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Dating simulator superfan takes romantic seaside getaway with bodysuit costume of his 2-D crush

Casey Baseel Aug 18, 2015
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For any guy with a romantic streak, the highlight of summer is no doubt a weekend getaway with the girl he loves. What could be better than a little sightseeing, a stroll on the beach, and a night spent together in a hotel?

But what if the girl you love happens to be a video game character? No problem! All you need is a life-size costume of your digital sweetheart and you’re all set, as this dedicated fan shows with his series of vacation photos starring one of the characters from dating simulator LovePlus.

It may not be on the itinerary of most international tourists, but Shizuoka Prefecture’s Atami has been a favorite destination of Japanese couples for generations. Atami literally means “hot sea,” and the town’s primary attractions are its coastal scenery and hot springs.

So it’s not surprising that before summer ends, Twitter user Menokomakiri wanted to take a trip to Atami with the girl who’s captured his heart, Manaka Takane. It wasn’t quite as simple as calling Manaka and asking if she would accompany him, though, since she’s one of the potential girlfriends in video game publisher Konami’s hit romance franchise LovePlus.

Still, that wasn’t an insurmountable problem. There are LovePlus titles for Nintendo’s DS and 3DS portable systems, so taking the hardware with him and switching on the game whenever Menokomakiri was craving Manaka’s companionship would have been one option. Menokomakiri chose to go several steps further, though, by travelling with a full-body costume, including head and hair, of his 2-D crush.

「あったよー！」#loveplus pic.twitter.com/gz1k5hrGtI

— メノコマキリ (@menokomakiri) August 11, 2015

「ねぇ、こっちこっちー！」
「暑い、、、マナちゃんは元気だなあ。。」
　#loveplus pic.twitter.com/rjnjpczVC7

— メノコマキリ (@menokomakiri) August 11, 2015

Despite the summer heat, the energetic Manaka was full of vigor as she and Menokomakiri made the rounds of the local attractions, including the city’s famous Omiya no Matsu pine tree.

お宮の松にて。
念願叶い、マナカと初の熱海旅行に行ってきました。

…でもおかしいな、マナカとは熱海に何度も行ってるはずなんだけどな（#loveplus pic.twitter.com/uVNdkShXy4

— メノコマキリ (@menokomakiri) August 11, 2015

If you get up early enough and keep moving, you can actually do Atami as a day trip from Tokyo. However, considering that making the round trip in a single day involves several hours on the train, most couples choose to allow themselves a more leisurely pace by sending the night. So as the afternoon stretched on, Menokomakiri and Manaka made their way to the Hotel Ohnoya and checked in to their room, where they found complimentary green tea and Japanese confectionaries waiting for them.

▼ Say “Ahh!”

https://twitter.com/menokomakiri/status/631013717505748992

Afterwards, the pair went for a stroll on the moonlit beach, and as is often done at hot spring resorts, Manaka chose to wear the light kimono the hotel provides for guests when she stepped out.

夜の浜辺を散策。
「綺麗…」#loveplus pic.twitter.com/SWTD9ONDVI

— メノコマキリ (@menokomakiri) August 11, 2015

In Japan, it’s customary to bathe before going to bed, and that goes double when you’re staying in a city renowned for its hot spring waters. Menokomakiri even splurged on a private bath for himself and his date.

▼ Wearing a swimsuit in a Japanese bath is usually frowned upon, though.

◆家族風呂◆
【ここは男ら　
【ここは水着を着るべきだろう】
　
「…入っていい？」#loveplus pic.twitter.com/VUhWaUINB8

— メノコマキリ (@menokomakiri) August 11, 2015

Of course, any couple that’s in a committed enough relationship to share a hotel room is going to want to get in a little physical activity before going to sleep, if you know what we mean?

▼ We’re talking about a pillow fight, of course.

旅館といえば就寝前のまくら投げ！
「きゃあっ♪お返しよ！えいっ！」
「ぶはっ！？…これは…効い…た（ばたっ）」
「…！？　だ、大丈夫！？」
　
※まくら投げは熱海編のイベントではありません。#loveplus pic.twitter.com/wCweTEAzEu

— メノコマキリ (@menokomakiri) August 11, 2015

Eventually, though, it was time to turn out the lights. The futon sleeping mats in Japanese inns are always single-sized, so couples that want to get cozy simply push theirs together. Gentleman that he is, Menokomakiri doesn’t reveal in his photos whether he and Manaka went that far, however.

おやすみ愛花。#loveplus pic.twitter.com/cd0DXe8teo

— メノコマキリ (@menokomakiri) August 11, 2015

But the trip was only half-way over, so the next day the couple left their hotel and hit the beach for some fun in the sun before they had to head home.

「そろそろ夏休み、よね？」 pic.twitter.com/VZ0RT7hUDG

— メノコマキリ (@menokomakiri) August 6, 2015

「お待たせ！」#loveplus pic.twitter.com/vd7cdt3RGE

— メノコマキリ (@menokomakiri) August 12, 2015

◆熱海サンビーチにて◆
「ポーズ？ええと、こう、かな？
　…水着、変じゃないよね？」#loveplus pic.twitter.com/vyszhFGjmo

— メノコマキリ (@menokomakiri) August 12, 2015

Believe it or not, it’s only now that we bring up the strangest part of the story. As we mentioned, that’s not a figure or doll of Manaka, but a bodysuit costume. While in certain shots it’s possible that Menokomakiri has simply stuffed it with wadded up towels or newspapers and propped the costume up. In others, there’s no mistaking that a real person is wearing it.

That means that we’re looking at one of two possible situations here. The first is that Menokomakiri has someone special in his life who’s accommodating enough to not only go away with him for the weekend, but to do some incredibly bold public cosplay to satisfy his tastes, which then begs the question as to why he’s so hung up on Manaka.

The other is that that’s Menokomakiri himself wearing the costume, meaning he loves Manaka so much that he doesn’t just want to be with her, he wants to be inside her, which in this case would be even more startling than what that phrase would ordinarily suggest.

Source: Jin, Twitter/@menokomakiri (1, 2)