Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school?

Hi everyone, I wanted to share an idea I ahd and hear if others have tried something similar or if you guys think this might work. The basic inspiratino to think about this is my current life don't support much time for studying actively, but I do have some dead time on my car, going to work and stuff like that.

1. Learned French like this

During early career years, I learned French with no formal study. I used every spare moment, commutes, errands, idle time, to just listen. No grammar, no writing. It took me around 2 years, but it worked really well. Although French is very close to my native language (Portuguese), so comprehension came faster. Japanese, obviously, is a completely different story.

1. Quick background

I’ve been trying to learn Japanese on and off for about 15 years. I've used all the traditional methods: textbooks, kanji memorization, stroke order, Duolingo, grammar drills, vocab lists. But none of it worked. I always ended up losing motivation and giving up.

1. Why I always gave up on Japanese

Over the years, I realized there were a few consistent reasons I lost steam:

1. Studying without a clear goal
2. Trying to study like I was in a grammar class
3. Memorizing random vocabulary lists with no context
4. Trying to learn kanji and stroke order from the start
5. Using bad tools (like Duolingo)

6. Trying to learn reading, writing, speaking, and listening all at once

7. Why I'm now trying the "pre-school child" method

After so many failed starts, I was planning to mimic how a Japanese child learns before they ever go to school: pure listening and understanding. No writing. No reading. Just ears and context. The goal is to build a foundation of natural comprehension through exposure. The more you understand, the more engaging and sustainable it becomes.

1. My current plan:

2. Start with very simple, familiar stories for toddlers (like The Three Little Pigs)

3. Gradually move to native content with clear speech (kids’ shows, stories that i already know by heart)

4. Use a lot of audio at first, maybe some anki decks with the story vocab

5. Make short audio cuts (just the key phrases from known anime scenes) and loop them repeatedly

6. Listen passively too, whenever I can’t focus (walking, driving, etc.)

7. Never jump to harder material unless I can understand the current one

8. Hopefully get to easy animes I already know well

This time I’m not setting goals like “I want to speak in X months.” I just want to understand the language naturally, in a way that doesn’t drain my energy or motivation.

Has anyone here followed a similar path? Listening-only, no textbooks, no kanji, just natural acquisition? What do you guys think about it?