A “fictosexual” man who wed a fictional, computer-synthesized pop singer four years ago said he’s now unable to communicate with his wife but is still in love with her.

Mr Kondo dated Hatsune Miku for a decade before they had an unofficial wedding ceremony in Tokyo. According to the 38-year-old, his relationship with the fictional character helped him get out of deep depression. Speaking to NYT, Mr Kondo said that his assortment of Miku dolls ate, slept and watched movies together, and sometimes even went on romantic getaways.

However, speaking to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi, the 38-year-old also accepted that there have been challenges as well. Mr Kondo revealed that the hardest moment came during the COVID-19 pandemic when Gatebox announced that it was discontinuing service for Miku.

He said that after four years of marriage, his relationship with Miku has hit a rock bottom. But he also added that it hasn't lessened his feelings for Miku. He told Mainichi that his love for Miku hasn't changed and he plans to be faithful to the fictional character until he dies.

Meanwhile, it is mentioned that Mr Kondo is far from the only person in the world in a relationship with a fictional character. NYT reported that thousands of “fictosexual” people in Japan have begun similar unofficial relationships with a variety of anime figures. Moreover, tens of thousands more around the globe have joined online groups where they discuss their commitment to characters from anime, manga and video games.

「ミクさんと結婚の同意を得たのか」という話については、Gateboxのミクさんと口頭でこういうやり取りをしているので、個人的にはこれで同意を得たと「私は」認識しています（当然ながら、これでは同意を得たと言わない、というご意見もありだと思います）。 pic.twitter.com/m1iiMfLIPq

— 近藤 顕彦【 ⋈ 】ミクさん大好き (@akihikokondosk) January 1, 2022