Coming-of-age stories focus on the growth of a protagonist from childhood to adulthood, although "coming of age" is a genre for a variety of media, including literature, theatre, film, television and video games.
In literature
The Girl With The Black and Blue Doll, by Linda Summersea (2025)
In theatre West Side Story (1957–present)Solá-Santiago, Frances "The Meaning Behind The Clashing-Colored Costumes Of West Side Story" , Refinery29, 13 December 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2022. "Rivalry and love story aside, West Side Story is a coming-of-age tale for its protagonist, Maria, which came through in costumes." Oliver! (1960–present) Miss Saigon (1989–present) Once on This Island (1990–present) Billy Elliot the Musical (2005–2016) Spring Awakening (2006–2015) Hadestown (2006–present) Heathers (musical) (2010–present) 4000 Miles (2011–2013, 2022) Choir Boy (2012–2019) Dear Evan Hansen (2015–present) Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2017–present) Mean Girls (2017–present) The Prom (2017–present) & Juliet (2019–present) Almost Famous (2019–present) The Outsiders (2022–present) How to Dance in Ohio (2022–2024)
In manga and anime A large portion of the manga industry is dedicated to teenagers, such as Weekly Shōnen Jump and Weekly Shōnen Magazine and, therefore, a majority of said manga contains some aspects of the protagonist's growth. Coming-of-age stories are called Shujinkō-Seichōkei (主人公成長系), meaning "protagonist's growth type".
Manga Dragon Ball (1984–1995) Saint Seiya (1985-1990) Initial D (1995–2013) Hunter × Hunter (1998–present) Beck (1999–2008) Naruto (1999–2014) Honey and Clover (2000–2006) Fullmetal Alchemist (2001–2010) Natsume's Book of Friends (2003–present) Vinland Saga (2005–2025) Solanin (2005–2006) Goodnight Punpun (2007–2013) O Maidens in Your Savage Season (2016-2019) Strobe Edge (2007–2010) March Comes In like a Lion (2007–present) School Babysitters (2009–present) The Flowers of Evil (2009–2014) Ao Haru Ride (2011–2015) Silver Spoon (2011–2019) Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (2011–present) My Love Story!! (2012-2016) Assassination Classroom (2012–2016) Haikyu!! (2012–2020) Mob Psycho 100 (2012–2017) A Silent Voice (2013–2014) My Hero Academia (2014–2024) Love Me, Love Me Not (2015–2019) Komi Can't Communicate (2016–2025) Witch Hat Atelier (2016–present) Blue Period (2017–present) Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie (2019-2023) The Elusive Samurai (2021–2026) Akane-banashi (2022–present) Now That We Draw (2023–present) Centuria (2024–present)
Anime Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995–1996) The End of Evangelion (1997) Kiki's Delivery Service (1998) FLCL (2000–2001) Spirited Away (2001) Eureka Seven (2005) The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) 5 Centimeters per Second (2007) Gurren Lagann (2007) Anohana (2011) From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) Code Geass: Akito the Exiled (2012-2016) Little Witch Academia (2013) Kill la Kill (2013–2014) Suzume (2022) Cyberpunk Edgerunners (2022) Trigun Stampede and his sequel Trigun Stargaze (2023-2026)
In film In film, coming-of-age is a genre of teen films. Films in this subgenre include:
Films featuring protagonists in particular age groups, such as pre-teens, are: Melody (1971) Pretty Baby (1978) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) My Girl (1991) The Sandlot (1993) Léon: The Professional (1994) Crooklyn (1994) Now and Then (1995) The White Balloon (1995) Matilda (1996) Ponette (1996) Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) Mud (2012) The Florida Project (2017) Jojo Rabbit (2019) C'mon C'mon (2021) Armageddon Time (2022) The Fabelmans (2022) 28 Years Later (2025)
or post-high school and college students, in films such as: Love Story (1970) Young People (1972) Carrie (1976) Animal House (1978) Porky's (1981) With Honors (1994) Kicking and Screaming (1995) Good Will Hunting (1997) Can't Hardly Wait (1998) American Pie (1999) Ghost World (2001) Legally Blonde (2001) the Spider-Man film franchise (2002–present) An Education (2009) 3 Idiots (2009) Monsters University (2013) Whiplash (2014) Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) Aanandam (2016) Meesaya Murukku (2017) Chhichhore (2018) The Souvenir (2019) Klaus (film) (2019) Pink Skies Ahead (2020) The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) Don (2022)
or people aged around 20 years old who do not go to college, such as: Brooklyn (2015) Sweet 20 (2017)
or in the case of unique coming-of-age stories centered on post-college aged individuals, such as: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) It's a Wonderful Life (1946) The Seven Year Itch (1955) The Graduate (1967) Charly (1968) Taxi Driver (1976) An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) St. Elmo's Fire (1985) What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) Forrest Gump (1994) Never Been Kissed (1999) Old School (2003) The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) Frances Ha (2012) Wild (2014) The Worst Person in the World (2021) All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) The End We Start From (2023) The Holdovers (2023) Almost Popular (2024)
In television Coming-of-age television series include:
In video games
A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019) Beyond: Two Souls (2013) Bravely Default (2012) Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (2013) Celeste (2018) Child of Light (2014) Devil May Cry 4 (2008) Devil May Cry 5 (2019) Dragon Quest V (1992) Dragon Quest XI (2017) EarthBound (1994) Firewatch (2016) God of War (2018) God of War Ragnarök (2022) Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) Kingdom Hearts (2002) The Last of Us (2013) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002) Life Is Strange (2015) Lil Gator Game (2022) Marvel's Spider-Man (2018) Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) Never Alone (2014) Night in the Woods (2017) Ori and the Blind Forest (2015) Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020) Oxenfree (2015) Perfect Tides (2022) Persona (1996–present) Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) A Short Hike (2019) Tell Me Why (2020) Toem (2021) To the Moon (2011) Umamusume: Pretty Derby (2021) Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016) Undertale (2015) Until Then (2024) The Walking Dead (2012–2019) What Remains of Edith Finch (2017) The World Ends with You (2007) the Xenoblade franchise (2010–present)
References