When it comes to gut-wrenching moments in anime, few series cut as deep as the deaths in One Piece.

Holy Lacrimony, avant-garde comic creator Michael DeForge's new graphic novel, investigates trauma, isolation, as well as the search for community and personal fulfillment with humor and nuance.

Anime sucks me in with its bold stories and characters I can’t help but root for, only to rip my heart out with losses that stick with me forever. The saddest deaths aren’t just emotional—they’re ...