Upon feeling as though there weren’t enough healing shows/books/media being discussed, I decided to add my own two cents on the matter.
I don’t like the term “whump.” It feels shallow and unnatural to me for some reason. I also feel that there is a lot of gratuitous hurt out there in media that just isn’t comfy and doesn’t make me feel good. Maybe it’s just me.
However.
Hurt and comfort stories with healing and found family are a huge part of my media focus. Such stories can bring cathartic relief to the soul and allow us to view our own pains from a distance so as to make sense of things. To heal ourselves.
Because I know how hard good media like this is to find, below I have provided a master list of sorts, containing various media which have proven to bring comfort to me and hurt so good. If you know what I mean. This list was made in one day off the top of my head, so more may be added. If there are any you think would be good additions, feel free to message me or comment. This is all personal perspective and opinions. Make sure to check out content warnings as everyone has different triggers.
You’ll find there’s a pattern to my comments under some of them. Ahem. Obviously I love all of these or I wouldn't post them, but the ones I feel are must watches or reads are in pink.
Enjoy!
Chinese
Be Reborn
Reunion: Sound of Providence
Wu Xie deals with a chronic illness, and it’s a race against time. The bromance is top tier.
Nice View
A young man who suffers so much hurt and betrayal, pushing himself past his limits, all to provide for his family.
The Untamed
Douluo Continent
This one has gone under the radar, but it is totally binge-worthy.
Under the Skin
Anime/Manga
Princess Mononoke
March Comes in Like a Lion
Depression, anxiety, found family.
86
The only downside to this show is that there isn’t a 3rd season yet.
Black Lagoon
This is an extremely violent show with some nudity if I remember correctly. However, it made me think a lot. Quite good.
Bungo Stray Dogs
Charlotte
D. gray Man
Ongoing and so much h/c and found family. And plot twists.
Fruits Basket
I pretty much healed with all the characters. This story isn’t talked about enough.
Fukigen na Mononokean (manga)
Can’t explain it, but it fits.
Great Pretender
Koe no Katachi (manga has more details, but both are good)
Fouuuund family. Depression. TW: Suicide
Kono Oto Tomare!
Found family
Kuragehime (Princess jellyfish)
Found family and healing
Kuroshitsuji (manga)
PTSD, abuse, and lots of plot twists. I have no idea how this story will end but it’s here.
Mob Psycho 100
Okay but actually this is my favorite anime.
Natsume Yuujinchou
If you look in the dictionary under Healing, you’ll see Natsume’s Book of Friends in there.
Noragami
Pandora Hearts (manga)
One of the greatest stories for me. Found family. The plot twists have plot twists and they all hurt but there’s also so much love 😭
Re:Zero
This one is pretty violent and bloody—the second season freaked me out a good bunch. HOWEVER the character development and comfort that comes after all the hurt is so 10/10 for me.
Tsubasa Chronicle (manga)
Hard to explain, but it hurts so good.
Violet Evergarden
Oregairu
The 2nd and 3rd seasons slap so hard. Very emotional hurt and comfort.
Yuri!!! On Ice
“WE WERE BORN TO MAKE HISTORY”
Angel Beats
Fumetsu no Anata e
XxxHolic (manga)
Found family, crazy painful plot twists, basically just a character-focused healing story.
Ouran High School Host Club (manga)
Starts off a bit silly, but it gets real and even more amazing than anime watchers know.
K Dramas
You’re All Surrounded
Found family and stab wounds. Yes.
Weak Hero Class
This one came out of nowhere like a sucker punch.
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?
Thirty but Seventeen (Still 17)
The Good Detective
Don’t let the synopsis fool you. This one slays the feels just right.
Shooting Stars
PTSD and anxiety
Navillera
Found family and learning to accept help.
Move to Heaven
Kill Me Heal Me
Good Doctor
Happiness
Life on Mars
Maybe a bit more light hearted than others on the list, but I’m a sucker for the found family. Also lots of fainting which is nice.
Chicago Typewriter
If this doesn’t exemplify character growth, I don’t know what does. Yoo Ah In is a genius.
At a Distance, Spring is Green
PTSD, child abuse, and healing from it all. Surprisingly warm and fuzzy while also making my heart hurt.
18 Again
Learning from mistakes and paying retribution in a surprising way. The best soundtrack I’ve ever heard.
Hometown Cha Cha Cha
Psycho but it’s okay (It’s Okay to not be Okay)
Flower of Evil
Gyeonseong Creature
A fight for country and survival.
Moving
A bunch of main characters literally fighting their way to happiness and love.
Just Between Lovers (Rain or Shine)
Healer
It’s in the name, right?
English Speaking
Angel (Buffy spin-off)
Found family at its finest.
Teen Wolf Season 3 (Just season 3 for me haha)
Found family, anxiety, hallucinations… this season hit all the feels.
Transplant
A brilliant doctor works to overcome racism, culture differences, and PTSD.
Prodigal Son
TRAUMAAAA
Over the Garden Wall (animated)
The person hardest on you is always you.
Books
Mortal Instruments
Infernal Devices
Stormlight Archives
The Boy Who Steals Houses (trilogy)
The most found family I think I’ve ever read.
Art of Feeling
Gentlemen Bastards
Bromance. As well as excessive vulgarity.
Goodbye Days
Surviver’s Guilt
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
OCD
Take Me With You When You Go
Child Abuse
Before I Fall
Dark Room Etiquette
Anxious people
Basically we are all a mess but it’s fine.
The Shattered King by Holmberg
Girl has to heal a prince over and over again as he has a chronic condition. Great writing!
Kill the Father (trilogy)
Main male protagonist has severe ptsd and claustrophobia from being kidnapped for several years. Deals with this as he helps the police
The Alliance by Lund
Lots and lots of electric shock. Plus getting mauled by a bear.
WEBTOONs/Manwha
Grey is…(Jordan manga)
Possibly my favorite comic. The platonic story of two boys and their complicated friendship. Both struggle with depression and learn how to live as well as heal. All the feels. TW for graphic self-harm.
Annarasumanara
Winter Woods
Bastard
Taste of Illness (same author as Annarasumanara)
It’s Mine
Purple Hyacinth
Blood of the Butterfly
Dr. Frost
Super Secret
This one is a soft romance, but dang the boy goes through it—lots of power exhaustion sort of trope.
My S-Class Hunters
Might not seem like it, but this one does a great job developing the characters and trauma. Lots of good pain here and also power exhaustion.
Reading manga/comics as they update is weird. Like I remember reading Uriah and it taking five years of updates to get that kid to a hospital when really it was just a matter of days in the story.
14-year-old in a normal shonen: “I need to fight for my FRIENDS!!! And to save everyone—no, save the WORLD—from total annihilation!!” *insane fight sequence*
14-year-old in Mob Psycho: “I fear if I keep living my life like this, coming to my part-time job every day and doing the same things, then life will be comfortable and easy for me, but that comfort may mean I will stagnate, and that as the years pass, the only thing that changes is my age.” *insane fight sequence*
Just something I'm trying to finish! Finishing is always the hardest part.
“Oi, Mob?” Reigen’s voice breaks as he pulls Mob closer. The kid’s head lolls to the inside of his elbow with the movement. Dried tears still streak his face; dirt smudges his cheeks and his hair is unkempt. Reigen mentally kicks himself. Sure, he doesn’t understand all the psychic stuff at times, but this is Mob. How did he not know what was going on with Mob? Why did things have to get this far?
Reigen pats some of the dust off his apprentice’s gakuran. “It’s okay, Mob,” he says. His voice trembles, but he summons up the energy that he can to fake some confidence. “You did good today. Take a rest.” Things shouldn’t have gotten to this point. Mob shouldn’t have had to deal with this all alone. He shouldn’t…
He shouldn’t be crying. He—himself. Reigen presses his left hand that isn’t supporting Mob’s head into his own eyes, as if that will push the tears back in. Despite the movement, Mob doesn’t so much as twitch.
So he hugs Mob closer to him and lets the tears fall.
I threw part of this into the void last year and have finally finished this 15k story! It's all written, but I'll be posting one or two chapters a week just so I have a chance to edit every chapter again before posting. Man, it feels so good to finish something. I'm so slow 😅
Finally finished the fourth chapter! Started this series shortly after season 4 A YEAR AGO and then hit the infamous writer's block. But here is part of it and then you can go to my AO3 account for the rest if you so desire. This chapter focuses on Five and Klaus shortly after they get to the Sparrow timeline.
Ch. 4
Five is finally alone.
It’s a realization that hits him somewhat strangely because alone generally means failure. But this time there’s no guilt dragging him down. No disappointment to push through. He doesn’t feel relieved exactly, but there is certainly an element of relaxation in his mood.
Maybe it’s because he’s physically alone, but his family is with him this time. He’s not in danger of losing everyone. There’s no one he has to murder right this minute. No one needs saving. So he’s just…alone.
He sighs and sinks back against the pillows. Set up on the lower bunk, he notices there are no equations above him; he just sees the dark, blank wood of the top bunk. Something about the sight of it puts him on edge, and his momentary reprieve fades. The wood, unmarred by graffiti, makes him itch to carve it up. To start calculating again.
While he stayed behind to “relax” on the bed, the others are who knows where. All he really cares about is that Klaus went to go get him some alcohol. He hasn’t necessarily been deprived of a drink, but heaven knows he deserves it.
The throb in his head is still pulsing, so he closes his eyes to see if maybe, just maybe, he can finally get that sleep he’s been needing for the last two weeks. Honestly he’s needed a good sleep for the past 45 years, but he’ll take what he can get.
And yet, despite the exhaustion that squeezes his bones, that numbs the aching in his head, he can’t sleep. Now that he finally has a moment to breathe, he can’t stop staring at that empty wood over his head.
Without warning, the door bursts open. “Knock knock,” Klaus announces. “Did someone order a Scotch?”
“Right here,” Five calls back, eyes closed.
Footsteps sound towards him and stop near the bed.
“Sorry,” Klaus hisses loudly in a voice that makes Five think he’s mocking him. “Did I wake you up?”
“If you did, it was a really boring dream.”
Five opens his eyes to see a surprisingly genuine smile.
“We could do with some more of that stuff.”
Klaus hands him a partially filled red solo cup, and, without another word, Five sits up and tosses the drink back in two short swallows.
“Oh dear,” Klaus drops into a chair near the bed. “What was I thinking, not bringing the whole bottle with me?”
Something about the exaggerated horror in his voice leads Five to look over at him, just in time to see Klaus whip out a bottle from nowhere. That blessed idiot.
Five reaches for the bottle, but Klaus pulls back. “On second thought,” the thoughtful brother says, “I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be drinking with a concussion”
Five lowers his gaze at him. “I’m pretty sure I don’t care.”
The growl only seems to make Klaus more sure of his decision. “My, brother dear, are you saying you’d rather black out than spend time with your long lost brother?”
Five doesn’t react. “It’s been a long two weeks, Klaus. Hand it over.” If he had the energy, Five would have blinked already and taken the bottle from him. As things stand, however, he doubts he has enough reserves to make it off the bed. Without blinking.
Klaus glares at him right back, though it looks more like squinting than anything. “Tell you what,” he says, “if we use alcohol for its other purposes, I’ll let you have another glass.”
“Other purposes? Like a Molotov Cocktail?”
Klaus lets out a huff of laughter. “Funny, but no. I would’ve thought you of all people would know alcohol’s most important use.”
“Getting drunk?”
Realizing that his idea isn’t getting through to Five, Klaus thins his lips, sticks out his chin, and says, “I’ll be right back with a first aid kit.”
FMA is insane to read because you're like hey this is fun worldbuilding and I love the characters maybe this will be a fun time and then there's like a single moment where you're like IT'S ABOUT LOVE??? THE WHOLE TIME????????? And then you're changed forever as a person!
Just finished One: High School Heroes and my only complaint is that it only had 8 EPISODES. Wasn’t prepared for that. Acting was fabulous—most notably from sunshine Moving actor Lee Jung Ha. Known as the little brother to Weak Hero Class, this show came into its own and, for me, actually put WHC season 2 in its shadow with its progressive storyline and complex characters.
If you’re a fan of whump, this is a great drama for you because it’s constant with two hospital visits, PTSD/CPTSD (not diagnosed), after care and comfort, and realistic domestic violence. TW for suicide, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and obviously violence. I found the ending satisfying while also itching for more.
Synopsis: Warrior Choi Yeong goes to the future and kidnaps a female doctor from the 21st century in order to save the life of the Queen.
Note: Commas are used to separate details within the same scene, semi-colons are used to separate scenes. Not every fisticuff or pain is detailed—just main things.
Overview: Minor spoilers! Ep 2-5 have a healthy amount of fainting, collapsing, and all the fluffy concern you could want. Discussions about his will to live all sprinkled all throughout. If you’re only interested in the whump, then the rest of the show probably isn’t for you. The last few eps focus on his mental health as he gains a psychosomatic tremor.
Eps 1-10 ish have the theme of Choi Yeong finding purpose in living—some suicidal ideation but not explicit discussion
1x01: fighting. The usual.
1x02: stabbed towards the end, lots of concern for him, sword removed to purposefully to try and kill him, tells everyone to leave him; carried, semi-conscious; passes out, surgery
1x03: gets up and moves around while in pain and against doctor orders, collapses and is caught by friends; refuses medical care multiple times despite fever.
1x04: moving around despite lots of concern, running a fever; blurry vision 2x, faints, told he has an infection; tragic backstory revealed, collapses and has a seizure; unconscious, worried friends.
1x05: unconscious while looked after and undergoing another surgery; another seizure and held down; cardiac arrest, CPR; wakes up and on the move again despite—you guessed it—doctor’s orders; attacked with sci fi power that makes him bleed from his mouth and ears.
1x06: Nothing. Just homeboy being an irritated but soft bodyguard.
1x07: Blood on his face; FL realizes he hasn’t slept and is exhausted, he falls asleep on her shoulder.
1x08: chained and imprisoned; sleeping for multiple days 😂; Briefly pretends to have killed himself.
1x09: towards the end, the FL learns of a sacrifice Choi Yeong made after having harshly judged him.
1x10: FL apologizes to and thanks Choi Yeong, unresolved feels.
1x11: Stand-still battle of power which Choi Yeong loses. He backs down in pain and says he’s fine; is not fine and he finds by himself that he has what looks like frost bite on his chest (no consequences);Towards the end, people talk of his tragic back story; he plans to risk his life/implied he plans to die.
1x12: (In meditative state)Fighting and cut on arm and stomach, grabs blade with his bare hand, stabs himself and opponent; in the present: Wakes with a start; slashed on arm and leg, grabs blade and tries to kill himself and opponent as pictured, battle of elemental power again which hurts his hand; FL bandages hand and holds his frostbitten one; not hurt, but friends talking about the main’s relationship was so cute; (end) ninja people attack him and we see him getting more and more exhausted until he collapses against a pillar, holding his wounded arm.
1x13: He comes back from the fight in the last episode acting like he’s fine but then gets cornered by the FL to stitch up his arm.
1x14: FL removes stitches
1x15: Cut on the shoulder by a sword(no consequences); in a sort of dream/vision FL finds him unconscious
1x16-19: Nada
1x20: Minor sword cut on shoulder
Eps 21-24 have the theme of Choi Yeong reaching the end of his tether with all the killing he’s done.
1x21: About 20 min in he tells FL about the first time he killed someone; Drops his sword and gets concerned looks; around 45:00 hand holding sword shakes; 55:00 ish keeps dropping a comb, FL sees and worries
1x22: Sword hand shaking during a fight; FL comforting him after a heavy battle; King talking to wife about his guilt for the killing Choi Yeong has had to do; FL treating his hand/trauma; emotional convo at the end and hand tremor
1x23: FL treats his hand; hand tremor towards end of episode
1x24: Struggles to use a sword, friends worry for him; gets frosted and FL gives chest compressions
Ending thoughts: Overall I enjoyed this show despite its length and drawn out plots. The supernatural element added literally nothing to the story so it felt weird to me, but whatever. I especially enjoyed the growth and relationship between the king and Choi Yeong. The king is super flawed and I liked that. This isn’t the type of show I would watch again or even recommend to family and friends, but it’s still good! If you like grumpy male leads and fiery, sunshine female leads with a slow burn romance and no love triangle, you’ll probably enjoy this. Cheers!
And then he’ll yell at everyone while blushing, claiming his face is only red cause he’s hot and obviously not because he’s embarrassed because why would he be embarrassed they should be embarrassed cause they’re idiots.
I'm sure there are more panels, but these are all I remember.
Comics: Astonishing X-Men #32, Uncanny X-Men #509, Death of X #1 (But it's technically not Scott), X-Men #138, X-Men: Second Coming #1, X-Men: First Class Special (2007), Guardians of the Galaxy #12 (2014)
