Yeah, it was never going to go any other way.
It's an inherently sketchy thing, which is why I would have preferred we sidestepped it. It's an argument that has no official answer because it's not a real thing that happens, but we can at least dig a little deeper than that argument.
Firstly, if mental age is irrelevant, that means any relationship with those childish-acting 900 year old lolis are clear-cut cases of pedophilia. Meanwhile, if a 50 year old man intentionally regresses his own body to 10 years old and romances another 10-year old, that's perfectly acceptable by your argument.
You
can make that argument if you want, but I just want to point out that you are indeed making that argument.
Second, there's a difference between an age gap of 20 and 5 years old vs 40 and 25 years old vs 60 and 45 years old. The younger you are, the greater the gap in the ability to make informed consensual relationships, and that difference in dynamics is what makes age gaps problematic instead of just challenging. Someone mentally 90 but physically 30 can date another 30 year old just fine because they're both consenting adults at that point.
The problem arises when someone mentally mature enough to know the difference pursues someone they should know isn't capable of giving informed consent.
In regards to your examples:
- A younger soul in an older body would be more ethically sound if they date someone their own age, but dating someone their own age is also less sketchy because as far as his partner knows they are simply two informed and consenting adults and he himself is incapable of making the mature judgement. In both cases, it's more sociological and practical issues to consider rather than ethics.
- If an 8 year old body with an adult soul tried to start a relationship with someone the same mental age as herself the problem is no longer that there's an age gap because she can make the informed decision. The problem is anyone who would be interested in her at that physical age would be a pedophile by definition, even if they knew her true age.
The ideal scenario is really to wait for romantic parties to reach the physical maturing age, ideally before ever meeting or catching feelings early so it won't be at risk of grooming either.
900 years old loli baba have their body experience 900 years of growth even its slow. to the same as human loli with 900 years old soul.
waiting ideal partner to ideal age also have limitations, the fertility.
what if 40 years old man reincarnated in 1 years old baby and his love is 40 years old lady.
by the time he reach 18, that lady is already 58.
or if that girl is love with your, a 5 years old boy and wait together until she adult, how old will she need to make it fine to be married to you, for example, Aldo here. he technically not grooming her, its her wanting him.
so if 90 adult to 30 adult is fine as physical they are 30, by that logic, if Aldo is 60 but physical 20 too can married to 20 years old Ashella as they because both consenting adult.
its hard to accuse grooming because 10 years old mature kids can groom others and 20 years old immature adult can be groomed by younger mature counterpart.
the thing about grooming, it about mature side to manipulate the immature side to like them.
we always assume its adult grooming child because normally, adult is mature one.
but in reality, we know a lot of immature adult that can be easily manipulate even from a child.
its like saying "woman can't sexual assault men" normally it is as men are physical stronger but it can happen.
psychopathic child with 200IQ can groom and manipulate immature adult with 80IQ. its rare but its happen.
the line between biology and mental capabilities are not parallel.
so the safest option is to go with physical until it proven otherwise.
"The problem is anyone who would be interested in her at that physical age would be a pedophile by definition, even if they knew her true age"
how about if you interested in her mental and intellectual instead of her body like in Accendences of Bookworm?
you interested in her because she is adult and her mind and attitude what make you desire her. would that make you a pedo?
so if you interested in 900 loli baba because you attracted to her loli body, not her mind then its not Pedo?
pursuing someone for they mind vs body.
so if you know 8 years old girl reincarnated into body 30 years old lady, and you wanted her because her body, is that pedo or not? so you wanted her because mentally she is a child so you can groom her to obey you and depends on you is not pedo because its 30 years old body?
ability to groom depends on someone mental capabilities and Pedo are depends on attraction towards child body.
normal,it goes side by sides, but for reincarnation with memories, its mutually exclusive.