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What the Japanese Think of the Netflix Show “Old Enough!”
When the Japanese TV show Old Enough! started streaming on Netflix this month, my wife and I began watching an episode each evening.
Although we live in Los Angeles, my wife is Japanese and I’m an editor of the Japanese culture magazine, Japonica. We enjoyed watching the cute, family-oriented TV show instead of the usual fare of murders and betrayals.
The title of the show in Japanese is はじめてのおつかい (Hajimete no Otsukai) meaning “My First Errand”.
The premise of the show is simple: children aged 2–6 are sent by their parents on an errand: pick up something at the supermarket, drop off clothing at the dry cleaner, and deliver lunch to Dad.
Cameras follow the kids as they make their way through town. They usually succeed, surprisingly for their age, with challenges and mistakes along the way that they have to overcome.
