Hasta La Gadget!

Japan is well known for its online match making services, most of which take advantage of the male libido and end up causing them to spend hundreds of dollars on “points,” which are purchased to send and receive mails, as well as exchanging photos and phone numbers with the opposing party. However, out of the many fraudulent websites, there exist a handful of legitimate ones. Tying this into the “konkatsu” (marriage hunting) boom that has been apparent in Japan during recent years, Nugget, a Japanese web design company, has created “Aerura,” an online “konkatsu” service that is specifically targeted at the otaku (the endearing term for geek) market. There have been many dating websites created for a particular target segment such as doctors and lawyers, but Aerura is the first of its kind aimed at this specific market.

The vast world of otaku is much more complicated than it seems on the surface, it is not just about loving anime, collecting premium toys, and sipping “special coffee” at the notorious maid cafes. Numerous classifications of obsession exist, and Aerura seeks to furnish each type by offering these as search categories, such as figures, trains/railroads, voice actors, etc. Determined to helping members find the perfect match, the service heavily focuses on these “hobbies,” and even arranges “omiai”(arranged blind dates) parties that are restricted to a certain genre. These specific theme-based events cost around 50 to 100 dollars each, but to those who spend more than 300 dollars on a life sized pillow with an anime character imprinted on it, it may be a cheap price to pay to meet someone of the opposite sex that shares the same interest. On top of all this, Aerura also offers free relationship and marriage counseling to all members.

The website itself has a very “clean” appearance, increasing its credibility as a legitimate dating service. It uses Nico Nico Douga, the growing Youtube equivalent for the Japanese geek segment, to advertise its presence; a marketing strategy aimed at at their direct audience. Amusingly, there are actually certain qualifications that these marriage seeking otakus must possess in order to find their one true “ani-mate.” Although any sort of women are allowed to join (as long as they are over 25), men must be single, over 25, have an income paying job, and have Japanese residency. On an online forum discussing the website, many reviewers have said that Aerura’s intentions are directed at a more “high end” otaku community base (defined as the geeks who have jobs and have intentions of eventually having a family of their own), which is interesting to see how the geek world also has hierarchy.

Otakus have been part of Japanese culture for decades, and quite frankly, I’m a little surprised that this genre of online dating websites have not taken its appearance until now. It will definitely be worth seeing whether this movement will cause a revolution in the lifestyle of otakus and if they will be able to find mates who do not seem to mind (or in fact even share) their significant other’s obsession with CG Idols such as AKB48’s Eguchi Aimi.

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