Weirdo

Maybe I'm a bit conservative. I mean, nobody's ever said that about me, but it's possible. I'm all for doing whatever makes you happy, but if this New York Times Magazine story is true, then the fine folks over in Japan need some help. Some serious help.

If you were to click on that link, you'd find the adorable story of Nisan and Nemutan (that's the them to the left, thanks to the NY Times), the tale of the love between a 37-year-old Japanese man and a, um, pillowcase.

Basically, this is the equivalent of me walking around with an Ultimate Warrior wrestling buddy and calling it my girlfriend. Of course, that'd be much cooler than this guy. You don't believe me? Here's the stories money quote:

"Nisan is part of a thriving subculture of men and women in Japan who indulge in real relationships with imaginary characters. These 2-D lovers, as they are called, are a subset of otaku culture— the obsessive fandom that has surrounded anime, manga and video games in Japan in the last decade. It’s impossible to say exactly what portion of otaku are 2-D lovers, because the distinction between the two can be blurry. Like most otaku, the majority of 2-D lovers go to work, pay rent, hang out with friends (some are even married). Unlike most otaku, though, they have real romantic feelings for their toys. The less extreme might have a hidden collection of figurines based on anime characters that they go on “dates” with during off hours. A more serious 2-D lover, like Nisan, actually believes that a lumpy pillow with a drawing of a prepubescent anime character on it is his girlfriend."

Really Nisan? That's what you believe? Register Arts Editor says Nisan is this way because "he eats too much sushi." Now, I love sushi, but I've never fallen in love a wrestling buddy or a can of Play-Doh.

Now, what I did fall in love with is "Orphan," which just so happens to be the greatest love story of our time. Please go see it. Maybe have a beer first. You will love this fine piece of American cinema. I promise.

Besides a few technical glitches, my live chat went OK earlier today. Thanks to everyone who participated. I'll be doing again next Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. We'll have a grand ol' time.

That's all I got for now. We'll talk again tomorrow. My next post will be the 500th entry for Blog Like an Egyptian. Woo hoo. Champagne will be uncorked.