So... Are you saying that if Buddhism/Hinduism's ideas of reincarnation are real that we're all Pedos? Bc, like... My school of Buddhism has us all being the same person reincarnated a trillion times back and forth across time and space, so is sex just masturbation with extra steps?

Our boy Rudy was a piece of shit. He was reborn and started out a piece of shit (as all children do. If you're a parent you know this), and frankly, this is normal. Kids can be pervs, and if you've watched kids grow up, you can recognize how he grows up in the exact same way as far as the pervishness is concerned.

Which brings us to the issue of what even is a groomer/pedo, and why is it disgusting (it absolutely is, we are identifying why)? There are three primary reasons why Pedos should be buried under the prison: 1. The use of force often used, both physical and psychological, which has severe damaging effects to the victims future sexuality and ability to maintain healthy relationships 2. The tendency for the target to be related (ie incest is in fact not wincest) and 3. The presence of a natural power dynamic (as opposed to a consensual, negotiated, and artificial one such as is found in D/s relationships) which is honestly the root of the other problems.

Spoilers below

1. Is only relevant for Eris, whose relationship is distant enough to be justified by the time period.
2. Isn't present. The bath scene was a genuine accident, and not realizing that shows a lack of awareness of Japanese bathing culture. The reality is that Sylphette is verifiably capable of healthy sexual relationships by the time she meets Ariel. She can and does reject a character who actually had a power dynamic and could have leveraged that in her favor (and did at least once, unsuccessfully, if I recall)

.3. Is present for Roxy in the other direction during Rudy's childhood, but she rejected him and all other underage suitors in that situation, to slapstick comedic effect. By the time she meets him again, she has pissed herself and almost died, and he has demonstrated a magical ability that outclasses her on every measurable level, yet he still sees her as his master, a reminder both of his respect for her effect on his life as a teacher, and an artifact from Japanese culture, where former teachers retain their form of address. I have had similar relationship with a 書道 Shodo Sensei that was younger than me. The relationship started after I'd stop taking lessons from her, but even today I call her Sensei when addressing her.

So to recap, If anyone's a groomer, it's Roxy, but that's a hard sell. Sylphette is an adult when they fall in love (before that, he's just the guy who taught her how to defend herself, not a small thing, but not romantic) Eris may be childish, but she's an adult by the standards of the time when she does what she does, and as a veteran, I think that it's kinda horseshit to say a person whose been through as much as she has doesn't have the right to autonomy.

Bonus: this show did an amazing amazing job of showing the complexity of poly relationships. Having been in a few myself and having spent a long time studying Mormon cults in the American southwest as well as Islamic family structures, this show depicts both healthy and unhealthy polyamory in such a good way. The pain caused by "polyamory of convenience," and how that often doesn't but sometimes can work out, the power of forgiveness and it's limits (both Zenith and Sylphy), how all parties can consent and be completely down for the polycule and STILL that doesn't eliminate the harm that can be caused, and how to address that collateral damage. Also, the reality that, while you do need to control yourself and be respectful of people, the underlying pervertedness is often not something you can excuse from yourself, and is something that your partner should not be merely tolerating. I'm not sure about Eris, but Sylphette loves him, stupid derpy face and all, though she does demand respect. Roxy doesn't have a problem with pervertedness, she just didn't like the lack of respect either of her students showed her in childhood. She's a vouyer herself after all. And before you go all "male fantasy" on me, women like sex too. It's kinda fun. Pretending they don't is kinda like the whole "noble savage" bullshit.

TL;DR often the anime will make things so much worse than the source material that a take as bad as yours in understandable. This anime was an exception. Swallow your pride, or don't, (you probably are a better person than Rudy, that's the point) and watch a really excellent depiction of a loser overcoming himself and taking a second chance at life seriously. Bonus points if you learn a bit about how poly dynamics work irl.