Japanese Men Marry Anime Characters in VR Ceremony

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Dating simulations are growing increasingly popular in Japan and more men are foregoing traditional romance in favor of virtual love.  Some of these men are now even marrying their digital partners in elaborate VR ceremonies.

Fans of the popular Japanese dating sim Niizuma Lovely x Cation were recently given the opportunity to marry their favorite character in the game. The fans were promised a VR assisted ceremony located in the heart of Tokyo where a real priest would be present to conduct the proceedings.

Lucky Groom

Image credit: Visual Novel Database

As soon as the news got out, swarms of young men began frantically writing the gaming studio asking to be the lucky groom. Although there were many suitors, the number of virtual brides was limited to just three: Yuki Isurugi, Aiko Kurihara, and Nono Naruse.

After carefully reviewing all the applicants, the studio eventually settled on three young bachelors whose love and devotion surpassed even the expectations of the developers themselves.

Undying Love

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These gentlemen showed up to the chapel dressed to the nines. They solemnly placed a VR headset over their eyes and walked down the aisle towards their anime princess.  As the priest read through each of their vows, the husbands looked lovingly into the pixelated face of their future wife and professed their undying love.

You May Now Kiss The Bride

Without hesitation, the men leaned forward to meet the lips of their virtual partner while an assistant ran to grab a pair of rubber lips on a stick. The men remained blissfully unaware of their physical surroundings as the assistant pressed the plastic tool against their mouths to seal their fate.

Unsettling Truths

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While the marriage was admittedly part of a publicity stunt on the part of the game’s developers, it does highlight some unsettling truths about the popularity of hentai in Japan.

Research conducted by the Japanese government has shown that around 30% of single women and 15% of single men between the ages of 20 and 29 have fallen in love with a meme or character in a game. Just to put these numbers in perspective, this is higher than the number of men and women who admitted to falling in love with a real pop star or real actor (24% and 11% respectively).

Image credit: Ruptley

These lonely technophiles or “moes” as they are referred to in Japan are becoming increasingly commonplace. It has now reached the point where even local hotel chains are catering to this growing trend, with many now advertising the fact that they offer special accommodations for travelers who are looking to take their console partner on a romantic getaway.

Harmless Escape

Of course, we should probably guard against taking these statistics too seriously. To most in Japan, as well as the rest of the world, virtual entertainment is just a harmless escape. Even the few odd men who actually marry their beloved characters seem to do it with at least a touch of humor about the whole thing. In the end, maybe we should be more concerned for the game developers themselves. After all, who would play this game now that all the hottest characters are married?