Fiction that has affected you

[Canadamus Prime]

I tend to get really emotionally invested in most of the fiction I partake in, unless it's really poorly done. I suppose I should give a few specific examples, let's see... Eight Below, Dragonheart, The NeverEnding Story, AI: Artificial Intelligence, To Kill a Mockingbird, Green Mile... to name a few.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot Gunslinger Girl/II. That anime yanked hard on my heartstrings with every episode.

 

[MetalMagpie]

We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.

I think that book may have actually left me scarred for life. It has certainly put me off ever having children. It's a startlingly good novel (well written in a can't-put-it-down sort of way), just very upsetting. It got to me.

I have not seen the film and have no desire to.

 

[Nouw]

Starship Troopers, the film and T.V. series named Roughnecks, instilled a love for military science fiction in me. Granted my view of war was exactly how the film portrayed it, which was even more fucked up considering I was 10, but now I know. Watchmen, the graphic novel, has inspired me to become a comic book writer. Writing a piece of script is very different from writing a piece of prose as I've found. Every piece of fiction I've ever experienced has obviously affected me in some way but these are all I can think of right now.

EDIT: Neon Genesis Evangelion, particularly the message of the ending.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is probably one of the more significant animes I've watched, the other being Dragonball Z, they taught me about the power of your manly spirit!
Katawa Shoujo was probably the most emotionally moving game I've ever played (Though whether to call it a game is debatable)

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

Let's see...

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton remains as my favorite book and the first that I actually enjoyed reading. It also inspired me to write my own works of fiction and explore my writing style.

Bioshock was one of the few FPS games that I enjoyed and a lot of Andrew Ryan's quotes and philosophies resonate with me. It also got me to learn more about civil rights and laws concerning personal freedoms.

The Nightmare Before Christmas helped me grow thicker skin towards horror and scary material. I can now explore some pretty dark content without really fearing the night.

 

[Vault101]

I don't personally get emotionally invested in fiction, because I just don't get emotional over fake people. Especially unrealistic, badly written, 3d fake people.

But I have been affected by fiction over the years trough good movies and those RPGs that actually invest in writing, but not in an emotional way.

was there a point to that? or a "what you like sucks" snark?

 

[SirDeadly]

I get emotionally attached to the characters in the Rangers Apprentice series of books. I am naming my daughter after one of the characters!

I also shed a tear while watching One Piece a couple of times.

Spoiler

The parts where Robin is about to be killed in Enies Lobby, when the Going Merry burns and when Ace dies.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Berserk, The Eclipse Ceremony.

This was like Bambi's mom's death for adults times a hundred.

And the thing is, you knew it was coming long beforehand. But when the time finally arrives it still hits you like a a slab of cement.

Nothing in fiction has ever affected me as much is this moment.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

Recently, I really liked the beginning of Stardust, but then again I have a soft spot for dominant women. I really like Neil Gaiman work.

Star Trek: Voyager I really loved as a child mostly because I could relate to the empty loneliness that the show gave off.

 

[KissmahArceus]

Up, Lion King, Tranformers (animated movie, OPTIMUUSS WAAH!), Oldboy, Return of The King (every single time), Band of Brothers, King Kong, the Notebook.
Halo 3 (I genuinely thought Chief was dead), new XCOM (I still think about how I could have saved my brother lol), Shadow of Colossus, MGS3
The Dark Tower, Snow falling on Cedars, The Stand, Watership Down.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Cities of Flight by James Blish made me cry at the end. Can't really think of anything else right now.

EDIT: Night Angel Trilogy. Somehow forgot about that one.

 

[SckizoBoy]

On the anime front, 5 Centimeters per Second, Amagami SS, Sora no Otoshimono, Toradora, Kaichou wa Maid Sama, Oreimo, and Neon Genesis Evangelion (Although for completely different reasons than the rest).

Really? The others, I get, but that one? Seemed like just a pseudo-harem series to me, thought it was quite *meh*. What was it you liked?

OT:

Anime - Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Grave of the Fireflies
Light novels - (and probably the only ones I've read) Ballad of a Death God
Books - le Comte de Monte Cristo, Magician

...

*drawing a bizarre blank atm... -_- *

 

[Death Carr]

Snip

I think it was because I get very easily affected by both romance, and happy endings.
And when you have an anime full of both, it gets to me quite easily.

Also, there was probably more than a little nostalgia from when I played it ages ago on the PS2.

 

[kyuzo3567]

Weapon by John Christopher [http://lib.mn/blog/john_christopher/178374.html]

I just love that short story. My favourite one, actually. Although, I don't think it's an emotional investment, or at least not one I can describe - I just get chills down my spine from how awesome the story is.

Did you know those chills you get are caused by your body releasing Dopamine into your system? Same thing with Music... sorry, very random I know...

OT: the last time fiction really affected me was when I was in grade 6 and finished the Chronicles of Prydain series.... I cried at the end because I didn't want the series to be over.. I also felt sad watching the last Doctor Who episode, I'll miss Amy and Rory

 

[Trivun]

Katawa Shoujo, of course. I empathised with Hanako so much that I've been writing a retelling of the game from her point of view and posted it here, Fanfiction.net and on the KS forums. Her arc and Emi's arc really did affect me emotionally, and I've had people say that my writing has affected them more than the game, so I'm pretty pleased there .

Also, an odd choice, but the Disney film Oliver and Company. However, it's not the film itself that affects me, but rather, one single song. I literally cannot listen to or sing this in my head, even, without getting choked up...

 

[Lt._nefarious]

Films: Adaptation, I think about you day and night, It's only right OH GOD, WHY!? and Clerks 2, yes, really...

Games: Gears of War 2 (Carmine's death) Gears of War 3 (Dom's death) Halo 3 (Master Chief's death, which I later found out didn't actually happen) Halo Reach (Nobel 6's, Emile's, Kat's and the British guy's death) Spec Ops The Line (all of it) Bioshock (the ending, or rather, where it should have ended disregarding that awful boss battle) Silent Hill 2 (all of it, particularly the ending) L.A. Noire (all of it) Max Payne 3 (all of it) Silent Hill Downpour (the ending) Silent Hill Homecoming (the ending and Scarlet boss battle) Resident Evil 6 (the end of Chris's campaign) MWubs 3 (Soap's death) Mwubs 2 (the betrayal) and MGS 4 (The end/death sequences/bored to tears in the France level)

Books: Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Without Remorse.

I cried in all of those instances. Many a man tear was shed over the loss of Private Benjamin Carine. Rest In Peace, Rookie...

 

[sextus the crazy]

Catch-22 got me to read higher level fiction. And some fiction in general.

Naruto got me into manga and anime in general.

Evangelion got me into more adult (non-shonen) anime.

Clannad taught me that I don't have to hate romance series.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Berserk, The Eclipse Ceremony.

This was like Bambi's mom's death for adults times a hundred.

And the thing is, you knew it was coming long beforehand. But when the time finally arrives it still hits you like a a slab of cement.

Nothing in fiction has ever affected me as much is this moment.

Did you read it in the manga or watch it in the anime?