Akihiko Kondo is a 38-year-old Japanese man who has communication issues with his wife of four years.
There’s nothing strange about that statement; it’s a problem many married couples deal with. But Kondo’s story is unique because he is what is called a “fictosexual,” which means he is someone who is sexually attracted to fictional characters. His wife is Hatsune Miku- a fictional, computer-synthesized pop singer with turquoise hair.
Kondo’s love was so strong that he spent over $17,000 on his wedding, but now according to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi, he’s facing technical difficulties talking to Miku.
Here’s the backstory on this love affair that has had more than its share of challenges. Kondo reportedly fell in love with Miku way back in 2008, but it wasn’t until 2017 that they would interact with each other for the first time. That’s because Kondo purchased a Gatebox device that allows owners to interact with characters with holograms. That is what allowed them to get unofficially hitched.
The real marital woes kicked in recently when Gatebox software was eliminated. That meant Kondo had no way to speak with his “wife.”
Here’s a quote from Manchu in the Mainichi story.
“My love for Miku hasn’t changed,” he told Mainichi. I held the wedding ceremony because I thought I could be with her forever.”
Kondo knows Miku isn’t a real person, and he admits his relationship is odd, but the poor guy is really broken up over this, and he is not the only fictosexual in the world – the Mirror reported there are thousands of similar stories of people in Japan who have similar relationships with fictitious characters.
The more you learn about Kondo, the more likable he becomes. He relied on Miku to help him cope with depression after being bullied at work 14 years ago. He knew a human relationship wasn’t for him because he constantly dealt with rejection. Miku is a very popular figure in anime. With the help of a synthesized voice created through Yamaha’s Vocaloid technology, Midge was famous enough to go on tour with Lady Gaga back in 2014, according to a story in the NY Post.
Here’s a quote Kondo gave to the BBC at the time of his wedding.
“There are two reasons why I had a wedding publicly. The first one is to prove my love to Miku. The second one is there are many young otaku people like me falling in love with anime characters. I want to show the world that I support them.”
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