Diana Morales
Crimson Chronicle Reporter
Recently, a 1991 Japanese show called ‘Old Enough!’ is resurfacing as the 2013 adaptation on Netflix as a ‘comfort show.’ It aired in Japan for more than three decades and is now making its way to an American audience.
‘Old Enough!’ is a show that focuses on children from ages 2 to 5 who go on errands all by themselves. Each episode has a different toddler being tasked by their parents and on their journey, they only have the company of the camera crew and safety teams. The narrators give commentary on their progress of what they are supposed to do but also make it a comedy since most of them get sidetracked easily. It makes the series entertaining with foreshadowing and jokes that are made based on the toddler’s progress. Some may even get heartwarming help from locals if they run into trouble.
“Old Enough is the most wholesome show you’ve ever seen,” said Netflix producers.
With episodes ranging from 7 to 20 minutes long, it is relatively easy to finish all 20 episodes in a day. Their journey can be a pickup from the grocery store or taking huge fish to be cut into sashimi. These errands are not as extreme but for a 2-year-old to do it, it can seem laborious to do.
On their voyage, the camera crew is hidden and disguised so the toddlers don’t notice, and the area is checked ahead of time for safety. Neighbors are informed so they do not need to worry or intervene when they see a toddler by themselves.
One viewer said, “It’s amazing what these children do compared to American children at that age.”
In the first episode, a 2-year-old boy named Hiroki settles off on his first errand wearing squeaky shoes and a yellow flag written “STOP” to help him cross the street. As he walks by, he picks up a stick and notices a police car which he believes is an ambulance. Only after saying it a few times does he realize that it is in fact a police car. The narrator applauds him by saying “at this age, it takes a little time for your brain’s circuits to all link up!”
We learn that Hiroki’s job is to get sweet curry, fish cakes, and flowers at the grocery market which requires a one-kilometer expedition to and back.
When he gets to the store, he stays standing in front of the entrance for a mere moment before running over to the toy vending machines. It doesn’t take long for him to finally enter the store and run toward the fish cakes then head to an employee to ask where the flowers are. After getting the flowers, he tells the employee that he’s done shopping and proceeds to pay.
Upon leaving the store he quickly remembers that he was supposed to buy sweet curry as well, so he heads back in for the second time.
The narrator proceeds to continue his joke as he says “the circuits have just connected!”
At last, Hiroki heads back home to deliver the fish cakes, sweet curry, and flowers for his grandmother, to his mother. But, as he walks back the flowers are being dragged which the narrator points out and mentions that they might poke out. The shot moves from the flowers up to his face and the narrator says “something is poking out of his nose too!”
When he gets to the crosswalk, he lifts his yellow flag and allows the cars to stop before he can walk across. Ultimately, he arrives home to his mother’s open arms, offers the flowers to his grandmother, and makes the rest of the curry for dinner.
Throughout the series, the narrators make it engrossing and comedic for the audience to thoroughly enjoy each episode. Even when the toddlers do run into hardships, they bounce right back up and are praised by the narrators and locals. It is an adorable show where parents and their children share tears because of their first step to independence.
“Old enough is my new feel-good show,” another viewer said.
If you ever want to destress and see cute toddlers, watch ‘Old Enough!’ on Netflix. It is definitely different from other shows on Netflix, so give it a watch.