The Man Who Married His Anime Body Pillow

In 2010, a story emerged from South Korea that made headlines worldwide and left the internet collectively scratching its head: a man had married his pillow. Not just any pillow, mind you—a dakimakura, a Japanese body pillow featuring a life-sized image of an anime character.

Lee Jin-gyu, then 28 years old, had fallen in love with Fate Testarossa, a character from the magical girl anime series Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. His devotion went far beyond typical fandom.

The Wedding That Broke the Internet

The ceremony wasn't some private affair. Lee invited friends and family, dressed his pillow in a wedding gown, and had a friend don priest's robes to officiate. Photos from the event show guests smiling alongside the happy "couple," treating the occasion with surprising sincerity.

Lee reportedly took his pillow bride everywhere—restaurants, amusement parks, even on vacation. He'd been in a relationship with the pillow for several years before deciding to make it official.

What Is a Dakimakura, Anyway?

For the uninitiated, dakimakura translates roughly to "hugging pillow." These oversized pillows typically feature:

• Life-sized printed images of anime or video game characters
• A standard size of about 160cm (5'3") long
• Removable, washable covers (important for... reasons)
• A devoted following in Japanese otaku culture

While most dakimakura owners simply enjoy them as comfort items or collectibles, Lee took the concept to its logical—or illogical—extreme.

Not Legally Binding (Obviously)

Before you ask: no, the marriage isn't legally recognized. South Korea, like virtually every country on Earth, requires both parties in a marriage to be, well, people. The ceremony was purely symbolic, a public declaration of Lee's unconventional love.

This wasn't even the first human-object marriage to make news. In 2009, a Japanese man named Sal9000 held a wedding ceremony with a character from the Nintendo DS game Love Plus. These events sparked broader conversations about loneliness, social isolation, and the increasingly blurred lines between virtual relationships and reality.

The Bigger Picture

While it's easy to dismiss Lee's story as bizarre internet fodder, some psychologists saw it as symptomatic of deeper issues. Japan and South Korea both face significant challenges with social isolation, particularly among young men. The term hikikomori—describing people who withdraw from society entirely—originated in Japan but describes a phenomenon spreading across developed nations.

Whether Lee's pillow marriage represents harmless eccentricity, a coping mechanism for social anxiety, or something more concerning depends largely on who you ask. What's undeniable is that it captured global attention and sparked conversations about love, loneliness, and what happens when fiction becomes more appealing than reality.

As for Lee and his pillow bride? The couple has largely stayed out of the spotlight since 2010. One hopes they're living happily ever after—or at least that he's invested in quality pillow covers.