The Incredibles and Inside Out both portray realistic, flawed, loving family dynamics. As a parent, they're hard and beautiful to watch.
this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2025
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Barakamon (2014)
After torpedoing his career, a young, lonely calligrapher gets sent to a remote island community where he befriends the local townsfolk and a precocious child. Its quite lovely and I think you’ll like it a lot.
And it looks like someone has put the entire series, with English subtitles, up on YouTube:
Film: Mitchell's vs the Machines.
TV: The Great North
It's kinda mainstream, but I've enjoyed Modern Family quite a bit. Sure, there is some friction, but it all works out in the end, so perhaps that fits what you're looking for.
For a movie I got “Instant Family”. This one’s focus is entirely about adoption, and it’s a great ride.
A show that I think is very unknown is “Parenthood”. It also does the huge family thing like “Modern Family” which I love. The stories about parenting are more diverse here tho: you’ve got the classic parenting teens, dealing with autism, and adoption, all in one show.
Plus the actors are all great, I mean who could say no to Craig T Nelson as patriarch and Holly Genero from Die Hard as matriarch?
Kakushigoto is really good.
It is the story of a single-parent manga artist who is ashamed of his work and goes to great lengths to keep it from his young daughter.
The story begins when the girl, now older, discovers her Father's job, and is told through flashbacks to her growing up and life with her father who was always trying his best for her.
I can't find the official trailer with subtitles but it gives you the idea. Trailer.
Really heartwarming, and bittersweet at times, and other things I won't spoil.
since all commenters here are missing out on the best family shows and films i'll add to the collective knowledge
Astrid Lindgren's
• Ronja Rövardotter
• Saltkråkan
• Bullerbyn
Tove Johansson's
• 1972 Mumin
overall swedish cartoons
• Alfons Åberg
• Långa Farbrorn
• Creepschool (highlights and helps alot of trauma and social issues of children in every episodes, i can attest)
but if you want only american... i don't have a family drama, but a found family feelgood
• 1985 Freaks of Science
ask me for clarifications or so
Usagi Drop is an anime about an unwanted orphan being adopted by someone with a big heart and no experience. https://anilist.co/anime/10162/Usagi-Drop/
Watch out though, because while the TV anime ends on a sweet note, and you should probably stop there, the manga ends with time-skipping forwards 10 years to when they start a romantic relationship together.
the original black and white The Addams Family is extremely wholesome. There's an absolutely lovely family dynamic and the parents are extremely loving to the children and each other. I highly recommend it!
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.
Sid the Science Kid
Addams family (Movies)
Malcolm in the Middle(dysfunctional, but deep down concern)
The Mummy (movies)
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.
I came here to say Owl House, one of the best found family stories I've ever seen
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
Watch Bluey! It's a kids show, but everyone should watch it.
I’ll admit that this does sound kind of like a joke suggestion, but I’m serious, after a hard day, sit down, suck up your pride and put an episode or two of Bluey on. It’s a warm blanket on a cold day.
Yeah bluey is 100% a show anyone can watch and get something out of, I've cried watching it and I'm a 39 year old dude, good stories are good stories regardless of their target audience.
Bluey is indeed wholesome!
Bluey and Bob's Burgers are both amazing for healthy family dynamics, and Bob's burgers can be so funny I've cried laughing. The camping episode!
How much the parents care for their children and each other is extremely touching.
Bluey has such a healthy, compassionate family dynamic I was confused watching it for the first time.
As a divorced dad, Bluey is painfully sweet. I love that show to bits and out saddens me that my girl will soon no longer want to watch it as she gets older.
🥲 Those family dynamics.
I can't imagine that some of its lessons won't stick with her.
Wrote this in another thread but I love the found family trope and Spy x Family totally fits that bill. I wrote a few other examples below.
Movies
- Logan
- Ice Age
- Wild Robot
- Up
- Despicable Me
Shows
- The Last of Us
- The Mandalorian
- The Witcher
- Daddy Buddy (this one is an anime on Crunchyroll. I highly recommend this if you liked Spy x Family. Revolves around 2 assassins who accidentally wind up with a 4 year old)
Wild Robot!
I cried so hard watching it. Told a friend, they lightly made fun of me but accepted the suggestion. They cried the whole movie too.
I'm hesitant to count The Last of Us as an answer to OPs question. That show is not wholesome at all lol.
Fair. I'd say the bond between Joel and Ellie is wholesome in a world that everything and everyone is out to get them.
Pascal acting as Joel is like achieved by stripping 85% of his emotional range. the character of Joel is like a rock.
when i think father in film i think Mattis from Ronja Rövardotter! i can cry just recounting his lines! that is fatherhood in film
I'd disagree on Pedro Pascal"s performance. I thought he did an excellent job as Joel. He was nominated across multiple awards for that role.
As for the movie/character you mentioned, I had never heard of it but will check it out. I'm assuming you mean the 1984 version which seems to have better audience reviews than the 2024 Netflix TV series adaptation.
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My Neighbor Totoro!
Hmm... It's an adoptive family dynamic, but I think you'll like Anne Shirley. You can watch the recent remake or the original anime depending on preference.
Came here to say Spy Family, but since you've seen that...Schitt's Creek has a good bit of it, though it is def a slow starter in that regard since it's kind of all about the mc family being shitheads that learn better over time. Still, lots of sweet familial bonding moments all throughout. It's also just a stellar cast and series. No complaints from me about it iirc.
Spy Family also has a manga that has been going on quite a bit longer than the anime. I think their chapter count is in the 200s last I checked? So it's quite far ahead of where the anime left off and is genuinely just as good a read as it is a watch. Maybe even funnier at times with the differences in the way the medium sells comedy compared to animation.
Speaking of comics, there's a great western one called Black Science all about a family surviving some very unfortunate scifi chaos. Less cozy vibes than the others by a good deal, but that just makes it more satisfying when they do pop up imo.
I'd be surprised if you haven't seen it already, but Lilo and Stitch has a ton of this. Less parent/child and more inter-sibling, but still very effective and very sweet. One of my favorite animated movies of all time for this and a ton of other reasons.
There's also the anime Ponyo; a story about a strange aquatic creature that makes friends with a young boy and his family. The visuals on this one are gorgeous to the nth degree. Such a good watch!
Adding a couple anti-picks (the opposite of what you're asking for) cause they're on my mind and I have the time lol
anti-pick #1
Berserk. No true family bonding, but the mc connects deeply with his mercenary group in a similar way. It's nice for a time, but ultimately does not end well. The manga is the best version by far, but the 90s anime team did a great job with what little budget they had. If you choose to watch the anime just know that it only follows the first major arc, and its ending will leave you wanting more. Edit: the author also died before finishing the manga. There are plans for his support staff and understudy to finish it using his original notes, but I haven't checked in on that in some time now.
anti-pick #2
Lovesick. Specifically the prequel; Dollparts. A girl hates and is hated by her family while learning about hyper violence online and sex via irl context clues, basically. Not for the weak of heart and somehow figures out how to take a grim premise and just keep on making it darker and darker as things go on. The threat of SA is heavily implied and a regular presence, so maybe steer clear if you know you can't sit with that. While I'm sure it's a hard sell, it's also very effective at being what it intends to be and explores some topics that really need talking about, but often aren't because of how almost universally uncomfortable they are to address. Fascinating and disturbing read. If you're not sure it's for you, that means it's probably not for you.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Except for scenes with Worf or Keiko
Worf let's you see what a shitty father looks like, Keiko is just Keiko and I don't want to end up in a transporter malfunction so she's good.
Anime movie: Bakemono no Ko
Anime show: Yuzuki-san Chi no Yonkyoudai
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?
Netflix's Lost in Space.
For anime: Sweetness and Lightning.
It's about a single father cooking different dishes for his daughter with the help of one of his students.
You didn't ask for a video game, but the first piece 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.
Edit, I just remembered, I Love Lucy is pretty wholesome with a parent child relationship
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
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.
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!!!!)
Joe Pera Talks With You
Joe's love for his grandmother will make you cry. Then his best friend Gene's sweet relationship with his sons will make you cry again.
The Midnight Gospel
It's only really in the final episode of the series, but Duncan Trussell's relationship with his mother was beautiful and sweet, as evidenced in the finale of this short series.
Nathan For You
While Nathan For You really isn't about Nathan Fielder's relationship with his parents and they are only minor characters in the series, in their few appearances, you can tell how much love and respect he has for them. His father loved Taiga soft shell jackets, and as a Jewish family, his father was devastated when Taiga paid tribute to Holocaust denier Doug Collins in one of their winter catalogues. Nathan would go on to create an entire company dedicated to making soft shell jackets in the style his father liked called Summit Ice Apparel so his father could feel comfortable wearing clothing from a reputable company that didn't promote Holocaust deniers. 100% of the profits of Summit Ice go to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
As noted in a comment reply about Bob's Burgers, largely made by the same group of people behind Bob's Burgers, but back in the 90's. A sweet relationship between a single father and his aimless but golden hearted adult son.
Usagi drop is an adorable movie.
Word of caution, do NOT read the original manga. It's kind of infamous for the incredibly controversial direction the story goes in the second half, which the anime thankfully omits.
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