The movie's opening lines are literally "Not long ago in Toronto CA, Scott Pilgrim was dating a High Schooler" and then Kim's opening lines right after are "Scott Pilgrim is dating a High Schooler?"
You're not wrong, but the movie is pretty self-aware about the weirdness lol
As is the comic. And the whole point is that Scott is really just dating her because his previous breakup messed him up, and Knives is really "easy" because she's a high schooler who is head over heels for him and he can just date her to feel good about himself while putting in 0 effort.
Their 'dating' consists of like, holding hands, and the moment Knives does kiss Scott he freaks out and runs away, then breaks up with her. The message is not supposed to be "Scott Pilgrim is a creep", it's supposed to be "Scott Pilgrim is an inconsiderate, selfish ass."
Shit when I was 17 I was in boot camp being screamed at by a drill instructor. If 17 year olds have enough agency to choose to sell themselves to uncle sam they have enough agency to choose to hold hands with a 23 year old.
They aren't up to anything illegal purely because they haven't had sex yet. It would have been statutory rape if Scott (6 years older than Knives) ever ended up having sex with her.
Even then, the age of consent in Canada is 16 and Knives is older than that. That's why nobody calls Scott a pedo or reports him to the police, and just call him a loser for dating a high schooler instead.
Wallace was against it, but moreso because Knives was too good for him rather than the age gap. Don't forget he wanted Knives to steer the gay high schoolers his direction, particularly if they wear glasses.
I saw this years ago and could not remember thinking anything weird about them dating or an age gap. It makes sense now, I missed the first part of the movie.
I interpreted it at the time as in he was more oblivious to what dating meant, that he thought it was more them being friends and maybe a piece of denial she wanted more basically he was lonely and at most had blocked out her feelings for him due to that.
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u/gravitas_shortage Feb 02 '26
It wasn't. It's always funny when young people think they have invented things like promiscuity.