Fictosexuality

Fictosexuality is sexual attraction towards fictional characters. Romantic attraction towards fictional characters is called fictoromantic.

The term fictosexuality describes the desire to engage in sexual or romantic relationships with a fictional character, or the experience of desire for fictional sexual material distinct from desire for flesh-and-blood people. The asexual community has used the term to describe people who experience sexual attraction exclusively to fictional characters and not to real people, although not all people who use the term to describe themselves also consider themselves asexual.

Terms in different languages

In Chinese, the term zhǐxìngliàn (simplified Chinese: 纸性恋; traditional Chinese: 紙性戀; lit. 'paper sexuality') specifically refers to sexual attraction towards two-dimensional characters only.

In Japanese, fikutosekushuaru (フィクトセクシュアル), a English loanword, is associated with nijikon, which is typically used to describe a sexual attraction towards two-dimensional anime, manga, and light novel characters, as opposed to attraction towards flesh-and-blood humans. However, the term fikutosekushuaru is distinct from nijikon and specifically pertains to a sexual identity.

Research

Relationship with fictional characters

Fictosexuality and fictromance are occasionally regarded as a form of parasocial relationship in media studies and game studies. However, Xiwen Liao points out that research on parasocial relationships often centers on unidirectional attachment from the audience to the character, thereby overlooking the intricate and diverse relationships between fictosexuals or fictromantics, and fictional characters.

Some researchers have considered relationships with fictosexuals or fictoromantics and fictional characters as "animating relationship" in sociology and anthropology. Drawing on Teri Silvio's concept of "animation" and ontological anthropology, they argue that a character's interiority or personality is constituted through the relationships between the objects comprising the character and people.

Queer studies

Several asexual studies and introductory books on sexual minorities refer to fictosexuality. As part of studies on fictosexuality, researches on individuals who are exclusively sexually attracted to two-dimensional characters has been conducted. These researchers have noted that such sexuality, akin to asexuality, forces us to reconsider dominant ideas about sexuality.

Queer theoretical research has also been conducted. In her analysis of the concept of "animation" and Hiroki Azuma's interpretation of Jacques Derrida, sociologist and queer theorist Yuu Matsuura argues that sexual attraction to fictional characters subverts established norms in a different manner from Judith Butler's performativity. The subversion is "transforming the method of perception or the way of desire through animation constructing the beings of a category that did not exist before." Matsuura also posits a theory that human-oriented sexualism is linked to heteronormativity and gender binarism.

Through interviews conducted with fictosexual individuals, Matsuura discovered that they face the same forms of oppression due to compulsory sexuality as asexual individuals do. Furthermore, it was also observed that sexual desire does not always entail a desire for sexual intercourse. Just as not all allosexuals desire sexual contact, some fictosexual individuals do not desire interactive relationships with fictional characters. Matsuura's research indicates that these individuals are rendered invisible under amatonormativity. Interview surveys indicate that the practices of fictosexual individuals present some possibilities to challenge compulsory sexuality and human-oriented sexualism.

Criticism, discrimination, and stigmatization

According to Matsuura, fictosexuals have been marginalized or concealed in societies that adhere to the norm of sexual attraction to human beings. They are occasionally stigmatized or pathologized. Fictosexuals also face prejudice from the LGBT community. Fictosexuality is often thought of as a preference and excluded from the LGBT community.

Additionally, the sexual attraction towards fictional characters can be misrepresented as a mere inclination towards a human depicted in a particular style, whereas actually the attraction is directed towards a non-human entity. Some researchers and activists argue that considering the attraction to fictional underage characters as equivalent to a desire for a human child reflects a human-oriented sexualist biased view.

Community and activism

Online communities and forums about fictosexuality exist. Taiwan Entrepot of Fictosexuality, a fictosexual activist organization, has been established in Taiwan, aligning with feminist bookstores and LGBTQ activists. Some activists have labeled the sexuality only attracted to manga/anime fictional characters as a "third sexual orientation," and Miles argues that "it is the criticism of non-real-world sex, sex outside a flesh-and-blood relationship, which drives much contemporary anti-pornography criticism and activism". Criticism of human-oriented sexualism rebuts the assumption that ACG pornography sexualizes real women and promotes pedophilia, while simultaneously denouncing rape culture. This critique is oriented towards solidarity with the feminist and LGBTQ movements.

Japanese school administrator Akihiko Kondo, who identifies as a fictosexual, symbolically married Hatsune Miku in 2018, attracting media attention. In June 2023, he founded the General Incorporated Association of Fictosexuality, to provide comfort to fictosexuals, hold meetings with people that have similar views, and improve the understanding of the subject by the public. As such, sources have identified him as someone who fights for the rights and acceptance of fictosexuals; Izumi Tsuji, secretary of the Japan Youth Study Group at Chuo University, where he is a sociology of culture professor, described Kondo as "a pioneer for the fictosexual movement".

See also

• Human-oriented sexualism
• Nijikon
• Demisexuality
• Tumblr sexyman
• Shipping (fandom)

Explanatory notes

References

1. Akihiko Kondo
2. Human-oriented sexualism
3. Gray asexuality
4. Demisexuality
5. Object sexuality
6. Oral sex
7. List of paraphilias
8. Nijikon
9. Fingering (sexual act)
10. Foreplay
11. Tumblr sexyman
12. Asexuality
13. Outline of human sexuality
14. Sex worker
15. Strip club
16. Moe (slang)
17. Lolicon
18. Casual dating
19. Celebrity worship syndrome
20. Sexual fantasy