Almost any fan of Japanese animation has felt attraction to a fictional character at some point, but a Japanese sociologist has just brought this experience into academia, unleashing a storm of opinions. Researcher Yuki Matsuura publicly stated that people who fall in love or even marry two-dimensional characters belong to a specific identity within the LGBT spectrum. This claim emerged in response to a high-profile case of a 42-year-old man who held a formal wedding with virtual idol Hatsune Miku, an event his own mother refused to attend, deeming it incomprehensible.

The theory behind two-dimensional love

In his research paper, the sociologist named this phenomenon fictosexuality. According to his proposal, it is not simply an individual seeking a substitute due to an inability to relate to real people, but a genuine sexual orientation where romantic desire is directly focused on artificial figures. However, the Japanese community did not welcome this theory warmly. Social media filled with relentless criticism, with thousands arguing that love requires mutual interaction and the ability to grant consent—two elements that a drawing or virtual model can never offer.

Outrage and the limits of reality

The discussion quickly escalated. Much of the public labeled this orientation as mere obsession or an escape from reality, even questioning the relevance of social sciences in modern universities. The debate also drew in followers of VTuber agencies, who were labeled by some internet users as vulnerable individuals consuming this entertainment to evade daily problems. Furthermore, great concern arose about the boundaries of this classification, as many fear that validating love for inanimate objects could open the door to normalizing unacceptable behaviors under the guise of sexual diversity.

Despite massive rejection, a small minority defended the right to privacy, arguing that as long as a person harms no one or causes no financial trouble, they should be free to seek happiness their own way. With holographic marriages and devotion to fictional characters becoming increasingly visible in contemporary society, do you think fictosexuality should be formally studied as an orientation, or do you agree it’s just fandom taken to the absolute extreme?