I appreciate the nuanced take. I personally can't tell what I would choose when push comes to shove. It's a difficult topic to digest because there's always lots of big IFs for each scenario.
However I think the definition of the word 'real' is obscuring a larger issue. Are feelings of a fictional character in a story real by your definition albeit only to themselves? Who or what is validating these experiences?
Eh I believe him. He actually seems passionate about his creations so as long as he's in charge I don't think that's gonna happen