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Wedding ceremonies with handsome anime men now being offered at Akihabara VR center

Casey Baseel Apr 19, 2018
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Slip on a headset and let one of three handsome dating simulator stars slip a ring on your finger.

A while back, Japanese media companies wised up to the fact that female fans of the anime aesthetic want many of the same things that male fans want. Lovingly animated TV series. Live appearances by their favorite voice actors. And, yes, the chance to wallow happily in the delusion of a romantic connection with their 2-D crushes.

In keeping with that spirit, video game developer Sega is now offering women the chance to take part in a wedding ceremony with one of three handsome anime-style men, through the magic of VR technology.

On April 17, the Sega VR Area Akihabara arcade in Tokyo added VR Wedding (“Kyoshiki” VR in Japanese) to its lineup of virtual reality attractions, as part of a collaboration with Voltage, a maker of otome games, female-oriented romance titles.

The trio of eligible bachelors consists of three characters from existing Voltage games, starting with Yamato Kougami, who hails from Chikai no Kiss ha Totsuzen ni Love Ring. A 26-year-old high school physics teacher, Yamato is haughty yet doting, and is voiced by veteran voice actor Hikaru Midorikawa, so if you close your eyes you can also pretend you’re tying the knot with Gundam Wing’s Heero, Fushigi Yugi’s Tamahome, or Slayers’ Zelgadis.

Those with a thing for foreigners, blond dudes, or rich guys can instead wed Henry A. Spencer, a literal prince from Ojisama no Propose Eternal Kiss with an IQ of 200 and a penchant for teasing his lover.

▼ Nobuhiko Okamoto (Blue Exorcist’s Rin) provides Prince Henry’s voice.

And finally, Date Masamune was an actual 16th-century samurai warlord before he was co-opted into historical-themed otome game Tenkadoitsu Koi no Ran Love Ballad, where he’s voiced by Kaito Ishikawa (One Punch Man’s Genos).

▼ The real Masamune did indeed lose an eye, but the remaining one having a brilliant green iris is probably a fangirl-pleasing break from historical record, and the boy band-ready hairstyle most definitely is.

Although VR Wedding definitely leans farther to the “experience” side of the game/experience scale, there is some interactivity involved, as after the wedding your conversational choices with your new husband will result in one of three different endings.

And for those wishing to preserve their memory of the special day, a marriage certificate, including a photo of you and your hubby, is available for a 700 yen (US$6.50) surcharge, in addition to the 800 yen it costs to play the game.

VR Wedding will be available for play at Sega VR Area Akihabara until May 8, and if you’re the indecisive type, virtual polygamy is allowed, so there’s nothing stopping you from going back multiple times and marrying all three men. If you’re hoping to obtain family support benefits from this otaku-accepting Japanese company, though, you’ll need to pick just one as you primary spouse. And if you’re still not sure if you’re ready to take the virtual marriage plunge, perhaps Mr. Sato’s hands-on sneak peek of VR Wedding will help you decide.

Location information
Sega VR Area Akihabara / セガVRエリア秋葉原
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Soto Kanda 1-11-1, Soto Kanda Icchome Building Sega Akihabara Building 3 6th floor
東京都千代田区外神田1-11-11外神田1丁目ビルディングセガ秋葉原3号館 6F
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Source: Voltage via IT Media
Top image: Voltage
Insert images: Voltage (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)