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Adults who stay young at heart

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He likes wearing body-hugging T-shirts and Converse trainers, spending hours in a cafe playing on his Play Station Portable (PSP) with friends, and collecting his favourite manga Transformer figures.

Every Friday when a new episode of the comic Amazing Weapon VI comes out, he buys a copy.

Vincent Wong looks - and acts - like an adolescent, despite the fact that he will be 33 this year. He is one of the increasing number of Hong Kong's 'kidults' - people in their 30s or 40s who have an intense enthusiasm for pastimes more suitable for children or teenagers, such as playing computer games, watching cartoons, going out to parties or collecting trendy products.

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The phenomenon has grown profoundly. Many say pop stars like Eason Chan Yick-shun, or celebrity DJs, such as Eric Kot Man-fai, are typical kidults. They look trendy, fun, carefree and somehow confrontational. They may be immature, but they enjoy themselves - at least they seem to - and stick to this lifestyle with little care for criticism.

One of the factors of this trend is the vast popularity of computer games. Take a train during rush hour and you will see people with heads bowed, staring at the tiny monitors, their fingers flashing over the controls. Some of them are full-suited workers.

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Many kidults are enthusiastic collectors. Businessmen and the advertising industry have undoubtedly taken advantage of the trend. Nike Dunks limited edition, Mickey diamond watches, Hello Kitty vacuum cleaners, or gold-plated Gold Lightan robots are not without markets even though they can cost thousands of dollars. There is a growing number of stores selling nostalgic toys.

Furthermore, a 'crossover' trend has emerged as manufacturers blend these sub-cultures with established, high-end brands. Last year, fashion and cosmetic brand Anna Sui released a special series of Hello Kitty products.

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