Thanks for sharing this. Hopepunk and grimdark are terms that we’re not on my radar at all, but now reading about it I can look back and see the subtle difference in storytelling. Seems to me the difference come through not from the atmosphere of the work, but in the source of determination of the protagonist, favoring hope in humanity over bleak fortitude. There’s certainly lu carryover lessons for real life, that identical situations can be approached with different sources of motivation.

Thanks for sharing!

I don’t know if it’s technically hopepunk, but this reminded me of the website Lasagna Love. It’s literally just people connecting with each other to make and receive homemade lasagna when they need a little help in life. Initially I was a recipient, and now I cook for them. It’s just so simple and heartwarming it gave me strength to fight during a dark time: https://lasagnalove.org/about-us/