stay with me
Stay With Me（Fictosexuality）2024
Stay With Me is a fashion project that explores the emotional relationships formed between individuals and fictional characters in the digital age. Inspired by the growing phenomenon of fictosexuality, virtual idols, and otome games, the project examines how technology, fantasy, and desire reshape contemporary understandings of intimacy, romance, and companionship.
The project originates from an interest in the ways people develop genuine emotional attachments to fictional beings. For many fictosexual individuals, fictional characters are not merely objects of admiration but meaningful romantic partners who provide emotional fulfillment, comfort, and a sense of connection. As virtual worlds become increasingly immersive, the boundary between imagination and reality becomes more fluid, allowing fictional relationships to occupy a significant place within everyday life.
Drawing on the cultures of virtual idols, otome games, fan communities, and digital companionship, Fictosexuality investigates why fictional characters can sometimes feel more emotionally accessible than real people. The project also reflects on the changing role of women within romantic narratives. Rather than being passive objects of desire, female audiences actively project their emotions, identities, and aspirations onto virtual relationships, using them as spaces for self-expression, emotional exploration, and agency.
Through the narrative of a woman sharing ordinary moments—waking up, dating, walking, and living alongside a fictional lover who can never physically exist—the project visualizes a form of intimacy that is simultaneously real and unattainable. Fictosexuality ultimately explores the human need for love, companionship, and emotional connection, questioning where the boundaries between reality, fantasy, and genuine affection truly lie.