The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business
Went into reading this article expecting it to be a one-off, rental boyfriend type deal (that kind of trope is used very frequently in movies&#x2F;tv shows&#x2F;manga there), but this way <i>way</i> deeper than I expected. I&#x27;m pretty mind blown at how far they are taking this fake&#x2F;real replacements. Pretty close to some dystopian scifi actually.<p>&gt;If the client never reveals the truth, I must continue the role indefinitely. If the daughter gets married, I have to act as a father in that wedding, and then I have to be the grandfather. So, I always ask every client, “Are you prepared to sustain this lie?” It’s the most significant problem our company has.<p>&gt;Morin: You’re offering a more perfect form of reality?<p>&gt;Yuichi: More ideal. More clean.<p>This is so Truman Show esque.