The thought of letting a young child only a few years of age go off on their own in a big city to complete various tasks is the stuff of nightmares for most parents, even those with little to no anxiety and no trust issues. However, Japanese moms and dads have been willingly allowing their children to go off and run errands on Old Enough! – or Hajimete no Otsukai (My First Errand) for more than 30 years now with little to no problems of note.
The show, which became a major hit with Netflix subscribers after 20 episodes debuted on the platform, will soon be back with even more adventures of charming, daring, and incredibly self-sufficient youngsters going to the grocery store, dropping off the mail, and taking care of other random tasks.
Here is everything you need to know about Old Enough! Season 2 as well as a brief history lesson breaking down how the quaint Japanese reality program became an international sensation.
Old Enough! Follows Young Japanese Children As They Complete Errands Completely On Their Own
Since debuting on Nippon TV in 1991, the Japanese reality TV program, Old Enough!, has followed countless young children ranging from two to five years of age as they complete their first ever errand in their home city, with tasks ranging from dropping off an apron for their father to picking up jewelry for their mother, with little to no issues.
Shortly after Old Enough! made its Netflix debut in March 2022, series Executive Director Junji Ouchi and producer Naoka Yano told the platform’s Tudum website that the children are on their own in completing the various tasks, though their parents are monitoring the footage in real-time. The camera crew wears an assortment of the costumes, masquerading as anything from a passerby to street cleaners to not break the illusion.
The Series Has Been On Air In Japan For 30 Years But Caught On In America In 2022
Even though Old Enough! has been showing in Japan for more than 30 years at this point, the show didn’t become an international sensation until its Netflix debut, at which point it was everywhere, including long-form articles from publications like Slate Magazine to countless viral TikTok videos, and even on an April 2022 episode Saturday Night Live, where it was parodied in a skit featuring the host that week, Selena Gomez.
With other elements of Japanese culture like Olympic pictograms, anime, and Godzilla movies all finding massive audiences in the rest of the world, it should come as no surprise that a lovely little show about the exploration of independence and seeing the world from the eyes of a child would as well.
New Episodes Premiere January 1, 2023 On Netflix
Those who have binged all available episodes earlier in the year or recently will be happy to hear that Old Enough! Season 2 will be one of the first 2023 Netflix TV premieres, as 10 more episodes of the incredibly charming and popular series will be added to the Netflix library on January 1, 2023, according to Deadline.
The outlet also reported that some episodes will receive an “After Years” special featuring interviews with people who appeared on the show as children to see how the experience went for them and what they’re up to now.
Only time will tell if Old Enough! Season 2 becomes as big of a hit with audiences as its predecessor. While we wait for the show to make its return, now would be a good time to take a look at all the other 2023 TV premiere dates so you don’t miss out on anything on the small screen early next year.
