Postby Little Brown Fox » 12 years ago
Jetter Mars Encyclopedia?
And I had heard that that was where the "growing up" idea had originated. It's possible that they mistook it as physical growth, instead of mental. But the idea isn't entirely implausible, especially in regards to science fiction. (I, for one, would consider the involvement of nanotechnology.)
Another thing; when people grow physically, they tend to develop mentally, as well: they get smarter in many ways, for instance, learning new things as they grow- and remember, Mars was enrolled into school, after a while; the perfect place for a growing child to do multiple kinds of learning.
They are also taught the difference between right and wrong, by those who care for them as they grow. Mars was exposed to two different viewpoints: one from that of Dr. Yamanoue, who was militaristic, and cared about being strong, and being a "real man" (I seem to recall him saying to Mars that "real men don't cry!"); the other, from Dr. Kawashimo, and his "daughter", Miri, who believed in kindness and altruism, and who wanted Mars to be raised and treated more like a normal boy.
Mars was essentially a "blank slate" when he was first "born": he didn't know anything about anything, and the constant exposure to two strongly opposing viewpoints (war against peace) probably screwed him up a bit initially. Of course, ultimately, he had a mind of his own, and did things his own way, often to the dismay of others, and occasionally himself, due to the sometimes problematic consequences.
