I kinda didn’t get much love during childhood, so I kinda get obsessed about it. I recently watched Spy x Family and holy hell, I get so jealous of the wholesomeness of their family dynamic, I cried. I need more of that.
Fresh Prince of Bel Aire with Will Smith and James Avery. Not a perfect family, but James plays a wonderful tv dad.
A story about found family overcoming trauma that I love is Fruits Basket, particularly the 3 season remake.
I’m also very partial to Boy Meets World (TOPANGA!!!)
Long Story Short - it’s not all rainbows and butterflies, but a realistic family working to get by.
Modern Family - Antics of an extended family. Since it’s a comedy it’s usually pretty wholesome and each family unit brings something different to the table.
While there are definitely more out there, I figured these would be good suggestions as they really focus on family dynamics.
Steven Universe, from beginning to the end. The last (fifth?) season was called Steven Universe Future; it’s a timeskip several years into the future.
The Incredibles and Inside Out both portray realistic, flawed, loving family dynamics. As a parent, they’re hard and beautiful to watch.
Uncle Buck
Anime: Bleach has a good family dynamic. It’s probably not cry worthy but is good
A show I forgot from my prior post because it’s so new is Joe Cappa’s Haha You Clowns on Adult Swim. It’s very loosely modeled after the classic sitcom My Three Sons and follows the loving and earnest adventures of 3 beefy Chad teens and their love for their equally beefcake father who recently became a Widower as they lovingly try to fill his broken heart with love. The sincerity rounds the bend to being absurd and funny, but the relationships on display are all loving and healthy.
Figure 17
Loving dad. And what if you suddenly had an identical twin that’s trying to better you and helps you get out of your shell?
- Digimon Adventure (1998) – Contains: Divorced parents who deeply love their children and are willing to put their differences aside for their sake, adopted son learning that his parents really love him and that he really loves them, cool older brother who tells overly-pressured kid to stop trying to meet expectations and go do what makes him happy. (also – Kaiju fights, of course) – Plus, christmas miracle, ALL the family members are alive at the end!
If you’re willing to tank a whole heap of tragedy around the wholesomeness –
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brothehood (and the Manga. Actually I prefer the Manga) is a classic about a pair of brothers who face many difficulties together. It’s really sweet how much they protect each other. Shout out also to their not-sister-childhood-friend for being an honorary third sibling. Then there’s their father, absentee for most of the show, but once he appears he’s fully ready to sacrifice himself for their sake and all that.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
It’s a new anime and it’s more focused on the kids, but the relationship the main has with his family is so good. Honestly all of the characters are just so darn good. They’re all so wholesome and just good.
You didn’t ask for a video game, but the first price of media I thought of was, Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2. They literally made me cry at some scenes because of how wholesome parts of them are. He kinda adopts a little girl, and starts an orphanage. There’s even a section of the game where you just walk around town holding her hand. Although the game has a lot of mature elements and is not entirely about this.
I can’t really think of many parent/child wholesome media, but Mr Rodgers is something I enjoy watching with my daughter.
Bob’s Burgers has got to be the #1 here. One of the most loving families in television history.
Avatar - The Last Airbender might be a contender. If you can tolerate some entirely NOT wholesome dynamics alongside all the wholesome ones.
The Owl House also comes to mind.
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Likewise.
Gravity Falls is pretty good on that front too.
Before Bob’s Burgers there was Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, which is where H. Jon Benjamin (voice of Bob) really got on the map in the 90’s. He was so young back then, he played the son.
But I always thought it was a very sweet relationship between a single father who was very understanding and patient with his twenty-something year old son who was perpetually without a job and very immature. So patient, so kind, so loving, no intent ever to kick him out and make him “grow up.”
In fact, Dr. Katz, Home Movies, and Bob’s Burgers are all Loren Bouchard projects. He was a writer/producer/editor on Dr. Katz but he was a creator on Home Movies and Bob’s Burgers.
Fun fact about Dr. Katz. Jon Benjamin’s character, Ben, was infatuated with his fathers secretary, Laura, who was played by Laura Silverman. Even though in the show her character couldn’t stand Ben, in real life Jon Benjamin and Laura Silverman were dating at the time.
I was coming to say Bobs Burgers
We should setup a watch party thing around some kind of FOSS friendly deal. At a minimum we could watch and discuss for a day+ of open conversation. It might be fun?
PeerTube stream?
The original Naruto series has its moments. The first two or three arcs hit me throughout several times.
Hunter x Hunter has friend dynamics like that and can turn up the feels with missing father throughout.
ouch the trauma of HxH
though yes the family relationship in those few episodes are best in anime. i dare say you see alot of physical and emotional and psychological and sexual trauma for the “rest” of the 50 something episodes. that doesn’t make it a better of anime to comfort by if you’ven’t seen it before. having peeked at the manga & the 2012 anime i’m confident i like the 1999 anime best because it strays from the harshness. HxH 1999 is the varmest.
though anime wise: World Masterpiece Theatre is the varmest family dynamics without the trauma. for example Little Women 2 Jo’s Boys
My Neighbor Totoro!
Whispers of the Heart, From Up on Poppy Hill, and Arête also have good child/parent dynamics. Among most other Ghiblis. I just wanted to mention some of their lesser known ones.
