KISS’ Gene Simmons Offers Wholesome Defense of Man Who Married a Hologram Bride
This week, KISS rocker and prolific moneymaker Gene Simmons gave an open-minded overview of the headline-grabbing marriage between a 38-year-old Japanese man, Akihiko Kondo, and his holographic bride, a representation of the character Hatsune Miku.
Miku, a moe anthropomorphism in the style of Japanese manga graphic novels, is a turquoise-haired female cartoon pop star who serves as a fictitious spokesperson for various products in Japan. She has subsequently become a pop culture staple there.
Kondo sees himself as part of a growing movement of people who identify as "fictosexuals," The New York Times reported in an explainer on Sunday (April 24). Days later, a New York Post article on the marriage seemingly moved Simmons to comment.
The KISS "Demon" remarked on Wednesday (April 27), "It doesn't matter if you understand this relationship. It only matters if this Otaku man is happy. Otaku is a person who is a manga and tech fan. Good luck to him."
Indeed, Otaku is a Japanese word used to denote young people obsessed with computers and popular culture, often to the detriment of their social skills.
Yet Kondo is one of the thousands in Japan who've entered into unofficial marriages with fictional characters from anime, manga and video games in the last few decades, per The Times.
Patrick Galbraith, a professor at Senshu University in Tokyo who researches "fictosexuals," pointed out, "You have the comics, the cartoons, the games kind of building up a sort of infrastructure where characters become more important to people."
As for Simmons, he's been married to his corporeal bride, 1982 Playmate of the Year Shannon Tweed, since 2011. They've been together since the '80s.
Last week, Simmons defended Mike Tyson after a video emerged of the boxer allegedly punching a fan. KISS' "The End of the Road" tour is now in South America before heading back stateside.