I apologize if this comes off as cringy or embarrassing…but I won’t name the character or media of which they originate from…but when said media reaches a certain point, a character I find myself really attached to…maybe even love… I can’t bear to see this character suffer and experience pain. I know the character ends up rescued and fine by the end… But why do I feel sadness and not being able to watch the part of the story where this character is in despair?
Am I just stupid for feeling this way about a character that isn’t even a real person?
The feeling I’d say is just empathy.
Situation you’re in is a parasocial relationship.
That’s not necessarily bad - we can’t emotionally distinguish between real and fictional relationships - but if it starts affecting your mood or behaviour over an extended time period it might be time to take a break.