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Imaginary Friend

Good

Recommended age Unlock

Co-watching from age 2

Balanced

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Imaginary Friend

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This program is well-balanced. It remains mostly easy to follow and process. It is a good fit for the recommended age. The pacing is moderate. The story remains easy for a child to follow. The sound is intense and continuously present. The visuals are calm and well-organized.

The story follows a single clear thread: Kiri feels left out, works through her loneliness, and finds her way back to her friends. Events arrive in a logical order with a recognisable beginning, middle, and end, and each scene introduces just one new idea at a time so a young child can keep up. Actions lead to sensible results, such as Kiri's sad song drawing her friends over to comfort her. A child this age can follow what is happening without getting lost.

This is where the episode is strongest. Emotions are real but gently handled: Kiri's loneliness is shown honestly, yet her friends respond with warmth, repeating 'We're here' and 'We do, we really do' to reassure her. When she asks to be left alone, the others respect it, with one noting 'I think she needs some space', which models attuned and respectful behaviour. The sadness is resolved within the episode as Kiri is welcomed back to play, leaving a child feeling safe rather than unsettled.

Kiri shows real initiative in facing her problem. Rather than staying stuck, she thinks it through aloud, wondering 'Maybe I need an imaginary friend' and then trying it out for herself. The thinking process is visible and fits her age, though the resolution leans partly on Lou returning to invite her along rather than on Kiri solving everything alone. Still, a child sees a character name a feeling, try out an idea, and act on it.

The language is clear and well matched to a young child, built from short everyday lines like 'What you doing?' and 'Nothing much'. The dialogue is purposeful, explaining who characters are and carrying the emotional story, and the voices are easy to understand. A few richer ideas appear, such as 'imaginary friend' and 'my imagination is amazing', alongside friendly Maori words like 'Ka-pai' (meaning good), which add interest even if they stretch a three-year-old a little. The words are used consistently and meaningfully throughout.

The social and emotional content here is genuinely recognisable: feeling left out, being comforted, wanting space, and using imagination are all situations a young child knows from their own life. What holds this pillar back is that the world itself is invented, prehistoric creatures talking in an imagined forest, with an imaginary friend that tickles for real, so the literal actions are not things a child can copy at home. The strongest transferable lesson is emotional rather than practical. As a result the everyday, hands-on usefulness stays limited even though the feelings ring true.

More information

Kiri and Lou tells its story entirely through prehistoric forest creatures, so the familiar human markers of diversity such as different ethnicities, family set-ups, ages and body types are not shown. What stands out instead is the cultural grounding: the characters speak New Zealand English and weave in Te Reo Māori words like 'Ka-pai', a genuine and uncommon form of inclusion in children's media. Where the show is strongest is in how its characters behave, with the bold, adventurous lead voiced as a girl while the gentle, big-hearted friend is voiced as a boy, quietly flipping the usual gender expectations. Feelings like jealousy, loneliness and joy move freely across all the characters, and they treat each other as equals.

This episode of Kiri and Lou stays close to a young child's real emotional world while telling its story through a cast of talking forest creatures. There is no villain at all; the gentle tension comes entirely from feelings like loneliness and the wish to be included, and it resolves through kindness rather than conflict. The light fantasy, talking animals and the idea of an imaginary friend, stays consistent and never overwhelms the grounded emotions. For this young preschool age, the mix of mostly realistic situations with a small touch of imagination sits comfortably.

This is a rewarding watch for a parent in the room. The hand-crafted stop-motion forest, the original melodic songs, and the dry comedy give adults real things to enjoy alongside their child. The story about an imaginary friend, and a character who insists on singing a 'lonely song' entirely alone, carries genuine warmth and a few quiet laughs. The humour stays understated rather than loud, and the soft voices and warm, muted colours make this easy, pleasant company throughout.

Themes

Friendship

The episode centres on Kiri, Lou, and their forest friends and how they include one another.

Loneliness

Kiri performs an entire 'Lonely Song' about having no one to play with.

Imagination

Lou has an imaginary friend named Dalvanius, and Kiri decides to try imagining her own.

Understanding others

The forest friends gather to comfort Kiri, telling her 'We're here' and 'We do' care when she feels alone.

Activities

Singing

Kiri performs the 'Lonely Song' and her friends join in to reassure her.

Pretend play

Kiri imagines a friend who tickles her after deciding to try having one.

Chasing

At the start characters chase one another, calling 'You can't get me, you can't get me'.

Emotions

Sadness

Kiri sings 'I'm alone, so very alone, singing a lonely song'.

Joy

Kiri giggles with delight when her imaginary play tickles her and says 'My imagination is amazing'.

Curiosity

Kiri wonders aloud 'Maybe I need an imaginary friend. What would that be like?'

Behaviour

Comforting

Kiri's friends gather around her singing 'We're here' and 'We do, we really do' while she feels lonely.

Pretend play

Kiri pretends to play with an imaginary friend and laughs, saying 'That felt totally real'.

Expressing feelings

Kiri puts her sad mood into a song instead of hiding it, singing 'I'm alone, so very alone'.

Social lessons

Belonging

Kiri grows quiet and withdrawn after learning Lou is busy playing with an imaginary friend.

Empathy

Friends notice Kiri is sad and reassure her that they care about her.

Inclusion

Kiri is invited to join in at the end with 'we were wondering if he wants to play with us'.

Respecting boundaries

When Kiri wants to be alone, a friend says 'I think she needs some space'.

Kiri, a small dinosaur, learns that her friend Lou has an imaginary friend named Dalvanius and begins to feel left out. Alone in the forest, she sings a 'Lonely Song' about having no one to play with, and her forest friends gather to comfort her and remind her she is not alone. After asking for some space, Kiri tries imagining her own friend and is delighted when the pretend play feels real. The episode ends as Lou invites her to come and play, and she rushes off to join in.

Season 1

5 episodes

Kiri & Lou

Kiri & Lou

Yum Yum Baronies

recommended age co-watching from 2

Kiri, a small creature with a red crest, and her purple friend Lou plan to share a feast of their favorite fruit, the yum yum baronies, in their forest home. While Kiri is up a tree, Lou cannot resist and eats every single one, then admits he wasn't thinking. Kiri is hurt that the feast and Lou's promise are both gone, and a drawn-out muddle follows over whether Lou has properly said sorry, briefly involving a passing creature whose name happens to be 'Sorry.' The two friends finally apologize to each other and make up, then set off to look for another tree.

Kiri & Lou

Kiri & Lou

Refreshing

recommended age co-watching from 2

Kiri, a bold little dinosaur, and Lou, a gentle purple creature, are best friends who decide to go swimming in their forest. The water turns out to be too cold for Lou, and when Kiri splashes him and laughs, his feelings are hurt and he quietly goes off on his own. A trio of birds sings while Kiri realises she has upset her friend and feels bad about it. She finds Lou, apologises for being mean, and the two make up.

Kiri & Lou

Kiri & Lou

Imaginary Friend

recommended age co-watching from 2

Kiri, a small dinosaur, learns that her friend Lou has an imaginary friend named Dalvanius and begins to feel left out. Alone in the forest, she sings a 'Lonely Song' about having no one to play with, and her forest friends gather to comfort her and remind her she is not alone. After asking for some space, Kiri tries imagining her own friend and is delighted when the pretend play feels real. The episode ends as Lou invites her to come and play, and she rushes off to join in.

Kiri & Lou

Kiri & Lou

Super Sticky Situation

recommended age co-watching from 2

Lou, a purple creature with a long neck and a trunk, wakes to find himself stranded on a lily pad in the middle of a forest lake. He panics, then meets his Calm Inner Voice, who helps him stay calm and reminds him he is clever enough to think of something. Meanwhile his friend Kiri, a bold little dinosaur, searches all around the lake asking the other creatures for help. The episode ends when Kiri finds Lou and tells him she was starting to worry.

Kiri & Lou

Kiri & Lou

Amazing Ears

recommended age co-watching from 2

Kiri, a small dinosaur, and Lou, a gentle purple creature, set out to meet Dalvanius, a shy friend who is so good at camouflage that he seems invisible. In a green prehistoric forest they coax him out, and when he finally reveals his very large ears they celebrate them with a song called 'Amazing Ears.' When other creatures laugh at his ears, Dalvanius is hurt and hides again, so Kiri and Lou tell them off, explaining that being different is no reason to laugh at someone. The episode closes on a brief, comic scuffle as the friends take Dalvanius's side.

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Explore more

From this series Kiri & Lou

By age 3 years

By platform Apple TV+

By theme Disagreements Friendship Imagination Nature Sadness Understanding others

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