Hole
In this article we explain the story and themes in our second episode, “Hole”.
Story
The buddies are hanging around in buddi Kotti when they see some curious holes in the ground. Cini tries to blow in one of the holes and it makes a funny whistle that echoes in all the other holes too! The Buddi’s begin to play with the holes and they each are able to produce a different sound. At some point, Iso blows a little too powerfully and makes Cini fly on the other side of the hill! Cini falls into a dark cave and while the other buddies look for him, he gets scared and starts to cry. However, he eventually manages to get out of the cave but he is disappointed when he can not find his friends, who are still looking for him on the other side of the hill. Cini is heartbroken and thinks that he has lost his friends forever. The Buddi’s then hear him crying and finally reunite with their lost friend!
Themes
There are two main themes addressed in this episode: the fun of experimenting with sounds, and the importance of being in control of our own emotions.
In the first part of the episode, the focus is very much on the curious holes and the sounds they produce when the buddies are interacting with them. As children are by nature extremely curious, watching the Buddi’s investigate and experiment with the unknown holes in the ground gives them something they can easily relate to. It is then this relatableness that keeps them so engaged and eager to see what is going to happen next. Indeed, as the buddies act, laugh and cry like toddlers, this makes it even easier for kids to completely immerse themselves into the buddi world.
The tantrum that Cini has inside the cave is also another example of a relatable reaction that any child would have had in the same situation. Whether physical or personality wise, having someone who you can empathize with and understand in the media is essential, and this does not only apply to young children but to audiences of all ages.
Educational
Dr Naomi Hackworth, a psychologist and child development expert, says that the sounds that nurture our children’s development definitely include music. But the sounds that help grow our little ones also extend beyond that. Making sounds, playing with different volumes, echoes, pitches, melodies and rhythms all play a role in helping our children learn and Naomi notes that the lessons start very early.
“When children are experiencing sound, there’s lots of different things that are happening in the sound,” Naomi says. “So it’s not just what they hear. There’s also vibrations, there’s movement, there’s rhythm, there’s lyrics, there’s words … and lots of connections to emotion.”. They’re also nurturing vital connections within their own rapidly developing brains. “Their brains are being activated in lots of different areas and they’re getting connections laid down between those areas of the brain,” Naomi explains.
Considering how important it is for children to experiment with sounds, “holes” wants to encourage children to do so. As children learn the most through imitation, we want to make sure then the things children learn by watching Buddi will be beneficial for their physical and personal development.
This follows on to the second theme of the episode: the importance of being in control of our own emotions.
As any young child would do, Cini feels scared when he finds himself alone in the dark cave. However, Buddi wants to teach a lesson to its audience: when facing a hard or scary situation, it is very important to stay calm and understand that there is nothing to be afraid of. It is also reminiscent of children not seeing their parents once they go to work or the child to school but they are reunited after the day is done. As it happens for Cini, once he gets his emotions stabilised he is able to find his way out of the cave and reunite with his friends.
Resources
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/the-importance-of-relatable-characters-in-entertainment