Japanese man celebrates six years with cartoon bride

If you thought romance was dead, think again. According to a report by the South Morning China Post, a Japanese man who married a fictional cartoon pop singer Hatsune Miku in 2018 is still happily married and celebrated their sixth anniversary on November 4.

Miku is a life-size doll sporting long turquoise twin ponytails and comes with a synthesised singing voice. Akihiko Kondo, 41, identifies as 'fictosexual', a term describing people who are romantically attracted to fictional characters. Kondo married Miku six years ago and shared an image on Instagram of the cake he bought for their anniversary. The message reads, "I like Miku very much. Happy six-year anniversary".

Kondo told the Japanese news outlet The Mainichi Shimbun that he had been romantically interested in women before secondary school. According to Kondo, he confessed his love seven times, but was rejected on each occasion. In addition, he recalled he was laughed at and bullied for being an otaku - a person obsessed with anime and manga.

Staying true to his image of having an obsession with animated characters, Kondo says he fell in love with Miku in 2007 soon after the character was released. Upon being bullied at work, Miku took an extended sick leave and was diagnosed with adjustment disorder. As per the publication, Kondo notes that Miku's healing voice helped him reconnect with society and saved his life.

To make his love for Miku official, Kondo proposed through a hologram device using artificial intelligence. When Miku said yes, Kondo held a wedding ceremony in a Tokyo chapel, setting him back 2 million yen (US$13,000). As a sign of his burgeoning love, Kondo had a life-size doll of Miku made in 2019.

Kondo's unorthodox orientation is a rising trend. A 2017 survey conducted by the Japanese Association for Sex Education shows that more than 10 per cent of students across schools and universities reported themselves to have had romantic feelings for fictional characters.