 4 years older than I was. I think 15 & 16 with someone a lot older is wrong but once they hit 17 it's fine. It's a legal issue before then. Manga is different though.

15 o_O when I was 15 I thought men and women kiss and get kids up till I was 17 lol

im pretty sure japanese students graduate high school at 18 too
hs in japan is equivalent to 10th through 12th grade here in the U.S

My family didn't approve at first and it obviously it didn't work out but I'm friends with him and his wife more than a decade later. Dating in the US is really common even middle school kids have boyfriends and girlfriends.

I'm 15 and I can tell you I'm mature enough for an adult relationship. I already have a job and mostly support myself all while keeping my grades at a A,B average

See, that's why dating for ppl under 18 never works out. Serious relations start at 20-21

I was sixteen when I had my first serious relationship and the guy was seven years older.

lol my mom and dad grew up together, started dating when my mom was 13 and dad was 14, got married when my mom was 20 dad 21 and they were together until she passed away at age 43. My cousin is married to her best friend growing up who she dated all through her teen years and they have three kids together. It just depends on the maturity of the two people involved and how willing they are to work on things when it gets tough.

Depends on the teen-I was pretty immature aa a teen in some ways but by 16 I had already not been virgin for two years. But the diff between 16 and 23 isn't big. 23 yr olds are t that much more mature

wtf you smoking?

...It's a HUGE difference!

At 16 I dated a 23 yr old for a bit-his friends and him were so immature it boggled my mind endlessly. I liked having a boyfriend who could buy me alcohol but he couldn't do laundry and was always broke. But maybe it's bc I'm a female and we tend to mature faster. I never felt like I was dating an older guy bc he was so childish. Some ppl live more in a shorter time frame. I've met the most immature ppl who were older then me and ppl who were younger but felt positively ancient. It's usually the case that the more mature ppl had much harder lives, and the immature the opposite; although there are exceptions. I've done my best to give my daughter a life as free of trauma as I can so she can be young for as long as possible. I'm sure most parents try but since I've expericed so much I've known how to keep her safe from certiAn things. Although that can bite u in the ass. Ive hidden her dads issues from her so she's really suffering now bc she I never told her he's got problems and self medicates with alcohol and opiates. It's hard, I don't want her to grow up to fast and be mature when she should still be a child. That's why I think the age diff between the lovers depends on the ppl involved. Me at 16 with a 23 yr old was normal and my bf felt childish but I've got a friend who at 16 still slept with her stuffed animals and had never even kissed a boy. At 16 I hadn't lived at home for two years(group homes). I just think that one size doesn't fit all. What works for one 16 yr old doesn't for another. Its hard bc u have to be careful of victimization of younger parties but there's been a rash of stories of couples being broke up and some going to jail bc one is under 18 (but over 16) and the other is a little over (up to 24) 18. Some of those stories are really sad. One was were the girl moved to a state with one set of laws and when her bf came to visit her, her parents who didn't like him had him arrested. He was going to have to register as a sex offender at 22. They were engaged and we're going to get married when she turned 18. It was so sad bc they were really in love but a court order wouldn't let them see each other. Or the story where the parents didn't like that their 14 yr old was gay so when her gf turned 18 they had her arrested. Anyways I just think it depends on the ppl involved.

Love is love!

then,you're illegal to read this manga cause it's r18.but who cares?you're rebel,i like you(〜￣△￣)〜*thumbs up*

I was very mature at 16, but I am much older than most people here and was raised by a mother that was old enough to be my grandmother. So, the generation gap is three for me instead of just one or two. I was mature both socially and sexually at 16. I had to work to support my mother who had lost her job and found it hard to get another at her age. It was only her and me, so she fully depended on my income. We grow fastest through adversity. Most children who are sheltered tend to mature slowly. Where, children who are "thrown to the wolves" mature rapidly while hiding a selfish childishness inside. I used to envy sheltered children, until I had my own. Although I sheltered mine a little, I threw the to the wolves whenever I thought it was safe to do so. I tried to create a balance. They are all grown men now and living happy, healthy lives. I guess it worked out okay. BTW my kids are and have always been very mature for their ages. Maturity comes not with age, but with what we experience and how we handle those experiences.

I also don't agree. When I was sixteen I was light years ahead in maturity than my peers. I was also responsible for taking care of my brothers too, but because of this I didn't really get along with a lot of people my age at the time. It was mostly adults that talked to because I felt I could relate more.