Okay, I had to look over this one a few times in order to determine that it wasn’t satire.
Much to my chagrin, it was not…
A Japanese man claiming to be “fictosexual” married a holographic bride in 2018.
A “fictosexual” is a person who is exclusively attracted to fictional characters…
Now, the 38 year-old claims he is struggling to connect with his bride, after the software he used to communicate with his “wife” was eliminated.
Akihiko Kondo claims that he dated his fictional wife for a decade before marrying her in 2018.
He says that he understands that Miku (his fictional wife) is not real, but that it doesn’t change his feelings.
This is what happens when you normalize mental illness…
'Fictosexual' man married hologram bride, but now struggles to bond with her https://t.co/P8T4cak7Bz pic.twitter.com/ws5u0rdqsB
— New York Post (@nypost) April 26, 2022
The New York Post tried to make sense of this story:
Akihiko Kondo, 38, was dating Hatsune Miku — depicted in pop culture as a 16-year-old with turquoise hair — for a decade before they had an unofficial wedding ceremony in 2018. Kondo — one of many who identifies as “fictosexual,” or someone who is sexually attracted to fictional characters — spent 2 million yen, or about $17,300, on the nuptials, but his family did not attend.
Now married for four years, Kondo, 38, said his relationship has hit a roadblock: He can no longer speak with Miku due to a technological hurdle, according to Japanese newspaper Mainichi.
While Kondo acknowledges his relationship might be odd — he understands Miku isn’t a real person — it doesn’t change his feelings for her. Since falling in love with her in 2008, Kondo was finally able to interact with Miku for the first time in 2017 thanks to a Gatebox, a $1,300 machine that allowed device owners to interact with characters via holograms and even unofficially marry them.
But now, his four-year marriage took a turn when support for Gatebox software was eliminated, meaning that Kondo could no longer speak with his wife Miku, according to Newshub.
Every time I think the world has hit peak stupidity, a story like this comes along…
Ever fallen in love with someone who doesn’t exist? You may be a fictosexual https://t.co/xF34dqten9 pic.twitter.com/SPsV0tA5df
— Andrew Wonderwheel (@electroniska) April 26, 2022
Man marries fictional bride – and now he says he can’t bond with her https://t.co/DPRvGOEOt3
— The Independent (@Independent) April 27, 2022
A 'fictosexual' Japanese man, who married a fictional character in hologram form, says he cannot speak to his wife anymore.#Viral https://t.co/fOVrPMGoYH
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 27, 2022
#fictosexualhttps://t.co/TOqtBAe8bF
— Christopher Mark Rose (@CChrisrose) April 25, 2022
Here’s more on this one from the New York Times:
Mr. Kondo is one of thousands of people in Japan who have entered into unofficial marriages with fictional characters in recent decades, served by a vast industry aimed at satisfying the every whim of a fervent fan culture. Tens of thousands more around the globe have joined online groups where they discuss their commitment to characters from anime, manga and video games.
For some, the relationships are just for a laugh. Mr. Kondo, however, has long known that he didn’t want a human partner. Partly, it was because he rejected the rigid expectations of Japanese family life. But mostly, it was because he had always felt an intense — and, even to himself, inexplicable — attraction to fictional characters.
Accepting his feelings was hard at first. But life with Miku, he argues, has advantages over being with a human partner: She’s always there for him, she’ll never betray him, and he’ll never have to see her get ill or die.
Mr. Kondo sees himself as part of a growing movement of people who identify as “fictosexuals.” That’s partly what has motivated him to publicize his wedding and to sit for awkward interviews with news media around the globe.
I am just as alarmed and confused as the people responding to this story on Twitter:
Too far man…too far. #MWP @SeattleWolf https://t.co/4grZkrVjdx
— Matt McAllister (@MorningWolfMatt) April 27, 2022
So, today I found out what the term “fictosexual” means…ummm
— TheeAudacity (@AudacityThee) April 27, 2022
Not trying to shame anyone but just saw an article titled "‘Fictosexual’ man married hologram bride, but now struggles to bond with her"…. Is this real life? #WTF
— The Michelle Slaughter (@The_Michelle_S) April 27, 2022
This man identifies as a “Fictosexual” and after reading this, I identify as this gif https://t.co/6agXvwwjhn pic.twitter.com/vpuvc5pbd0
— Kirsten Fleming (@KirFlem) April 25, 2022
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