Searching for manga with male child protagonist...
"Child" being 13 and under. Or, if older, they're child-like in appearance, personality, treated like a child, are young for what they're doing (profession, goals, etc...), or are young compared to the adults they're surrounded by. Though, I'd just REALLY PREFER if they're just 13 and under.
Examples:
13 and under:
Shounen Note
Magi - Labyrinth of Magic
Tegami Bachi
+Anima
Child in appearance:
Detective Conan
Young for what they're doing:
Hagane no Renkinjutsushi
Pandora Hearts
D.Gray-man
The genre doesn't really matter. I just find child protagonists, in anything, really endearing, and I enjoy others' reactions to the amazing children! I've already read a bunch of manga with female child protagonists (Gakuen Alice, Kodomo no Omocha, Yotsubato!, Shoujo Shounen Gakkyuudan, Chinatsu no Uta, Usagi Drop, Oboreru Knife [?], etc...), but I'm having a harder time finding males...
And while I actually enjoyed manga like Mahou Sensei Negima!, Gun x Clover, and Mushoku Tensei - Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu, I'm not really looking for anything with a lot of ecchi.
Also, I know that there's a category tag of "Child Protagonist"/"Young Male Lead," and I've searched through it and still had a hard time finding anything.
Thank you for any and all suggestions!
Last edited by dorothybraer19 at 10:53 am, Apr 3 2015
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manga with a male child protagonist
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Member
10:36 am, Apr 3 2015
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10:36 am, Apr 3 2015
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12:24 pm, Apr 3 2015
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12:24 pm, Apr 3 2015
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might help somewhat
Hanaotoko
Kyou no 5 no 2
Bokurano middle school kids
Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu
Eden no Ori middle school kids, i dont think they are 13 though
Captain Tsubasa
Tekkon Kinkreet iirc they are 13, or close to it
Hanaotoko
Kyou no 5 no 2
Bokurano middle school kids
Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu
Eden no Ori middle school kids, i dont think they are 13 though
Captain Tsubasa
Tekkon Kinkreet iirc they are 13, or close to it
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5:27 am, Apr 4 2015
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5:27 am, Apr 4 2015
Posts: 5
So far I've only tried Kyou no 5 no 2 and it was really funny!!! I'm planning on checking out all of the others too, so thank you for the suggestions!
Member
5:53 am, Apr 4 2015
Posts: 190
5:53 am, Apr 4 2015
Posts: 190
Member
9:13 am, Apr 4 2015
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9:13 am, Apr 4 2015
Posts: 5
Thank you for the suggestion! 
...but I've already read it, as stated above. 
...but I've already read it, as stated above.
Member
11:16 pm, Apr 4 2015
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11:16 pm, Apr 4 2015
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I can't believe no one said Kuroshitsuji. ^__^ Ciel is a twelve-year-old boy genius, too young for everything he's doing, and he looks the part.
Member
2:16 am, Apr 5 2015
Posts: 412
Couple of questions for you: Does the protagonist have to remain a child for the entire series, or would it be ok if he grows older as it progresses (e.g. Dragonball)? And does the child have to be the clear main protagonist, or can he split equal time with an adult (or teen)?
Anyways...
Tamashii no Futago
Saturn Apartments - Fits under the "young for what he's doing" requirement.
Gogo Monster - By the same mangaka as Tekkonkinkreet & Hanaotoko recommended by ngebe, and I second those two as well.
If you don't mind older works, there are several series by Tezuka with boy protagonists... Such as:
Brave Dan
New Treasure Island
Lost World
Anyways...
Tamashii no Futago
Saturn Apartments - Fits under the "young for what he's doing" requirement.
Gogo Monster - By the same mangaka as Tekkonkinkreet & Hanaotoko recommended by ngebe, and I second those two as well.
If you don't mind older works, there are several series by Tezuka with boy protagonists... Such as:
Brave Dan
New Treasure Island
Lost World
Member
1:32 pm, Apr 5 2015
Posts: 5
1:32 pm, Apr 5 2015
Posts: 5
*smacks head* Oh yeah! That one definitely counts! I had completely forgotten about it since I stopped reading it a while back, but it definitely fits the bill and I could get back into it. Thank you!
@hahhah42
It's cool if he ages. Definitely don't have a problem with that! And it would also be fine if the focus was split, too.
Nope! I don't mind older works, usually. The art always trips me up in the first few chapters, but they're fairly easy for me to adapt to.
Thank you for all of the suggestions! I'm gonna check them all out. I've been given more works I've never heard of in this discussion than what I've ever been able to find on my own while searching the Internet. Either I did something wrong or I didn't search hard/long enough... 
Last edited by lambchopsil at 5:30 pm, Apr 5 2015
@hahhah42
It's cool if he ages. Definitely don't have a problem with that! And it would also be fine if the focus was split, too.
Nope! I don't mind older works, usually. The art always trips me up in the first few chapters, but they're fairly easy for me to adapt to.
Thank you for all of the suggestions! I'm gonna check them all out. I've been given more works I've never heard of in this discussion than what I've ever been able to find on my own while searching the Internet.
Either I did something wrong or I didn't search hard/long enough... Last edited by lambchopsil at 5:30 pm, Apr 5 2015
Member
7:42 pm, Apr 5 2015
Posts: 331
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4:21 pm, Apr 6 2015
Posts: 412
A few more suggestions then. Note that some of these have some explicit violence/sexual content, albeit not usually of the ecchi fanservice variety... Also note the age progression tags for some of them.
Pygmalio
Piano no Mori
Goodnight Punpun
Ryuguden - The younger brother seems to be around 11-12; the older brother is high school age. Despite the series being a rather violent, madcap sci-fi adventure, the younger brother is one of the best characterizations of a boy just entering puberty I've seen.
Finally, if you're ever in the mood for something really absurd, one of the later arcs in Fourteen (starting around volume 10) features a bunch of children - who are supposed to be around three or four years old - going out into space as humanity's last hope of survival.
Pygmalio
Piano no Mori
Goodnight Punpun
Ryuguden - The younger brother seems to be around 11-12; the older brother is high school age. Despite the series being a rather violent, madcap sci-fi adventure, the younger brother is one of the best characterizations of a boy just entering puberty I've seen.
Finally, if you're ever in the mood for something really absurd, one of the later arcs in Fourteen (starting around volume 10) features a bunch of children - who are supposed to be around three or four years old - going out into space as humanity's last hope of survival.
Spoiler (mouse over to view)
They turn into dinosaurs once they reach their fourteenth birthday. No, there is no reason ever given for this, or anything else that happens in the series, really.
Member
7:41 pm, Apr 6 2015
Posts: 1
7:41 pm, Apr 6 2015
Posts: 1
The ones I remember are:
Dragon Quest - Dai no Daibouken
Galaxy Express 999
Hirahira-kun Seishun Jingi
Mahou no Yama
Kiichi!!, there's tragedy in this one tough.
Hope it helps.
Dragon Quest - Dai no Daibouken
Galaxy Express 999
Hirahira-kun Seishun Jingi
Mahou no Yama
Kiichi!!, there's tragedy in this one tough.
Hope it helps.
Member
11:05 am, Oct 9 2016
Posts: 1
11:05 am, Oct 9 2016
Posts: 1
Hunter x Hunter 2011? Does that work for you?
Last edited by MisticalLights at 11:17 am, Oct 9 2016
Last edited by MisticalLights at 11:17 am, Oct 9 2016
Member
3:23 pm, Oct 10 2016
Posts: 1
3:23 pm, Oct 10 2016
Posts: 1
I haven't read it in a while (years), but I think this fits the "young for what they're doing" category:
Q.E.D. - Shoumei Shuuryou
The main character is 14, I believe, and is a genius (attended MIT already). He likes solving things, so he does some detective/investigative work.
Q.E.D. - Shoumei Shuuryou
The main character is 14, I believe, and is a genius (attended MIT already). He likes solving things, so he does some detective/investigative work.
Member
4:06 pm, Oct 10 2016
Posts: 27
Senpai
Member
9:06 pm, Oct 10 2016
Posts: 38
Have you tried The Seven Deadly Sins or Mob Psycho 100? If I remember correctly the lead for Karneval was super young too.
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