Fictional feelings

[lemmingllama]

Why do we feel emotions towards fictional characters? When you go to the movies or watch a good anime, you will feel emotions, like being sad when the main character dies. But you know it isnt real.

[Catwoman]

I think it's empthy. I'm not really sure how to explain it in detail...

[kaoru]

Why do we feel emotions towards fictional characters? When you go to the movies or watch a good anime, you will feel emotions, like being sad when the main character dies. But you know it isnt real.

The fact that they are fictional doesn't make your feelings any less real. In essence you relate to the character/storyline and your emotions naturally act upon it, its basically an act of projection. But you aren't only reacting towards the characters, you're also reacting to the animation, the soundtrack etc. Of course it varies from person to person how much they are able to "lose themselves" in the experience, and usually for some reason it gets harder and harder for you to do so as you get older. When I was 16 for example, I often used to cry or get depressed just because a series was over (even if it was a good ending, i'd be sad anyway), today I rarely shed a tear over anything at all, but I still remember a time when I could and it was liberating, so yeah you should cherish your emotions while you can.

[† Talena Mae]

The fact that they are fictional doesn't make your feelings any less real. In essence you relate to the character/storyline and your emotions naturally act upon it, its basically an act of projection. But you aren't only reacting towards the characters, you're also reacting to the animation, the soundtrack etc. Of course it varies from person to person how much they are able to "lose themselves" in the experience, and usually for some reason it gets harder and harder for you to do so as you get older. When I was 16 for example, I often used to cry or get depressed just because a series was over (even if it was a good ending, i'd be sad anyway), today I rarely shed a tear over anything at all, but I still remember a time when I could and it was liberating, so yeah you should cherish your emotions while you can.

I have to agree whit this, but I also think that it has to be a good storyline to make me feel sorry for the character. I find if the anime/manga is not all that good it makes me feel nothing... so... ya ^.^

[Diablo]

I was surfing around the net I came upon the Concept called Mirror Neurons. According to that, whenever we see or hear anything, maybe a sad story(be it real or fiction) the mirror neuron activates in our brain which puts us in the shoes of that persons story, hypothetically.

Thats the reason why some people cry watching a sad movie, or cringe at sight of a violent/gory scene. I guess it's works for Anime too.

[† Anras Rune]

the entire point of most literature is the illicit an emotional response from the reader, either by putting them in the protagonist's shoes, or by manipulating emotions in descriptives and events throughout the prose in question. a writer that cannot bring out said emotions generally isnt considered a good writer, unless the literature is acutally designed to keep the reader out of context, more along the lines of an outside spectator. this rule applies for all media types, from poems to games. the science behind it as mentioned before is generally thought to be brought about by the mirror neuron phenomemon and/or empathetic transfer caused by related subjects in the media source.

all in all, it is a regualer occurance and is generally the whole point of most media sources. As mentioned above, most people dont often empathise with others much, so various media sources that can make you empathise with a fictional character or characters is generally considered better than those that fail to do so...^-^

[Leviathan87]

i literally get lost in the story if its good. i feel the same emotions as the character. its a weird but an awesome experience.

[The Welsh Paddy]

I think it's more down to how well the characters are written. For example, when Aeris died in FFVII. I didn't feel sad what so ever. However, had her character been portrayed more like it was in Crisis Core, then I definitely would have felt really sad. In Crisis Core, I really felt that her character was more "real", and that's actually why I felt happy and sad playing through that game. The characters were portrayed a lot more realistically than they were in the original title.

I guess it's just a matter of becoming so engrossed in a story, that you end up "feeling" for these characters, and share in their feelings. I mean, an author who can write an amazing character will give their characters so many perks, and habbits, and also give a very wide range to what they're feeling, making them all the more human, and likable.

[rebelkid24]

The fact that they are fictional doesn't make your feelings any less real. In essence you relate to the character/storyline and your emotions naturally act upon it, its basically an act of projection. But you aren't only reacting towards the characters, you're also reacting to the animation, the soundtrack etc. Of course it varies from person to person how much they are able to "lose themselves" in the experience, and usually for some reason it gets harder and harder for you to do so as you get older. When I was 16 for example, I often used to cry or get depressed just because a series was over (even if it was a good ending, i'd be sad anyway), today I rarely shed a tear over anything at all, but I still remember a time when I could and it was liberating, so yeah you should cherish your emotions while you can.

I agree. I was thinking about this the other day, I miss the days when I could totally escape into a movie or show when things were tough in real life, it was very liberating to experience other people's problems instead of my own. Fictional characters' problems seem simpler and easier to handle then in real life. It's why I fell in love with movies and it's why I want to be a filmmaker when I get older; I want to bring the same enjoyment/liberation I felt to other people. Anyway, as I've gotten older, it's gotten harder for me to completely escape into a movie, and when people get older situations and problems get more complicated and harder to handle. Sometimes, I could really use that feeling of liberation, but, as I said before, it's gotten harder and harder for me to experience that.

[kaoru]

I agree. I was thinking about this the other day, I miss the days when I could totally escape into a movie or show when things were tough in real life, it was very liberating to experience other people's problems instead of my own. Fictional characters' problems seem simpler and easier to handle then in real life. It's why I fell in love with movies and it's why I want to be a filmmaker when I get older; I want to bring the same enjoyment/liberation I felt to other people. Anyway, as I've gotten older, it's gotten harder for me to completely escape into a movie, and when people get older situations and problems get more complicated and harder to handle. Sometimes, I could really use that feeling of liberation, but, as I said before, it's gotten harder and harder for me to experience that.

Yeah I know it; often times i find myself seeing old movies or playing old music that I already know by heart, like I'm trying to revive something. I guess it's just natural, i bet everyone always wishes a little bit they could take something back.