Having a crush on a fictional character isn’t completely new. Throughout the 21st century, people across the world have developed love interests with their favorite fictional characters. Perhaps not to the extent of fans within Japan’s romance video game subculture, though. In Japan, it’s not uncommon for people to prefer to date fictional and virtual characters, as opposed to real-life ones.
But with the popularity of virtual intimacy rising, there have been growing concerns that people are substituting their real-life relationships for unnatural, virtual ones.
Psychologist Mayu Koike, from Hiroshima University, is interested in the psychological and environmental factors that lead people in droves to virtual relationships in Japan, and more broadly across the world.
“I think people are worried about the impression from society when they have online/virtual relationships. People generally believe that real-world relationships are more authentic. However, finding the right person and building a good relationship in ...
