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Vol. 2 · TV · Heartbreaking
Chapter Two
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The Heartbreaking Files

Movies that will absolutely make you cry.


These 40 films have been quietly catalogued into a collection the editors call, simply, “Heartbreaking.” They are not ranked by box office. They are not sorted by release. They are arranged by something harder to measure — a shared emotional frequency, a kinship of mood. What follows is the reading list. Begin where you like. Read until you find the one that looks back.

  1. 01.
    Breaking Bad

    Breaking Bad

    2008·Created by Vince Gilligan·9.5

    Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime.

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  2. 02.
    The Chosen

    The Chosen

    2019·Created by Dallas Jenkins·9.1

    The life of Christ through the eyes of those who encountered him.

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  3. 03.
    Better Call Saul

    Better Call Saul

    2015·Created by Vince Gilligan·9.0

    Six years before Saul Goodman meets Walter White. We meet him when the man who will become Saul Goodman is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny, and, more immediately, hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside, and, often, against Jimmy, is “fixer” Mike Ehrmantraut. The series tracks Jimmy’s transformation into Saul Goodman, the man who puts “criminal” in “criminal lawyer".

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  4. 04.
    Fanny and Alexander

    Fanny and Alexander

    1984·Created by Ingmar Bergman·9.0

    Through the eyes of ten-year-old Alexander, we witness the delights and conflicts of the Ekdahl family, a sprawling bourgeois clan in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Sweden.

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  5. 05.
    Fleabag

    Fleabag

    2016·Created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge·8.7

    A portrait into the mind of a dry-witted, sexual, angry, porn-watching, grief-riddled woman, trying to make sense of the world. As she hurls herself headlong at modern living, Fleabag is thrown roughly up against the walls of contemporary London, with all its frenetic energy, late nights, and bright lights.

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  6. 06.
    1 Litre of Tears

    1 Litre of Tears

    2005·Created by Takao Kinoshita·8.7

    1 Rittoru no Namida is a Japanese television drama for Fuji Television about a girl who was diagnosed with an incurable degenerative disease at 15, but was able to continue her life until her death at the age of 25.

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  7. 07.
    This Is Us

    This Is Us

    2016·Created by Dan Fogelman·8.7

    Follows the lives and families of three adults living and growing up in the United States of America in present and past times. As their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in curious ways, we find that several of them share the same birthday - and so much more than anyone would expect.

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  8. 08.
    I Told Sunset About You

    I Told Sunset About You

    2020·Created by Naruebet Kuno·8.7

    Tender emotions and new yearnings awaken in childhood friends Teh and Oh-aew when they cross paths in a Chinese language class during senior year.

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  9. 09.
    The Bureau

    The Bureau

    2015·Created by Éric Rochant·8.7

    Within the DGSE (General Directorate for External Security), a department called the Office Of Legends (BDL) forms and remote pilot the most important agents of the French intelligence services: Clandestine. Immersion in hostile country, their mission is to identify individuals who may be recruited as sources of information. Operating "under caption", that is to say in a fabricated identity from scratch, they live for many years in a permanent duplicity. Our hero just returned from a clandestine mission six years in Damascus. But contrary to what is required by safety rules, he does not abandon his legend and the identity under which he lived in Syria, thus putting in danger the whole system.

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  10. 10.
    Six Feet Under

    Six Feet Under

    2001·Created by Alan Ball·8.7

    When death is your business, what is your life? For the Fisher family, the world outside of their family-owned funeral home continues to be at least as challenging as—and far less predictable than—the one inside.

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  11. 11.
    A Tale of Thousand Stars

    A Tale of Thousand Stars

    2021·Created by Bacteria·8.6

    After a heart transplant, Tian follows his donor's path to the mountains and finds both love and purpose with forest officer Phupha.

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  12. 12.
    Scarlet Heart: Ryeo

    Scarlet Heart: Ryeo

    2016·Created by Tong Hua·8.6

    A story of a 25-year-old Go Hajin who is transported back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty. She then wakes up in the body of Lady Hae Soo and finds herself amongst the ruling princes of the Wang Family.

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  13. 13.
    Your Lie in April

    Your Lie in April

    2014·8.6

    Kousei Arima was a genius pianist until his mother's sudden death took away his ability to play. Each day was dull for Kousei. But, then he meets a violinist named Kaori Miyazono who has an eccentric playing style. Can the heartfelt sounds of the girl's violin lead the boy to play the piano again?

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  14. 14.
    Mushi-Shi

    Mushi-Shi

    2005·8.5

    Ginko, a Mushi master, travels from place to place researching the Mushi and helping people who are suffering because of it.

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  15. 15.
    The Bear

    The Bear

    2022·Created by Christopher Storer·8.5

    Carmy, a young fine-dining chef, comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop. As he fights to transform the shop and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges crew that ultimately reveal themselves as his chosen family.

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  16. 16.
    Neon Genesis Evangelion

    Neon Genesis Evangelion

    1995·8.5

    At the turn of the century, the Angels returned to Earth, seeking to wipe out humanity in an apocalyptic fury. Devastated, mankind's last remnants moved underground to wait for the day when the Angels would come back to finish the job. Fifteen years later, that day has come... but this time, humanity is ready to fight back with terrifying bio-mechanical weapons known as the Evangelions. Watch as Shinji, Rei, Asuka and the rest of the mysterious shadow agency Nerv battle to save earth from total annihilation.

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  17. 17.
    Winter Begonia

    Winter Begonia

    2020·Created by Yu Zheng·8.5

    In 1937 Beijing, a revered opera star and a businessman unite to preserve culture, love, and hope as their city falls under the shadow of invasion.

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  18. 18.
    NANA

    NANA

    2006·Created by Ai Yazawa·8.5

    Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu meet while traveling to Tokyo in pursuit of their respective dreams, and decide to be roommates. Although drastically different people, the two become very close and together they find out if their biggest dreams have room for their best friend.

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  19. 19.
    Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

    Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

    2016·Created by Lee Eung-bok·8.5

    In his quest for a bride to break his immortal curse, a 939-year-old guardian of souls meets a grim reaper and a sprightly student with a tragic past.

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  20. 20.
    Rebooting

    Rebooting

    2023·Created by Bakarhythm·8.5

    A comedy focusing on Kondo Asami, a 33-year-old single woman who lives with her parents and works at the local city hall, and suddenly finds herself starting her life over from scratch.

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  21. 21.
    Upright

    Upright

    2019·Created by Matthew Saville·8.4

    When family outcast Lucky Flynn learns that his mother is dying, he decides to drive to the other side of Australia to see her, packing nothing but an upright piano for the journey. But his plans are soon turned upside down when he meets the runaway teenager Meg, who’s dealing with some family demons of her own.

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  22. 22.
    After Life

    After Life

    2019·Created by Ricky Gervais·8.4

    Tony had a perfect life. But after his wife Lisa suddenly dies, Tony changes. After contemplating taking his own life, he decides instead to live long enough to punish the world by saying and doing whatever he likes from now on.

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  23. 23.
    Violet Evergarden

    Violet Evergarden

    2018·8.4

    The war is over, and Violet Evergarden needs a job. Scarred and emotionless, she takes a job as a letter writer to understand herself and her past.

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  24. 24.
    The Killing

    The Killing

    2007·Created by Søren Sveistrup·8.4

    The Killing is a Danish police procedural set in the Copenhagen main police department and revolves around Detective Inspector Sarah Lund and her team, with each season series following a different murder case day-by-day and a one-hour episode covering twenty-four hours of the investigation. The series is noted for its plot twists, season-long storylines, dark tone and for giving equal emphasis to the story of the murdered victim's family alongside the police investigation. It has also been singled out for the photography of its Danish setting, and for the acting ability of its cast.

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  25. 25.
    Broadchurch

    Broadchurch

    2013·Created by Chris Chibnall·8.3

    The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.

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  26. 26.
    The Bond

    The Bond

    2021·Created by Zhang Kaizhou·8.3

    When their mother dies and their father withdraws, the Qiao siblings must rely on each other to survive. Led by their eldest brother, they grow up facing life’s struggles together, forming an unbreakable family bond through perseverance and love.

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  27. 27.
    Made in Abyss

    Made in Abyss

    2017·8.3

    Located in the center of a remote island, the Abyss is the last unexplored region, a huge and treacherous fathomless hole inhabited by strange creatures where only the bravest adventurers descend in search of ancient relics. In the upper levels of the Abyss, Riko, a girl who dreams of becoming an explorer, stumbles upon a mysterious little boy.

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  28. 28.
    Rectify

    Rectify

    2013·Created by Ray McKinnon·8.3

    After 19 years on Death Row for the rape and murder of his teenage girlfriend, Daniel Holden is going home. His conviction has been vacated due to new DNA evidence. Now he has to return to a world he no longer knows and his reentry into the outside world may be as unforgiving as prison. Daniel is haunted by the past, dogged by the present, and uncertain of the future. As he struggles to adapt to his new life, his homecoming reignites the fears of a small town and threatens to shatter his family’s fragile peace. Daniel’s alleged crime divided a community. Will his freedom tear it in half?

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  29. 29.
    The Kominsky Method

    The Kominsky Method

    2018·Created by Chuck Lorre·8.2

    Acting coach Sandy Kominsky and best friend Norman Newlander keep each other laughing as they navigate the ups and downs of getting older.

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  30. 30.
    Parasyte -the maxim-

    Parasyte -the maxim-

    2014·8.2

    A species of parasitic aliens descends on Earth and quickly infiltrates humanity by entering the brains of vulnerable targets; insatiable beings that gain total control of their host and are capable of transforming themselves to feed on unsuspecting prey. High school student Shinichi Izumi falls victim to one of these parasites, but the creature fails to take over his brain and ends up in his right hand.

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  31. 31.
    If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student

    If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student

    2022·8.2

    A story that begins when a husband, who lost his beloved wife ten years ago and lost the meaning of life, and his daughter are unexpectedly reunited with their wife/mother. As his wife is reborn as a ten-year-old elementary school student, the family is reborn.

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  32. 32.
    given

    given

    2019·8.2

    Ritsuka’s lost his spark for music—until he hears Mafuyu sing. One voice pulls him back in, and suddenly, everything starts to change between them.

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  33. 33.
    The Hours of My Life

    The Hours of My Life

    2014·8.1

    Your whole outlook on life can change in an instant. Takuto Sawada (Haruma Miura) is your average college student. But one day, he finds out that he has ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and only has a short time to live. How will he choose to spend the remaining days of his precious life?

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  34. 34.
    Wives and Daughters

    Wives and Daughters

    1999·Created by Andrew Davies·8.1

    The life of doctor's daughter Molly Gibson changes gradually after her widowed father chooses to remarry. The union brings into her once-quiet life an ever-proper stepmother and flirtatious stepsister, Cynthia, while a friendship with the local squire brings about an unexpected romance.

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  35. 35.
    The Big C

    The Big C

    2010·Created by Darlene Hunt·8.1

    A suburban mother faces her cancer diagnosis while trying to find humor and happiness as well.

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  36. 36.
    Kids on the Slope

    Kids on the Slope

    2012·8.1

    Two different students - a successful but aloof academic and a rebellious but kindhearted delinquent - form a friendship through their love for music.

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  37. 37.
    Mr. Plankton

    Mr. Plankton

    2024·Created by Hong Jong-chan·8.1

    A man plagued by misfortune and his ex, the unluckiest bride-to-be, are forced to accompany one another on the final journey of his life.

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  38. 38.
    AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day

    AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day

    2011·8.1

    When Yadomi Jinta was a child, he was a central piece in a group of close friends. In time, however, these childhood friends drifted apart, and when they became high school students, they had long ceased to think of each other as friends. One of the friends from that group, Honma Meiko, now has a wish she asks Jinta to fulfil. The problem is, she can't remember what her wish is anymore.

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  39. 39.
    Pernille

    Pernille

    2021·Created by Henriette Steenstrup·8.1

    Pørni is about the dilemmas that you end up in when you, to the best of your abilities, try to do the right thing for your loved ones, and yourself. In that order. Pørni has two daughters with a jerk of an ex who has moved to Copenhagen, who focuses mainly on himself.

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  40. 40.
    The Promised Neverland

    The Promised Neverland

    2019·8.1

    Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.

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— End of Chapter —