What media changed you the most?

For me, the anime A Place Further Than the Universe / Sora yori mo Tooi Basho has got to be up there.

I thought the way the show handled the message of "learning to let go and accept that someone has passed/moved on" and "moving forwards from grief and to a new beginning with the help of others" was excellent.

And the way the show handled this message and its themes was simply beautiful in nearly every aspect, from the visuals to the characterizations... I could go on, but it's been a while since I
first watched the show, and I'm afraid that if I re-watch it I might see flaws
I didn't catch on my first viewing

oh boy I love talking about media personal to me :DDDD I'll try not to put any major spoilers for them here just so I don't accidentally ruin someone's day lolol still spoilers though

• Omori!!!! I'm not an avid gamer, but man....the game was the first to ever make me cry, both because the story's obviously tragic and also because it REALLY hit hard for me (if you know the plot, yes, I know what you're thinking and NO I did NOT do that). When one starts up the game, they're greeted by content warnings of depression and suicide, which is definitely prevalent in the game, don't get me wrong, but I think what separates the game from the the usual "indie game about depression" imo is that the whole root cause of the depression and suicidal intent is solely due to trauma. Specifically, a traumatic event that was technically well within the main character's control and could've been prevented. The main character fucked up hard in that moment but, given the circumstances at the time, you can't help but just feel bad for everyone involved. And as someone who has dealt with a very traumatic event before, I love that the game made it so that the main character actually made a fucked up mistake because that's exactly how I feel in regards to my trauma (and possibly how many others feel, considering how common survivor's guilt is). Like, sure, my situation wasn't the exact same and, heck, many people would drill into my head that "oh that wasn't your fault" but Omori sets up the idea that, hey, what if it was your fault? What if all that guilt and shame actually had proof to back them up? The game made me feel heard! And, oh man...the message of the true ending.... Basically, the game ends with the message that you gotta overcome your fears in order to move on from your mistakes. It sounds SO cliché when I say it like that, but you don't understand—that shit hit hard!!! The main character's biggest, crippling fear was to admit what happened in the past and the actions that he had done. Eventually, he does overcome them and he does reveal the truth. However, the game ends there! Because that's the entire point! It doesn't matter what other people's reactions are to the main character's truth; what matters is that the main character reached the point of his life where he stops hiding in fear and actually takes a stand to say the truth! His truth may have ruined close relationships he has with others, but that's just the unfortunate consequence of such a tragedy. He'll face that consequence just like he faced his trauma! Playing that game was genuinely life-changing for me youdontunderstandaaaAAAA—It made me realize just how painful it was to withhold such a secret within myself and it made me question, "huh...do I really want to take this to the grave...?" That game single-handedly made me confess my own trauma. Not to anyone actually important (to me), mind you, but Omori emphasized a lot with taking that first step towards progress, and...yeah, it just holds a special place in my heart for that.
• SPEAKING OF TAKING THAT FIRST STEP----- Mob Psycho 100!!!!!! I never fully watched the anime (but PEOPLE should watch it! very good animation!!) so I'll only be talking about the manga but the anime is a very good adaption so a lot of the themes in the manga applies to the anime as well. Anyway, One (the creator) says that the series is all about taking that first step. And,,,,y,,,yeah,,,,it,,,,ssure is,,,,,,,*sobbing* Once again, this is another piece of media that made me cry BUT this time, it's more so just tears of...relatability...? Wholesomeness....? Joy...? Tears of not-sadness, basically. While I love pretty much all characters in the manga, Mob and Reigen, man.... The overarching theme with those two character specifically is acceptance (of one's true identity). Mob represses his emotions and, in turn, his psychic powers in fear of being a threat to others. And, well, that's fair since you see multiple times throughout the series that every emotional outburst Mob has ends with complete demolition of the environment around him lmao. Reigen (I love this man I love this man I love this man) is a conman. He lies a lot to the point his entire business is built on his lies. More importantly, he lies to Mob. Specifically, that he's a psychic master and that he totally knows how to handle Mob's psychic powers (he does not). Sketchy guy, right? Well....you're not entirely wrong, BUT there's more to him than meets the eye! He lies, yes, but he makes sure that he really does help his clients at the end of the day. A client's back is hurting and they say it's due to some evil spirit? Sure, he'll play along with the spirit idea, but he will find a way to solve their back issues. Despite being a money-focused conman, if a client truly can't pay for his services, he'll adjust it for them! This applies to Mob as well; yes, he is lying to Mob about who he really is, but he does give genuine advice on Mob's struggles, power-related or not, and that advice truly does help Mob. Now, back to Mob, his character arc is kinda similar to Elsa from Frozen (lmao) in that the audience can clearly tell that his powers are related to his emotional well-being. Therefore, if he's feeling stressed, his powers will reflect that. As the series continues, we actually see him slowly process his emotions, unlike the typical "wait until character holds emotions in, explodes, and then wrap everything up with a pretty bow." Well....until the end LOL. HOWEVER, the "character has an explosive emotional outburst" feels fresh here because it doesn't ignore Mob's development! In a way, him growing confident in himself is the entire reason why he's able to have an explosive emotional outburst in the first place! As for how this is similar to Reigen's predicament, it's the idea that everyone has a "bad side" to them. Yet, this "bad side" isn't purely bad. It has its upsides to it. Were it not for Reigen's lies, he wouldn't be where he was now. His own business aside, his relationship with Mob is built on a lie. Terrible way to build a relationship, yes, but truthfully speaking, Reigen is a major reason for Mob's development. If Reigen was honest in the fact that he wasn't a psychic and had no idea how to help Mob's psychic issues, Mob likely wouldn't have the support, or even the life, he has now. Similarly, Mob inability to really handle his emotions is, well, a bad thing, but like I said, it's used to show progress! Yes, he's pretty much having a mental breakdown and crisis all-in-one + destroying every single building he passes, but by doing that? He's making it clear what the problem is. Him having that destructive outburst shows people exactly why he acts the way he does. Is it the best way? No lol, but there's an upside to the bad!! These two characters have sides to them that if anyone were to see these sides as a first impression, they're immediately judge these characters. Mob and Reigen are ashamed of these sides to them to the point that their shame becomes a detriment to their overall character. However, the series makes a point that they shouldn't be ashamed! Obviously I'm not gonna say how :3c but just know it's REALLY emotional and that I cry every time I reread that part in the manga. Anyway, seeing those characters accept who they are as people was a fucking rollercoaster 10/10 would experience it over and over again. There's A LOT MORE I can talk about in Mob Psycho 100, especially in regards to Reigen as a whole, but...this is super long.....so I'll end it here. It's very true that one of rhe series' themes (accepting yourself) is very personal to me, though!

sorry if all this is jumbled up; I love taking the opportunity to type about my two favorite medias >w< I highly suggest checking them out if you want!!!