It has always been.

So the MLP fandom has their otakus. Big news everyone. There have been enough people who went all Pygmalion over anime characters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik…

@The Archmage of the Aether
Do you mean like a Tulpa?
Or that the collective subconscious of the fandom could create an Egregore? If so, how would it manifest in your opinion?