JAPAN PRIZE 2016 Prize Winners

The Best Work in the Pre-school Category
< The Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Prize >
Tell me, Bonggu! - My Front Tooth Fell Out
Entering Organization Educational Broadcasting System (EBS)
Country/Region Republic of Korea
Media TV
(By Loes Wormmeester)
This delightful preschool show nicely captures a slice of a preschooler’s daily life without interfering. The main character Minjun is very natural and his interactions with his stuffed animals Bonguu and Baba amusing and real. The character design of his stuffed animals is something the jury appreciated. Although scripted, the show follows what actually happens in Minjun’s life in a very natural way. The topic of losing a tooth and visiting the dentist are very real and relatable topic for every preschooler. Minjun has a Russian mother and a Korean father and in a non-explicit way the show demonstrates cultural differences. When Minjun tries to throw his tooth on the roof and fails he shifts to the Russian style to recite a poem while throwing the tooth over the shoulder into the garden. This snapshot into this family shows kids the multicultural nature of Korean society and teaches preschoolers that there is more than one way of doing things. It’s a simple story but simplicity is the perfect way to go.
(By Hyunmi Ko)
I'm pleased that through this award, people in many nations were able to see the program and the characters within. I want to say thank you on behalf of Minjun and his family. I'm glad that we were able to get the goal of the show across, which was showing how children from a multicultural family live, what issues they face, and how they resolve those issues in a natural way. I hope that children who watch this show will grow up with a multicultural mindset. With the help of Bonggu, who best understands the feeling of children, we will continue to create many more episodes and continue to support the growth of and development of children.

← Prize Winners 2016 Announced

TOP