9 Stories that Made us Cry (Slogging Insights)

If you ever feel like you are in need of a good cry, this article will help you get that oh-so-needed catharsis. In this thread, we talk about the books, movies, or tv shows that were powerful enough to make us cry.

This Slogging thread by Limarc, Evgeny, Mónica Freitas, Natasha, Blake Cram, Maisha Collins, Tirtha, Marshall Akpan and Amy Shah occurred in hackernoon's official #fellowship-central channel, and has been edited for readability.

LimarcDec 1, 2021, 10:01 AM

Hey Everyone. I'm curious to hear your thoughts: what was the last story you read, watched, or played, (fiction or non-fiction) that brought you to tears?

LimarcDec 1, 2021, 10:04 AM

Sorry for being such a nerd, but for me that last one was the Violet Evergarden Film.

Violet Evergarden is an anime about a young girl who was used as a tool for war. The series is about her becoming an auto memory doll (someone who writes letters for others and conveys their feelings for them in letters).

Trained as a machine, Violet doesn't know much about human emotions and through her job she seeks to learn what her commanding officer meant by his final words before he died: I love you.

The movie is something I've been waiting years for and it didn't disappoint. It's a story about love, life itself, living without regret, and really it's about human connection. The entire series was a tearjerker and so was this film.

LimarcDec 1, 2021, 10:04 AM

EvgenyDec 1, 2021, 11:23 AM

The last one for me was The Sea in the Sky, a scripted Audible original sci-fi drama.
It is set in the near future, where Earth is suffering from global climate catastrophe. The story is about two astronauts who go on Enceladus to do deep dives in the oceans there hoping to find signs of life and to rekindle government and public interest in space exploration.
The last couple of episodes are really emotional because the protagonist has to deal with a lot of stuff (I won't give spoilers). A real tear-jerker and an inspirational story!

EvgenyDec 1, 2021, 11:23 AM

Mónica FreitasDec 1, 2021, 12:14 PM

Limarc For me, it was the book "Before the coffee gets cold." It's a beautiful look into human relationships (mother/daughter, husband/wife, and sisters) and how we tend to take for granted the time we have with the people in our life. It uses time travel in a peculiar setting to teach each character lessons and remind them of things that they've overlooked. It's a small but impactful book. I hope you give it a try!

NatashaDec 1, 2021, 3:29 PM

"No One Is Talking About This", a novel by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Lockwood. At the risk of oversimplifying, it's about what happens when you live 90% of your life online, and then something big happens in your real world, and coming back to the internet afterwards feels strange and ridiculous.

Beautifully written; the most incredible descriptions of your brain on social media I've ever read. And definitely cried at the end; but I won't tell you why.

LimarcDec 2, 2021, 10:32 AM

Wow I'll seriously have to check these out

LimarcDec 2, 2021, 10:32 AM

Evgeny its only an audio drama right? Not a tv show

EvgenyDec 2, 2021, 10:33 AM

Yep, only audio

Blake CramDec 2, 2021, 7:57 PM

I think mine was Ted Lasso streaming on Apple +. That show completely took me off guard, so many people were recommending it I thought it was over-hyped. It's so, so good though. And, despite revolving around a sport I'm not that interested in (European football), starring an actor (Jason Sudeikis) I usually have a hard time taking seriously, this show made me feel a lot of powerful emotions. For the most part it is hilarious and invokes positivity. But boy, it definitely made me cry more than once by the end. Highly recommend.

Maisha CollinsDec 3, 2021, 3:05 AM

I'm not sure about the last one, but the movie Coco made me cry real tears.

LimarcDec 3, 2021, 3:06 AM

if it's about sports, what is the tearjerky part of it?

LimarcDec 3, 2021, 3:06 AM

Maisha Collins I know...that one has been on my list for a long time

Blake CramDec 3, 2021, 3:29 AM

Limarc the show does a really good job of making football the background for the story they're trying to tell about the characters. So the things surrounding the peoples lives revolving around the sport is what becomes compelling. It’s a hard show to describe but the acting and writing is excellent, and has a way of making you care about these characters more deeply than you would expect. I was so surprised to feel “tearjerky” by the end of its second season.

TirthaDec 3, 2021, 7:43 AM

I'd say this one anime called: "Your Lie In April", its about a piano prodigy(Arima) , due to a tragedy lost the ability to experience the sound of his instruments, then he meets a violinist(Kaori), a free spirited individual. The story plots around the lead character Arima, finding his tune n melody with the help of Kaori, who has her own personal issues(No Spoilers)
The screenplay and dialogues are wonderfully written.

I'm a huge Chopin fan, this anime covers many of his beautiful compositions. The whole monologues of how the main character goes through a personal transformation with reflections from his past, feels like a personal journey.

LimarcDec 3, 2021, 7:51 AM

oh Tirtha oh my friend...Your Lie In April needs no introduction for me :rolling_on_the_floor_laughing:. I cried very much throughout that anime

LimarcDec 3, 2021, 7:53 AM

If you'd like to cry more Tirtha, watch Anohana as well as Violet Evergarden (mentioned above).

It's about a group of childhood friends who are now in high school. One of their friends died in an accident when they were young. All of sudden the ghost of that friend has come back. Why? You'll have to watch to find out. I think Anohana is the anime that made me cry the most. The ending is like the incarnation of "tugging on your heartstrings"

TirthaDec 3, 2021, 8:05 AM

Limarc I've watched Violet Evergarden, splendid storytelling. Will add Anohana to my watch list.

P.S: I thought the new Cowboy Bebop Netflix adoption will drive me to tears, after what they have done with DBZ. It was kind of bearable.

LimarcDec 3, 2021, 8:08 AM

I wonder what thinks but I actually agree. Compared to DB Evolution the Cowboy Bebop adaption wasn't bad.

Marshall AkpanDec 3, 2021, 3:42 PM

For me it was Game of Thrones, when the lives of the starks were threatened.

Blake CramDec 3, 2021, 3:53 PM

Limarc Tirtha I think that could be its own thread… but I'm halfway through the live-action Bebop and it’s enjoyable so far. Some of it is genuinely great, but there's still elements that are just as bad as I would expect that make it an inconsistent experience.

Amy ShahDec 4, 2021, 12:20 AM

I watched: https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/my-600-lb-life/

Amy ShahDec 4, 2021, 12:21 AM

One of the people who were undergoing the life transformation to lose weight inspired me with her story.

Amy ShahDec 4, 2021, 12:23 AM

I was really impressed most about her great attitude and care she showed for others!