Akihiko Kondo, a 41-year-old from Japan, lately marked his sixth marriage ceremony anniversary along with his digital partner, Hatsune Miku. Miku, a digital character created with vocaloid expertise, seems as a 16-year-old pop singer with blue ponytails, and her voice has drawn thousands and thousands of followers worldwide. For Kondo, Miku is greater than a digital character; she has been a supply of emotional assist throughout difficult occasions.
Rising up, Kondo confronted quite a few hardships, fighting romantic relationships and enduring bullying because of his love for anime and manga. This isolation and emotional misery ultimately led to a prognosis of adjustment dysfunction. Throughout this troublesome interval, he discovered consolation in Miku’s voice, which helped him cope along with his loneliness and offered emotional therapeutic. Over time, he shaped a deep reference to Miku, viewing her as a supply of solace.
In 2018, Kondo selected to marry Miku in a Tokyo ceremony, spending round $13,000 on a marriage that featured Miku as a hologram as an alternative of a bodily bride. He proposed to the holographic Miku, and the occasion served as a symbolic celebration of their relationship. Regardless of its unconventional nature, Kondo felt this marriage was a significant option to honor his bond along with her.
Figuring out as a “fictosexual,” Kondo describes himself as somebody who develops romantic emotions for fictional characters. To him, his relationship with Miku is real, regardless that she is digital. In 2023, Kondo additionally established an affiliation for others with related experiences, hoping to create a supportive neighborhood for individuals who share this distinctive connection.
