What is Fictosexuality?
Table of Contents
Have you ever been in love? If you've ever fallen in love, you know very well that at this time the heart is in charge and many times we have no control. But what about when the heart chooses a fictional character? It is possible? Yes, and it can be called Phyctosexuality. In this post we will explain this sexual orientation and why it differs from a fetish or fantasy.
What is Phyctosexuality?
A phytosexuality, also called fictophilia, is a generic term that describes a person who feels sexual and/or romantic attraction to invented characters.
The object of desire can be a character from a book, comic book, television, movie, game, etc. Phytosexuality does not necessarily exclude other forms of sexuality or attraction to real people.
Tanja Välisalo, Finnish researcher at the University of Jyväskylä, and co-author of the study Fictosexuality, fictoromance and fictophilia: a study of love and desire for fictional characters, published in January 2021.
It is important to note that it should not be confused with attraction to actors or actresses who play fictional characters, but rather to the fictional persona itself.
This attraction also differs from a sexual fantasy or fetish. Fantasy is usually a passing thought or desire, while phytosexuality is a more permanent sexual orientation or identity.
Katie Lasson, a sex and relationship consultant, explains that fantasies involving fictional characters are not uncommon, even for people who don't identify as fictosexual. She mentions as an example Jessica rabbit, the red-haired cartoon singer from the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit from 1988, as a popular example of a fictional character who sparks fantasies in many people.
According to a article published on the US website of National Institutes of Health (NIH), phytosexuals are part of the community LGBTQIAPN+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual/Arromantic/Agender, Pan/Poli, Non-binary and more).
It is a sexual orientation that still has few studies, but it is close to the gray asexuality (sexual gray), being people who experience sexual attraction rarely, at low intensity or under specific circumstances.
However, even if some fictosexuals identify as asexual, they can also identify with other orientations, such as, for example, the biphytosexuals, who are attracted to both male and female fictional characters.
Be "fictosex” is not limited to a specific sexual orientation and can be experienced by people of diverse orientations.
As stated on the website Newsweek by Amy Pritchett, specialist in portal relationships MyDatingAdviser, one of the main benefits of phytosexual attraction is that your imaginary partner “can't argue with you, end the relationship, or do undesirable things that real people do. In a way, marrying a fictional character is similar to marrying yourself in that they will never challenge you.. "
Phytosexual people experience an intimate and emotional connection with these imaginary characters, and this attraction can be as strong and meaningful as the attraction to real people, leading thousands of people, mainly in Japan and the United States, to get married in special ceremonies.
One of the most famous cases of fictosexual relationship that won the media was that of the Japanese Akihiko Kondou, who married the virtual singer Hatsune Miku.
Akihiko Kondo and Hatsune Miku's wedding
During his teenage years, Kondo had romantic experiences with human women, but none of them were successful. It was only when he entered adulthood and faced difficulties at work due to bullying by female superiors, that he met Hatsune Miku.
During his medical leave, while recovering at home, Kondo heard Miku singing on a video sharing website. The character's crystal clear voice enchanted him, providing him with a refuge from loneliness and difficulties. Since then, Miku has become his companion.
Hatsune Miku, known for her turquoise hair and youthful appearance, is a Vocaloid — a singing software developed by Yamaha , and who conquered fans around the world with their virtual presentations, having even opened concerts for the famous singer Lady Gaga.
It was in 2018 that Kondo and Miku made their relationship official in a special ceremony held in Tokyo. The relationship between Kondo and Miku started in 2008 and continues until now. Akihiko Kondo invested not only emotionally but also financially in this union.
In addition to the $39 wedding for 17.000 guests, he has a collection of Miku dolls, including a specially commissioned life-size figure.
Every time Kondo returns home, he addresses Miku saying "I'm home" and when he wakes up, he also wishes her "good morning". This interaction, while it may seem strange to many, is an expression of the love and emotional connection that Kondo feels towards the character.
Furthermore, he acquired a Gatebox, a holographic device that allows you to interact with fictional characters, for a cost of US$1.300 (R$ 6.471,04).
Since her marriage to Miku was publicized, Kondo has been getting messages of support from people who also love fictional characters.
Kondo found that many of his colleagues also shared similar experiences. He mentioned that he had never met anyone who considered themselves to be fictosexual by birth, but believes that other fictosexuals may have developed feelings for fictional characters while also becoming romantically involved with real people.
A survey conducted in 2017 by the Japanese Association for Sex Education revealed that more than 10% of young Japanese people have romantic feelings for anime and game characters. Surprisingly, women demonstrated greater emotional involvement, representing 17,1% of responses.
This discovery brought a sense of belonging and understanding to Kondo and those who share his affection for fictional characters. Many of these individuals are going through difficult times in their lives and find solace and emotional support in anime and characters. Having a community that understands their experiences gives them a safe space to express their emotions and share their concerns.
Kondo, in response to a reporter, shared the struggles he faced due to others' misunderstanding and judgment of his passion. He revealed that he's lost count of how many times he's been labeled "disgusting" and "sick" for devoting time to a fictional character.
However, he stressed that he can't do anything if people are offended by his choice to be emotionally invested in a character. In June 2023, Kondo and a group of friends decided to create the Association of Phyctosexuals, an organization dedicated to bringing together and promoting public understanding.
This initiative seeks to not only provide a safe and supportive space, but also to drive broader social change. By challenging stereotypes and confronting discrimination, the association hopes to promote a more inclusive society, where all forms of love and affection are valued and respected.
Types of Phyctosexuality
Phytosexuality is a term that serves as an “umbrella” for different types of attractions to fictional characters, whether these are specific, generalized or sexually influencing in some way.
Second rebecca minor, the site's gender specialist Gender Specialist, phytosexuality is often confused with or compared to terms other than gray asexualityLike semisexuality (little sexual attraction), demisexuality (sexual attraction following a strong emotional or romantic connection) and even the egosexuality (sexual attraction to you).
This orientation has sparked debates and discussions about the nature of attraction and the role of imagination in forming relationships and desires, to exemplify, let's see some known types:
- animasexual – the exclusive attraction for anime/manga characters;
- Cartosexual – attraction to cartoon/comic characters;
- visualnovelsexual – attraction to characters from visual novels;
- gamosexual – attraction to video game characters;
- Imagisexual – attraction to fictional characters who can never be seen (characters from books, characters from podcasts, etc.);
- unreasexual – attraction to characters from TV shows/movies in live action;
- OCsexual – attraction to original characters;
- teratosexual – attraction to characters related to monsters;
- tobusexual – attraction to characters related to vampires;
- spectrosexual – attraction to characters related to ghosts;
- nekosexual – attraction to characters related to nekos (cats in Japanese);
- anuafsexual – attraction to other animal-human hybrid characters.
It is important to highlight that each person has their own experiences and experiences, and what may seem strange or incomprehensible to some may be deeply meaningful to others.
In the same way that I started this post with a question, I will end with another: will the production of realistic dolls with synthetic skin, added to the advancement of robotics and artificial intelligence language models, be able to meet the needs of fictosexual people in the future ? Leave your opinion in the comments.
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Source: New York Post, Gender Specialist, WeFashionTrends, Newsweek, The Guardian
Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim (06 / 09 / 23)
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