Man's Wedding to Anime Hologram Racks Up Massive Bill

Marriage is not cheap, and it doesn't matter who you marry; it's going to cost a pretty penny. One [...]

By Rollin Bishop

Marriage is not cheap, and it doesn't matter who you marry; it's going to cost a pretty penny. One Japanese man found this out the hard way when he recently wed a virtual anime idol.

According to Reuters, 35-year-old Akihiko Kondo married the virtual idol Hatsune Miku -- yes, the vocaloid character with the blue hair and twin pigtails that's designed to be 16 -- in a ceremony that cost $18,000. It is admittedly not the most expensive wedding to ever be held, but it might be the most expensive wedding held between a man and an anime hologram.

"I believe the shape of happiness and love is different for each person," Kondo reportedly told Reuters. "There definitely is a template for happiness, where a real man and woman get married, have a child and live all together. But I don't believe such a template can necessarily make everyone happy."

39 guests reportedly attended the wedding on November 4th, but Kondo's parents were not among them though other relatives were. While the wedding is not legally binding, of course, there was an exchanging of rings; Kondo has one, and a Hatsune Miku doll wears the other.

Hatsune Miku, the vocaloid that went on to become a media franchise all its own and now Kondo's virtual wife, spawned out of software from Crypton Future Media. The company reportedly denied to comment on the wedding, which is just as well. Any comment would likely only encourage other fans to go about marrying Hatsune Miku left and right. (This is not actually a joke; Hatsune Miku fans are notoriously rabid.)

Kondo, for what it's worth, seems to be taking all this in stride. The Reuter footage of the wedding and aftermath, which you can see above, seems mostly positive despite the nature of the event. Plus? He seems to think the wedding itself will help others. "People messaged me, saying they were encouraged," he told Reuters. "I think it was nice to have this wedding for that reason."

What do you make of this whole "marrying an anime hologram" thing? Are you a Hatsune Miku fan? Let us know in the comments!

[H/T BuzzFeed News]

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