After Netflix released the series 13 Reasons Why or Per 13 reasons, the world began to talk about the issues of suicide and bullying. The series really blew up and won over different audiences, but it also generated some criticism regarding the revenge approach and the way it approached. for those who don't know 13 Reasons Why is based on a book by Jay Asher that addresses the suicide of a 17-year-old girl named Hanna Baker who left a box of 13 tape recordings talking about the people who were blamed for her suicide.
The series addresses several topics in addition to suicide and bullying such as machismo, homophobia, sexual abuse and several other topics involving teenagers in high school. To take advantage of the wave that the series is bringing on this subject, today we selected some Japanese works such as anime, dramas and movies that have the same theme involving suicides, bullying, depression and other social problems that you need to watch.
Life - Dorama about Bullying
The work Life (ライフ）is available in manga and television series. In addition to bullying, the work also features themes such as suicide and rape. Life tells the story of a girl named Ayumi who struggles to get into a school together with a friend, unfortunately this friend can not pass and blames Ayume ending the friendship. to make matters worse this friend tries to commit suicide and in the new school Ayuma ends up getting into false rumors that makes her become a hated girl and turning her life into hell.
“A human being who is cornered has no choice but to be strong. I will not be defeated.” – Ayumu Shiiba
Kara no Kyoukai
Kara no Kyoukai is based on a Light Novel and has several animated films. The story involves a series of suicides for no reason and a protagonist with supernatural powers responsible for solving these problems. Despite seeming a bit fanciful, the work delves deeply into depression, suicide, loneliness and the stages of denial.
NHK ni Youkoso
Although the anime/manga has the focus on the life of a hikikomori. The work addresses a lot of topics involving suicide, bullying and social pressure. The story shows a boy who lives isolated inside his room, possibly because he felt excluded from society due to bullying and social problems in the past. Things change a bit when he gets help from a girl and some friends at school. This work is fantastic and mature being considered an indispensable seinen.
The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:
Orange
This manga based work by Ichigo Takano received an anime adaptation and a movie. It tells the story of a girl who receives letters from the future talking about helping to avoid a tragedy with a friend. This work is great and addresses themes of overcoming the suicide of a loved one, resisting the urge to commit suicide and also problems related to friendships and school.
GTO - Great Teacher Onizuka
Based on a famous comedy manga, this work received anime and 2 dramas that deal well with the subject. GTO tells the story of a delinquent named Onizuka who ends up teaching a room full of troubled students. Undoubtedly one of the best works I've ever seen and that addresses various topics such as bullying, suicide, rape, family and various involving life and school.
other japanese works
There are several movies, dramas and anime that also address topics such as suicide and bullying, but do not have as their main focus. We will leave a short list below as a recommendation for you to watch:
- Koe no Katachi – Work involving bullying with a deaf girl;
- Accel World – Action Anime that deals a bit with bullying;
- Gakkou no Kaidan – Dorama shows how to overcome bullying;
- Hana yori Dango – Very famous, addresses bullying in the beginning;
- Aku no Hana - More problems at school;
- Nagi no Asakura - Bullying and Racism;
- Slam Dunk;
There are several other interesting works that address similar themes. If you know of any that haven't been mentioned, let us know in the comments.
