Is it normal to get very emotionally invested in fictional characters?
I watch every genre of film and TV (from here on, I'll just say film and imply TV as well). Except horror.
But some films with believable human drama (sub)plots have a particular effect on me- some characters I feel really connected to emotionally, and I often feel like this for quite a while after I finish watching it, especially if the character experiences strong emotions like 'true love', loss, despair...you get the idea. I think that I identify with these characters strongly- it's often people my age or with other similarities to me (though not always). Which makes sense.
I'm not a generally emotive person as such and often come across cold; I hate faking emotions, concealing emotions feels natural. Yet these films can really make me feel pain, joy, etc. Occasionally, I would think back to a particular event in a film long after I watched it, and it could still make me start to cry (from sadness or even happiness). I can feel strong empathy for real people obviously, given the right circumstances, even though I'm not good with people socially. What I find unusual is that this empathy can be so strong and lasting even with fictional characters.
I know plenty of people cry at sad movies, but this is a deep feeling which stays with me. I feel like the character is a part of me, sometimes to an uncomfortable extent.
P.S. I read the occasional novel, and the same thing can happen.
P.S.S. I can become infatuated with characters, though I suspect this is not uncommon. I can also become infatuated with the location of the film and want to live there, but this is not as common for me.