Posted on 04/24/2022 12:04:36 PM PDT by simpson96
TOKYO — In almost every way, Akihiko Kondo is an ordinary Japanese man. He’s pleasant and easy to talk to. He has friends and a steady job and wears a suit and tie to work.
There’s just one exception: Mr. Kondo is married to a fictional character.
His beloved, Hatsune Miku, is a turquoise-haired, computer-synthesized pop singer who has toured with Lady Gaga and starred in video games. After a decade-long relationship, one that Mr. Kondo says pulled him out of a deep depression, he held a small, unofficial wedding ceremony in Tokyo in 2018. Miku, in the form of a plush doll, wore white, and he was in a matching tuxedo.
In Miku, Mr. Kondo has found love, inspiration and solace, he says. He and his assortment of Miku dolls eat, sleep and watch movies together. Sometimes, they sneak off on romantic getaways, posting photos on Instagram.
Mr. Kondo, 38, knows that people think it’s strange, even harmful. He knows that some — possibly those reading this article — hope he’ll grow out of it. And, yes, he knows that Miku isn’t real. But his feelings for her are, he says.
“When we’re together, she makes me smile,” he said in a recent interview. “In that sense, she’s real.”
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at dnyuz.com ...
You have won the thread.
yes, he knows that Miku isn’t real. But his feelings for her are,
***On the scale of harmful obsessions, this one isn’t very noteworthy. If it makes him happy then who am I to say anything, he aint harmin’ anyone.
… l he held a small, unofficial wedding ceremony in Tokyo in 2018. Miku, in the form of a plush doll, wore white “…
I’ll bet it wore a mask.
This should be taught in public schools K-3. Why not? Everything else is.
I know my ex wives were “fictional characters” - they turned into far different women right after getting married!
Current birth rate in Japan...1.36
Replacement is 2.1
Sheiiit homie!
The Japanese don’t even allow educated whites to become citizens. They don’t even like other Asians, let alone blacks...
I can maybe see little kids doing things like this, but grown adults? Kind of strange, IMO.
Two movies to watch: Her and I’m Your Man.
Both films are quite well grounded. They are self-consciously about human characters lost in an emotionally absorbing illusion. I’m Your Man explicitly uses the A word. (addiction) “They make us happy. What can be wrong with being happy?” Will the humans fight their way free? Watch and see.
Her does cheat a bit by having a newly single and lonely Amy Adams living upstairs. Hmmmm. Amy Adams or a software program? Let me think on that and get back to you.
Well she might be fictional but at least she’s female
No. I will not hear out yet another mentally disturbed person.
He is nuts.
It is the harmless kind of nuts that does not require medication. Possibly therapy. He sounds like he is still functional in other ways. I doubt his parents are pleased.
As long as he does not expect me to endorse it or act as if his make believe world is real... :shrug:
But he is still nuts.
You go, guy!
nope they don’t
its brilliant
Hatsune Miku was only initially release on August 31, 2007; and not stably released until November 27, 2020.
She/it is not even 15 years old, even though she/it has been playing a 16 year old character.
She/it is too young to be married!
Bob ~ “My wife’s an angel!”
Fred ~ “You’re lucky, mine’s still alive...”
Hey at least he married another “person”.
The women in Japan and other places marry themsleves.
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