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In some anime, the time expands of the stories do not match with the change of the characters' ages and the like. For example, in Detective Conan, there has been one thousand and more episodes, and it's indicated in the anime that almost all of the cases happened in different days and that several summer/winter vacations has passed. Counting the days past through these episodes, it should already be the time for Mouri Ran to attend university, yet she's still attending high school. Obviously, the author did some time bending here.

What's the first time bending anime?

Michael
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  • time bending here refers to [floating timeline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_timeline)? – BCLC Oct 12 '22 at 04:12
  • One of the earlier time bending anime I can think of is _Perfect Blue_ (1997) – Fumikage Tokoyami Oct 12 '22 at 04:52
  • @FumikageTokoyami i haven't seen perfect blue yet but that's a movie. how can a movie be floating timeline? – BCLC Oct 12 '22 at 07:45
  • @BCLC Floating timeline may apply for long-running series -> where characters doesn't age unless there is a timeskip but in cases where narration is non-linear/looped which gives an impression that time is bending from character/audience POV, then _Perfect Blue_ is perfect (pun intended) example. – Fumikage Tokoyami Oct 12 '22 at 08:10
  • @FumikageTokoyami oh wow thanks so time bend really means a different thing from floating timeline? – BCLC Oct 13 '22 at 15:55
  • @FumikageTokoyami sundowner says what you're thinking of 'non-linear timeline' ? – BCLC Oct 24 '22 at 05:30

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I'm not sure it is the answer in the sense of being first, but it is commonly called Sazae-san Spacetime.

Sazae-san is originally a newspaper cartoon which started in 1946(!). The TV series started in 1969 according to the Wikipedia. I have little idea when exactly it settles on the current format, but anyway it is still aired every Sunday in 2022. For example of the time-bending, Katsuo (the picture in the first link above) is still a primary school pupil after 50+ years...

FYI. The time in the anime was not completely static originally. Sazae-san (Katsuo's elder sister) did not have a baby (Tara-chan) in the first episodes (of manga, at least).

sundowner
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  • sundowner, time bending here refers to [floating timeline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_timeline)? or not? – BCLC Oct 15 '22 at 15:37
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    @BCLC Not sure if I understand it correctly, but I guess yes in the sense that things happen in the 'continuous present' mostly. – sundowner Oct 15 '22 at 22:34
  • Fumikage Tokoyami says Perfect Blue, a MOVIE is time bending. Do you agree? I can't believe it. I thought floating timeline is for like comedy series or something like The Simpsons. Perfect Blue is afaik neither comedy nor series. – BCLC Oct 18 '22 at 14:35
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    @BCLC I don't know the movie, but I guess it is a different kind of thing. To me, what Fumikage Toyokami suggests is simply non-linear timeline which seems likely from Wikipedia description. Another example I've seen myself is *your name*. Here, Detective conan or Sazae-san, it is about more like "static time" rather than the timeline in the story is somewhat intertwined. – sundowner Oct 21 '22 at 07:57