A Japanese man is in love, but she’s not real and he can no longer communicate with his holographic wife, reports The Star.
Fictosexual
Yep, you heard that right. 38-year-old Akihiko Kondo married the fictional character Hatsune Miku, which New York Post described as a “computer-synthesised pop singer.”
Kondo identifies as a “fictosexual,” also known as a person who’s sexually attracted to fictional characters. According to The Mirror, thousands of “fictosexuals” in Japan are in unofficial relationships with fictional characters.
As for Kondo, he started dating Miku in 2008, before having an unofficial wedding in 2018. He spent two million yen or an estimated US$17,300 (RM75,315) on the wedding ceremony. Though, his family did not attend.
Issue with communication
While “married” for four years, Kondo can’t communicate with Miku anymore due to a technological roadblock, according to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi.
Kondo knows the relationship seems weird and unconventional, his feelings are real. He fell in love Miku, who’s also depicted as a 16-year-old and has distinct turquoise hair, in 2008.
It took nearly a decade for him to be able to communicate with her. Gatebox is a US$1,300 (RM5,659) machine that allows people to communicate with fictional characters via holograms. In 2017, Kondo began using Gatebox to speak with Miku.
Gatebox software was recently discontinued
“My love for Miku hasn’t changed,” he told Mainichi. “I held the wedding ceremony because I thought I could be with her forever.”
Though he can’t currently speak with his wife via the holographic experience, Kondo still loves Miku and also has a life-size version of the beloved character.
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Source: The Star
