The love story of a 38-year-old Japanese man who identifies himself as a fictosexual (a person who is attracted to fictional characters) has been the subject of much international media attention in the past. However, lately Akihiko Kondo's relationship with «Hatsune Miku», a virtual pop singer created via computer, has been going through a crisis. According to the New York Post, Kondo married Miku after a decade-long relationship, in an unofficial ceremony in 2018 that reportedly cost him 2 million yen ($17,300) and which he refused to allow any of his family members to attend.
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Four years later, Kondo faces a serious problem: He can no longer talk to his «wife» because of a technological obstacle, according to the American newspaper.
This development has particularly troubled the 38-year-old, who although he understands that Miku is not a real person, he still feels real love for her. The 38-year-old fell in love with the fictional figure in 2008 however for many years there was no «interaction».
That changed in 2017 thanks to Gatebox, a $1,300 machine that allowed its owners to interact with characters through holograms and even. «marry,» however, in unofficial ceremonies that have no legal recognition. But now the interruption of technical support for Gatebox's software has caused a «gap» in the couple's communication, as Kondo can no longer talk to his wife, according to Newshub. Kondo himself said: «my love for Miku has not changed. I went ahead with the wedding ceremony because I believed we could be together forever.».
Kondo's case may seem paradoxical, but according to the Mirror, there are many other «fictosexuals» in Japan. Although many of these relationships seem like just a strange and funny hobby, Kondo takes it very seriously. As he has stated in the past, he realized a long time ago that he couldn't have a relationship with a human because of the terrible attraction he felt for characters like Miku.
The iconic pop star, created with Yamaha's Vocaloid technology, has been featured in anime and video games. Moreover, as Kondo has stated, this relationship helped him overcome his psychological deadlock.
The Japanese man met this character in 2008, when the workplace bullying he was experiencing at the time plunged him into depression. The rejection he experienced in his work environment further alienated him from the people he identified with the rejection. «I stayed locked in my room and kept watching videos of Miku.» And finally his dream became a «reality» in 2018, when he married Miku. «There are two reasons why I chose to get married in public. The first is to prove my love for Miku and the second is because there are many young Otaku (anime and video game fans) like me who fall in love with fictional characters. I want to show the world that I support them,» he had told the BBC.
