Most men like at least a little animation in their partners. And by a little, I mean a lot. A whole lot. Something just short of a 911 call by the neighbors. Scratch that. Let them call. THAT run in with the cops would give a guy a story he can re-tell until he dies. Something to thrill is daughter’s new in-laws with at the wedding reception. And, with a little luck, a guy might even end up with a Disturbing the Peace violation that he can get framed and hang above his bed. Or carry around in his wallet in case he needs it to liven up Thanksgiving dinner with the grandkids.
Some men, however, seem to prefer a little ANIME in their partners. And again, by a little, I mean a lot. OK, anime porn is nothing new, and guys were “using” it long before The Bare Naked Ladies came along. But what was once just a creepy niche market inhabited by Xenophile and Fritz the Cat has blossomed into a massive industry that rivals “real live” porn in scale. OK, not really, but it’s still HUGE. Video games, magazines, movies and TV shows. Everything from soft core pulp like Sailor Moon, to scary-core demon snuff screamers like Legend of the Overfiend. Men gobble up boatloads of the stuff – quite literally, since most of it comes from East Asia. And what gets into the US is just the tip of the iceberg.
So maybe I’m old fashioned, or just old, but an obsession with wide-eyed pre-pubescent cartoon girls is a bit disturbing. Understandable, maybe. At least for hormone-tortured teenagers who can get a real girl to come near them. But still disturbing. And, if you’re over 18, its just wrong. I’m mean, cat-girls? Really? Buy a magazine from behind the counter or something. Or watch Spartacus on cable like a real man.
Apparently, however, this whole obsession with anime vixens has gone too far. OK, maybe not in the US, at least not yet – for now splotchy faced American boys are content to watch anime in dark rooms after their parents have gone to bed. But, on the other side of the Pacific, their pasty-skinned brothers are actually marrying their illustrated women. That’s right, marriage. To a cartoon. A real man (well, a male human), a unreal woman. Like Brad Pitt in Cool World, except for real (and possibly, with better acting). I’m not kidding – you can’t make this stuff up. Or at least, if you do, it’s a box office flop.
It all started with Japanese men marrying cartoon characters, mostly the romantic love interests from “dating simulation” games. “Love sims,” which range from cutesy G-rated puppy love stuff to things that might make Ron Jeremy blush, are apparently very popular in Asia. I’ve never heard of one getting ported over to the US (or at least, not very successfully). Popular doesn’t even begin to describe it when people are actually carrying these things from dating on a screen to marrying in the real world. I guess the games are REALLY realistic. Either that or these guys don’t have much experience with real women. Maybe the attraction is a woman that can be played like a video game, complete with cheat codes.
Now some men are taking it to the next level – they’re marrying their pillows. But wait, we aren’t we talking about anime? Yes, we were. And we still are; these “dakimakura” are body pillows with life size images of cartoon girls printed on them. Again, they’re very popular. One thing they are not is realistic – they’re pillow shaped and hard to confuse with real women. I mean, at least on dating sims, if you press enter the game responds (or throws out an error – you know, just like a real woman). On the other hand, a pillow-woman is more “tactile” then a game-girl, and your date doesn’t have to end when the power goes out. But, unless your into women that are fluffier than Gabriel Iglesias, it’s hard to see the attraction.
A quick search of the internet reveals that there are boy versions of these pillows for female anime fans. Yes, apparently lots of women watch anime in other countries, even after puberty. Turns out that there are also cartoon dating sim games for girls. One thing I couldn’t find was any mention of women marrying anime guys. I guess women, even women in countries that produce pillow loving grooms, apparently cannot dive to the same sordid depths as men of the species. Or, at least, they haven’t yet.
Tags: Rant by Uncle Matt
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