"ThirdEye" <clowery@sccoast.net> wrote in message
news:av73u7$dnsk$1@news3.infoave.net...
> > I'm sure there are psychological/mystical/biological reasons
> > that could be put forth for this; but don't forget, the
> > '14 year old pilot coming of age by piloting a giant robot'
> > bit is a convention of anime.
> >
> > Anno just gave it a slight spin...
> >
>
> I've seen the children piloting Mecha before (Gundam Wing),
>  but I thought there would be more to it than that.

Frm the Anno interview in the June 1996 issue of Newtype:

"the reason for which the principal character is fourteen
years old is that he is not any more child, but not yet adult."

"By considering "fourteen years" as the age where an
 independence of mind appears, I found convenient to
 include that with my work."

- Hideaki Anno

--
Michael Wignall
"Tomorrow's just an excuse away..."