A man who married digital icon Hatsune Miku in real life caused uproar after he admitted he mainly married her because he could

It's one of those times, dear reader. When I write a title that makes me feel like Cthulhu is threatening to erode my sanity in the waking world, this is a good example.

Akihiko Kodon decided to marry digital icon Hatsune Miku in 2018. The Vocaloid singer has a large enough following that she can sing her way into videogames and DLCs for videogames. She also appears in Magic: The Gathering. Miku's dulcet vocals have been heard by millions of people over the years. But she is a fictional character, not a living, breathing thoughtform. At least, until the singularity occurs.

As you can imagine, this attracted a lot of attention from the media. Kondo went on to give lectures on the topic, and founded the General Incorporated Association of Fictosexuality. According to the story, Kondo fell into depression at age 23. However, his love for Miku helped him overcome it. In 2018, he told CNN that she "lifted [him] up when I was at my lowest." She kept me company, and made me feel that I could regain my life. Kondo never legally tied the knot but he had a symbolic ceremony that was attended by 39 strangers. (He did invite his family and co-workers, but they didn't attend.)

To be clear, I am not interested in ragging anyone for living in a way that might seem odd to an outsider. I find it more interesting to try to understand and connect to people who live this way than to point and laugh. Kondo's tale gave a glimpse into a group of people who, for whatever reasons, find comfort in their perceived relationship with fictional characters.

I'm more inclined to criticise 's choice based on her canonical 16-year-old status, but that's another can of worms. She's also been sixteen for 13 years. Did Miku begin to age in Kondo’s mind when she married him? I've already looked into one void this morning and I'm not going to look into another.

Kondo, who has ostensibly professed love to Miku over six years of digital marriage, has caused a huge uproar by revealing that, well, he just did it for, well, him. Automaton reported and translated that Kondo made the following shocking revelation on X:

"I'm certain I'll receive backlash no matter how I write this but I try to stay within the bounds what's legal." This is why I had a wedding with Hatsune Miku at my home, it's also why I went to school while working as a government employee, and it's also why I tried going to Tokyo Disneyland. That last bit is referring to a period when he was not allowed to take his wife to Disneyland, which seems a bit hypocritical, given that the whole point of Disneyland is to use mascot kayfabe. Is it possible to believe that Mickey Mouse is real but not Hatsune Miku's? Preposterous.

Kondo continues: "Many people were upset or uncomfortable when I wed Hatsune Miku," the education board raised a fuss and involved the management and union when I attended university. (Although nothing happened in the final analysis) Tokyo Disneyland also caused a lot of controversy. All of these things, however, were not illegal. "That's why I did them."

It's amazing to learn that Kondo is essentially doing this just to experience a Joker-level philosophical high. He caused more controversy by trying to buy women's underwear in person rather than online. This is something that falls on the venn chart of legality but is frowned upon. Clothing is just clothing and people should be able to purchase it anywhere. However, I can understand why women may feel uncomfortable with a man in the lingerie department based on their own experiences.

This reveal has upset Miku-heads, despite the fact that it breaks social norms. The following machine-translated quotes convey the sentiment loud and clear. "He doesn't care about Hatsune Miku, and is a nuisance and an old man that enjoys playing chicken," writes one of the fans. "This world does not revolve around you. It will only make Miku sad. "If you had a self-concept, you would be divorced and left behind," writes another.

Kondo is steadfast in his assessment that, "in a nation governed by the principle of law, law takes precedence over opinion". While an entertaining thought exercise, it's not exactly progressive when you give it some more thought. Throughout history, some of the most horrific things have been made legal while other behaviours were criminalised or pathologised. Hey, maybe it's good for people to shake up the status quo. If you don't like it, you can always save Miku by putting her on your PC.