Anime with middle aged MCs
While it's lots of fun watching bevvies of teenagers and 20 somethings frolicking about living their best (and worst) anime lives, as someone about to hit the big 40, every time I hear another ~30 yr character called "old man" I die a little inside (Kafka Hibino, I feel for ya).
I have this far-fetched whim to spend my birthday week watching anime with MCs that vaguely represent my age. Can anyone recommend me some anime with middle aged MCs in their late 30s / 40s? Bonus points for a female MC. I have Tojima Wants to be a Kamen Rider lined up on my watchlist but nothing else so far.
I have this far-fetched whim to spend my birthday week watching anime with MCs that vaguely represent my age. Can anyone recommend me some anime with middle aged MCs in their late 30s / 40s? Bonus points for a female MC. I have Tojima Wants to be a Kamen Rider lined up on my watchlist but nothing else so far.
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/s
He didn't look much different as a teenager
You could try "Banished from the Hero's Party, I decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside." It's very cute, has an adult protagonist (I think he's in his 20s though) who is kind of past his prime, and is a very nice chill romance.
There' salso a show which I am forgetting the name of from a couple years ago where a father character was a swordsman but not particularly noteworthy, his daughter is a prodigy, and the story focuses on both of them. I am forgetting the name unfortunately but it's good dad vibes.
(edit to clarify slightly that I am recommending a game series on the basis that it's as good as a good anime)
{An Adventurer's Daily Grind at Age 29} [🔗](https://youtu.be/XNNymqca9zU)
{I Have a Crush at Work} [🔗](https://youtu.be/g9FJdmNgGek)
From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated! Mc is over 50.....so maybe too far
Reincarnated as a sword, oddly very 'dadlike' MC and vibes - age isn't clear, and reincarnation so....maybe pushing it but it's actually a fun little anime
.....I've not watched it but maybe rom Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman maybe again pushing on age, but is supposed to be good
Congrats on getting old, it sucks doesn't it
From Old Country Bumpkin... looks perfect actually, I'll add that to my list. I've seen good things about reincarnated as a sword so might watch that too.
Kaiju No. 8
Uncle From Another World
The Ossan Newbie Adventurer
Cowboy Bebop
Glogo 13
Black Lagoon
Bubblegum Crisis
Ghost in the Shell (all of them except Arise, Arise is the MC as a young adult)
Planetes
Psycho Pass
Bartender
One Punch Man
Also Saitama in One Punch is only 25
*Kowloon Generic Romance* might be worth a look, the two main characters are 32 and 34, although I've heard the ending is a bit rushed since they went for trying to adapt an ongoing manga fully in a single 12 episode run.
Dad's Been Reincarnated is an old man on the inside (50s) but a vivacious young villainess on the outside.
The main character of My Daughter Left the Nest is a man in his 40s, and he acts like it, too.
Utawarerumono (The original one)
Fate/Zero
Golden Kamuy
Not sure of the age of the MC exactly, but Dungeon of the Black Company is another I don't see mentioned yet.
Also: Tiger&Bunny, Buddy Daddies (iirc), Salaryman headhunted from another world, Banished from the demon Kings army. Then there's a BL option this season which is Isekai Office Worker.
Tiger & Bunny fits the bill and sounds like it'll be fun. The MC from Isekai Office Worker is 29/30, but TBF his eye bags look 10 yrs older - good job he got isekai'd to somewhere with workers' rights otherwise I'm not sure he'd make it to retirement (started watching this for the accountancy jokes, staying for exasperated Aresh).
Fate/Zero is also really good and the MC definitely falls within that age range.
Age of MC from 'Afro Samurai' isn't known, but I'd place him in his late 30's. Same for protag of 'Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade' and male protag from 'Millennium Actress'.
Stretching the boundaries of your request, 'Bunny Drop' features a 30 year old MC who falls into the position of being an adopted father.
Stretching those boundaries even further, the main cast of 'Delicious in Dungeon' are in their mid 20's to early 30's. I mean, the elf and dwarf are technically a lot older, but age differently of course. Same situation for 'Durarara!!'
Yeah, there's quite a few anime with MCs up to their early 30s, but I was really struggling to find protagonists 10 years older - I'm very grateful to everyone replying with suggestions!
IIRC he's in his teens during the prologue and in his 20s in the main story.
Not only is the MC over 30, his initial struggle stems from him giving up on his childhood dream. It’s so relatable and I don’t know how many times I cried(a good cry!) watching this. Highly recommended.
It surprisingly is a good slice of life anime.
Theme revolves around lost dreams, recovering passion and like reminiscing who we were in our youth.
Cowboy Bebop
Monster
Psycho-pass
Can't remember if the exact age of the MC was stated, from what we've seen, she should be around early 30s.
Sometimes it takes a middle-aged uncle to become the best girl
Buddy Daddies, the guys are late 20s.
Gangsta, the guys are in their 30s.
Unfortunately the last 2 are fairly short and Gangsta never finished. Still worth the watch though.
Tiger is supposedly 35, but he comes across more like 40-45 in my opinion. Aging plays a big role on the plot. Overall the anime is pretty cheesy, but it really feels like it was written by a middle aged man and it's funny when that comes through so obviously.
Speed Grapher (33 year old Ex War Photographer turned Journalist also voiced by Chris Sabat infiltrating an underground club and having to free a 15 year old sheltered rich girl)
Zone of the Enders Dolores I (Dad in his 40-50s with adult children and a feminine Mecha who likes to call him Ojii-san)
Tiger and Bunny (One of the leads Kotetsu is also a middle aged widower)
The more I think about it, Chihayafuru might be something you want to watch. Yes it focuses primarily about on a high school club, but it has many adult players in all age classes and age is often an important topic. From the above, I'd say Rakugo might fit your needs best.
That's all I have with adult protagonists that are at least in their late 20s. Sometimes putting an age on someone like Lupin is hard. See if anything fits your needs.
Also,
TsumaSho is very good, it's not loli bait.
Actual middle aged people, with children and dealing with family dynamics
There is also Frieren who is an Elf that is said to be over 1000 years old that may(?) be middle age for her species. Hard to tell with her but she does show a level of maturity.
[Frieren Tries to Seduce Sein](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH1q4zma3po) \- YouTube
Gunslinger Girl if you count their handlers as main characters
Odd Taxi
Isekai Ojisan
Inuyashiki (protag is 58)
No Gun's life
Cop Craft
Gankutsuo
Nomad - Megalo Box 2
PlanetES
Restaurant to Another World
The Way of the Househusband
Vivy - Fluorite Eye's Song
Apocalypse Hotel
Kaiju number 8
Cowboy bebop
Steins Gate
**My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer** is a good one. MC is not only pushing 40, but he's only got one leg.
**That Time I Was Reincarnated As A Slime** is about a mid-30s guy killed in a knife attack and reincarnated as a slime.
**What If My Wife Were An Elementary School Student**. I know, that title sounds pedo, but it isn't. MC is a guy whose wife died years earlier. Him and their 20-something daughter are still grieving the loss when. One day a 10-year-old girl shows up and says she's the wife reincarnated. It's really a good anime about the human condition.
I don't remember how old the dude in Dimension W was but I do remember him being not young at least.
One of the main characters for Akiba Maid War is in her 30s.
Cop Craft MC is the classical grumpy police detective.
Garo: Vanishing Line, I don't remember how old the main knight was but he was at least a fair bit older than teenager.
Most of the cast of Jormungand is over 20 years old, though there is a child soldier in the group also.
Seirei no Moribito I am not sure if Balsa's age is ever stated, but she ain't young. Definitely not middle aged either though I think. Probably early 30s.
If my wife becomes an elementary school student (slice of life)
He starts at 13 -15 but later seasons he gets older around 18-19