No kidding..... I think they want to differentiate the difference between flashbacks, too. Maybe it's to give the effect of "Oh wow! This was a long time ago.... A whole 1 or 2 years!" But what's funny is that there's not nearly as much difference between the 2nd and 3rd years as there is between the 1st and 2nd years.
Fuji didn't grow much either.... He looks older, but I highly doubt he grew as much as the rest of the regulars.

