Love Virtually

Friday, January 08, 2010 - 11:04 AM

A couple weeks ago, Kurt spoke with director James Cameron about his spectacular new movie Avatar.  He told Kurt that while the technology he used to craft the movie is important, at heart it's a love story: it's just that instead of boy meets girl, it's boy meets twelve-foot blue humanoid-cat... by posing as a virtual twelve-foot blue humanoid cat, himself.

Pure fantasy?

Well just a couple of months ago a Japanese man married his virtual girlfriend, a character from the Nintendo DS game 'Love Plus.'  The man Sal9000, and the bride Nene Anegasaki, wed at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.  The ceremony was broadcast live online, and among the human attendees were Sal's best friend, an emcee, and, of course, a priest.  The virtual world was represented by the bride's girlfriend, who toasted the new couple's happiness.

Boing Boing contributor and Studio 360 pal Lisa Katayama made this report of the ceremony:

And on this week's show -- a special episode all about Japan -- Lisa takes Kurt into a Tokyo sticker picture booth.  When Lisa offers to make him into 'a beautiful girl,' will Kurt lose himself in his own virtual world?  Find out this weekend!

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Comments [26]

Vixlezz

wow that dude iz twisted
lawl

Jan. 14 2010 11:31 PM
Cracks of peace

wkwkwkwkwkwk love always makes me laught!

Jan. 12 2010 07:59 AM
teast

At least reproduction is out of the question for the happy couple.
Darwin's Law, right?

Jan. 12 2010 05:18 AM
goshaza

He could get an employment at a game company and create more games with virtual girlfriends. Wouldn't that kind of be reproduction?

Jan. 12 2010 04:46 AM
rider_moth

Hi.

Jan. 12 2010 03:18 AM
arthipesa

waks! this is totally out of my head. :D

Jan. 12 2010 03:07 AM
Mafty

yeah...it's specially designed for a hikikomori...

Jan. 12 2010 01:50 AM
A_wandering_mind

Well I am still shocked. Man marries virtual character? I am very happy to be old fashioned then and readily admit to prefer love stories with true "humans"

Jan. 12 2010 12:02 AM
Justin

A little weird but interesting... I also love playing RPG's in Nintendo DS but not like this one...
I'll try to download this, just curious...

Jan. 11 2010 11:44 PM
murk mutt

hello, I'm happy to heard that good and concise story from you. can you please tell me where to find the online virtual married couple. thanks

Jan. 11 2010 11:30 PM
blackenedgreen

what matters in this world? material reality? counting the fact that real relationship can be ridiculously unreal, that guy has the possibility of becoming a happy man, as long as he can keep himself happy. Of course as a human we have our own basic needs, one simple example is: sex, but these days it's should be quite manageable.

Jan. 11 2010 11:11 PM
GrandHustlegirl

Ok.....marrying a "virtual" girldfriend is seriously taking things a bit far. Sounds like Mr. Sal9000 has a bit of social anxiety.

Jan. 11 2010 10:45 PM
ccarter567

A friend of mine and I were discussing this the last week. We wondered, if you take the batteries out of the DS, does it count as murder, divorce, or both?

Jan. 11 2010 09:11 PM
Gosha

The question is; is it legal for more than one person to marry the same video game character?

Jan. 11 2010 07:52 PM
Tara Aarness

Wow, some crazy stuff. At least reproduction is out of the question for the happy couple.

Jan. 11 2010 06:35 PM
Alinanra

Ah I saw it... There was an petition for it too...

my husband was with me and wondered about how will they enjoy their honeymoon.

Jan. 11 2010 06:19 PM
thejourneywithnoend

So, now we need to ask not only are you involved with someone when we date, but real or virtual and how serious?

WOW--this takes things to a whole new complicated area for those dating...

Jan. 11 2010 06:16 PM
thatstitch

What happens if he falls for a real woman and wants a divorce? :P

Jan. 11 2010 06:13 PM
John D

woah, that is crazy!

Jan. 11 2010 05:05 PM
Jessica Lebsock

Wow.. That's uh.. Pretty impressive =D So, I'm a little confused though, is she a real person over the video game? Or just a character put into the game that you play with?

Jan. 11 2010 04:27 PM
frigs

I had heard about this when it happened, but i did not get all the details, i was hoping this article would help me explain what i have been trying to tell my friends, which it did, thank you. recently a friend of mine had questions revolving a hermaphrodite marrying themselves, and I told him that said hermaphrodites best chances are in Japan, as you can see why.

Jan. 11 2010 04:13 PM
Nguyễn Quốc Toán

many unbelievable things have happened in Japan. I heard about a man getting married with a girl who was actually a picture on his pillow @.@

Jan. 11 2010 02:05 PM
terror caught her

?

I'm guessing they won't be consumating the ceremony...

http://terrorcaughther.wordpress.com/

http://lunckyinc.wordpress.com/

Jan. 11 2010 01:39 PM
CidEvil

OMG O.O Those crazy Japanese

Jan. 11 2010 12:43 PM
cedric

i think the movie is one of the best of it tie

Jan. 11 2010 11:02 AM
Moranna

Whatever nrxt?!

Jan. 11 2010 09:34 AM

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